Principal’s Note
Feb. 21


Below you will find topic’s discussed this week along with a calendar of upcoming events at SHS.

Competency Template In our Tuesday morning leadership meeting we discussed and revised a template that we hope will provide some consistency in the manner in which we organize the course competency documents. This draft document includes examples of how it might be completed. If anyone has suggestions for improving this document please see your director. A consistent format for organizing the information will be a useful tool for teachers, students and parents.

Teacher Input Also, discussed was a teacher suggestion relating to competency work that would enable a teacher who is working on competencies in one area to offer assessments for consideration in other courses they teach. This makes good sense and as a result directors have created folders on the shared drive to support your ability to post assessments. The details of how to do this are included in the attached staff meeting document.

PLAN Sophomore Test Results As you may recall sophomores participated in a grade level testing program developed by the A.C.T. test developers. Our goals for this exam (stemming from suggestions teachers made) were to provide practice test-taking opportunities to improve NECAP scores, to provide teachers, parents and students information about areas of student strengths and weakness, and to offer students and parents guidance about course selection and career education. The results have come in and individual student results have been sent home and have been distributed to teachers who presently have these sophomore students in class. Results will be redistributed at the start of the next school year as one strategy to support improved student performance on NECAP.

NECAP Results NECAP results have been released. You may review the results at www.ed.state.nh.us/necap

Attendance Questions about attendance for each block were brought to the meeting. Regarding Block one attendance: This attendance is critical and must be completed by everyone (including teachers with block one independent studies scheduled). We ask that you electronically send your block one attendance no later than 8:00 am. I realize that some of you have problems with computers and others still do not have a computer accessible in the classroom. We continue to work with IT on correcting those hardware issues. Blocks 2, 3, 4 attendance is used by Deans to follow-up on student absenteeism. Like any newly integrated system, ideas about improving efficiency in this process will grow out of its use.

Gradequick Attendance Module Some teachers have inquired about the use of Gradequick’s attendance module as a tool we should use instead of MMS. We support this procedure and have asked IT to determine its feasibility. There are efficiencies to moving in this direction to everyone. IT is looking in to it for us.

Upcoming Events:
2/22 5:30 & 7:00pm Women’s JV/Varsity Basketball home vs. Central
5:30 & 7:00pm Men’s JV/Varsity Basketball away vs. Central
2/23 9:00am Men’s Wrestling Meet of Champions
2/27 Women’s Varsity Basketball playoffs home (time to be determined)
2/27 Men’s Ice Hockey Playoff’s home (time to be determined)
3/5 WinterGuard, Winter Percussion Spaghetti Supper fundraiser $5.00/per person Performances to follow dinner
3/13 Progress Reports go home
3/15 Make-A-Wish Benefit Dinner – Key Club