Welcome to a new school year!

Welcome back to the 2019-20 school year! Returning to school can certainly be stressful for families, students, and staff, but I think it’s the most exciting time of the year. The Rikli family had a wonderful summer including camping at Ponca State Park (check out the gorgeous views of the Missouri River!) and our annual pilgrimage to Adventureland. You simply must ride The Monster if you go! But we were all ready for the structure and “normalcy” that the school year brings. I hope you and your family feel the same.

One of our school district’s annual fall traditions is establishing a theme for the upcoming year. Last year’s theme was “In a World Where You Can Be Known for Anything, Be Known for Kindness.” It was a worthwhile focus for our schools, and it was so exciting to see how each of our buildings took the theme and made it fit their own school’s culture and needs. This year we are proud to announce the 2019-20 theme of “Growing Greatness. Building Futures”. We believe this theme truly captures who we are as a District, and what we want to be in the future. 

We are Growing Greatness in several ways. We are revamping our Employee Recognition program, updating our school security processes, and expanding our support for mental health in our schools to name just a few examples. Growth is something this District deeply values, and we want to continue to build upon that proud tradition.

In addition to Growing Greatness, we will also focus on Building Futures. The District will soon launch a new Strategic Plan, establish a Family Fund for employees who are struggling financially, and perhaps most visibly, continue work on our school bond projects. Thanks to the support of our community, we have made significant progress adding secured entryways at several elementary buildings, finalizing a new parking lot at Foundation Field, expanding PLSHS, and renovating G. Stanley Hall and Anderson Grove. The expansion at PLHS will begin next spring.

Thanks to everyone for following my Superintendent’s Blog. Our plan is to post a new entry every two weeks, so please drop me a line if there is a specific issue you’d like me to address. It’s an exciting time to be a member of the PLCS family. Have a great 2019-20 school year. And as always, Be Kind!