MASSABESIC HIGH SCHOOL
The
mission of Massabesic High School, in partnership with home and community, is
to prepare students to think, to communicate, to show respect, and to
understand the power of knowledge with a commitment to life-long learning…
Principal’s Memo
To: 8th Grade Parents,
Guardians and Students
From: Christian M. Elkington, Principal MHS
Re: Course Selection Night and next steps!
Date: 2/20/13
As Principal of Massabesic High
School, it is my pleasure to write to you as you start to focus some of your
energies and thoughts on becoming a part of
MHS. We look forward to the Class of 2017 joining us and appreciate your
wanting the best possible start for your son or daughter in the coming school
year. Please know, that we will strive to work closely with each of you in
support of student success at MHS!
Our Freshman Teams are staffed
with very supportive educators. They emphasize continuous communication, which
pays off in improved success amongst our 9th grade students each
year. I share this not because it sounds good, but because it is fact! Over the
last three years I have both read many important email communications between
parents and our freshman staff or have received positive communications from
parents and guardians about the efforts being made to support their sons and
daughters. We also have clear data, which shows that freshman student results
have improved three years in a row. Each year we will continue to strive to
improve upon our past success or difficulties, as we know we can always improve
what we do for our students and their families.
I am sharing the above with you
because I want all students, parents and guardians who may have had some
difficulties in middle school not to start to think that the worst is yet to come
at the “big, bad high school.” We work with each and every student to help them
find the success that they need and deserve. I believe that you have to truly
try to fail in order to not have success at Massabesic High School. I also want
to tell those students that have had success at Massabesic Middle School to
keep their schedule full at MHS! It is most important that you continue to
strive to be the best that you can be in your first year as part of “Mustang
Nation!”
Eighth to ninth grade transition
efforts have been redeveloped over the last three years to increase
communication between the staffs of both schools so that each student’s
academic needs are more clearly understood and supported. The commitment that
Mr. Fisher and I made to work more closely together on a variety of
instructional areas is better supporting students’ strengths and weaknesses.
Each year this work begins in December. We look forward to this teamwork
continuing over the next four months.
In preparation for your
son/daughter’s entrance into Massabesic High School this coming fall, we are
offering the following two events:
-
On Monday, March 4th
from 6:30 - 8:30 PM, you and your son or daughter are invited to attend the
Freshman Course Selection Night at MHS. You will learn about course offerings,
the course registration process, and have your questions answered by MHS Staff.
-
On Tuesday, March 12th
from 6:30 – 8:00 PM, you and your son or daughter are also invited to attend
Curriculum & Activity Night. During this evening booths will be set up in
our gymnasium for you to walk around and speak with dept. heads about courses
and/or to talk with activity advisors and/or students involved with activities
at MHS.
The agenda for March 4th
will be as follows:
6:30 - WELCOME and introductions
(MHS Gymnasium)
6:35 - Communication is KEY!
6:40 - Review of Freshman Schedule
6:50 - Interscholastic Activities
offered/ eligibility
6:55 – NJROTC at MHS
7:00 - iPads in 2013-2014
7:05 - Course Selection Process
101
7:15 - Counselor breakouts with
parents & guardians on the course selection process
Three other items I need to
briefly review with you:
1.)
MHS Freshman Planning Handbook – will be available on line for your review early next
week under the MHS Web Site’s Guidance Page. It includes freshman course
information. Hard copies will be handed out either at MMS or when we see you on
the 4th.
2.)
9th Grade Course Selection Sheets - will also be available to download from this same page
early next week.
3.)
Please take a look at the MHS Web Site – highschool.rsu57.org as you will find many publications
including: Honored Students, letters to parents, and many other items of
interest. Please take part in celebrating student success at MHS by reading
about “Mustang Nation’s” fine students!
We look forward to starting our
work with you on Tuesday, March 4th, at 6:30 PM!