October 23. 2008
Dear THS Community;
It astounds me that we have already almost completed our second month of school! It seems that just yesterday our students were returning from summer vacations eager to see their friends and teachers and begin this new year of learning. Now we have completed the first grading period, finished our first ever ISP, and have jumped into the next all important stretch of learning for the 2008-2009 school year.
Why are the next weeks all important? Research has shown that the most profitable and productive period of learning are the ten weeks preceding winter break. Experts are not sure why this is true, but most suggest that: 1) teachers and students have had enough time to establish the class norms and expectations - both students and teachers alike know how the class is going to go – therefore there is little to distract from the learning; 2) students continue to benefit from the energy they saved up over their summer break, so they remain acutely focused on learning; and, 3) attendance rates during this period are historically the best of the year. For these reasons, I expect the next 2 months of learning to be high quality, intense, and productive at THS. Please send your student to school each day ready to maximize their learning during this crucial educational period.
I’d like to take a minute to reflect upon the innovative program we have just inaugurated at THS – the Intensive Study Period (ISP) program. The ISPs were overall an overwhelming success, with very high approval rates from the students, staff, and community members who were involved in them. In survey data students returned early this week, students reported:
· 68% said that the “learned a lot” in the ISP
· 79% enjoyed the experiences of the ISP
· 74% are excited for their next ISP
· 78% expressed their overall approval of the ISP program
For those of us in the business of education high school aged students, this type of feedback is really exciting. For a first-run program, these are outstanding approval rates. We are currently in the process of forming a new student group, called the THS2.1 committee, which will serve as the student voice in guiding our 21st century programs. This group will be instrumental in the development, planning, and implementation of future ISP offerings.
I am also excited to introduce our first hexter grade reports. This new format is designed to better inform students and parents regarding student academic achievement in class and student’s affective grade, which reflect the student’s progress towards mastering the 6 P’s, the all important interpersonal skills and attributes that we all know are so important not only to success in school, but also in life. Please remember that this hexter grade report is a progress report. No grades are final until the Semester Final Grades, which will go on each student’s official transcript. If you are concerned about your student’s performance, do not hesitate to contact the teacher to create a plan to address your child academic or affective progress.
Once again, I am as happy as ever to be the principal of this great school. Our students, teachers, and community are second to none in the state of Colorado. I look forward to continuing our progress towards being the best educational program we can be for the kids of the Telluride region.
Best regards,
Alex Carter, Principal
Telluride High School
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
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