FROM YOUR PRINCIPAL .................Terry Bennett
Parents and Guardians – I encourage each of you to have a conversation with your student regarding their finals. It is very important that they study and prepare to perform at their very best for each of their finals—regardless of what form the culminating exam is in each course. Schedules for finals will be posted on the web site by Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. If your student will be gone, please contact me for prior approval to take finals at a different time. To paraphrase education philosopher Yogi Berra, “School success is 90 percent showing up; the other half is mental.” Maybe that’s an overstatement, but research shows conclusively that attendance is strongly associated with student achievement. Every employer wants employees to show up for work on time and ready to perform their duty. We believe that our focus on attendance not only supports greater student achievement, but also fosters skills necessary for success as a future worker, post-secondary student, and a citizen. In order to meet and maintain AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) the school must have a 92% or better student attendance rate. This percentage is base on excused as well as unexcused absences. It is very important to us that we partner together to have a positive academic and student impact when working with our Mazama families. We are proud of this partnership and understand that it can look differently for each and every family. Finally, as we are in the heart of winter and cold season, please take extra care to stay healthy All of our students need at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Having a house full of teenagers myself, I understand how difficult that can be, but please remind and encourage them to get the rest they need. Not only will they stay healthier, but they will also do better in school.