Good Afternoon

Another plug for Monday, August 26th, as we strongly encourage you to come to the HS Back to School Night, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the theater.  After some introductions, you’ll be free to meet your children's teachers for conversations about the course expectations and content.  To help put a face with a name, please feel free to visit the ACS HS Staff Directory.

In line with tradition, I would like to share the first three keys of the Seven Keys to A Successful School Year, written by a wise old, old, old, old educator Mr. Keith Boniface, former HS Principal here at ACS.

Keep your eye on the learning, not the grade

This first and crucial key is surprisingly easy to overlook. Schools are about learning. We need to always remember that it is not an all-out quest for grades. It is not a competitive endeavor. We are not sorting kids for universities. It is not a mechanism for discovering weaknesses or keeping your child occupied. It is about learning.

An example of losing the focus on learning occurs often when a test or assignment comes home from school. It seems we tend to ask, “What did you get?” We talk about grades as if they were the goal. It is an honest mistake: grades are meant to be indicators of student learning. They are not the most important thing on the page.

There are things that students know and understand well, things that they are in the process of learning, and things they know nothing about – yet. Their approaches to learning will be different and our inquiries about what they’ve learned should focus on exactly that: what have they learned? The first time your child comes home with a graded paper or product remember to ask “What did you learn?” instead of “What did you get?”

Remember to take the long view

Whenever kids make mistakes – and they are certain to – it is difficult to remember that the mistake does not define them. Even if they continue to make the same mistake, it does not necessarily mean that that is who they are. They are in the process of “becoming” and I would hate to think that we can categorize students as lazy, cheaters, or rude. I like to think that there are only moments when they act that way. Children get to be in the process and we need to remember to take the long view on them. The mistake they may have just made is an opportunity to learn. My favorite question to ask a child in discipline situations is “So, what did you learn?” This, of course, is tied into the first key to a successful year.

Communicate

In real estate they say the three most important words are location, location, location and in the school-home relationship they must be communication, communication, communication. (Inevitably someone tells me that the most important words in raising children are “medication, medication, medication” but it is always said tongue-in-cheek.) We will do our best to keep our doors open and email boxes receptive and parents it is wise for you to take advantage. If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of those who does regularly communicate and I would encourage you to encourage other parents to do the same.

I know you’re clamoring for the final four, but it’s my only way to guarantee you come back to read my post next week!

Attendance

The following attendance message was communicated to students at Sunday’s assembly and via email.  Please take a few minutes to go through it to also be aware of HS attendance expectations.

MAP Testing - Our 9th and 10th grade students will be taking their MAP tests on Sunday, September 1st & Wednesday, September 4th.  We will be running an adjusted schedule for each of those days. Grade 11 & 12 students will be working with Ms. Kurdi on college-related activities.

Fall Parent Teacher Conferences

Teachers are looking forward to connecting with parents at our upcoming Fall Parent Teachers Conferences.  Based on feedback, we have determined that all conferences will be held in-person on campus.  Individual sections will be sharing more details as we inch closer to the conference dates. 

• October 10th

  • ES/MS/HS - In person conferences from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Yearbook Photos - HS students are scheduled to take yearbook photos September 16-19th during Flex time. We will be sharing specific dates with students in their individual Cohorts.