| September 2005
Dear GHS Parents/Guardians, The school year has just begun and already many things are happening. Please take the time to review this letter. It contains many items which are important. HURRICANE KATRINA As we all know Katrina hit our near neighbor with great force and tremendous devastation. In response, Gulf High School has developed a multifaceted plan to welcome evacuees to the school. We will be working with current students to train them to be goodwill ambassadors as displaced students arrive. Our Student Services Team - social worker, psychologist, nurse and guidance counselors - will be developing a weekly time for these students to talk and share. The GHS Student Council has been collecting money to assist. Additionally, the faculty and staff are being given the opportunity to contribute money to the GHS Assist, Believe & Care Fund (ABC) which is an ongoing fund from year to year. In this case all monies will be used to assist students and families who come to our community. If any families would like to contribute to the GHS ABC Fund they may do so by writing a check to GHS - marked ABC Fund - and deliver it to the school's bookkeeper. PROGRESS REPORTS Progress Reports will be distributed to all students on Monday, September 12. This is an indication of what progress the student has made as of the midpoint of the quarter. It is important to review this report and take appropriate action. If you wish to contact any teacher please either: (1) use the email system - addresses for all teachers are found on the GHS web site gulfhigh.org; (2) call for a parent/teacher conference - call the Guidance Department at 774-3330; or (3) call and leave a message for the teacher - call the main office at 774-3300. SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL The School Advisory Council (SAC) is a group of community shareholders, parents, faculty and staff members who meet monthly with administration to receive reports about the operations of the school, make recommendations to the administration, decide upon some budget items and give general input about the school. Any parent/guardian who may wish to be on the GHS SAC is asked to contact Mrs. Lucy DeCubellis, the Principal's secretary (774-3302) to express their interest. Contact should be made by Tuesday, September 13. An election of members, if needed, will take place at the September 15 Open House. It is extremely important that members attend all meetings. GHS has received the Five Star School Award for the past two years. In order to receive this award, the SAC must meet high attendance standards. For this reason we do not have non-attending parents/guardians on the SAC. Meetings begin promptly at 6:00 P.M. and finish by 7:30 P.M. in the GHS Media Center. Meetings for the 2005-2006 school year are scheduled for the following dates: September 19, October 24, November 28, January 23, February 27, March 20, and April 24. A May meeting will be scheduled, if needed. OPEN HOUSE Open House will be on Thursday, September 15, at 5:30 P.M. Parents should report to their child's first period class at 5:30. From there they will follow the student's schedule period-by-period. It is important for parents to have a copy of their child's schedule. Classes will be about 10 minutes in length. This is a time to learn more about the course and course expectations...it is NOT a time for individual conferences. After the Open House there is a JV Football game beginning at 7:30. The team would appreciate the support. READING PROGRAM Reading is the most important skill a student can learn. The State of Florida has mandated that each school district (and, therefore, each school) have a comprehensive reading program to address the needs of all readers who have not mastered basic reading skills. The Pasco plan requires that students who have not reached mastery, as measured by the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test), be scheduled into an Intensive Reading class. Lowest performing students must be scheduled into two periods of Intensive Reading. Last year, prior to administering the FCAT, GHS notified students and parents of this possibility. If your child is now enrolled in an Intensive Reading class you should be doing all you can to encourage him/her to read with comprehension. The FCAT will be administered in March (2006). Any student who does not reach the mastery level in reading will again be assigned an Intensive Reading course for the 2006-2007 school year. Each time this is done, the student loses the ability to take an elective course of their choice. The importance of reading cannot be underestimated. ADHERENCE TO SCHOOL RULES As we settle into the school year, we need to remind students and parents of the need to be familiar with the Student Planner. This publication includes GHS procedures as well as the Pasco County Code of Student Conduct, which outlines polices and practices relating to discipline and issues of decorum and deportment. I would ask parents to take time to review this publication. The expectations put forth are not extraordinary.
For those who may be new to GHS: During the year you will receive a mid-quarter letter from me and then at the end of the quarter you will receive the Gulf High Gazette, an award winning publication which focuses on the academic life of the school. These two modes of communication have proven quite effective. I would welcome your input about any issue related to GHS. It is my desire to have a healthy and welcoming environment for your child. If my staff or I can be of assistance to you please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Enclosure |