Dear Pickerington Tiger Community – Letter #5
Finally we have completed a full five-day week and have settled nicely into our routines. This was a very busy week that included several exciting events and the planning for more great events on the horizon.
The State of the Tiger address for the senior class was originally slated for last week, but was postponed until this week due to a very special planned activity. I met with the “sen10r” class Wednesday morning during 2nd period. While I addressed the class in our Performing Arts Center, the rest of the school secretly mobilized to honor them in the gymnasium. Study hall students from 2nd period frantically moved 400 chairs from the Commons into neat rows on the gym floor. Band, chorale and cheerleaders prepared for the rally, and then the rest of the school was called to the gym for the assembly. At the conclusion of my senior class meeting, I led them single file from the PAC to the gym. Upon entering the gym, the band played the graduation song, “Pomp & Circumstance” as the seniors marched to their seats to the loud cheers of the 9th, 10th and 11th graders. The seniors had no idea this was planned for them and the look on their faces showed complete surprise. We wanted the seniors to feel what graduation was like and to sit among their classmates and hear “Pomp & Circumstance” as they sat. We wanted the seniors to hear the cheers of encouragement of the younger students to motivated them and launch them to their June 5, 2010 graduation. In addition, we wanted the younger grades to see what they are working for. After the chorale honored the seniors with the singing of the PHSC Alma Mater, the students received a motivational speech from Jostens representative, Mike Dillon. From then, the gymnasium filled with songs, chants and cheers as the seniors affixed their signatures to an enlarged diploma entitled “Ticket to the Future.” That diploma will hang proudly in the trophy case until graduation day! Next time you visit PHSC, please take a look at the pledge of all of our incredible seniors. The assembly ended with choir members from the senior class singing a traditional favorite at PHSC, “Friends.”
We work very hard at PHSC to maintain our Excellent rating with the State of Ohio, mainly due to our achievements on the Ohio Graduation Test. However, we believe there are assessments in the upper grades that also have an impact on the future of our students – namely the ACT. In the last few years, we have really encouraged our students to take a rigorous course load to better prepare them for college. Statistics are pretty consistent that approximately 75% of our students will apply to a 4-year college or university annually. In the years 2005-2007, an average of 65% of our students took college-ready core courses as defined by ACT. Since we’ve been pushing rigor, in 2008, 82% of our students were in those core classes and 89% in 2009. That’s outstanding! As a result, our school’s 2009 ACT Composite average of 22.9 is as high as it’s been in 5 years!
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has spent billions of dollars funding education initiatives and research, is quoted as saying, “It is actually more important to get your student assigned to a great teacher than to a great school.” Nothing has the impact on your student’s education than the quality of instruction they are getting from their teachers. With that thought, the staff at PHSC believes it is vital that we continually strengthen our instructional skills. This year, in collaboration with PHS North, we have instituted what we call Wide Open Wednesday’s. During the school day on those days, teachers are encouraged to visit other colleague’s classrooms and attend a one-hour session of professional development after school. We aim to create a culture of collaboration and an atmosphere where teachers are always striving to improve their craft. This past Wednesday was our first WOW of the year as we begin our journey on this professional endeavor.
Beginning today, Friday, September 18 at 9AM, we officially began our competition with Grove City High School to be Fox 28’s Cool School of the Week. Voting for the schools will take place today until next Wednesday when the winner will be announced. Fox 28 will spend the morning of Friday, September 25 highlighting the winning school. You can go to their website www.myfox28columbus.com click on the Cool Schools icon and vote for PHSC. If you recall, at the beginning of the school year last year, PHSC was the first ever Fox 28 Cool School of the Week! Go Tigers.
Lastly, something we stress to our students is the way they conduct and represent themselves, PHSC, and the entire Pickerington community when they are at events. I’d like to share the words from an email I received this week regarding the conduct of our students at the Westerville North football game last Friday:
“Principal Reeves, I would like to compliment the Pickerington students at the game last Friday night on their behavior during the minute of silence for the victims of 911. When the announcer asked for a minute of silence, I was impressed with how quiet the students were, you could have heard a pin drop. And they were quiet the entire minute, not a sound. I was a seated a couple of rows over from the student section. Pickerington students are awesome. “
Have a great weekend.
Go Tigers!
M. Scott Reeves
Principal, Pickerington High School Central
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