As we wind down our summer vacation and look forward to the next school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate what a great year 2020- 2021 was. We could talk about the negatives, but I think those have been discussed enough over the last year! 2020-2021 was the very first time in 50 years agricultural education and FFA have been part of the Cleveland School community. Nine courses covering multiple AFNR (agriculture, food, and natural resources) areas were covered. We had 60- something students enrolled in these classes and all of them had SAEs (Supervised Agricultural Experiences), which MDE really loved! We chartered an FFA chapter with 18 members. We competed in region contests and qualified for state in Nursery Landscape, Farm Bureau Discussion Meet, and Market Plan. Our Market Plan team finished second in the entire state! We had two students compete in Agriscience Fair at the state level, and one of them qualified for Nationals! I wrote and received over $100,000 in grant money to help support student learning through equipment purchasing, professional development, FFA opportunities, and most exciting- a greenhouse!
It is important to reflect and remember these successes as we move in to what is sure to be another exciting school year. New courses being taught in the ag department this year include Shop for Girls and Woodworking. We have tons of new equipment ready to be used and are anxiously awaiting the completion of our shop and greenhouse. We are aiming to double our FFA membership (now would be a great time to mention there is something for EVERYONE in FFA, not just farm kids!). Members are travelling to National Convention to learn to be better leaders in agriculture. We have high hopes of increasing our successes in contests and look forward to networking with other chapters around the state. Honestly, I am just excited for another year, both in the classroom and in our FFA chapter and I can’t wait to see my students again!
If you are looking to support the ag classroom or chapter, want to discuss what an ag class can do for your student, or just have questions in general please let me know- I would love to chat!
Yours in Agriculture,
Ms. Kelly Susa