Dear PTHS 209 Family and Friends,

Only a few months ago we were returning from our summer vacations and beginning the 2008-2009 school year. Now, it is my favorite part of the season. Snow is on the ground, Christmas trees are up, and 2009 is just around the corner.

I hope your holidays are filled with joy and all of the delights of the season.

This year, we have made tremendous strides toward our district goals and priorities. In November, we held our first district-wide in-service training of the 2008-2009 school year. During training, our teachers not only worked together on strategies to raise test scores and enhance curriculum, but we also discussed how to work together as a school community that shares and promotes each other's success. To that end, we will begin to share resources, methods, and ideas across our school system. We are adopting a systems approach to align the district's written, taught, and tested curriculum across all three schools. We are also focusing on engaging instruction and maximizing class time. This will allow us to focus on the specific strategies that have the greatest impact on student achievement and to better prepare our students for learning and testing.

Moving into the new year, we are raising the bar of expectation district-wide.

As parents and community members, I urge you to take the time this holiday season to encourage students to talk about their futures and to discuss the importance of education as the foundation for success. Our students always give us so much to be proud of. It is our responsibility to support their goals and their dreams and to give them the tools they need to be successful. We feel privileged in PTHS 209 to have such talented and inspiring students. We will continue throughout the year to work toward their advancement.

I wish you all a very Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Nettie Collin-Hart
PTHS 209 Superintendent