November 1, 2004

Principal's Notes
We are now over two months into the school year, report cards have arrived home, and students should have a sense of the academic expectations and daily rhythms at City High School. Some students are feeling very successful and are excited about their first quarter grades. Some are expressing the need for more of a challenge in one class or another. Others are frustrated with their grades and feel like their struggling to succeed. As a staff, we are working hard to meet the many needs of our student body and to support each student to maximize their learning. This quarter we are implementing an honors candidacy option in the core classes for those who want the extra challenge. We have also developed an academic support period for students who need additional help. Strong school-to-home communication is a key component of helping our students; please do not hesitate to us to talk about how we can work together to promote your son or daughter’s learning and overall experience here at school.

On another note, I am working to keep the morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up times smooth and safe. We need to do reduce traffic backing up in the left-hand traffic lane as much as possible. Everyone using the drop-off area in front of the school, please pull up as far you can to allow for other parents to pull in behind you. If there is room in the drop-off area or a nearby metered spot, please pull in so that students do not have to enter the middle of the street to enter their cars.

Carrie Brennan, Principal
(carrie@cityhighschool.org)

Report Card Follow-Up
First quarter report cards were sent home on Monday, November 15. Please call the front office if you did not receive the letter and/or need to update your mailing address, 623-7223. If you have any questions about a specific grade, please contact the teacher of the class. If you have concerns about more than one class, we encourage you to contact your son or daughter’s advisor. Advisors can set up a student conference with the whole teaching team.

ADVISOR	EMAIL ADDRESS	PHONE EXTENSION
Carrie Brennan	carrie@cityhighschool.org	x203
Camellia Cosgray	camellia@cityhighschool.org	x207
Eric Freund	epfreund@cityhighschool.org	x306
Brett Goble	bgoble@cityhighschool.org	x201
Elliott Lax	elax@cityhighschool.org	x206
Lisa Lieber	lisa@cityhighschool.org	x208
Eve Rifkin	eve@cityhighschool.org	x301

Core Class Features
Students have a year-long project in science with periodic due dates, and the next due date is coming up. The project requires students to choose an outdoor study site that they observe and analyze over the ten months of the school year, using the skills and knowledge they gain in their science class. Students chose their site back in September and were required to do a map of the area for their initial assignment. The next assignment is due on Monday 11/22. Students need to make an extended site visit (30–60 minutes) at some point this week in order to document the plants and animals they observe and to record any water-related information about the area. The notes should be specific and include all details of the visit including date, time, and weather.