Parent Newsletter - John Hersey High School - High School District ...

Principal’s Message...
Well, spring has officially come to Chicagoland, and most of us are excited for a
change from winter. We are ready for warmer weather and some fun in the sun.
A time of transitions renews us and energizes us. So it is for our students and
our educational system.
Our seniors are well into their eighth semester of work and are eagerly looking
forward to transitioning into their futures. Whether that means continuing
education or immediate entry to the workforce, we are excited for their
opportunities and we wish them well. I am sure that they will stay strong and
finish with a flourish. It is truly their time to celebrate this significant level of
success. A high school diploma is crucial in a global economy and workforce.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have a group of eighth graders anxiously anticipating their transition to our high
school. We look forward to working with these new students and their parents in our combined efforts to begin an
exciting educational experience reaching beyond the classroom into all sorts of possible clubs and activities. If they
only knew how soon this time would pass, we are confident that they would reach out and become highly involved
in their time at Hersey. It is always encouraging to see the amazing growth, both academic and personal, that takes
place for our students. This group has a chance to reach and explore more than any other before them.
The rest of our students are also moving ahead with their academics and activities. They are excited to almost be
done with their current status and to pass forward into the next class year. It is exciting to see them take advantage of
all that our school system offers. Athletics, fine arts, academics, clubs, and school sponsored social events consume
their time. We look forward to our continued efforts as we wrap up this spring semester.
The transitions for our school system are equally exciting. We are exploring utilization of one-on-one computer
tablets for our students. We hope to be able to place one in each of our junior class student’s possession next year.
We are seeing positive educational growth from our pilot programs, and we are confident that we can transition
those learned concepts to a larger audience. Additionally, our Career Technology department is also working on
creating exciting, new curriculum, searching for relevancy and purpose for our students in this quickly changing
landscape. Our educational forums are also stretching and reaching, gathering more cohesiveness than ever between
departments. Our work with interventions for students that struggle to learn are also growing and affecting more
students in more ways than ever. For the first time, we will be offering a Native Speakers Spanish course for next
year. Our commitment to our students reaches to each and every one of them as we strive for effective relevancy in
those efforts.
So it is with excited optimism that I present this newsletter to you. Inside you will read about accomplishments,
information, and opportunities for our student body. Please take a minute to read and to learn about those items. I
am hopeful that you will also find renewal and energy through the experience. There is much to celebrate at John
Hersey this spring.
Sincerely,
Gordie Sisson
Principal
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