Prinicipal’s Message (from December 2008 Newsletter)

Dear UPHS families,

I always love the feeling in our schools when exhibitions and exams are happening – the overall level of seriousness, the celebrations of high quality work, and the way that students help each other to prepare or give feedback on what to do next time around.

This exhibition period has been an exceptional one for me. So far I have attended a large number of exhibitions and overall I have been pleased with what I am seeing. Students are showing growth in their project work and skill development.

December 1st will be the start of the new trimester, which comes with new Learning Plans, new electives for some and new Units in advisory. You can expect to receive narratives and letter grades by the start of the second week of December.

December also marks the start of a big ACT prep push in our 11th grade. Our 11th grade teaching team has reviewed the results from the October practice test to look for areas of weakness. They have worked hard to build in ways for our students to improve in key areas. Also, all students have their own ACT Victory book from Cambridge that they can use for regular practice. In addition, we will be offering some targeted ACT experiences for students seeking to make major gains in their score.

Seniors are also working hard to carry out their plans for their Senior Thesis Projects. I want to highlight one STP that I think might be of interest to parents. Two of my senior boys have decided to create the first annual “Gentleman’s Ball,” modeled on similar events held in big cities by celebrities. This focus of this event, and the planning leading up to it, is to produce a fun, upbeat tradition where the emphasis is on gentlemanly conduct towards ladies. These young men envision teaching all our students how to ballroom dance and also instructing a core group of young men in the rules of etiquette for how to treat a young lady. They have enlisted the help of local DJs, dance instructors and young, hip male staff and husbands of staff to ensure that they can put all the pieces together to create a truly wonderful culture building experience here at U Prep.

If you are interested in learning more about Senior Thesis Projects or in helping out these specific students, please contact Mr. Hunter or Ms. Winfree.

Thanks again for all you do to support our work – getting your kids to school on time, in dress code and with their work completed, volunteering, attending exhibitions and contributing to fundraisers and parent committees. All our efforts together are what make this school truly a unique and wonderful place.

Have a wonderful December and a good holiday!

Best,
Kate Brady-Medley
Principal, Indigo Campus