As the summer days slowly give way to the excitement of a new school year, there’s an air of anticipation at Dayton ISD. On Tuesday, July 25, the anticipation was shared by Dayton ISD administrators, Dayton Chamber of Commerce and local businesses and organizations at a New Teachers Luncheon, held at the Dayton Community Center.
The event, organized to welcome and support new teachers at the beginning of the academic year, saw Dayton ISD Superintendent Dr. Jessica Johnson emphasizing the importance of teachers building strong, nurturing relationships with students.
As she took the podium, Johnson began by remarking on how quickly summer passed.
“I blinked and summer was gone,” she said. She warmed up the crowd by posing and answering questions related to Dayton ISD.
“How many square miles does Dayton ISD encompass? Two-hundred and sixty-two miles. The City of Dayton is only 32 miles,” said Johnson. “We put 5,000 miles on our buses through our two-tier bus system.”
Johnson said the theme for Dayton ISD this year is “Family,” and then went on to explain that the letters of the word also carry their own meaning and purpose. F stands for Forgiveness, A is for Actively Involved, M is for Motivation, I is for Improve, L is for Love, and Y is for You.
“This job is not easy. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Therefore, you’ve got to take care of yourself before you can take care of our children. Find a balance. Laugh every day. Choose to be positive in the morning. Get out. Exercise. I know I love that. Make time for family, for friends, for God. Dayton ISD has a wellness program for our staff. Take advantage of it. It’s a lot of fun,” Johnson said.
She reminded the teachers that the experiences of young children enrolled at Dayton ISD are vastly different and some students come from the most challenging of circumstances.
“Our district is over 72 percent economically disadvantaged children. See their light. Be their light in their darkness,” she said.
I see maybe 2 or 3 Mexicans in the group, yet the school is over ran with them
Really Doug?
Well step your game up then Doug & start popping white babies
Awesome we need great teachers to help are students achieve the things they need to do in life. Welcome to Dayton