Half way there!

This week marks the beginning of the second half of the school year. We have made it to the top of the mountain and are now on the downward slope toward Spring Break, scheduling for 2008-2009, SOL testing, final exams, eighth grade graduation, and summer. While some may say that the second half of the year, and especially the third marking period, seems to take forever, I'm usually of the opposite mind. We've got so much to do in order to accomplish some of our goals this year, and each day seems to fly by.

Report cars will be mailed on January 18, and now is a great time for you and your child(ren) to take stock of what they have accomplished this year. If their grades are high and their successes many, have a discussion about how to stay motivated and keep on track for the remainder of the year. If the opposite is true, then let's open up the doors of communication and develop a plan for success. I'm always happy to discuss your child's academic and social progress through middle school, and so are all of our teachers. With each day that goes by, however, time is decreasingly on our side. Let's move quickly to solve any problems.

This is also a time of year when many decisions need to be made about what the school will look like in the 2008-2009 school year. I'd like to thank all of the parents who came to the January PATSO meeting to give their input on the schedule for next year. I truly appreciated hearing the perspectives that you brought to the table and will keep them in mind as we move forward.
One promise that I will make to every patron of Henley, is that when decisions are made, they are the decisions that I believe will best prepare our students for high school and beyond. My goal is to build upon our strengths and help our teachers develop some of the top students in the state and the nation. There will be a Principal's Coffee this Friday (1/18) at 9:30 in the Henley library. If any of you could not make the PATSO meeting and would like to make some suggestions for next year, I hope to see you there.

Half-way there. It's a milestone and a motivator for me every year. Let's all take this occasion to ramp up our studying and our work habits to get a jump start on a strong finish to the year.

Go Hornets!