As the 2023-2024 school year transitions into course selections and students prepare for Final Exams, many are wondering what the new school year may bring. Various changes have already been made to the school this year, such as the new Advisory program and the closure of all bathrooms except Boyle ones.
The House Principal team has been working hard to prepare for the new school year, sharing many hopes for the upcoming school year to make the new year as successful as possible.
So far, there is only one major change that students should look out for in the upcoming school year, relating to Chromebooks: House Principals are planning on bringing back signing a verification form to ensure that students understand that their Chromebooks and chargers are their own responsibility. Due to how many students are losing or breaking Chromebooks, this verification will state that all damage to a Chromebook or charger, or the loss of it, will result in payment. House Principals hope this will encourage students to be more responsible with the technology.
Overall, a shared thought among the House Principals has been that the school year so far has been a good one and that the positives outweigh the negatives. “I think it’s been a productive school year. Every school year brings the opportunity to bring improvement. I think that we continue to find ways to improve here and I also think that we’re excelling in a lot of areas as well,” stated Brian Bates, the Holland House Principal.
Bates also expressed his pride in the fact that many students have been improving academically and that seniors and juniors are taking up leadership roles. He believes that this is a sign of a good school culture. “We have a number of students who are excelling academically, seniors that are getting into top colleges, and tons of students involved in sports and different activities,” he added.
Even though Caitlyn Quinn, the Boyle House Principal, has not been present for the majority of the school year after having her baby, she still has many positive things to say about the 2023-2024 school year. “There’s always classes to see, students to address, and always wonderful things happening as well with after-school programs. Students [are] doing really well in their classes and hundreds of students [are] making the honor roll,” said Quinn.
She also added, “Coming back from my maternity leave, it was exactly what I expected it to be and I was really happy to return.”
Despite numerous positive attributes of the school and its students, there are still many improvements that need to be made. A major factor that every House Principal hopes to improve is attendance for all classes, especially for the new Advisory program. They hope to get students out of the hallways and into class on time, as this is a newer issue.
“Anyone would agree that the attendance to advisory is something that we need to look at again,” Quinn added, as she went on to explain how they plan on tackling this issue. One plan she has is to ask more students about their opinions on the program and determine the reasons students are not attending Advisory.
Ewald Charles, the Brunelli House principal, said his biggest goal is to improve the social and emotional state of the students. He hopes to better the parent support and communication in hopes of supporting students in various areas, as well as enhancing students’ potential.
No matter what, the House Principal team is very confident that the school will continue to improve.
