a tradition of
excellence; preparation for the future October
2002
a tradition of
excellence; preparation for the future October
2002
by Jay Conroy, Principal,
Corvallis High School
School is off to a great first month and I need you to know some important items:
Enrollment is up - We are thriving on a solid reputation as a caring school with a strong academic core. We have 1343 students, 24 more than expected. A number of them are transfers from CV and from private schools, others are full or part-time students from home-school backgrounds. Additionally, we have a number of students from CV taking part-time schedules at CHS.
Students are working hard - I am very impressed on my drop-in visits to classes with the level of instruction by teachers and level of effort by students.
Classes are large (but, safe) - Average class sizes seem to be in the area of 33 students, with a number of classes rising to nearly 40. That is not acceptable!!! I can assure you that students are handling it well in terms of their behavior. But, I can also tell you that learning is not going to be as optimal as it should be, simply by virtue of teacher workload alone. We, through Site Council and staff department chairs, will be looking at the problem and possible short-term answers. The long-term solution is in Salem at the legislature this coming January.
New CHS Design, Bond Measure, “Thank you”- November 5 you will be asked to decide whether to spend a significant sum of money to build a new Westland Middle School (on the present Highland View site); build a new CHS (facing Buchanan, centered in the area of the tennis courts); and do major repairs and upgrades to all the schools in the district. Please get informed and vote.
A big “thank you” to students, parents and staff who served on the CHS Design committee. The new building and fields’ layout are simply outstanding. They preserve an emphasis on student learning and participation. At the same time they maintain a tradition of a “community” school that is warm and inviting to students, centrally located in the downtown area, and available to a variety of users throughout the day and evening.
14 Credits limit - “I’m sorry… and we’re working hard to solve the problem.” 509J initially adopted strict limits on the number of credits each student can take each year. The district budget limits us to specific class-size averages.
We realize that many students are very capable of taking more than the 14 credits. So, we are working with the school board, central office and legal counsel to find a way within the law to offer students more opportunities. I can announce that Jazz Band is being offered on a fee basis as an ‘extra-curricular’ opportunity at 6:45 AM (scholarships are available). Stay tuned for possible expansion of class credit opportunities either winter term or next fall. Thanks for your patience and your support.
I’m lucky!! - Finally, a personal note. Maybe it’s still the ‘honeymoon’, but … when people ask, “How are you doing in your new job?” I still say, “Unbelievably great!” CHS is a great school. I’m lucky to be working with a great staff, good students and their parents. Thanks for your support.
As always, please let me know if you have suggestions, compliments or concerns.
Fall parent conferences, Oct. 30-31
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Wednesday,
Oct. 30 conference schedule |
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5:00 – 8:00 PM |
Drop-in conferences |
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Thursday,
Oct. 31 conference schedule |
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12:00 – 2:00 PM |
Drop-in conferences |
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2:30 – 5:00 PM |
scheduled conferences |
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5:00 – 5:45 PM |
dinner for staff – no conferences |
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5:45 – 8:00 PM |
scheduled conferences |
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Friday,
November 1 NO CONFERENCES |
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Please join us Wednesday evening, October 30, and Thursday, October 31, when parents have the opportunity to conference with teachers in the large gym. The format includes scheduled appointments and drop-in conferences. Call 757-5871 after October 1 to schedule appointments with teachers. Conferences with teachers are limited to 10 minutes. Teachers who will be there for a limited time are listed in the adjacent column. Parent volunteers are needed to help, call Pam Mull 753-9095 or Linda Alderman 757-5872.