Battle Ground Public Schools

Superintendent Message: Fall focus returns to core mission

Sept. 1, 2022

Dear Families,

Welcome back for the start of the 2022–23 school year. We were happy to see our students this week and are looking forward to a wonderful year. It’s nice to be moving past the time, attention and detail we had to give to Covid during the last two and a half years. We are excited to be able to focus more intently on our core mission, which is to educate our students so that they can be assured a successful future.

Along these same lines, you may be aware that Battle Ground Public Schools has been working with our stakeholders to develop

a new strategic plan. The core work for our new strategic plan was done by our Citizens Advisory Committee with input from staff, families, community and the school board. We are thrilled with the results and believe it clearly identifies the priorities that stakeholders feel we should be focusing on as a school district; those being: A safe and caring environment, high-quality instruction and collaboration that cultivates trust. You can learn more about our strategic plan by following this link.

Board President Mark Watrin and Superintendent Denny Waters help a young student find her classroom at Glenwood Heights Primary School

Providing a safe and caring environment encompasses our facilities. Recent violence against schools makes it more apparent that our buildings lack modern safety features. I have had many parents reach out and ask that we do more in this area. I want you to know that this year we will be working on securing the entrances to all schools in the district. Some schools just need cameras, intercom systems and automatic locks; while others require more extensive work to revise main entrances and create double door entryways. We have prioritized work at our primary schools and hope to have that finished up in the near future. We will then focus our attention on our middle schools, high schools and alternative learning campuses. In addition, we have added campus security at all of our middle schools. These individuals will assist staff with behavior management issues and as a support for struggling students. We have also used federal money that we received for the pandemic response to hire additional counselors at our largest campuses to help address the social and emotional needs of students.

One of the best things about last year was the return of middle school sports to our community after a 40-year absence. We are excited to be expanding our offerings this year and will be adding girls volleyball and track and field to the mix. These are in addition to basketball, soccer and cross country.

Also this fall, CAM students will be in their new, temporary classrooms on the Lewisville campus until modular buildings, which were delayed due to supply chain issues, can be delivered and set up for the second semester. We are grateful to CAM students, families and staff for being understanding and patient as we make this transition.

Lastly, I want you all to know that we are committed to working with you. We promise to listen to your concerns, thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Please feel free to reach out to us/me at any time. Building positive relationships with our families is one of our biggest priorities. We are better when we work together.

Thank you for your continued support and trust. Here’s wishing you and your family a wonderful and amazing school year!

With much respect,
Denny Waters
Superintendent
Battle Ground Public Schools