We have a few announcements from UHS this week, beginning with this letter, which was the first page of our newsletter sent earlier this week:
It has been a few weeks since we last distributed a newsletter, so we appreciate those of you who have continued to follow the many great happenings at UHS through the various forms of communications we put out. We have teachers who are sharing the happenings in class on Twitter, via Google Classroom, and through messages home, and our many student activities forward information through social media as well. We have started a monthly podcast, have videos being sent home, and are now hosting a television show with the superintendent. There are many, many ways to stay informed about UHS, and we trust that our efforts are worthwhile.
The biggest "event" forthcoming is the visit of our NEASC accreditation team, which will occur from December 2-5. While we have been sharing details about the visit, our core values, learning expectations, Endicott Survey for the past couple of years, the visit itself culminates the self-study process, where we hope to validate the great work that has been done at the high school and in the community, while getting a sense of reflection for areas to grow. We have identified critical strengths and needs that we have to both leverage and tackle over the next two and five years, and we are hopeful that the visiting team will leave UHS both inspired and having provided us with opportunities to grow.
Through it all, we have been fortunate to have the engagement and honesty of our faculty, the creativity of our students, and the support of families, either as participants on panels during the visit, or simply by having a presence on School Council or through answering surveys. We have students who will be shadowed, teachers interviews, and multiple panels including administrators from all buildings and central office. The process, while comprehensive, will give the 12-person team a true sense of who we are as Spartans.
Of course, this comes with the knowledge that Uxbridge's relationship to NEASC has not always been smooth. There have been words like "probation" and "warning" and even "loss of accreditation" thrown around this town with an appropriate level of seriousness as recently as 2010. We feel confident in our efforts to connect all of our school improvement efforts to the NEASC standards, and, while we are not perfect, have confidence in the process and our own work as we set out on this journey next week and beyond. We anticipate the report being complete later this spring, and we will have some areas to address with respect to NEASC over the next 2-5 years, which we intend to tie to our School Improvement Plans.
As we enter the holiday season, we are reminded of the spirit of the community, our students, and our staff through many acts of kindness, respect, and empathy. To that end, we know that the holiday season can be challenging for some students and families, so if any assistance is needed, please reach out to your students' counselors. We wish you the best!
Wall of Acceptances
Our senior college acceptances are starting to be posted outside the guidance office. Parents of seniors, as acceptances start to roll in, please remind students to update counselors so we can expand the wall!
Week That Was
Our Week That Was video is linked below.
To all who are helping with the Holiday Party event, thank you for all you are doing to coordinate the event. We look forward to capturing some of the great moments that happen and appreciate the energy on behalf of the community!
Have a great weekend!
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