Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Update
Happy Summer 2022 June Edition
Happy Summer!
I hope summer is off to a great start for everyone! Welcome to the Class of 2026 and their families! We're looking forward to a wonderful experience for all of our Huskies. The purpose of this newsletter is to put a few things on your radar that will best prepare our students for excellence in 2022-2023. (This correspondence also serves as insight into the mind and heart of the person responsible for directing this learning environment.) I would very much appreciate all parents and students taking a few minutes to read the contents if possible. We have roughly 2100 students enrolled at Hersey. My goal is to have 100% of all parents and students read it, but because it's summer and you have better things to do, 3% would be amazing.
It's important for members of the John Hersey school community to understand our purpose and mission, the standards and expectations that define success and excellence, and the roadmap by which we will achieve these things. I was assigned JHHS Principal just a few days before school began in August of 2021, so there wasn't enough time to effectively communicate "the plan" to everyone at the start of the school year. However, I concluded May by meeting with the rising seniors to discuss our standards for 2022-2023. I used a personal story to communicate the following principles:
- It’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish.
- Use every gift and ability that YOU have.
- Be curious, ask questions, and take time to understand a person or situation before judging, blaming, and/or pointing a finger.
- Everyone is a leader.
We're pushing a culture of "unconditional kindness" at John Hersey High School. It's not enough to be kind only to the peers in our "circles," those we consider cool or who might be able to help us, individuals with whom we regularly hang, or those we feel sorry for. We need more organic and widespread exchanges of unconditional kindness and expressions of respect. Everyday is Unconditional Kindness day at Hersey.
As principal, I want Hersey to be a wonderful growth experience for EVERY STUDENT. If any school on the planet can be genuinely special, I believe it is John Hersey High School. The expansion of positive leadership will help make it happen. You don't have to be the captain of a team, first chair in orchestra, the lead in a play, or president of student council, etc. to a leader. Leadership is interaction where influence occurs. The influence can be positive or negative. Thus, Everyone is a leader. The question isn’t whether or not you are a leader; the question is…How will you lead here at Hersey?
The Purpose of School
John Hersey High School is a safe, orderly, and productive learning environment because Learning is Paramount. We focus on student growth for all students. Education is not solely facts, figures, dates, and assessments. We're guiding our students to think critically, adapt, and apply their skills to a host of situations. 21st century learning includes teaching how to question, examine, theorize, experiment, and rebound from mistakes. School is the place to learn from this process and understand that life can get messy at times; occasional messiness can be okay. Our staff is committed to facilitating authentic instruction to prepare our students for their extremely diverse futures. We don't exist in or out of "boxes," John Hersey High School is building new learning platforms and scaffolding to inspire our students.
We're proud to acknowledge the hard work of staff and students. Our SAT mean score grew from 1136 in 2021 to 1143 in 2022. (The SAT has two sections—Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), and Math. Students earn a scaled score of between 200 and 800 points on each section, for a total of 1600 possible points on the SAT.) This sole metric by no means defines us. Our standard is excellence. Excellence is not being the best; it is doing your best in every facet of school and personal life. We're encouraging all students to adopt and maintain high standards to meet our expectations and decorum.
Students will need guidance to successfully negotiate higher standards. We're not looking for perfection, we're guiding students to do their best. We cannot accept statements like "I'm not good at math" or "I don't like reading." While we understand those feelings, we can't just accept them because eventually it morphs into avoidance. We are in place to help students grow, because everyone can grow. We'll do this while mindfully caring for the wellness of all students. We ask that parents and students communicate in advance any feedback or concerns related to emotional health.
It's tough watching your own child struggle or fail, but there is a growth benefit in allowing them to navigate their learning to a degree. If they don't occasionally fall, how will they learn to get up on their own? Like parents, we will be right there extending a hand down to pull them back up. Students benefit from opportunities to self-manage; that's part of social emotional growth.
Higher Standards
Unexcused absences, cuts, and arriving late to school/class result in lost instructional time which is counterproductive. Students will lose privileges once they exceed three cuts, unexcused absences,, and/or tardies per quarter. We were very laissez faire in our approach the last few years. Students, eliminate "excuses" and use your energy and ability to get to school and class on time ready to work.
We no longer have "open study hall" as an option; some student schedules will reflect "independent learning time" at the beginning of the school day (late arrival) and (early dismissal) at the end of the day. Students with late arrival or early dismissal on their schedules will not be allowed to walk around, hang out, roam, or loiter in the building. These students will be assigned a closed study hall if they are unable to meet the "independent learning time" guidelines which are: Enter the building no more than five minutes before your first block and leave the building immediately after your last block.
Each student/family will receive an updated student/staff handbook later this summer.
The Parent Council (TPC) 2022-2023
We have an exceptional parent community at John Hersey High School; parents and guardians are a critical component of our overall success. We value your support, feedback, and encouragement.
Our TPC (The Parent Council) consists of a group of kind and dedicated parents who volunteer their own time to support EVERY student and staff member at John Hersey High School. We immensely value and appreciate their leadership. We're grateful for their commitment to our community.
We welcome ALL parents to participate in TPC. Please take just five minutes and join even if you can't commit to attend meetings. Your $25 membership helps support grants for student clubs, scholarships for seniors, student and teacher appreciation events and much more! Registration is open for fall. Please click HERE to register.
E-mail herseytpc@gmail.com to receive information on our monthly meetings or share ways you can volunteer at events. Current parent council board members:
Parent Council Board
President: Michelle Koclanis
Vice President: Melissa Teuscher
Treasurer: Audrey Skiera
Secretary: Karen Gatta & Perla Pervan
2022-2023 Registration
Please ensure that you have registered for the 2022-2023 school year. Registration includes completing the process for residency, fees and waivers, and health/dental examinations and immunizations.
Click HERE for more information. Take time to review the requirements so that you understand exactly what is needed.
Physicians and dentists appointments will be tough to schedule late in the summer. Students cannot attend classes until the registration is fully completed. Please don't procrastinate; it can be a significant disruption to a child's learning if they do not start school on time. Reach out to us in advance if you need assistance.
2022-2023 Lunch and Breakfast-The USDA has discontinued the waiver program which allowed all students to have breakfast and lunch at no cost last year. Meal/Fee Waiver benefit applications will be available on the website in mid July 2022.
7 Habits (Required Summer Reading)
Habit #2 Begin with the End in Mind emphasizes the importance of preparation. Think about what you would like to achieve this year, mentally visualize it and take the time to develop a plan. "Champions are made in the off season"; what are you doing now...to put you in a position to accomplish your goals? Self-management and self-awareness come into play here.
"Habits are at the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do)."
There will be no official quiz or test assigned for this assignment, that is not the point of this exercise. The content is meant to give students an advantage towards success and positive leadership. Please email me if you have trouble securing a copy.
Please note, the book contains very small amounts of content related to sex and drug use but only in the context of decision making and habits. Students can opt to read Leader in Me by Stephen Covey (it's more suited for younger students but it uses the 7 habit concept) or request an abbreviated summary of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
"Welcome" Summer Sessions for Incoming Freshmen
We will also facilitate an official Freshman Orientation on Wednesday, August 10th from 8:30-11:30 AM. See the attached QR Code to RSVP.
We recently started an extensive leadership initiative, "One Hersey," which is aimed at mentoring, supporting, and connecting with in-coming freshman.
WOW! There is so much happening at the building this summer. Every component of D214 summer programming is housed at Hersey. Summer school ends each day at 12:30 PM. We have roughly 20 buses that need to navigate the south (back) of the building for pick up and drop off. Waterman Avenue is blocked around dismissal time. Please be patient if you visit during this time.
Mr. Keir Rogers
Email: keir.rogers@d214.org
Website: https://www.d214.org/jhhs
Location: John Hersey High School, East Thomas Street, Arlington Heights, IL, USA
Phone: (847)718-4810
Twitter: @mrrogersnhood
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