The school year opened smoothly and there is a positive energy in the building. The incoming freshmen are fitting right in, getting acclimated to their new teachers, workloads and environment. I have enjoyed seeing freshmen advisories on tour, meeting administrators and asking questions. The feedback has been positive, and their transition to date is a success. We continue to encourage freshmen to latch on to a co-curricular activity. Overall, students who have opportunities to interact both in classroom and extended learning environments enjoy school more and achieve more than their less involved peers. The freshmen advisories will be visiting a showcase of clubs and activities this month, and we ask parents to reinforce the benefits of being affiliated with these school activities.
I want to thank the student council and the guidance department for their work to make the Freshman Orientation Night a successful welcoming to high school. As a result of their efforts, students were able become comfortable with their schedules, meet their new teachers and get a glimpse of the next four years of their education. In addition, I extend my thanks to the PTSA for being a positive presence in the cafeteria that evening and I encourage parents and teachers to get involved in that terrific organization. The staff appreciates the work of the PTSA, which has already provided lunch during the August professional development day and in our second week gifted teachers with “encourage – mints.”
Parking lot traffic
pattern:
I am pleased by the improvement of the morning traffic flow to the high school. Except for stragglers, high school drop off is complete ahead of the start of school. There are still a few drivers who need encouragement to pull as far forward as possible to prevent back-ups, but this improves with every conversation and every day. One recurring risky driving maneuver that we have to eliminate is the habit of pulling away from the curb to pass a vehicle that is slower to pull away. We risk accidents when that happens – accidents that can be avoided with a bit of patience.
During afternoon pick-up the parking lot is most congested; however, administrators are actively directing traffic to minimize the inconvenience. It is taking about ten minutes to clear the parking lot in front of the high school. Middle school parents lining up to pick up their kids are doing a great job of staying snug to the side of the road and allowing high school pick up to occur without mishap. I ask everyone to continue to exercise patience and courtesy in order to keep our students safe.
Whether it is in the morning or the afternoon, please be alert to individuals cutting across the traffic lanes on foot or on bicycles. Walkers have four well marked crossing lanes from the parking lot to the high school/PAC. We ask all teachers, visitors and students to use them.
NEASC Report
The NEASC report was discussed publicly at the school board meeting on September 18th. The executive summary is up on the school website and the entire report should be posted soon. Please tune in to the board meeting on the TEN Network as the recommendations of the visitation team were discussed and elements of the action plan were introduced.
The visiting team’s recommendations mirror the Timberlane “self-study.” The self study is a document created by teams of teachers, parents and students that is used as the basis of the NEASC visiting team’s evaluation. It includes surveys of all stakeholders in the district, including school board, district administration, parents, and teachers. The report evaluated every aspect of the school from community resources to curriculum. The self-study process took a year to complete.
This year “Professional Learning Communities,” which are teams of teachers focused on tasks geared towards school improvement, are forming to address the most significant recommendations of the report. In addition, advisories and district professional development activities will support the NEASC recommendations. I have grouped these recommendations into ten demands that are getting immediate attention:
1. Live up to the mission statement – keep it relevant and alive in everything we do.
2. Define and measure the academic, social and civic expectations using rubrics
3. Continue to develop and revise curriculum to meet the needs of all students
4. Provide time within and across departments for teachers to collaborate on instructional strategies and assessment, including school-wide rubrics
5. Provide teachers with feedback about their instructional practice to guide their professional development and to improve student learning
6. Employ varied instructional strategies
7. Provide time for faculty to work together to settle on uniform ways to apply the contents of academic measures
8. Provide time for teachers, students, and parents to learn to use rubrics to measure student learning
9. Ensure that all students, no matter the course or level, have multiple opportunities to practice higher order thinking and to be involved in problem solving
10. Implement a program which personalizes the educational experience for every student
NEASC is conducting a workshop at Timberlane on September 25th. Administrators from high schools like ours (those who have just completed the visitation) will meet in the library to review the process of creating, implementing and documenting an action plan to address the recommendations of the report.
Currently, the district strategic planning committee is taking measure of the present district and building mission statement and vision statements, goals, programs, student performance, community perceptions, demographics, facilities and the feedback from recent NEASC studies and reports (which include data and perceptions of representative stakeholders in the district). We are pleased that the NEASC report comes at such an advantageous time; it will help in both the short term and long term achievement of excellence in our school.
“Coffee with the Principal” is scheduled for the high school cafeteria on Wednesday, October 15th at 7:00p.m. -8:30p.m. This is my opportunity to hear parent and community concerns and to address them to the best of my ability. Please come! This is a PTSA sponsored event.
Block Scheduling Committee
Mr. Scott Strainge will be reconstituting this committee as teachers, parents, students and administrators research and explore scheduling options that might help impact student learning in a positive way. Mr. Strainge can be reached by e-mail at sstrainge@timberlanehs.com
Athletic Department
Learn about what is going on in athletics by checking the Athletic Department website.
If you have ever been involved as a parent, coach or athlete in the wrestling program at Timberlane, the program is having a cumulative reunion – a gathering of the history of Timberlane Wrestling. Invitations will be sent to any inquirer. Contact Coach Chooljian if you are interested in attending – bchooljian@timberlanehs.com
Pictures of the
Renovations
The new science rooms are up and running. We hope to continue to update existing rooms to meet the standards of 21st Century schools. Photos posted on the school website display the features and size of the Chemistry and Biology labs that were created in the space that was previously an outdated metal shop that was used for storage and classroom space. Take a look at the results of last year’s building initiative.
Advisory Program
The
goal of the advisory program at Timberlane is to create a more personalized
setting for students. Forty-eight teachers volunteer to act as advisors,
and facilitate the daily conversations with students. Students now have
an additional adult with whom they can discuss school events, world events,
activities - whatever comes up. In addition to enhanced teacher contact,
younger students have a chance to interact with student mentors—over 100
upperclassmen who have volunteered to join freshman advisories to give a more
experienced student perspective to the conversation. Freshman advisories
have also helped to ease the often difficult transition to high school. The freshmen are already accustomed to
working in advisory, drawing on the success of the advisory program at the
middle school level. In sophomore/ junior advisory, students spend some
of their time looking at long-term goals, such as college selection and career
planning. They also discuss their role as citizens of the school
community, service-learning opportunities, and their role in the world as young
adults. All advisories have been used to more effectively disseminate
information about clubs, athletics, and upcoming events.
Evening Division News
Evening Division—Robert Dawson, Director
The Evening Division Program is off to a great
start. Over 65 students are taking a variety of classes that will move
them closer to graduation, some as early as this January. Another group
of adults will soon be starting Adult Education classes in computers, oil
painting, and several natural healing techniques. A new addition this
fall is the GED Option Program, which will allow students significantly behind
their peer group to graduate sooner, rather
than later. www.timberlanehs.com/evening.htm