They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. It’s hard to say what the weather will do these days, but I can confidently say that our students, teachers and staff continue to make me proud. (And I’m guessing they all appreciated a week off at spring break to prepare for the fourth-quarter sprint to finish the year!)

Before break, our fifth graders spent the day learning in Salina with stops at the Smoky Hill Museum and Lakewood Discovery Center. Our teachers use this trip to enhance our social studies and science curriculum in a hands-on, memorable way. It’s always a joy to watch our students learn and grow.

We also welcomed more than 70 organizations, businesses and institutions to Ellsworth Jr./Sr. High School March 7 for our Career Day, and what a terrific day it was! Our students discussed their future goals and learned about opportunities from professionals representing everything from Ellsworth County businesses to state agencies and colleges. I fully believe that the best future for each student comes through learning about the many options the world offers, and I could not be more thankful for every person who made the day a success.

As many in our community know, we have been working hard since last fall to listen to what people want, need and expect from our schools. The board members and I have conducted eight listening sessions involving 200+ community attendees, resulting in 1,250 comments about our schools and district! I want to thank every person who participated and made these sessions so very valuable.

On March 9, the board of education adopted a new mission, vision and motto for our district — all based on this feedback from people across the community.

• Mission: To provide an exceptional educational experience and encourage responsible citizenship.

• Vision: Better together: Community, parents, faculty, staff and administrators helping to promote positive personal character and challenging every learner to strive for excellence.

• Motto: Better Together: Striving for Excellence!

Soon after, I met with our building teams and shared the board’s work to identify strategic themes. When they are finalized, these district priorities will encompass academics, student opportunities, employee satisfaction, communication with families, facility upkeep and more. Our teachers and staff provided important insights when we met, and they will continue to play a key role in the future as we continue the strategic planning process for USD 327. The Bearcat future is bright.

Of course, I would be remiss not to include a few student activity shout-outs from the last month. (Have I mentioned yet how proud I am of our students?)

• Layton Leiker won our Ellsworth Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and will be competing at the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge at Kansas State University in April.

• Fifth grader Brayden Rodriguez performed with the KMEA All-State Elementary Choir in Wichita.

• Riley Rodriguez and Will Donley represented EHS at the 3-2-1A State Wrestling Tournament. Will went on to medal in the 126 lb. weight class, placing sixth.

No matter the sport or activity, I am so pleased with the courage, determination and respect shown by our student competitors. They represent us well as they strive for excellence each and every day.

Thank you for all you do to support our schools and community and thank you for spreading the word about all the great things happening here. There are so many reasons we have to be proud.

Let’s grow!

Deena Hilbig is the superintendent of USD 327. She can be reached at (785) 4725561.