Hello United South Central Parents and Community Members,
We have two weeks of school left in the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year, and as hard as it is to believe we will soon be half of the way through the school year. We have been grateful to work with such a great group of students on a daily basis for the first 18 weeks of the school year, and we are planning for a great second semester!
2024-2025 Calendar Considerations - Even though we are barely halfway through the current school year, we do need to start the planning process for next year. We are actively working through the development of our academic calendar for the 2024-2025 school year, and we really appreciate each person who took the time to participate in our calendar survey this past December. Based on the results of our surveys that included parents, staff members, and students, we are seriously considering moving to a modified early release time on Wednesdays next year. Our calendar for the current school year has either a two-hour late start or early release each month to accommodate professional development opportunities for our staff. We have received some feedback that these dates are often difficult to plan for and seem to sneak up on our schedules. Our current calendar draft for next year includes a standard one-hour early dismissal time each Wednesday of the school year next year, which would enable us to have a more consistent approach to this time. As a school, we are so fortunate to have the extraordinary staff that we have, and this consistent time will also help these individuals to be at their best for our students each day. If you have any questions or feedback about this change that we should keep in mind, please let me know.
Winter Weather & Virtual Learning - We sure are grateful for the great start we have had to our winter season, and we have enjoyed the benefits of no weather disruptions to our school year so far. As we get further into January, please help your student be prepared for the possibility of Virtual Learning. We do have the potential for a “regular snow day” as we progress into winter and will look to use our Virtual Learning days following this as needed.
Upcoming Events and Activities at USC
January 16, USC Regular School Board Meeting - 5:30 PM
January 19, End of 2nd Quarter/First Semester
January 22 & 23, Staff Development Days - No School
February 7th, Two Hour Early Out (1:00 PM Dismissal)
With winter activities underway, and first-semester classes wrapping up it sure is an exciting and eventful time at United South Central. Please don’t hesitate to stay in contact as we get into the mid-point of the school year.
Go Rebels!
Taylor Topinka,
USC Superintendent