Dear Teachers, Parents, and Students,

2012 is finally upon us. The new year brings new hope for a fresh start to the semester, but also brings with it new challenges for all of us to overcome. We, the administrative staff on Page High School’s campus, hope the new year brings a renewed desire to do well in school and finish the 2011-2012 school year on a good note.

At the beginning of the school year I mentioned what I call the three A’s: Academics, Attitude, and Attendance. These three things are interconnected, and each is vital to the success of a student at Page High School. In looking at how we are doing on attendance school-wide, our attendance rate has stayed over 90 percent throughout the school year. This is positive compared to the last two school years. However, the state of Arizona will still adjust the amount of funding we receive if the attendance rate does not stay above 94 percent. Attendance is not an option; it is a requirement for doing well at Page High School. Please make sure your student is here each day, ready to learn, and finish the school year on a positive note.

Last month, I talked about the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program that Page High School will be debuting next year. The school district chose P.R.I.D.E. or Positive Respectful Involved Determined Excellent as our behavior expectation. Specific positive behaviors have been aligned to each part of the acronym. Throughout the remainder of this school year, and by the coming of the new school year, we will be teaching students what it means to have “Sand Devil PRIDE!”

One event I would like to bring to your attention is our “Club Rush” which we will debut on January 11. We will have our different student clubs set up in the PHS Learning Center to hand out information about its club and talk about what it takes to become a member. As educators, we know that research shows that students who are involved in something positive on campus not only develop a deeper connection to the campus, but they also have higher self-esteem, which is important for our teenagers. By having this event, we hope your child finds something positive in which to become involved on campus, so they, too, can become more connected to PHS.

Finally, as a reminder, the 2nd semester begins on January 4, which is a Wednesday. We at PHS wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. We certainly hope this time with family and friends helps prepare you and your student for the 2nd semester of the year.