Parent Letter 2010-11 and Registration Information Packets

Parents and Guardians,

I've posted the letter I included in registration packets (folders) for your convenience below. I hope you find the information we compiled for you helpful and feel free to offer any feedback you may have about what we included and how we could improve our communication in this area of registration.

INFORMATION FROM THE REGISTRATION PACKET BELOW:
Dear Parents and Guardians,


I hope you and your family had a refreshing summer. Our faculty and staff have prepared this folder to help you stay connected and informed about the high school. If you have any suggestions for other things we could have included, please contact the high school office, or email me at trobinson@mexico.k12.mo.us. I also post a regular online newsletter (blog) at http://bulldoghighschool.blogspot.com. This online newsletter is posted to provide information about the high school.

Renovations:
The high school has undergone a great deal of building renovations and we are very pleased thus far with the progress that has been made. New windows, a new heating and air conditioning system and the replacement of very old furniture has been accomplished this summer. Our open house and parent teacher conferences will be combined this year into one event so we can ensure you have time to view the improvements and our workers have time to complete all projects.

New Seminar Class:
In addition to building progress, the high school teachers and I have been working to enhance our guidance and assistance to students so they are successful in high school. We will be implementing a Seminar Class during the last period of the day toward this purpose. Too often, students in high school can have difficulty managing several classes at once, studying for challenging classes, and connecting to their peers and teachers. They can get lost in the shuffle and become disconnected and frustrated. Our teachers and administrative staff are planning our work during the seminar class to be one of providing focus and direction to our students – to prevent the anonymity and the “lost in the shuffle effect” often seen in many high schools. We want to know our students and foster significant relationships and engagement among our students.

The Seminar Class will meet each day for approximately 30 minutes per day at the end of the day and this time will be used for the following purposes:

1. We have planned to teach learning skills such as note taking, organizational skills and memory/study skills so students are more successfully in their high school classes.

2. This class will also be a time our teachers will engage students in all-school efforts such as collecting donations to assist the needy in our community and other projects.

3. Finally, we plan to check student progress more regularly during this time to ensure students stay on-track to graduate on time and earn grades of a “C” or better. We believe that connecting to students and letting them know we care about their progress is the best way to increase achievement.

I’m looking forward to serving your child and family in the coming school year and please feel free to contact me whenever you have a question, comment or concern about the high school. We are here to serve your needs.