A Message from Mr. Goggins

We have made it to the halfway point!!! With the 23-24 first semester in the books we have some good things to reflect upon and more to look forward to. First of all, congrats to our athletes on an exciting and successful football season and thanks to all the community members, students, cheerleaders, band members,  and staff who came out to support them. We have also seen an increase in participation in other sports such as cheer and wrestling as those teams continue to build for future successes. Basketball is underway with both boys and girls teams gaining some wins and offering some entertaining play. It's great to see more students joining teams and clubs, school is best when it is embraced and enjoyed on a variety of levels. I continue to encourage students to find something to participate in beyond classwork. The first semester also demonstrated some important gains in terms of academics and culture. The new Honors program produced some outstanding projects and will continue to grow. The pass rate, particularly among high school students is up considerably, while office referrals and behavior issues continue to decline. This is due, in large part, to the efforts of a dedicated staff who have helped students regain a greater commitment to study while increasing rigor. This is all being done in order to better prepare students for either college or careers in the post pandemic era. So, thank you teachers and support staff for all of your efforts.

Moving forward to next semester we have two important additions. First, is the new pilot program for a STEM related course called Industry 4.0. This new curriculum to be taught by Mr. Budnik, includes a hands-on course dedicated to learning about the practical applications of  engineering, technology, math, and critical thinking skills. The pilot program is being offered this year to 8th graders and we plan to expand its availability to both Jr. and Sr. high school students in the future. Also, being offered is a re-energized robotics program. Funding made possible by a grant from First In Michigan, an organization dedicated to growing tech savvy workers for employers in this state. This program will allow us to jump into robotics competitions with both feet. Thanks to our tech expert Mr. Josh Leatherman for taking the lead overseeing this club, it will be a great opportunity for our students. Additionally, we are also moving towards restoring our Career Technical Education (CTE) accreditation in two more areas of study.  Construction trades/woods and business will join our very strong agricultural science programs with CTE designation.  All of this demonstrates our commitment to developing students with both hands-on and academic skills needed to be successful in a modern labor force.

Upcoming events include plenty of basketball, wrestling, and competitive cheer, plus Winter Homecoming, so please come out, see a game and support our teams. If we haven't already met please feel free to introduce yourself, I’m always glad to meet parents and community members.

Best Wishes,

Tim Goggins 
Principal 
Maple Valley Jr./Sr. High School