Sneak Peek: 2012-2013 School Year

Where did the summer go? We say this every year at this time don't we. I hope everyone had a relaxing, but yet very enjoyable summer.

I'm very excited for the up-coming school year. There is a freshness to every new school year that is very hard to explain, but its a brand new beginning to something I love to do.

We have a few new implementations this school year. Some are mandated by the state and others are unique to our school. Lets first start with those mandated by State Legislature.

We have a new Bullying Policy. It actually isn't a whole lot different then what we had before. The differences include...

1. Posting the policy on our website.
2. Allow for anonymously reporting.
3. Adopt a Bullying Prevention Program. We are adopting the famous Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.

With the anonymous reporting we have decided to team up with local law enforcement to adopt Text-a-Tip. This program allows anybody in our community to text in any information that they deem suspicious. If the texts that come into local law enforcement are school related, the authorities will notify the school immediately. What I really like about this is that the whole entire community can use this. Some details need to be worked out before we can kick start this program.

Unique to our school this year will be an extra period in the schedule. Yes, I said extra period. Our class periods will be 45 minutes in length with exception to periods 5 and 6. These periods will be 50 minutes in length as our Lab Sciences have to be 50 minutes.

The extra period (period 8) will be reserved for students to get extra help in whatever subject they need. Students will be able to visit with teachers in classes they are struggling in, or use the time to get make-up work done. It will also be used to give students interventions in subjects or standards they continually score low in, on the NWEA Map tests. I'm really excited about this period as we will be better able to serve our students and give them the extra opportunity to be successful. The bright part is, with students leaving late in the day for activities, they will not miss any of there core subject materials. Also, students with an "A" or "B" in all of there classes will be allowed to join art if they are in junior high, and pop choir if they are in high school. Seniors with an "A" or "B" in there classes will be allowed Senior Privileges for the last period of the day staring with the fourth week of school.

As I keep writing - lets get something straight that you may have already noticed. I struggle with the words "there and their." I always have struggled, and I will continue to struggle. So please don't judge me on my spelling error :).

So those are the major changes happening in 2012-2013. I look forward to an exciting school year and I hope you do too. I'm sure we will have our ups and our downs, but as long as we keep student safety and student success on the top of our priority list we should continue to move in the right direction.