Dear OJRSD Families, 

As we get ready to enjoy the last weekend of summer break, I cannot wait to welcome our students and their families to the first day of school on Monday, August 29! This school year is my 28^th as an educator and my second year with Owen J. Roberts.

I am extremely optimistic entering into this new school year. As we move forward as a community, I expect a return to normal in our schools, with a focus on teaching, learning and meeting the social and emotional needs of our students.

The health and safety of students and staff remains a shared priority for OJR. This year, we are transitioning to treat COVID in the same manner as any other communicable disease. If students are sick, we ask that you please keep them home from school and make us aware of their absence like you would any other illness. Additionally, we will no longer be tracking COVID cases via a district dashboard, nor will we require social distancing or any quarantine periods for students and staff who were in close contact with individuals who test positive.

These are exciting times for our school district. Last year, we received beneficial insight from our community during a series of Listening Sessions that have helped guide the development of a new strategic plan that will enable us to continue to prioritize support for our classrooms, and ensure the ongoing academic success of our students.

Our strategic plan focuses on six primary goals that will guide our initiatives throughout this school year and beyond:

• Student Success
• Infrastructure Excellence
• Student Well Being
• Professional Development
• Communication
• Transition

I look forward to continuing our conversations about our progress as we partner to serve our community’s children.

Most of all, I want to thank all our students, families and staff for their perseverance throughout the past few years, as well as their unwavering commitment to making OJR a great school district. I am honored to work alongside our community members and consider it a privilege to serve as your superintendent. I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday, August 29 as we begin an amazing school year!

Sincerely, 

Dr. Will Stout

Superintendent