As a leadership team, we believe in providing students with increasing voice & choice in their learning experiences. This occurs through a graduated and scaffolded increase in training & responsibility with the goal of encouraging self-directed, motivated, and engaged students. It is important that we teach students the essential skills that prepare them to ascend to the next phase of their learning and life. We want our underclassmen to be prepared to take advantage of junior and senior year opportunities and to be self-directed learners who can access a variety of personalized pathways aligned to their interests and future aspirations. Having stated this, a building-wide focus this year will be on instructing students on essential learner qualities. Students will be rated on five learner qualities in each class at the close of each semester, with a summary rating reported on student report cards. The following learner qualities will be rated as “meets" or "does not meet":
Self-Directed Learner: Learners take initiative and are active participants in the learning process. Learners make meaning by linking their story, their new learning and their purpose. Learners carefully plan their learning journey.
Quality Producer: Learners create organized and professional products. Learns always wonder about why and how. Learners take risks and explore in order to arrive at new solutions.
Collaborative Worker: Learners work together, especially in a joint intellectual effort. Learners fight for inclusion and work to ensure all voices are represented and heard.
Respectful Citizen: Learners are positive participants who engage others in the academic and social aspects of work. Learners have a sense of belonging, of being part of a learning community at school, at work, at home, and in social networks.
Growth Mindset: Learners recognize that effort creates ability. Learners know that those who work, learn. Learners demonstrate an openness and readiness to learn and understand that they are in control of their own destiny.
A rubric will be used to assess learning qualities. Please click here for the rubric. Students will be expected to rate their performance in these areas and teachers will individually conference with each student to discuss the student's self-ratings as well as the teacher's ratings. As always, we appreciate the support of our parents and community in reinforcing these essential skills for our students and in continuing our practice of holding our Chariho High School students to the highest of expectations.
We look forward to the year ahead!
Craig MacKenzie, Principal Twitter: @dflamturnover
Andrea Spas, Assistant Principal Twitter: @Andrea_Spas
Gerry Auth, Director of CHARIHOtech Twitter: @CHARIHOtech
A SHARED FOCUS ON CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
While we are proud of our growth as a high performing school (Top 3 School in RI / Top 10% Nationally according to US News & World Report!) we were concerned to see alarming data regarding Chronic Absenteeism in our school compared to other schools in our district and in the state (see chart below for last year's data). Educational research and common sense confirm that students who attend school regularly and for the entire school day develop skills and mastery of content that translate into higher levels of performance in local and state assessments. We need your support in getting students to school on time and keeping them in school for the full school day. While illness and emergencies of course legitimize absence, scheduling appointments and vacations when school is in session undermines the continuity essential to educational success. We are working hard to make Chariho Regional High School a welcoming community experience that students look forward to, we need this critical message of the importance of consistent attendance to come from Chariho parents as well. Thank you, in advance, for your support in lowering our chronic attendance numbers, which in turn, improves the learning experience for our students.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM
We welcome our parents and students to join our School Improvement Team (SIT). Our first meeting will be on September 27th at 2:30 in the HS library. After this initial meeting, we will then develop sub-committees that will focus on specific goals developed by the School Improvement Team. Please email Andrea.Spas@Chariho.k12.ri.us if you are interested in joining SIT or a sub-committee.
OPEN HOUSE
We welcome you to our Open House on Thursday, October 4th, from 5:30pm-8:00pm. Our goal is that parents have the opportunity and flexibility to meet their students' teachers, to learn about course themes and pathways for future study, and to connect to our school community through a Parent Outreach Fair in the cafeteria.
Some points about Open House:
- Parents and students are encouraged to come together so students can introduce their parents to teachers.
- Parents can move to department "zones" mapped in the building at their own pace.
- Students and teachers will participate in showcases of departmental learning.
- Teachers of common courses will offer presentations at times arranged to allow parents to hear a formal presentation, or simply stop in and introduce themselves.
- CTC programs will offer 4, 20-minute tours of the 17 programs.
If you want to follow your student's schedule, you may. This evening is not about conferencing with your child's teachers. It's an opportunity for introductions and education on all the supports available to help your student succeed. We will send out a map and schedule of presentations in advance of October 4th. We want to see all Chariho parents and their students in the building on Thursday, October 4th!
Please contact us if you have any questions about this important event.
