Superintendent's Update
January 2025 | From Superintendent Podraza
Dear South Kingstown Families,
I hope this message finds you well as we begin 2025. While my first six months as South Kingstown’s Superintendent have been incredibly rewarding, I'm even more excited about what lies ahead for our students and schools. In this month’s update, we will start with some ideas about how to get students talking about what they did in school. We then move into two topics that will shape the next school year- calendar survey results and key dates in the upcoming FY 26 budget process. Last but not least, we have some general housekeeping items, along with some information about upcoming opportunities- including how to join our School Committee’s Subcommittees.
1. How was school today? Questions to get answers beyond “Fine.”
We have all been there. Wanting to know how our child’s day went. We read the newsletters, sign the permission slips, help with the homework, have dialogues with the teacher and principal, so we know there are some very interesting things going on at school and deep topics being studied. Yet when we ask “how was school today?” we are all too often met with the response- “Fine.”
To help push beyond “fine” and perhaps even get a multi-word response, instead of asking "How was school today?", try questions such as:
"What problem did you solve in class today that made you think differently?"
"Tell me about a classroom discussion that surprised you or changed your perspective."
"What are you curious about learning more about in your classes?"
“What was easy for you today? What was hard?”
“What do you think you will learn about next?”
These questions not only demonstrate our interest in the student’s day at school, but will also help them to reflect and respond more meaningfully about their own learning.
2. Calendar survey results
Many thanks go out to those who weighed in on the 25-26 calendar priorities. Based on your input, the top three are:
Starting After Labor Day
Keeping April Break
Ending Before Juneteenth
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) just released their Statewide Draft calendar right before break, so armed with your input we are now well positioned to be able to begin to work more definitively on next year’s calendar. Stay tuned.
3. Dates- Upcoming Budget Process
As we enter next year’s budget process, please be aware of the following milestones that involve the Town and School Department:
1/7 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Session #2 (Town Council & School Committee)
1/27 CIP Public Hearing & Adoption (Town Council during regular session)
3/13 Operating budget Work Session #3 (Town Council & School Committee)
3/17 Preliminary Budget Adoption (Town Council during regular session)
4/15 Operating Budget- Public Hearing #1 (Town Council & School Committee)
4/17 Operating Budget- Public Hearing #2 (Town Council & School Committee)
4/28 Final Budget Adoption (Town Council during regular session)
Other key potential dates include:
Petitions to the Town Council on Budget, due 4/21
Referendum Petitions, due 5/12
Budget Referendum- only if petition(s) filed, 6/10 (Tuesday following the 1st Saturday in June)
4. Contact/Emergency Contact Information in Skyward
5. Community Representation on School Committee Sub-Committees
As part of the School Committee bylaws, the Committee’s subcommittees get reorganized after each election cycle. Accordingly, the call for community volunteers to serve on all of the District’s SC Subcommittees will go out on Friday of this week (1/10/2025). Community representatives are needed for Budget, Policy, Strategic Planning, Transportation, and Wellness.
If you, or another community member you know, would be interested in serving as a strong voice and advocate for our students, families, educators, and district, please go to skschools.net on or after Friday of this week for more information about the upcoming opportunity and selection process.
6. Mark Your Calendars- Upcoming January Events
1/6 Budget Subcommittee, 4:15 PM, Central Office Conference Room*
1/6 Strategic Planning Subcommittee, 6 PM, Central Office Conference Room*
1/7 School Committee Executive Session, 6 PM, Central Office Conference Room*
1/7 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Session #2, 7 PM, Town Hall*
1/8 Transportation Subcommittee. 4 PM, Central Office Conference Room*
1/8 Wellness Subcommittee, 5:30 PM, Central Office Conference Room*
1/9 SKHS Science Fair, 5-6:30, SKHS
1/9 Building Committee, 6:30 PM, Town Hall*
1/13 STAR Winter Window Opens
1/14 School Committee, 6 PM Executive Session & 7 PM Meeting, SKHS*
1/15 Winter Strings and Chorus Concert,6 PM, West Kingston
1/16 6th Grade Band Winter Concert, 6 PM, BRMS
1/20 District Closed, Martin Luther King Day
1/21 School Committee, 6 PM Executive Session & 7 PM Meeting, SKHS*
1/27-1/30 Equity Audit: Representatives from West Wind in SKSD for Tours, Interviews, and Focus groups
*Please verify meeting details on the RI Secretary of State website as dates approach
In closing, I thank you for your continued partnership and support of education here in South Kingstown. I look forward to working with you all to make 2025 a year of joy, growth, and achievement for all our students.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Podraza
Superintendent
South Kingstown Public Schools
About South Kingstown School District
South Kingstown School District is a proud Professional Learning Community built upon collaborative leadership and 21st-century deep learning competencies while developing a culture of equity, openness, and sharing of ideas.