Superintendent's Message for May 2023
Transitions is a theme that is on my mind again. I keep checking my Weather Channel feed to see when the last night of temperatures below 40 will come and pass. I believe it is tonight and that is much to my delight. I am not a fan of cold weather nor really of hot..so I have my perfect four to six weeks before me. It is one of my favorite transitions of any year.
As for school, this too is a time of transition for so many of our students and families. The spring sports are concluding and giving way to baseball and softball. Not only the ringing of the bats outside my window draws attention to it, but the many younger students who are all a chatter about the practices and games they too have. We have completed our preschool sign-up and kindergarten meetings for our new Falcons of the fall. We are wrapping up our final assessments and the field trips are a buzz…anyone want to become a bus driver..give me a call.
Obviously, the most significant transition we have each year is the graduation of our seniors. Most of their life until now has been spent in school. For them and for some of their parents it is a time of great excitement and equally great anxiety. There are both many hopes and many unknowns.
Over this year, we as the county’s school superintendents, the Greater Burlington Partnership and SCC have begun to have conversations about how we can build a stronger workforce preparation system in Des Moine County. Those conversations are in their infancy and will take a commitment of many years to see them to fruition. That said, one of the people we have keyed to to build greater background around what it could look like has included a gentleman by the name of Mark Perna. He is not an educator by training. He is an advocate for considerations of student engagement, personal drive and self-awareness. There are several pieces of his work that I would like to leave you and our graduates with as we conclude the 22-23 school year.
What are your life-style priorities?
What is it you value as a person, in your employment and in your life. Being a productive citizen is critical, how you do it should be driven by your priorities. Every career choice has tradeoffs; money versus time, travel versus location-bound, physical work versus more office-based work…know what makes you tick, reflect on you. There is no right or wrong.
What your career choice is for today isn’t necessarily forever.
The journey to your ultimate career choice is not a race or lock-stepped as you may feel school has been. Your career choice today is for now and that’s OK! Each career interest has various levels or pathways (entry, mid-range and top)…and what you choose today based on your lifestyle priorities is you today…tomorrow you may be driven to a different level of the career or discover a different career altogether.
How you choose to get to your goal is up to you…the key is to have a plan and work the plan. There is no right or wrong, be it workforce employment/internships, certificates, a bachelors or other advanced degree or military. One doesn’t necessarily outweigh the other..consider the ultimate goal and the steps you can take to get yourself there given the investment it will take along the way. Find a balance and commit to it and persevere
To our seniors and their families, congratulations, celebrate your accomplishments and enjoy this time. May you find passion, health and purpose as you journey beyond our walls.
Lisa Beames
Superintendent
More from the Superintendent
Our Mission
Preparing Our Students Today for Their TomorrowThe Independent School District of West Burlington offers career and technical programs in the following service areas: Applied Science, Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing, Business, Finance, Marketing, and Management, Health Science, Human Services. It is the policy of the Independent School District of West Burlington not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator, Lisa Beames, Superintendent, 314 W. Van Weiss Blvd., West Burlington, IA 52655, 319-752-8747 x3, lisa.beames@wbschools.us.
Many photos on this site have been provided by Dan Hockett.
