This past Friday marked the end of the first quarter of the school year! As we settle into the first semester thoughts of second semester MME, ACT,and Advanced Placement testing are ever present. Like it or not, students and schools are judged on how they perform on standardized exams. With this in mind I have added another feature to my blog page. On the right side you will find links to test prep sites and skill building sites. There will also be a more comprensive list posted on the school web site.

Another tool we have at our disposal is the ACT-PLAN test that will be administered to Sophomore students on December 8th. The PLAN test provides invaluable information for students, parents and the school. It identifies weakness and strengths both individually and as a cohort.
Benchmark scores indicate where on track students are towards developing the skills necessary to succeed with junior year testing, and with college level courses. More specific information identifies areas to focus on for both individual and schoolwide purposes.

Students of all ages can benefit from skill review. Take a minute to explore the sites listed, and visit often as I'll be adding new ones. Please share any sites or tools you may find. Your suggestions are welcome!

How it is.....

This weekend of ghosts and goblins was ushered in by talented South musicians and vocalists at the annual Pops and Pastries concert. I was delighted to watch students and teachers enjoying the fruits of their efforts. As an assistant high school principal it is easy to get bogged down with administrative functions, academic concerns, and student issues that need to be addressed during the day. Add to this the scary state of affairs with school funding, standardized testing, and the increased demands on educators it was refreshing to experience the evening.

The excitement in the faces of the performers, the delight in the expressions of the audience, and the enthusiasm of Mr.Gross and Mr. Cross as they directed their musicians made me proud. Their spooky musical renditions cemented the understanding that although these are 'scary' times our students continue on with an earnest belief in their possibilities. They are not aware of 'how it used to be'....this is their 'how it is'. We will continue to make sure that their 'how it is' is all that it can be.