February 2018 Dear Students, Staff, Parents & Community Members: As we enter into February and the Ground Hog either see’s or doesn’t see his shadow, one thing is for certain, we are growing closer to spring and all its academic and extra-curricular activities. In regards to extra-curricular activities our Odyssey of the Mind teams will begin their competitions on February 17th, and given the dedication and passion of the teams this year I am optimistic that we will dominate at Regionals. Our boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have been having a great run on the courts and if you haven’t attended a game yet, you need to check the schedule before you miss out on a fantastic night of action. On the court our athletes model excellent sportsmanship, and win or lose, they carry themselves with integrity and decorum. While at the games you will also be entertained and energized by our growing cheerleading squad. The girls take school spirit to heart and work hard to cheer on our players. Academically we are now at the mid-point of the school year, as mid-year Regents exams just concluded. The next major academic milestone for the year will be the grades 3-8 State Assessments in Math, ELA, and Science. This year the state has made some major changes to the testing platform with the most significant being a reduction in the number of days for testing. Instead of 3-days as in previous years, these assessments will be conducted over 2-days with a reduction in the number of questions and students will still have as much time as needed to complete the assessments. These changes occurred as the Commissioner of Education took the time to actually listen to all stakeholders concerns regarding previous exams. HTC needs to ensure at least 95% of our students take the exam, or we will be in default of both a federal and state law. Being in default may result in the state assuming control of some of our academics. I’d prefer to leave academic and administrative decisions in our hands, so I am asking for your help in getting our participation rate to meet or exceed the 95%. Thank you for your continued support of our district and I wish all of you a very safe and happy winter season! Warm regards,

Dr. Susan Vickers