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Board of Education
57 Little City Road
P.O.Box 568
Higganum, CT 06441
Telephone: 860-345-4534
Fax: 860-345-2817
Email:boe@rsd17.org

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It is with great enthusiasm I welcome you to the district.  Regional School District 17 is a child focused, progressive, and exciting place to be.  The Board of Education works to create and revise policies and partners with the Superintendent to provide programming to prepare our children for their future.  It is an amazing and inspiring responsibility, one we do not take lightly.  However, it is one that we share with you, the community and the parents.  It is our critical investment in our children, one of time, energy, expertise, and the carefully allocated financial resources that together will lay the groundwork for our joint success.  Join us at meetings, through district communications, and in your homes as we work together to provide our children with the skills they need for the future.  At no time in recent history has the future been as uncertain.  Educators of the early 21st Century are preparing students for jobs that have not yet been created and for an ever shrinking global community. It is clear that students need to be able to problem solve and think critically, speak more than one language, understand different cultures, and work with others locally as well as internationally.  The task of preparing them is enormous but the cost of failure is greater.  In preparing students for the 21st Century, it is essential that our focus be on transforming teaching and learning.  To create global citizens who have the skills to be competitive, collaborative, and compassionate, we need to continue to change the way we teach.  Our classrooms must model the characteristics above and provide all learners opportunities to succeed in ways that address their learning styles, ability levels, and interests.  Our children will be expected to address the various economic, environmental, and political challenges of the future. Will they be ready?  Performance expectations for both students and staff must be high and support programs in place to ensure success.  In the era of increased accountability and an overemphasis on standardized testing, administrators must ensure that teachers have the tools they need to be successful in the classroom.  Professional development, technology, common planning time with grade level or subject peers, as well as an emphasis on sharing best practices in a safe environment will help teachers perfect their craft as they transform their classrooms to address the unique challenges of the future.  The district is well on its way to meeting these very high standards.  All of our schools provide common planning time where important conversations about teaching and learning happen.  Our teachers have been and will continue to be trained in differentiated instruction to meet the needs of a variety of learners.  The district continues to revise our curricula infusing the necessary 21st learning skills and state and national standards.  In summary, we are child focused, we are progressive, and we are open to suggestions.  We encourage your involvement at any and every level.  Come to meetings, email suggestions, visit our schools, and spend time with our children.