The Wayne Board of Education recently approved a contract that will enable the district to utilize Thoughtexchange software to carry out the goal of an inclusive strategic planning process. Thoughtexchange is unique software that capitalizes on a popular social media format where users will be able to exchange thoughts about the future of the school district and then rank the many thoughts that residents will share during the process. The best thoughts, as ranked by the community, will be used as guidance for the strategic planning process and goal development for the coming years. Thoughtexchange represents a vast improvement over the traditional model for strategic planning in that it engages a much larger part of the community. Additional updates will be provided as we work toward a launch date in late January of 2018. Click here to watch a video on Thoughtexchange.

The Pines Lake Student Wellness Team is made up of 4th and 5th grade students who are interested in making healthy choices and helping their community learn about wellness. The Student Wellness Team created a bulletin board which is located in the hallway by the main school entrance. The team researched different foods and snacks and grouped them based on their ingredients. Foods displayed on the red end of the board were labeled, “Think about it” foods. These are types of foods that contain food coloring, chemicals, and food dye. The yellow part of the board was labeled “Better” choices that may not be nutritious, but are healthier than the red. The green end of the board displayed what the team decided were labeled "Healthy" and were food choices including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The bulletin board has been a great conversation starter for Pines Lake families to discuss healthy foods and lifestyles.