Dear Joppa-Maple Grove Families, Alumni, and Community Members,

There are moments, while turning the pages of a magazine like this one, when you are reminded that the true strength of a school district cannot always be measured by enrollment numbers, square footage, or statistics on a spreadsheet.

Sometimes, the true strength of a school system is found in the relationships that quietly shape the lives of young people every single day.

As you read this Spring edition, I believe you will see exactly what I mean.

You will meet students chasing remarkable dreams from a small school in Southern Illinois — future engineers, nurses, teachers, welders, computer scientists, entrepreneurs, and tradespeople who are already beginning to envision lives that will carry them far beyond our community, while still remaining deeply connected to the values that shaped them here.

You will also encounter something equally important: people who make this district feel like family.

You will meet a custodian affectionately known as “Mr. Charlie,” whose daily mission is simply to make sure children feel seen, valued, and cared for. You will see teachers creating spaces where students are encouraged not merely to succeed academically, but to become comfortable being themselves. You will witness students supporting one another on ball courts, fishing boats, volleyball buses, in yearbook rooms, and even through difficult personal struggles that required courage to share openly.

This issue also reflects something I believe strongly about education in rural communities: our students deserve opportunities that connect tradition with innovation.

Inside these pages, you will find students operating entrepreneurial businesses through FFA, building products in our STEAM Lab, exploring science through hands-on experimentation, managing real savings accounts as elementary students, and learning skills that prepare them not just for graduation, but for life itself.

And woven throughout all of these stories is a recurring truth: in a small school, people know one another.

They notice one another. They invest in one another. And that matters.

As Superintendent, I could not be more proud of our students, staff, families, and community partners who continue working together to create opportunities for the next generation while honoring the traditions and relationships that make Joppa-Maple Grove special.

Thank you for supporting our schools and the young people whose stories fill these pages. We are proud to share them with you.

Sincerely,

Greg Goins
Superintendent
Joppa-Maple Grove Unit School District 38