What will the 2014-2015 school year bring us? Over the last few years we all have experienced changes in many areas of education: Testing, Evaluations, SGO's, AchieveNJ, PARCC, Common Core and on and on. I want our focus at WHS this year to be all about the students. Let's take a step back and center on them. Mandates are out of our control and it's part of the job. But each and every one of you can control the environment in your classes, the interactions you have with students, the expectations you set and most importantly, the relationships you build over the 182 days you are with our students. Don't let high school SUCK! Make the learning fun, relevant, interesting, meaningful and share with them why. Make your students love the books you read with them, teach them history in a way that blows their mind. In the arts, let students dream and imagine where their talents may take them. Teach science units that will inspire future scientists, engineers or doctors. Develop math lessons that will create great thinkers and problem solvers. Show them how far a second or third language can take them in the world we live in now and in the future. If you do this, the students will come back looking for more and they will have an amazing high school experience. That's our job! That is what should be mandated of all of us! That is how you #OwnIt!
*The inspiration for my comment above "Don't let High School Suck", was inspired by a blog post by Dr. Spike Cook (Elementary Principal, in southern NJ) and a Ted Talk by Chris Lehman (Principal of Science Leadership Academy, in Philadelphia PA).
We have six New Staff members joining us this year @ WHS. I know they are excited about joining us and I am confident they will be great additions:
Sean Cosgrove - Social Studies
Kris Ann Minichetti - Math
Erica O'Hara - Science
Christine Osborn - World Languages
Stephanie Scheck - Language Arts
Michael Mayer - Supervisor of Instruction
Rob Rolling - Supervisor of Instruction (New Role)
Summer Updates:
- HS Gym Transformation - The gym looks GREAT
- Infrastructure Upgrade - As of this post, all cabling and fiber has been run throughout most of the HS. The project is moving along, and it looks good for completion before September, but no guarantees. As I know more I will keep everyone updated.
Below are two links you will need to click on and fill out the information required. Each form should take you less than two minutes to fill out. This needs to be done prior to the start of school.
The first link asks for your automobile information and the second link is for your personal information. Once you fill out the form make sure you hit the submit button.
Important Links/Resources
WHS Faculty Manual - It is also available on Google Drive under the WHS Staff Resources Folder. (For new staff, I will show/explain the Google Drive Folder when I see you on August 26)Laptop Cart Sign-out sheet - This Google form will be used to signup for the laptops throughout the school year.
Parent/Student Handbook 2014-2015
Agenda for 9/2 & 9/3
Please have your staff webpages updated by September 4 for the first day of class.
Please have your staff webpages updated by September 4 for the first day of class.
Genesis Gradebook is open. Class lists are available and assignments can be created.
Back to School Night - Wednesday, September 17
September Learning and Collaborating Time - Wednesday, September 24
You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. ~Clay P. Bedford
