Principal's
Message:
January
11, 2010
Our hearts
and thoughts go out to the educational communities of Rocky
Hill and the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science
for the tragic loss of their student in the bus accident on
Saturday, January 9, 2010. As most of the public is aware,
the students were traveling to a robotics competition at
Farmington High School when the accident occurred.
Wethersfield High School did have one student on that bus.
That student was treated and released from the hospital on
Saturday and we are thankful that his injuries were minor.
On Saturday afternoon all staff members at WHS were apprised
of the accident. Superintendent Kohlhagen graciously offered
counseling services from Wethersfield to the affected
communities.
Today,
Monday January 11, 2010, Wethersfield High School is
providing support for all members of our school community
affected by the tragedy. Counseling services are available
for any student who feels in need and we have specific plans
of action in place for students who are a part of the
academy of the arts or the academy of math and science. We
are investigating if any other students are affected given
the close proximity to both schools.
Again,
counseling services are available for any student in the
guidance office at Wethersfield High School.
Principal’s Blog
for December 30, 2009
On behalf of all
the constituencies at Wethersfield High School please let me
extend our wish for Happy Holidays for all!
During the
latter part of December our students were extremely excited
about the upcoming holidays and were extremely well-behaved.
We, here at Wethersfield High School, have had an
outstanding year in terms of student behavior. With the
efforts of Mr. Michael Verderame, Dean of Students, Mr. Andy
Komar and Mrs. Jill Krieger, students have been more
responsive to school rules and expectations of student
behavior. As of mid-December we have had a decrease
in the percentage of school suspensions by almost 50%. The
total number of detentions has also decreased. I am also
very proud to report that student punctuality has also
significantly increased during this school year. This was a
school-wide area of emphasis and it is paying off handsomely
at this point. Some of this impact is due to a
reorganization of teacher duties and study hall locations
but mostly it is the vigilance of our teachers and
administrators ensuring a safe and secure learning
environment for all students.
The addition of
a Dean of Students position has also had a significantly
positive effect on student achievement. Because some student
management responsibilities have shifted away from the
assistant principals, they have had more time to focus on
initiatives such as the ninth grade team. In each of our
grading benchmarks (1st and 2nd
quarter progress reports and 1st quarter report
cards), we have seen an increase in student performance and
achievement as indicated by the grades of our ninth graders.
This is a tribute to our ninth grade teachers and the ninth
grade team. We hope to keep up the momentum and continue to
improve throughout the school year.
A number of
Wethersfield High School students have had their art work
recognized through the Wethersfield Chamber of
Commerce/Wethersfield Public Schools Youth Art Appreciation
program. Congratulations to Michelle Montinieri, Andrew
Falce, Margaret Reategui, Brianna Stefano and Anne Wilson
who have their works of art on public display throughout
the community.
The Wethersfield
High School staff has been working diligently to revise our
Expectations for Student Performance which guide our
accreditation process. Our draft includes expectations in
three categories – Academic, Social and Civic. Once these
expectations are approved, we will begin to create rubrics
and other vehicles of measurement to gauge our student’s and
school’s success in attaining these expectations. Certainly
we would welcome all feedback during this process and this
draft will be on the agenda for the January 2010 Parent,
Teacher, Student Association (PTSA) meeting.
Academically,
Wethersfield High School students will:
-
Effectively communicate
through speaking and writing
-
Demonstrate
the ability to access and apply appropriate technologies
in educational endeavors
-
Demonstrate
creative and effective problem-solving skills
-
Use
higher order thinking skills in the analysis of text
Social and Civic
– Students will:
-
Understand and apply the
attributes of being a positive contributor to a team
-
Exhibit respectful and
ethical behavior towards self and others
-
Value and respect
diversity
-
Take responsibility for
their education, citizenship and wellness
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