January 2008 - CHS News from the Principal
January 01, 2008
One of the things a school
needs to do is self-evaluate. Without looking at what we do
well and what we need to improve on, we can't grow and continue to
offer the education that our students and community deserve.
As I evaluate our secondary school, I see many things we do very
well. We stress academics and value the rigor involved in the
pursuit of a high school diploma; we offer a wide array of classes
to meet the needs of a diverse group of students; our teachers
maintain their quality by continuing to grow professionally with
challenging professional development opportunities; our goals and
vision continue to be that we will be the best school in the
state. But what do we need to do to expand on these
strengths?
In my mind, the one huge improvement we need at Concordia Jr./Sr.
High, is to help our students in the area of technology. We
need wireless capabilities throughout our building and the One to
One Learning opportunities that laptop computers will give our
students. I have begun the conversation with our district
administrators, our site council, our staff and our students about
this venture. I am not alone in realizing that this
technological leap will help us bolster our strengths: we
will be able to utilize the internet and on-line resources to
continue to stress academics and rigor; technology will be used to
expand our class offerings and individualize instruction; our
teachers abilities to reach all of our students will be increased;
the ability of USD 333 to recruit outstanding teachers with the
skills needed to teach in this new way will increase; and our goal
and vision of CHS and CJHS as being the best school in the state
will be ever closer.
This move will take bold leadership and risk taking; new endeavors
always do. But I know the Concordia educational staff, parents,
business owners, and community are up to this challenge, of
providing our students with the technology and tools they will need
to thrive in the 21st century.