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 April 2010
Dear Parents and Community:
It is difficult to believe that we are at this
point in the year already. It seems that just a short time ago I
was sending out my introductory letter welcoming everyone back
to school. Now, we enter the final phase of the academic
calendar. For most students and faculty members, this is the
most challenging and exciting part of the school year. In the
months to come, students will face a number of academic
challenges, and I am confident that with effort and focus, they
will excel at them all.
During the months of April, May and June, our
students will take Regents exams, state exams, school finals,
Terra Nova tests, as well as successfully completing their
regular course work. With all these upcoming expectations, it is
easy to see why students can become overwhelmed. I have been
meeting with students in the last several weeks to drive one
point home going into this period. That is, that now more than
ever, it is imperative that they treat school as a job. They
need to report for work on time, rested and ready for the day
ahead. In addition, they need to be sure that they have prepared
for the tasks they will face each day. That means completing
homework, and turning it in on time. With this attitude and
approach, our students will be amazed by what they can
accomplish.
Beyond this, it is important that students who
are struggling seek the assistance of their teachers as soon as
possible. Later or another day is no longer an option. Students
who are behind in their work must arrange to stay during period
13 with their teachers to work towards deeper understanding of
their lessons. If your child has questions or does not
understand a concept, encourage them to ask for help. Our
teachers are more than willing to provide it in class or after,
if needed.
In a letter sent to your home, you were advised
that BKW will not be running a summer school program this year.
I have explained to our students that should they fail a course
and need to repeat it, the cost and transportation to the
program will fall on you, the parent, while the inconvenience of
sitting in class during the summer will fall on them. Should
summer school not be an option to repeat a class, students will
need to repeat the course in the future. Although this is a
possibility, it places students behind and potentially at risk
of jeopardizing their graduation date. Again, all this may be
avoided if students buckle down and apply themselves now.
Aside from academics, the end of the year brings
graduation, moving up ceremonies, prom, concerts, plays, Display
Night, Recognition Ceremony, Student of the Month Recognition,
as well as athletic events and a myriad of other extracurricular
activities. For me to say that this a very busy time would truly
be an understatement. It is my sincerest hope that you will join
us at many of these events. Together we can celebrate the
success of our students and in doing so, the tremendous
contributions that our faculty, staff and you the parents have
made in order to make it all possible.
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