Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a happy Holiday Season. I also hope that we are all ready for yet another great year.
At PTHS 209, we had a very strong first semester. We are pressing forward into the second half of the school year with great momentum, renewed enthusiasm, and a focus on stronger gains in student achievement.
This school year we continued with our tutoring programs, ACT Test Prep, and Response to Intervention (RtI) to provide early, systematic assistance to students who are having difficulty learning so that each of our students can be afforded the opportunity to reach their maximum potential. We have also improved implementation of programs and focused on improving classroom instruction as a priority. Many of our students saw gains, and we look forward to celebrating more progress in the months to come. We can definitely say that this past semester has shown signs of significant improvement across the board. There have been monumental increases in parent involvement in our schools, and we hope to have even more parent participation next semester. Our students, our teachers, and our parents have all helped us to have a great school year thus far. We thank each of you for your efforts and your continued support and enthusiasm for the positive things happening in our school district.
As we begin the second semester and welcome the new year, we are steadily planning for 2012-2013. We have already finalized the curriculum for next school term, and we are making plans to get students registered earlier than in the past. In the curriculum for 2012-2013, we have found ways to meet our students’ academic needs and offer courses that are exciting and relevant. We are also kicking off our budget planning this month, and we are aggressively preparing students for testing in the spring. Please encourage your students to participate in extra learning opportunities such as supplemental tutoring, ACT Prep, and credit recovery to keep them progressing and on track. With high levels of participation, we expect to see significant increases and improvements across our school system. Then, of course, within a few months, it will be time for graduation. We encourage parents of seniors to schedule conferences with their students’ counselors to ensure that senior students are on track for graduation and ready for college, the workforce, or their next endeavor. Though this is only the start of the new year, we are forging ahead with great confidence, and we look forward to the days to come.
In the meantime, we wish you a remarkable 2012. Thank you for all that you do to "Keep Proviso Rising." Your contributions, your dedication, and your service have made all the difference.
Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart