| August 2004
Dear GHS Parent/Guardian, This year is off to a very good start. We have an enrollment of about 1,650 which is an increase of approximately 150 over last year. As with any new school year we have about 500 new students in the building. This number of students is manageable but does have its down-side: crowded hallways, crowded cafeteria, additional classes, teachers "floating" from room to room during the day and many other challenges. In spite of everything, thankfully we are not as crowded as some of the other west side high schools! The items included in this letter are very important. I would ask that you share these things with your son or daughter. Progress Reports The first progress reports of the school year will be distributed to 10th, 11th and 12th graders during the school day - Monday, September 13. 9th grade progress reports will be distributed during the evening Open House (see below). Progress Report Dates: September 13, November 17, February 11 and April 28 Report Card Dates: October 20, January 12, March 30 and June 8 (to be mailed) Open House The annual Open House will be held on Monday, September 13th - in the Activity Center - beginning with distribution of Progress Reports to parents of freshmen at 6:30. The general meeting will begin at 7:00. After the general meeting, parents will have the opportunity to visit classrooms and to meet with teachers. NEW THIS YEAR: In an effort to communicate with the parents of freshmen we will be distributing freshmen Progress Reports at this meeting (beginning at 6:30 P.M.). Other students' progress reports will have been distributed during the school day. We are hopeful that this effort will result in more parent involvement related to academic progress of freshmen. Leaving Campus by 2:30 We are concerned about the safety of the large number of students who are remaining on the campus - in the commons and in other areas - who do not have any specific reason to be here. This concern was explained to students during morning announcements and phoned home to parents during the week of September 23. Therefore, as in the past, students must be off the campus one half hour after school dismisses (2:30 P.M. on most days). Atomic Learning Enclosed you will find a pamphlet: "Click, See, Hear, Learn! Atomic Learning" This is a web site the district subscribes to and is available to all Pasco students and their parents. Be adventuresome!! Try it out. Gulfhigh.org This is the school's web site and contains a great deal of information. Many of us check it every day. You might want to also. Mr. Miller updates almost daily. You can see any number of interesting topics. The site allows you to go beyond GHS ... you can even connect to the Pasco County Library. School Advisory Council (SAC) Enclosed is a pamphlet explaining the mission of the GHS School Advisory Council. You are encouraged to read this pamphlet and, if interested in serving on the GHS SAC, to call Mrs. DeCubellis, the principal's secretary, at 774-3302. The GHS SAC meets monthly - generally on the third or fourth Monday at 6:00 P.M. Attendance at the meetings is of primary concern. We cannot be awarded the Five Star School Award if our attendance at SAC meetings is not exemplary. Each year we have openings, so if you are interested in serving please contact the school before Thursday, September 19. If there are many people who express an interest, we will have an election at the Open House on September 13. Surveys During the course of the past two years many surveys have been conducted to determine parent, student, faculty and community perspectives. I would like everyone to know that many of the concerns which are expressed are being addressed. One very clear concern expressed by the students last year was the issue of smoking in the restrooms. This was the number one concern on any surveys which were completed. We are working to reduce the smoking. Please be advised that when students are caught smoking they will be given school discipline and will also be issued a citation by the School Resource Officer. Parents know when their children are smoking. I would ask these parents to help us reduce smoking on the campus by discussing this issue with their children. Updates of Facilities Over the last two years we have made a concerted effort to improve our facilities. This year (July 2004) we opened a new Stadium Locker Room which is fantastic. This new facility allowed us to move the wrestling program from the mezzanine of the Activity Center into the former Weight Room and then move the Weight Room into the renovated former Stadium Locker Room. These changes have really improved our sports facilities! We have reconfigured the girls' restroom on the main floor so it no longer faces the drop off loop. It now opens to the commons. With that improvement we were able to relocate the school store from the cafeteria to the commons area, which makes it much more accessible. Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) All Pasco County Schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS). The Association sets high standards for the member schools. Every five years the schools are visited by a team which reviews the school's curriculum, staff, facilities and operational procedures. There are many facets to the visit. In preparation for the visit the school participates in a self study to develop an Action Plan or the next five years. GHS is currently in the second year of our self study and we are looking forward to a SACS team visiting our campus in March, 2005. The visit will be the culmination of much review and discussion. Adult Ed Options If any student is behind in credits or wishes to take additional courses for enrichment they should contact their GHS guidance counselor for information. Classes begin the week of August 30 (next week!). Academic Improvement Plans (AIP) The Academic Improvement Plan program is a state mandated program which requires schools to identify students who are not meeting district standards in math, reading, science and/or writing. During the first quarter of the year schools identify those students who are not meeting the standards. Parents are notified and a specific plan for improvement is developed with parent input. This task must be completed before the end of the first quarter (October 7). The plan is then monitored for the last three quarters of the school year. Parents of students needing an AIP will be notified and asked to come to the school for a meeting. International Baccalaureate (IB) At the current time the Pasco County Schools are conducting a survey of parents and students in grades 6, 7 and 8 on the west side of the county. The purpose of the survey is to determine interest in opening an International Baccalaureate program to be housed at Gulf High School. By the end of September, the survey results will be available, and the creation of a west side IB program may become a reality. Naturally, we are very excited about this possibility and pledge our support to implement an exemplary IB program. We will keep you informed as decisions are made. Asbestos Notification The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule, 40 CFT Part 763, Asbestos Containing Material in schools, commonly referred as AHERA. This rule requires all Local Education Agencies (LEA's) to identify asbestos containing materials (ACM) in their school buildings and to take appropriate actions to control the release of asbestos fibers. All inspections for Gulf High School have been completed and a Management Plan describing the results of the inspection and the action plan to control any asbestos found during the inspection, where applicable, has been submitted to the Governor for approval. A copy of this plan is located in the administrative office of this school and at the District School Board of Pasco County Maintenance/Facility Operations Department and is available for review upon request. We hope the information contained in this communication will keep you informed about what is happening at GHS. We try to produce a letter for parents at the mid-point of each quarter. Additionally, you will receive the Gulf High Gazette a newsletter about the academic and athletic programs at the end of each quarter. We pride ourselves on the many efforts we make to communicate with parents about what is happening at GHS. Your support is appreciated. We do hope your child will do well academically and will enjoy his/her high school experience. If my staff or I can be of assistance to you please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Enclosures: Atomic Learning pamphlet, Calendar (note progress report and report card dates), School Advisory Council pamphlet |