Principal Report to School Board
November 9, 2010
Paul Penna
Recognition:
I am very pleased to inform you that we have completed Part A of the application process for the International Baccalaureate Program. I would like to thank Teri Wark for the countless hours she devoted gathering all of the detailed information that was required and for submitting the application by the deadline. We are very excited about this prestigious opportunity that will be offered to our students. We plan to implement phase 1 of the program in the 2012-2013 school year. The staff will begin to attend training sessions in February 2011; part B of our application is due on April 1, 2011.
I would like to thank Linda Morehouse, Literacy Specialist, and Alison Skoczenski, Librarian who have initiated working with all departments to assist them with the development of varied literacy strategies that target their specific area. In addition, the staff is working to embed PSAT and SAT strategies in their lessons.
On a technology note, Stephanie Westergren and Alison Skoczenski have created what they have titled “Geek-Share”. Time is allocated at each of our staff meetings for them to demonstrate technology tools easily found through the web that provide new learning opportunities to help teachers enhance classroom lessons. Their presentations are interesting, easy to understand, and have proven to be extremely helpful.
On behalf of the high school staff, I would like to thank the Patriot Parents for providing a wonderful selection of salads, soups, casseroles, and desserts for the staff during our parent/teacher conferences that were held on November 9th. I would also like to thank the Principal / Parent Committee who provided our community with a warm, welcoming setting to socialize and share ideas about our school. Our staff was overwhelmed by the generosity and support, and our parents appreciated the hospitality. We all hope this will be the start of a new tradition for years to come.
Topics of Interest/Successes:
The high school staff has been hard at work since the doors opened on August 30th! In addition to their day-to-day classroom work they have completed a shared vision, developed staff norms, and are currently working on school-wide RTI strategies. I would like to thank David Coleman, Will Putnam, Linda Morehouse, Ben Braasch, Erin Maguire, Stephanie Westergren, and Todd Mercer for volunteering their time to collect, categorize and break down the data and report out during our staff meetings.
Parents and students are invited to attend a financial aid workshop on Monday November 15th, from 6:30-7:30 in the HS Cafeteria. John Bowie, Director of Financial Aid at CMCC will do a presentation and our guidance counselors will also be available to answer questions.
On December 1st, President Botman from the University of Maine will present to our junior class. The topic will be the importance of challenging courses during their senior year.
ZAPS Learning Company is scheduled to be here on Saturday April 2, 2011 to offer our juniors the opportunity to attend a six-hour SAT test preparation seminar for a minimal fee. Closer to the date and at no cost to the school, informational letters will go out to parents announcing the seminar. Scholarship registration will be offered for students who might not otherwise be able to attend.
Challenges:
Provide extended learning opportunities for students who need additional time to achieve academic success and meet course outcomes. To that end my budget goals will be to develop a fiscally responsible budget that reflects the needs of learners who need support to achieve academic success.
Emerging Long-Term Goals:
Continue working on SIT Goals and establish universal practices in literacy, SAT, and RTI to ensure all courses are embedded with strategies that support student achievement.
