Good morning Garden Spot!
I was thinking on the way to school last week about how wonderful it is to have the opportunity to work with all of you… it is so much fun, and an honor, to get to be a part of your life. Mr. Sanger and I often comment how great of a responsibility it is to help shape, guide, and encourage you as you move into your lives beyond high school, and I hope that you sense in our interactions with you how seriously we take that responsibility. You are all such wonderful individuals with so much ahead of you… be sure that you are doing what you ought to be doing today, so that you can do the things you want to be doing in the future. You rock!
Reminders/Notices:
- Additional Open Campus privileges will be granted over the next two weeks. You will receive a letter in the mail in the near future if you qualify, and may begin taking advantage of Open Campus privileges as soon as the signed letter is returned to the high school office. The requirements to qualify for Seniors who do not already have Open Campus privileges is that they had a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the first semester of this school year. We are also going to offer this opportunity to all Juniors who scored proficient or better on both the Algebra and Lit Keystone Exams & have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or greater… congratulations, and keep up the great work! Along with the letter that you will need to return with a parent signature, you will receive an email from Mr. Cox (that’s me) with expectations and a link to sign-out for Open Campus. Read the expectations as you will be held accountable to them. Saying that you did not know will not be accepted as a valid excuse.
- Mrs. Groft has been working to set up the first of our family fun nights for the entire district. We are having a video/board game night on March 19 at the high school from 6 – 8 pm. The event is for all of our staff , students and families. Posters will be hung around the building with additional information. I encourage you to come out and enjoy the fun!
- Sign-ups for AP exams have begun! If you are interested in taking an AP exam, please see Mrs. Landis in the high school office to sign-up. You will not be permitted to sign up unless you have your payment with you. The cost is $45.50 per test. If you are a part of the free or reduced lunch program, there is no cost to take an AP exam. The deadline to sign up is March 13, 2015. After that date there will be a brief window where there is an additional charge through the AP Exam Board of $45.00 for late enrollments. Please see Mrs. Landis in the high school office if you have questions.
Teacher Spotlight:
- This week I would like to take a moment to recognize an individual who has provided exceptional teaching that is displayed in the quality of work their students produce. This teacher works to provide an environment where students are able to fine tune their skills with the support of a teacher who is passionate about what they teach. Mr. Kaufman not only teaches the skills necessary to produce exceptional products in his wood seminar classes, but he also calls each student to continue to improve their skills throughout the semester. If you have, or have had Mr. Kaufman, please take a moment to thank him for the opportunities that his skills allow all of you to experience, and his desire to have you all leave his classroom with a quality product that you will be able to use for the rest of your life.
Personal Challenge:
It always bothers me when I hear people verbalize that they think they are too stupid to do something, or are not capable of doing something. I cannot stand hearing people talk about our community as if where we are at is somehow the best that we can ever expect to be. Mr. Sanger and I believe in each and everyone of you, and I can tell you that teenagers only began talking like that when that is what they hear from those around them. Teenagers only continue talking like that when they are allowed to say such things without being told that it is not true. I am telling you that those ideas are not true. You are good enough, you deserve the best, you are capable of doing great things, and where you will make it in life is completely up to you.
I refuse to be a part of something in which it is thought that there is no chance of improving. If I thought there were no hope, that would be me giving up on all of you. I am not interested in doing that, nor am I willing to do so. I believe in the staff, I believe in you, and I believe in this community.
I will not hear that there are people who are not capable of controlling their language. I will not hear that we have people here who are not capable of respecting others. I will not hear that we have people at our school who simply cannot do the work necessary to pass their classes. If I accepted those things as true, that would be me giving up on you and saying that you are stuck in a situation in which you have no control. The reality is however, that you do have the ability to succeed, and I will fight to assure that you know and believe that before you leave our school.
Don’t give up on yourself… ever! You have the ability to do things you thought you never could, if you decide that you are going to dedicate yourself to getting them done. Learn to work hard… learn to take pride in your work… learn to do everything you do well, even if you don’t see the point in it… learn to treat others well, even when they don’t deserve it… learn to be respectful, even when you have been disrespected… learn to hold yourselves accountable to the things that will lead to a better future. Those are character traits that will serve you well in life, and will ultimately allow you to succeed at whatever it is you want to do in life.
Have a great week,
Mr. Elias Cox
Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School