Superintendent’s Message
1/2007
Highlights at the
Winnisquam Regional High School
Our focus is to prepare every student for post-secondary success of attending college or entering the workforce. Today, the requirements for college and those for advanced career trade training are nearly identical. As we continue to advance in promoting academic excellence, it is important that we increase the number of students who take rigorous secondary-level courses designed to strengthen their chances for success in both college and workplace. Our data indicates that in 2005, we had 63% of our students attending two to four year colleges and 37% who were employed or in armed services. In 2006, we had 78% attending two to four year colleges and 22 % employed or in armed services. Within a year, we had an increase of 15% or more of our students choosing to attend college rather than going to work right after HS or going in the armed services.
In totality, from 2003 to 2006, we have increased the number of our students choosing to continue their education by attending college rather than entering the workforce by 21%.
Additionally, by increasing academic rigor and providing alternative ways for students to achieve success, our dropout rate has declined in the past three years from 6.9 in 2003 to 5.2 in 2004 to 4.9 in 2005 totaling a 2.0 decrease from 2003 to 2005.
Is this good enough? Not yet. Since we believe in striving for academic excellence and letting no student fall between the cracks, we have initiatives that will continue to improve upon what we are doing at the WRMS and WRHS that will give students more opportunities for post-secondary success.
What are the initiatives?
- Our MS and HS have been selected to participate in the State Scholars Initiative (SSI) for improving student learning by raising the rigor in classes and how we start guiding students in MS to have a plan for HS and post-secondary success.
The project will be administered through the New Hampshire College and University Council (NHCUC).
- Five
additional teachers will be College Board trained this year so that we can
add more Advanced Placement classes to the High School schedule of classes
in 2007-2008: Advanced Placement
Physics, Advanced Placement Chemistry, Advanced Placement Calculus,
Advanced Placement Economics/History and the second Advanced Placement
English class.
- At
the Middle School, we will be increasing the number of students taking
pre-algebra in 7th grade and Algebra in 8th grade
over the next five years. As we go
through this incremental change, extra help classes will be offered to
students.
- We
have increased extra help classes in Reading at the middle and high school
which has helped both schools to meet adequate yearly progress on the
state assessments.
- Alternative
programs, homework help after school, summer school and the A+ Credit
Recovery programs are offered to help students recover high school credits
and graduate from high school.
- Mentoring has been added to the high
school class schedules this year.
- As part of our initiative to help all students reach their potential, we had all sophomores and juniors take the PSAT exam this past fall. The results have been received and guidance counselors have started working with students. In November, guidance counselors worked with groups of sophomores on the college/career process. Each student received the "Talbot's Student College Planning Book", the Career Planning Worksheet and graduation requirements in these workshops. Juniors received a packet of information on registering for the SAT, "Knowledge for College" and a college timeline from the College Board.
Our efforts are paying off because we have eight students who have already received acceptance letters for college. Four of these students have been accepted to colleges through Early Decision/Early Action. They are: Henry Rea, Early Decision, Tufts University; Travis Bertolotti, New England College; Joseph Rodriguez, Connecticut Culinary Institute; Michael Welcome, MacIntosh College; Abigail Williams, Early Action, Wells College; Kayla Scaldini, Early Action University of Massachusetts @ Amherst; Erica Muri, NHCTC Laconia; Lindsay Andrus, Early Decision, Colby-Sawyer College.
|
Back Row: Henry Lea,
Travis Bertolatti, Joseph Rodriguez, Michael Welcome |
Two groups from our Honors Physics class won first place awards in the annual Bridge Building contest sponsored by the NH Department of Transportation. First place in Classic Design was won by Jessie LeBlanc, Sean O'Brien, and Henry Rea. First place in Most Original Design was won by Lindsay Andrus, Abigail Williams, and Phylicia Martel. This competition is part of the TRAC program sponsored by the state to foster interest in civil engineering.
| From right to left: Lindsay Andrus, Sean O'Brien, Phylicia Martel, Henry Rea, Abby Williams |