Excerpts from The Hall Weekly Bulletin - February 4, 2008

Principal's Message

Recognizing Achievement   As I mentioned several weeks ago in my message, Hall has been reevaluating its academic recognition program.  Our goal has been to provide acknowledgement of exceptional student achievement and improvement as well as encourage continuing effort in a way that is meaningful and does not have a negative impact on those who do not earn the distinction.   While we feel it is important to publicly recognize students for academic achievement, several significant concerns have arisen from our current practice of publishing names in the Weekly Bulletin and distributing certificates in homerooms.  Given the small size of our community and the fact that more than half of our students earn one of the recognitions each quarter, we feel that our current program may do as much to identify students who do not earn recognition as it does to identify those who do.    For a student who works as hard as he or she can each quarter, but still does not manage to earn a 3.5 GPA, it is difficult to see the majority of his or her peers recognized in homeroom and in the Bulletin at the end of each quarter.   As we endeavor to challenge students to do their best, we also want to support the emotional health of all of our students.  To achieve both of these ideals, we will begin the following recognition program now that the second quarter has come to a close.   We will continue to recognize Honor Roll (3.5 GPA), Principal’s List (4.0 GPA) and Academic Improvement (GPA improved from previous quarter and above 2.0 with no F’s). We will be inviting all honorees and their parents to join us for a recognition event on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:45am in the Hall gym.  At this event we will celebrate the success of these students over the last quarter and distribute certificates.  Instead of a lunchtime ice cream sandwich, we will have some healthy breakfast snacks to share at our morning celebration.  This event will also allow us to regularly recognize students who have earned distinction in attendance and citizenship.   Through this new program we feel we can do a better job recognizing and praising the impressive accomplishments of some of our students in a way that does not come at the expense of other students.  As an institution devoted to the intellectual, social and emotional well-being of our students, I feel this new plan will the achieve our goals more effectively and compassionately.   - Daniel Norbutas - Hall Principal