April Newsletter

Principal's Note

Hello all,
Spring has sprung and so has Spring Recess! Even as we are seeing a surprise snowfall dusting the ground, the flowers are blooming and the weather IS warming up. When we return to school on April 1, 2013, we will begin the final quarter of the school year.

In the coming weeks there will be many activities, book fairs, study trips and other activities that will signal to many that school is almost over. This combined with the warming weather will mean that the kids are going to get antsy. Please work with your
child’s teachers to ensure that your child is not losing focus on school. Every Instructional day is important! Teachers are preparing your children for the upcoming year. Besides the standards that they continue to address, teachers are also building bridges for the transitions that lie ahead to new grade levels and in some cases, new schools.

You will be receiving information about next year in the coming weeks as well. This will include information about re-registration the week of April 15th -19th. With deployments, PCS’s, vacation planning and all that is happening this time of year, things can feel hectic and overwhelming. Please know that we are here to help you in whatever ways we can. That can be anything from helping you with paperwork, to just listening to your challenges and helping you find solutions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! That is why we are here!

Together we can keep the focus on setting the stage for next year and assisting our students and their families to make smooth transitions.

Don't be a stranger,

Ted Turnipseed

DoDEA Schools to Adopt Common Core State Standards

Adopting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will benefit DoDEA's highly mobile student population which moves frequently between public schools and DoDEA schools. Learn more in the DoDEA press release.

DoDEA is in the process of gathering internal and external feedback/input regarding the revision of the DoDEA Graduation Regulation 2000.1, July 29, 2004. Requirements for graduation must align with the increased demands for a work force capable of responding innovatively to critical issues and the constant flux of global changes in the 21st century. The revised regulation will address national trends in rigorous secondary education and prepare our students for success in post-secondary life in the 21st century.

We have launched a website for this purpose and it will be open from August 1, 2012 to September 30, 2012. Topics of discussion will include, but are not limited to, minimum graduation requirements, grade point average, course requirements, and diploma types.

Anyone wishing to comment can click on the following link and participate in the discussion or share literature related to graduation requirements. Our goal is to implement the new graduation policy during school year 2013-14 for the graduating class of 2017.

DoDEA Graduation Requirements Feedback website