Superintendent

August 14, 2024

Dear Gaylord Community Families:

I hope this note finds you well and you have enjoyed a beautiful summer in northern Michigan. The beginning of the school year signals the end of summer break but also brings the excitement of a new school year and endless possibilities for our students and families. The return to teaching and learning with the start of fall sports, marching band, and various school activities has continued to inspire me as an educator. A new start brings new opportunities and a fresh perspective for our students and staff.

This summer, our GCS staff have been working on several improvement projects:

• Gaylord Intermediate School: exterior improvements and interior painting.
• North Ohio Elementary School and South Maple Elementary School: window replacements and interior painting.
• Gaylord High School: replacement of the roof over the band room, the storage closet underneath the stairs in the commons area, flooring, interior painting, and renovations to our locker rooms.

The administrative team has been busy hiring new staff, managing summer facilities projects, and implementing professional development for our outstanding teaching and support teams. Please join me in welcoming Brooke Oliver-Hempenstall, Carla Vrondran, and Dale Cowper to the administrative team. Brooke will assume new duties as the assistant principal at Gaylord High School, Carla will be the new principal at Gaylord Intermediate School, and Dale will be our new full-time athletic director. Sean Byram, former GIS principal, will assume new duties as the principal of Gaylord High School.

The District theme this year will be to celebrate new beginnings with a focus on student and staff growth and continuous improvement of collaboration and communication within our school community. I have enjoyed learning with and from our students and staff the past year, with the tremendous support the Gaylord community provides our public school system. Gaylord Community Schools has so much to be proud of, including our robust advanced placement offerings and CTE programs, our district-wide focus on early literacy, and district-wide school safety. Our fine arts department continues to make us proud with outstanding concerts and community involvement. Student athletics is another point of pride this past year with our back-to-back Division 2 State Championship in softball, District Championship in girls’ soccer, District Championship in football, and District and Regional Championships in wrestling. Our district also participated in the 59th Alpenfest and again hosted a delicious pancake breakfast for the community.

Gaylord Community Schools is committed to providing endless opportunities within a safe and collaborative environment for ALL students. We are small enough to give students and families the personalized attention they deserve but large enough to offer a robust curriculum, career and technical education, strong fine arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular opportunities. If you are contemplating a move north or considering your school of choice options, our district would be more than happy to schedule an appointment and a personal tour of our district.

Great things are happening at Gaylord Community Schools. I invite you to be a part of a learning community in a welcoming environment.

Warm Regards,

James L. Cracraft
Superintendent