D7 Insights Night Provides Information on District Initiatives

 

Presentation Slides

District #7 held its first D7 Insights Night on Thursday night at Libert Middle School, giving community members a first-hand look at initiatives going on in the district as it relates to the goals and action steps in the 2022-27 strategic plan.

This was the first of three sessions scheduled for the year with the other two taking place Thursday, March 7, 2024, and Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Thursday night’s topics included Construction: Safety & Security and Student Experiences: Field Trips & Career Pathways.

District Architect Alex Metzger provided an update on the priority projects as part of the $100 million bond issue that was passed in April 2023, including safe and secure double entries.

Schools with existing double entries, which include Liberty Middle School, Cassens Elementary, Goshen Elementary, Midway Elementary, and Worden Elementary, are projected for secure entry hardware in the summer of 2024 with district funds.

Edwardsville High School, Leclaire Elementary, Glen Carbon Elementary, and Woodland Elementary will undergo an interior renovation for secure vestibules. That is expected to be done by the fall of 2024.

With the design of Lincoln Middle School and the future design of Hamel Elementary, secure vestibules will be incorporated.

Nelson Elementary and Columbus Elementary will require additional design work.

Director of Curriculum Tara Fox provided an updated on student experiences across all grade levels. This includes field trips that relate to curriculum. First and third grade have been and will be going to the Watershed Nature Center, while K-5 will have social studies field trips to Cahokia Mounds and the Old Courthouse in St. Louis.

In the classroom, there are several new electives for middle school students, including graphic design, coding and robotics, video productions and communications, and additional PE courses, to name a few.

New experiences at the high school this year include a Future Teachers program, Dell Tech support, and American Sign Language. Planned future experiences include Teacher Education, Medical Occupations and Computer Science/Programming.

Topics at the other two D7 Insights Nights will be announced closer to those dates.