I start every December newsletter off with some reflection on how quickly the first semester has gone.  And, once again, I am finding myself reflecting on that same theme. This year I am not only the school principal but I am also the parent of a ninth grader who has just completed her first semester of freshman year.  I am appreciative of the support system that JDHS has offered for my daughter and am hopeful that you feel the same in regards to your student. I am also thankful that this is the first of her semesters in our school, and that it is not already time for me to reflect on the beginning of her final semester.  Senior parents, I sympathize with you in that regard. The adage about how time with our children will fly by seems to hold water.

Another annual theme for this month is my reminder to have your student’s take a moment to update their resumes, or their informal brag sheets.  Our school counselors will attest that at this time of year these are critical to our abilities as a school to support summer job applications, college applications and scholarship requests.  If your student is intentional in looking at this annually they will have an accurate and informative compilation of their academics, awards, community service and references. While our ninth graders are just beginning this process, our seniors should be at the point where they can be paring down their brag sheets to the most relevant and applicable information pieces.  Thank you for supporting them in this!

As we wind down 2019 (and this decade!), please take some time to rest, relax and recharge.  The spring semester brings about a renewed sense of energy and we are excited to welcome students back after the break. Let’s hope for some snow!