The end of the year is fast approaching. Prom next weekend, Senior's last day May 12, Graduation May 17 and everyone's last day May 21st.
Computers have been in the hands of students all year and will have to be taken in an serviced for the summer. All personal files, music and the like need to be saved elsewhere as the computers will be re-imaged and we do not back up those files. The students will most likely get the same computer back (some will get a different computer) next year cleaned up and updated.
Please find your chargers and bags as students have been reminded by staff for the past few weeks they need to find those items. A charge for the charger and bag will be assessed if they are not returned.
Please call in students who are not going to be at school as attendance monitoring will be stressed as the year concludes.
It's amazing how fast things have gone.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Happy New Year! - Plus five weeks
Been too long between posts. There are so many things to blog about and so little time to get to blog about them.
Freshman "Ning" pages: Freshman english with Mr. Rapier are in the midst of a grand project where the students and teacher are putting assignments on a writer's social network page called "Ning". Students are encouraged to get parents and friends to check their pages out and what they have commented on and what their thoughts were.
D.C. Trip: March 22-27th is coming up and I hope those of you who have students going are excited. If you don't, please don't give in to the "we're not doing anything" excuse because so many students are gone. Teachers know to keep those here doing relevant things and to try out new technology ideas and units.
PLTW - Project Lead the Way is moving forward into the new year with the addition of 1-3 new class offerings. Principals of Engineering and Civil Engineering look like courses to investigate as well as offerring Digital Electronics one way or the other. These are exciting additions to Intro to Engineering and Design, a class that we currently offer.
Those are just a few things, I'd blog more except my duty taking money at the basketball game is almost over.
Freshman "Ning" pages: Freshman english with Mr. Rapier are in the midst of a grand project where the students and teacher are putting assignments on a writer's social network page called "Ning". Students are encouraged to get parents and friends to check their pages out and what they have commented on and what their thoughts were.
D.C. Trip: March 22-27th is coming up and I hope those of you who have students going are excited. If you don't, please don't give in to the "we're not doing anything" excuse because so many students are gone. Teachers know to keep those here doing relevant things and to try out new technology ideas and units.
PLTW - Project Lead the Way is moving forward into the new year with the addition of 1-3 new class offerings. Principals of Engineering and Civil Engineering look like courses to investigate as well as offerring Digital Electronics one way or the other. These are exciting additions to Intro to Engineering and Design, a class that we currently offer.
Those are just a few things, I'd blog more except my duty taking money at the basketball game is almost over.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Economics and school
We've hit mid-term of the 2nd quarter and are cruising straight to the end of the sememster.
A long and successful football season, a great musical, a firery volleyball team, concessions and all that surrounds a young high schooler has many students waiting to exhale as they begin winter sports season, speech and the rest.
Not to mention a long harvest season and work committments. Now is the time many are looking at the 2nd semester, looking at their schedule and wanting to make their lives easier.
Seemingly one way to ease the pressure is to drop challenging courses like spanish, chemistry and others in favor of less rigorous classes.
While there are students who need to prioritize work and extra-currirular activities higher on their lists than other, most should keep academics at the top.
Our country is lossing jobs by the second. My kids and yours need to be ready for jobs we can't even imagine yet AND more importantly become more creative and innovative and possibly create their own careers.
We have to prepare students for 4-year, 2-year institutions as well as for working immediately out of high school. The old models of high school, college and work are starting to change and change at a rapid pace.
Instead of dropping rigorous classes students need to take more. Instead of making excuses like "I have to work" they need to worry less about buying, or maintaining their car and more on academics.
Period. No argument.
Anything less is failing to prepare them for..... I truthfully can't answer that question.
A long and successful football season, a great musical, a firery volleyball team, concessions and all that surrounds a young high schooler has many students waiting to exhale as they begin winter sports season, speech and the rest.
Not to mention a long harvest season and work committments. Now is the time many are looking at the 2nd semester, looking at their schedule and wanting to make their lives easier.
Seemingly one way to ease the pressure is to drop challenging courses like spanish, chemistry and others in favor of less rigorous classes.
While there are students who need to prioritize work and extra-currirular activities higher on their lists than other, most should keep academics at the top.
Our country is lossing jobs by the second. My kids and yours need to be ready for jobs we can't even imagine yet AND more importantly become more creative and innovative and possibly create their own careers.
We have to prepare students for 4-year, 2-year institutions as well as for working immediately out of high school. The old models of high school, college and work are starting to change and change at a rapid pace.
Instead of dropping rigorous classes students need to take more. Instead of making excuses like "I have to work" they need to worry less about buying, or maintaining their car and more on academics.
Period. No argument.
Anything less is failing to prepare them for..... I truthfully can't answer that question.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wow, it's been that long
Blogs that don't get updated, don't get read.
I'm guessing no one is going to read this post as it's been 10 weeks since my last entry. But I'm going to finally post again.
Subject...too many to even start. There's the end of the quarter, the sports season's playoff runs, the good statistics on many fronts.
There's issues in education, the world and the election.
I certainly could be writing about something, but alas, it seems I've let it go too long.
I will stop back soon and post about something.
I'm guessing no one is going to read this post as it's been 10 weeks since my last entry. But I'm going to finally post again.
Subject...too many to even start. There's the end of the quarter, the sports season's playoff runs, the good statistics on many fronts.
There's issues in education, the world and the election.
I certainly could be writing about something, but alas, it seems I've let it go too long.
I will stop back soon and post about something.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Night before the first day of school
Summer is over. Well, it's been over for teachers for three days and more for most as they were in last week making preparations.
We will be handing laptops out Tuesday night, August 26th. Students and parent(s) will have to sit through three 20 minute sessions focusing on acceptable use, Internet safety/cellphones and a bootcamp on the basics about the computer.
It is very important that you understand the value and importance of having the computers and caring for them. At the high school level the expectation is clear - they will be responsible for carrying, having the computers and bringing them to school each and every day.
Teachers will be expecting students to have them in their possession and will be doing lessons and daily activities out of them more and more as the year progresses.
There will be times of difficulty and students we will have some bumps in this process, but we will move forward and the staff is committed to learning and applying new instructional processes. Ones that focus on 21st century skills and learning.
Please call with any questions and see you at the parent-student meeting August 26th. Freshmen parents do not have to attend.
We will be handing laptops out Tuesday night, August 26th. Students and parent(s) will have to sit through three 20 minute sessions focusing on acceptable use, Internet safety/cellphones and a bootcamp on the basics about the computer.
It is very important that you understand the value and importance of having the computers and caring for them. At the high school level the expectation is clear - they will be responsible for carrying, having the computers and bringing them to school each and every day.
Teachers will be expecting students to have them in their possession and will be doing lessons and daily activities out of them more and more as the year progresses.
There will be times of difficulty and students we will have some bumps in this process, but we will move forward and the staff is committed to learning and applying new instructional processes. Ones that focus on 21st century skills and learning.
Please call with any questions and see you at the parent-student meeting August 26th. Freshmen parents do not have to attend.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Registration is set, freshmen orientation
Registration for school has been set for August 12th from 1 - 7 p.m. at all buildings both in the Anita CSD and C & M.
Forms will be provided online and will be sent out in the monthly newsletter.
Freshman orientation will be held Monday night, August 14 at 7:30 p.m. There will be a 30 minute presentation on CAM's one to one computer initiative that every parent and student must attend before your student will be issued a laptop.
Meetings for sophomores through senior classes will be held later and dates announced soon.
Forms will be provided online and will be sent out in the monthly newsletter.
Freshman orientation will be held Monday night, August 14 at 7:30 p.m. There will be a 30 minute presentation on CAM's one to one computer initiative that every parent and student must attend before your student will be issued a laptop.
Meetings for sophomores through senior classes will be held later and dates announced soon.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Summer's moving right along
Baseball and softball have officially ended and state tournaments have started or are upcoming soon. Summer is starting to move towards Fall.
School registration is tentatively set for August 12 and there will be some different things about this year's version of registration.
Remember, this year your student will be lugging around a MACbook with the latest operating system and programs on it including a school-only email address. This will come WITHOUT the $20 fee we charged last year.
With that said, we will have to meet and talk about the student and parent's responsiblities and what would happen if something DID happen to your student's computer.
Also, we'll have a drastically different cell phone policy. No we will not be banning cell phones, but we'll come to an understanding. The board has to approve the policy, but I can say now we will exercise ALL options given to us by law for those students who do not comply with the new policy.
In today's economy and climate high schools have been asked to step it up and it starts with the learning environment. To say cell phones distract and disrupt that environment is a stark understatement.
We will respect the student's right to have them if they respect our right and need to provide ALL students with an environment suitable to prepare them for life after high school.
School registration is tentatively set for August 12 and there will be some different things about this year's version of registration.
Remember, this year your student will be lugging around a MACbook with the latest operating system and programs on it including a school-only email address. This will come WITHOUT the $20 fee we charged last year.
With that said, we will have to meet and talk about the student and parent's responsiblities and what would happen if something DID happen to your student's computer.
Also, we'll have a drastically different cell phone policy. No we will not be banning cell phones, but we'll come to an understanding. The board has to approve the policy, but I can say now we will exercise ALL options given to us by law for those students who do not comply with the new policy.
In today's economy and climate high schools have been asked to step it up and it starts with the learning environment. To say cell phones distract and disrupt that environment is a stark understatement.
We will respect the student's right to have them if they respect our right and need to provide ALL students with an environment suitable to prepare them for life after high school.
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