Avon Lake City Schools closed out its 100th anniversary celebration with the acceptance of a resolution from state Rep. Joseph A. Miller, an Amherst Democrat.
Avon Lake City Schools celebrates centennial of educating students
The ceremony was short, but meant everything to the district, Avon Lake Schools Superintendent Joelle Magyar said.
Magyar described the resolution as a "last hurrah" for the centennial anniversary, before kicking off school year number 101 for the district.
"(The resolution was) basically congratulating us on our first 100 years in existence and all the success that the Avon Lake City Schools have demonstrated," she said. "And wished us well moving on to year 101 to start the second century of our school district."
The resolution is on display in the Main Office, 175 Avon Belden Road.
On Aug. 22, the district kicked off its school year to great success once again, Magyar said.
"We're moving on now to year 101 with the successful opening of school yesterday," she said. "It was great ... I got to all the buildings and walked through and met a lot of the kids, and just said hello to the staff again."
Inheriting a school district with so much history, Magyar said part of her is focused on making Avon Lake Schools her own.
Joelle Magyar officially takes over as superintendent of Avon Lake City Schools
Magyar said her goal is to leave her own mark on the district while making sure its sustained level of excellence stays the same.
"When I took the position, I didn't realize that they were in existence for a hundred years," she said. "That was great to see.
"Moving forward, we need to keep our students' educational experience relevant to their ever-changing world."
Magyar cited the rapid pace of change in the technology world as a challenge for any modern school district.
Keeping curriculum relevant to today's children is one of her chief duties as a superintendent, she said.
"Even 30 years ago in school, we taught kids how to write in cursive," Magyar said. "Fast forward 30-some years, where do you ever see cursive in our world?
"You don't... (We're) staying up on top of, 'How do we embrace the technology that is here now?'"
Tools such as artificial intelligence, which barely existed in the public eye five years ago, will become a massive part of student learning, Magyar said.
Harnessing those tools without abusing them likely will be a key to success for the next generation of students, she said.
"Kids can use (artificial intelligence) now to help them in different ways," Magyar said. "So, how do we embrace that change?
"Look at our instructional practices, to change kind of how we're doing some of those things in the classroom, because this is part of our students' world."
