Dr. Bonny Gifford spent the summer getting acquainted with school staffers and town officials, and now, a month into the academic year, the new superintendent is doing her best to help bolster a feeling of community in the school district.

She said doing so involves visits to each of Dartmouth’s six public schools about once a week.

“Yesterday, I was at Quinn and chatted with a couple of the kids. What a better place to be than in a school with kids. In the end, that’s what we’re here for,” said Gifford.

In the weeks ahead, parents will have a couple avenues to connect with Gifford. Parents can expect to receive a postcard in the mail soon that will lead them to an online survey.

“That’s going to be going out within the next week or so. It will invite parents to go to a link on the website. It will give us information not only district wide, but by school,” she said.

She said the 20-question survey will focus on the climate and culture of each school. Parents will answer questions such as ‘how strongly do you agree or disagree that your student feels comfortable in school?’ Other questions may deal with the rigors of the curriculum.

The survey results will be part of a broader initiative to collect data for a strategic plan. During her time as Falmouth’s superintendent, Gifford was able to collect qualitative and quantitative data to create such a plan, and she aims to do the same for Dartmouth’s schools. A strategic plan could be used to aid the district in resource allocation, which would ultimately benefit students.

Gifford hopes to gather parents – and students – to hear their ideas and opinions.

“I’d be asking them to talk about the strengths of the district, where they see we need improvement and the community’s perception of the district,” she said, listing some possible examples of topics for group discussion.

In the meantime, she’s trying to bring the schools closer together.

“Every Friday, I send out a weekend update to the entire staff, highlighting a lot of good things that are going on in the district,” said Gifford.

She said she uses the platform to discuss happenings shared with her from the principals, which keeps teachers informed as to what’s happening at the other schools.

“I’m trying to make the district a school system, not a system of schools,” she said.

Parents who are interested in participating in a focus group with Superintendent Gifford can email Joan Boucher at joanboucher@dartmouthschools.org.