Superintendent’s Message…2024
On behalf of everyone here at Noble Local we would like to welcome you back to school for the 24-25 school year.
As I age it seems that time just flies by, and this summer has been no different. Seems like just a few short weeks ago we were sending you home and saying have a good summer, and here we are back on campus. We have come accustomed to renovations and upgrades on campus as we are now completing phase 7. I am proud to say that we will once again be starting school on time as the renovation process has been fast and furious, but it has also been a very good project. The hallways and areas that we have included in phase 7 will be nothing short of stunning; from the addition of the new i2d2 lab/makerspace in what was the library to the new space the library will call home. Another science lab has been upgraded, along with a major upgrade to the band/choir room. The only thing that I am disappointed with in phase 7 is that we could not complete the entire building and a phase 8 this coming summer will be necessary to complete all renovations at SES. That said the phase 8 plan is currently in the works and moving along nicely.
Another big improvement that isn’t super flashy but is vitally important, is the addition of a new generator at SES. While it will not run the entire building, the main things such as refrigeration, will make it possible to continue school in the event of a power outage. We have also partnered with Washington Electric to bring new service into the SES building which was very overdue. The old service was original to the building and in need of an upgrade. Fortunately we have everything in place with the new service to the Elementary Middle School prior to the new year.
We are also embarking on the implementation of the master plan, which has been an exercise that has taken a little over a year to complete. We are extremely excited to embark on the planning stages of master plan phase 1, which will be the addition of an academic wing to the current high school. This addition will allow us to incorporate the 7th and 8th grade students up at the high school, allow them access to HS curriculum and also provide some relief to an overcrowded SES building.
As always I continue to be a big proponent of the history of Shenandoah, and I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the fact that we are quickly approaching the 100th anniversary of the crash of the USS Shenandoah which took place on September 3, 1925 in three different locations in and around our community. I have been in contact with multiple folks within the historical society and we have some big plans and aspirations for the 100th anniversary. I have offered our students and facilities to help in any way possible, if you are passionate about this effort feel free to reach out and get involved. I would love for our students to be as involved as possible in this historic event.
Lastly, as we embark on this new school year I am super excited about the team we have in place to serve our students and families. We continue to push the envelope to provide a top notch education for each and every student we are entrusted with. We continue to focus on STEM and will be ramping up those efforts as redesignation approaches in the future. We strongly feel that we are not preparing students for something but rather anything. Once they leave Noble Local they will truly be ready for whatever the next chapter of their lives throws at them. Have fun, make memories, and enjoy the 24-25 school year at Shenandoah…it is truly a great time to be a Zep!