A message from Principal Casperson

And just like that, we have completed 25% of our school year.  I don’t know about the rest of you but August seems as though it was a lifetime ago.  Once school starts up the days fly past.  Before we know it final exams will be here, and the winter break will be upon us.  Between now and then I encourage you and your student to stay vigilant with checking PowerSchool, communicating with your team of teachers, and prioritizing on-time and on-task daily behaviors.   



October, November and December are disrupted months as far as the bell schedule and days off.  This month we have Parent Teacher Conferences scheduled for 10/16 & 10/17.  In November there are two days off for students while our staff attends Inservice - those are 11/10 & 11/11, and then we all have the Thanksgiving Break from the 27th - 30th.  In December, after the Turkey weekend we have two full weeks of school and then final exams from 12/16 - 12/19, with the last day of school being Friday the 19th.  Please mark these dates on your personal calendars, and as much as you are able to, plan appointments and medical visits around them to maximize the school time for your student. 



A couple of celebrations are in order for this mid-point.  First, the wireless communication device policy has been a much easier transition than most anticipated.  Phones, smart watches, wireless ear buds and the like are to be out of sight and out of sound from the time your student enters our building until the day ends at 4pm.  If a student violates that expectation their device is turned in to the main office and we contact a guardian to come and retrieve it.  While we have upwards of 20 devices some days that means that 980 students are compliant with the policy.  And what I can tell you as a career educator for three decades is that our school and classrooms are showing incredible signs of engagement and academic growth.  Kids and teachers report that they like the new policy, and that they can see and feel a difference in the quality of their education.  Thank you!  We rolled this out as a partnership with all stakeholders and it is making an impact for our school community. 



My second celebration is related to engagement in our robust Activities and Athletics program.  In crunching the participation numbers we are pleased to report that we have had 453 fall or mid-winter  student-athletes and 362 club or activities participants.  Even with some of those representing the same student (a football player who is also in the National Honor Society for example) these are very high metrics.  We know, and research correlates, that students who participate in one or more activities are often better performing academically.  The best news?  Winter and spring sports are still around the corner, and most activities are accepting members throughout the year.  Engaging in our school community through the Activities lens is a win-win for JDHS and your Crimson Bears!