Ahhhhh, Summertime!

So, Memorial Day Weekend 2007 is upon us and it looks to be a beautiful one. The pools are open, the grills are uncovered and I'm sure a few of us will soon be experiencing our first sunburns of the season.

I always love to go by our neighborhood pool on the first day it opens to see the excitement in the faces of the kids who have made it through another long winter and are ready to enjoy summer's bounty. There's no doubt that this is one of the most magical times of year to be a child. It's also one of the most exciting times of year to be a teacher. This is when we are able to look back and celebrate the many successes that we have enjoyed with our students. As we all know, these achievements come in many forms--a high score on an SOL test, a championship season on the playing field, a rewarding community service project, or a shy student whose teacher created an environment that allowed him to come out of his shell, become a part of the class and excel both academically and socially. I'm sure that all of our teachers at Henley are celebrating many outstanding accomplishments.

This weekend as we all reflect on the year, plan for some much needed downtime, and begin to chart our course for next year, let's also remember why we have this three-day weekend that kicks off the summer and take a moment to be thankful to all of those who have sacrificed to make this country what it is today. I am sure there will be many wonderful teachable moments for our children this weekend that can help them to understand what Memorial Day is all about.

With that said, let's fire up the barbecues, lather on the suntan lotion and get this summer started right! Enjoy the break this weekend, we all have worked hard to deserve it. And of course, remember that Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer--we've still got a couple of weeks of school to go:)

Hello Henley Hornets!

Welcome to Dr. McLaughlin's blog page! I am incredibly excited and honored to have been named the new principal of Henley Middle School! My wife and I both grew up in Albemarle and matriculated through Albemarle County Schools. We are excited to be moving back home and are quickly making arrangements to get our house in Richmond on the market and to find a place in Albemarle to raise our family.

Over the next few weeks I will be coming to the county as often as possible to begin planning for next year and to get to know the faculty, students and community members whom I will be serving. One of my first orders of business is to listen to all stake holders at Henley to find out what you love about the school and to gather ideas about where you think we can go from here. I hope that you will soon realize that my door is always open and that I'm usually just a phone call or an e-mail away if there is anything that you need.

I plan for this site to serve as a strong communication tool as I make the transition to Henley and after I arrive at the school. Please check back here often for updates and announcements about what is happening at Henley. Until I arrive in July, the best way for you to reach me with your questions, your concerns or just to say hello will be through my Henrico County e-mail account pjmclaug@henrico.k12.va.us.

It's certainly going to be a busy couple of months as we get ready for 2007-2008, and I know that great things are going to happen this year at Henley. Please feel free to get in touch!