Dear Huskies:

It is an exciting and proud time to be a Husky!  Our high school community continues to celebrate our well-deserved honor as one of the Washington Post’s “Most Challenging High Schools” in the United States of America!  Our school has continued to offer the most rigorous academic courses while providing opportunities for all students to excel in diverse areas of our curriculum.  We are committed to enhancing our curriculum offerings, implementing innovative programs and fortifying our strong school community partnership. 

Our dedicated and talented faculty continues to offer expanded course offerings and internship opportunities for our STEM, Business and Visual & Performing Arts Academies.  Our language arts and social studies faculty are implementing our Global Humanities Academy which will focus on developing and enhancing critical thinking, reading, writing and speaking skills.  This academy will focus on offering students an environment to make connections between literature and history and to synthesize knowledge and study diverse perspectives.    Additionally, our Visual & Performing Arts Academy has added a strand of study which will include AP Art Studio 1 and 2 along with courses in art history and appreciation and artist career training.

The high school faculty and student body are excited to continue the guiding principles of our Leadership Academy which are dedicated to providing our community with civic leaders who are instilled with the tenets of effective and transformational leadership qualities.  These students will be integral to the mission of community service inherent in such events as Aberdeen Day, Relay for Life and numerous school sponsored events. 

Our high school staff will also be continuing a district wide initiative to bring a variety of social emotional learning programs to our high school.  These initiatives will be consistent with the 21^st century skills of building communication and problem solving among students and creating connections with trusted adults in our school and community.  We are hoping to implement programs such as Sources of Strength which will incorporate these strategies in a peer leadership component.  Additionally, our staff is planning to implement several programs with the goal to reduce stress and anxiety and to promote student coping skills. 

The district continues to develop and enhance our 21^st century life skills program with the complete renovation of the classroom which accommodates our Family and Consumer Science courses and a life skills component for our special education programs.  This complete renovation will be an asset to many aspects of our school community.

 As we continue to expand our academic opportunities to our student athletes, the athletic department is offering the program:   NCAA Academic Eligibility Requirements:  An Information Session for the College Bound Student-Athlete on Thursday, August 25th at 7pm in the high school auditorium.  Samantha Hegmann, the Assistant Athletic Director of Compliance for Athletics at Monmouth University, will be the keynote speaker.

Our freshman students continue to thrive in our successful and innovative Freshman Academy which is centered around the concept of a small learning community.  The Academy is a school-within-a-school organized around interdisciplinary teams of English, mathematics, science and social studies.  Additionally, the district administration is continuing the practice of offering PSAT testing to all sophomores and juniors at no cost to parents.   Our Freshman Orientation program is scheduled for Wed. August 24^th at 7:30am. 

As you prepare for the school year, kindly visit the MRHS website under “Announcements” with the heading “2016-2017 Husky High School Packet” for the important documents that will help start the year off successfully.  If you do not have access to a computer and/or printer, please visit the main office on August 29^th, 30^th or 31^st to obtain hard copies. 

Student schedules will be available on the Realtime Parent Portal beginning Thursday, August 25^th.  If you do not know your Parent Portal username and password, please email mprinzi@marsd.org for this information.  Counselors will be available on Friday, August 26^th through Wednesday, August 31^st to answer scheduling questions.  While reviewing your child’s schedule, we urge you to update your contact information so that you receive phone, e-mail and text message communications from the high school.

I look forward to meeting our students on Tuesday, September 6^th.  Students will be able to enter the building at 7:10am and they must be in homeroom no later than 7:25am.  If you are transporting your child to school, please utilize the loop in the south parking lot.  The driveway in the front of the school is restricted to our school buses.  Your anticipated cooperation is appreciated.

I would like to thank you for your continued support as our administration, faculty and staff remain committed to providing your children with a safe and supportive environment that fosters academic achievement along with social and emotional growth.  Please mark Thursday, September 22nd on your calendar as we will have our annual Back to School Night from 7:00 pm-9:30 pm.  The staff and I look forward to meeting you and sharing our goals and expectations.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns or suggestions.

It is a great day to be a Husky!

Sincerely,

Michele Ruscavage