Things to think about…..

Constant improvement is vital to organizational growth and overall health.  This year was a challenging one with the building process and subsequent move so many of our efforts were focused solely on the move.  We did not want to let another year slip by with no significant improvements in our secondary program, so listed below are some items that are in the works.  Not all of them have been totally fleshed out and approved, so they are works in progress.  I want you to know what we are working toward particularly as we get close to enrollment season. 

TAG – We are in our second year of an in-depth study of our talented and gifted program.  The end result is a major revamping of the entire process K-12^th grade.  The secondary end of the spectrum will look somewhat different from the elementary end, which is OK.  The proposed plans include a full time TAG teacher to work with the top 3-5% of kids as they develop the gifts God has given them.  This teacher will work directly with students and with teachers in planning successful instruction for those students.  That same instructional planning process will also benefit a larger pool than the 3-5% of identified students, which is a cool part of the program.  There will be an exploratory experience at the junior high level for TAG kids that will give direct daily contact with the TAG teacher.  At the high school level the TAG teacher will advocate and facilitate learning for TAG kids as they prepare for college.  This will greatly improve our ability to personalize learning for our TAG students. 

Driver’s Education – We will be offering driver’s ed again this summer, but with a twist.  Mr. Jones will have some help this year with the driving time which will help us manage the process better.  We are also working on the possibility of offering driver’s ed first semester of next year.   I know some families cannot do driver’s ed in the summer time due to jobs vacations etc. so the school year process may work better. 

Consumer Technologies – We began an exploratory experience in 8^th grade last year with home ec (Family and Consumer Science).  The plan is to expand this into a one semester class for high school students as an elective next year.  If approved, this experience will give our students more experience in managing a home and will go beyond cooking and sewing to include more technical aspects to owning a home such as electrical and plumbing systems.  This should be a great addition to our elective options.

Dual Credit- You say you want to get a jump start on college credits while still in high school?  Have we got a deal for you!  If approved, we will offer three classes next year that will give you both high school credit and DMACC credit (if successfully completed! J)  AP Calculus, Speech and both AP Language Arts classes currently taught by Mr. Harris will be eligible for the dual credit option.  There will be a charge from DMACC for their credit, but will be much less than paying tuition to take the class on their campus.