September 1, 2010
It’s an Excellent day in Athens ISD!
Can you believe that we have completed week one of the school year? It seems like the busier we are the faster that time goes.
· Wednesday, September 1, 2010 was an historic day in Athens ISD. We had the official opening of the remodeled Athens Intermediate School. Many people in the community and many of the members of the Athens Chamber of Commerce turned out for our Ribbon Cutting event and to tour the facility. Dr. Joe Mike Murphy spoke to those in attendance on behalf of his father, Mr. Joe Murphy, who was principal at the campus for almost twenty years. Mr. McElhany, school board president, offered his thanks to the community for their support of the rebuild and to the staff for their patience through the process. Dr. Sims, principal of the school, welcomed all and thanked the board and others for improving the facility for the students. After the comments, Mrs. Joe Murphy cut the ribbon in the honor of her late husband. It was an excellent event, and I would like to thank Mrs. Faulk, director of human relations and marketing, for her organization of the event.
· The Athens/Henderson County Arts Council recently donated $500 to Athens ISD. The money will be applied toward the contract with Region 7 so that Athens ISD will join the Region 7 Arts Coop. Fine Arts programs are extremely strong in Athens and it is due in large part to the Athens/Henderson County Arts Council.
· The new billboard is up on Hwy 31 adjacent to McAlister’s. The theme for this sign is the celebration of our Recognized campuses. It is important that everyone knows that excellent education is what we are about in Athens ISD! We have a dedicated group of teachers and staff members who are committed to the success of every child. One could not ask for a school that is better at meeting the needs of a diverse student population.
· The building is finally complete at South Athens Elementary. This week we completed the final portion of the facility remodel with the construction of the last link of the fencing. In a year we have seen this campus transformed from an outdated, undersized facility to a physical campus that now is representative of the work that goes on behind the classroom doors.
· Did you know that we had a student who graduated from Athens ISD who started his first day of classes this week at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts? Taylor Fitzgerald not only was accepted to Harvard, but also got a huge scholarship to attend the prestigious university. I am proud of Taylor, his family, and all of the staff members in Athens ISD at all levels who helped make his dream a reality.
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The Athens ISD targets, are they in front of you? If not, take a closer look at www.athensisd.net. We are committed to quality in Athens ISD, and by focusing on the district targets, we will achieve excellence.
· The district focus this year is, “The Power of One.” In Athens ISD we will work as a team to focus our complete efforts on each and every student so that by doing so we can be better than we have ever been. Won’t you join us as we strive for excellence? All of us, educators, parents, family members, community members, play a unique role in the life of each child. I view a student as “a paint by number” masterpiece and each one of us must fill in our piece or the painting is not complete.
The Power of One:
“It is amazing how much people get done if they do not worry about who gets the credit.”
Swahili proverb
Have an Excellent Week.
Superintendent of Athens ISD