WILMINGTON — It’s a new message for a new academic year.

On the morning of Aug. 1, a “From the Superintendent’s Desk” letter from new Wilmington City Schools (WCS) Superintendent Mindy McCarty-Stewart was posted on the WCS website. She concludes the letter saying she is committed to “honoring traditions, building community and educating for tomorrow” — the new WCS tagline.

McCarty-Stewart told the News Journal the tagline is a summary of the WCS mission and purpose, and also connects and supports district goals.

Administrators spent time in the spring discussing the school district’s values, mission and purpose. They spent time “brainstorming descriptors” to several questions, she said.

Those questions asked about vision and the results the administrators want to achieve, plus the district’s unique characteristics, the benefits of students attending WCS, and “what is our mission and purpose?”, the superintendent reported.

“We took that information and developed a survey over the summer to gather input and feedback from community, students, staff and parents. Our final result: Honoring Tradition ~ Building Community ~ Educating for Tomorrow,” she said.

In the Aug. 1 website post, McCarty-Stewart touched on each piece of the three-part tagline.

Of “honoring traditions,” she wrote the district values the customs and beliefs that are passed along from generation to generation.

“We hold sacred the traditions that continue to be a positive source of pride for WCS,” added the superintendent.

However, McCarty-Stewart made it clear WCS will not be fenced in by tradition.

“The school community is about honoring strong traditions while embracing innovation,” that part of her letter concludes.

Regarding Part 2, “building community,” the WCS superintendent said the community is the backbone of every great school.

She continued it’s important that all district residents “stay united” in providing a quality education in a caring environment for every child.

“Wilmington is about respecting the role in sharing the responsibility of building a vibrant community,” McCarty-Stewart added.

And concerning “educating for tomorrow,” the new superintendent’s letter stated, “Educating every child so they are prepared for a bright future is our highest priority.”

She said, “Our work is about providing experiences for our students that will sharpen their minds to be creative thinkers and problem solvers.”

The WCS district, said McCarty-Stewart, is dedicated to educating their students today “to provide them the skills they need for tomorrow.”

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.