Dear Sacajawea Family,
I want to officially welcome all of you to the 2012-2013 school year! Summer has come and gone and now it is time to continue with the excellent traditions of Sacajawea, as well as to introduce new staff and revisit our school vision.
Sacajawea staff have been busy preparing for another amazing year. Over the summer break the school has been cleaned, repainted and reorganized. Our dedicated staff has been working hard to ensure a successful start of school on Wednesday, September 5, 2012.
This will be my first year as principal of Sacajawea, and I am thrilled at the opportunity to continue the outstanding work I have been a part of as Assistant Principal as we engage in the educational process together. The middle school years are critical times of development for students and families alike, and I look forward to working with all of you to make this year successful. I am a lifelong educator who brings a firm commitment to students and families as well as a love of learning and problem solving.
As I have evolved in my role to Principal, that created an opening for a new Assistant Principal. I am excited to introduce Scott Haines as a new Warrior. Prior to joining the Sacajawea team, Mr. Haines was a Dean of Students at Sequoyah for two years, and before that taught at Todd Beamer HS and Saghalie MS. Mr. Haines brings a wealth of experiences to his role as Sacajawea’s new Assistant Principal. When you meet him I have no doubt that you’ll find him to be an energetic and optimistic educator with a true passion for middle school students. We welcome Mr. Haines as a Warrior!
In addition to Mr. Haines, I have a few other new staff members I would like to introduce you to. We welcome the following staff as Warriors:
Mehgan Colkitt, Science Teacher
Derek Higgins, Math Teacher
Jerome Hunter, LA/SS Teacher
Kahanu Kahoonei, School Outreach Coordinator through Communities in Schools
Ashley Meyer, Math Teacher
Holly Van Hee, Special Education Teacher
Additionally, Khalsa Joslin will be taking on the role of Interventionist Specialist this year.
As we begin this new year, our vision continues to be that every Sacajawea Warrior will be prepared for success in high school and beyond. This means that students will learn the content needed for success, master the study skills and strategies necessary to learn and retain that knowledge, and learn to consistently demonstrate positive academic behaviors. In short, they will learn how to learn so that they are prepared for the increased challenges of high school and wherever life takes them after that.
We will continue to strive to make our vision a reality through three school improvement goals:
- Increase student achievement through high-quality, effective instruction every day.
- Increase student achievement by promoting, teaching, and recognizing positive behavior.
- Increase student achievement by partnering with families and community to support students.
In order for your student to be successful, he/she will be enrolled in rigorous classes and given access to a wide array of electives. We also encourage all students to participate in at least one after school activity, club or school sport. We know that students who are connected to school beyond the academic day find more success at school and enjoy school more.
We know that a student’s success is connected to a partnership between student, school and family. I strongly encourage you to remain active in that partnership this school year. Your middle schooler needs your involvement in school! Some ways to stay involved are:
- Talk with your student regularly about their work at school and his/her progress
- Have conversations with your student about the connection between school now and his/her future goals
- Check GO2 (Grades Online) and your student’s planner regularly
- Communicate often with teachers about your student’s learning and progress
- Volunteer in PTSA
- Serve as a mentor here at Sacajawea
As a school community, we want you to know our door is always open. Please come visit, get involved, and be a Warrior! As the year progresses, we will provide current information for you at our website, in our main office, and through Grades Online. Please access our website at http://www.fwps.org/sac for updated information.
I look forward to getting to know you and working together to ensure your student is successful this school year!
Warm regards,
JoAnne J. Landis, Principal