Lassiter’s Liberator

Lassiter’s Liberator

Week beginning April 14, 2008

Greetings, friends of Southern Lee High School!

Here we are in mid-April! Seems like just yesterday that we were kicking off our 2007-08 school year, and I write to you this week as we kick off the FINAL grading period of the academic year! With this, I am pleased to announce that we will convene an Advisory session on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 for the purpose of distributing report cards to all of our students at 9:41 a.m.!

When we distribute report cards, the Homeroom Advisors will also chat with students about the significance of the final grading period as well as working with them to enhance communication and rapport with their teachers to foster continued positive working relationships as we end the year. Further, structured after-school extra help sessions will be available in the following subjects beginning Monday, April 28, 2008:

Advanced Math, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Biology, Civics and Economics, Chemistry, Geometry, English 9, English 12, Physical Science, United States History and additional courses that, if deemed necessary for promotion or graduation, will be offered to place students in a favorable position to be promoted or be eligible for graduation.

This after-school program joins our Saturday Nova Net Academy as remedial/enrichment efforts to help to place our students in favorable positions. I have received social studies information, and will work with the assistant principals and department chairs to establish the tutorial program. Please advise students that we hope to begin the structured after school help on April 28, 2008-May 30, 2008 (dates could be extended and could even include some Saturdays pending availability of instructors and funding).

Last week was a rather routine one for us until Friday at 10:00 a.m. A student reported finding a note in the restroom along the 200 hall that claimed that there was a bomb in our building. I conferred with school and district administrative personnel, and after consulting with law enforcement personnel, the building was vacated and searched. No bomb was found, and all students were back in the building and on normal operating schedule at 11:30 a.m. We drafted a letter of advisement to all parents in English and Spanish that went home with students on Friday. If you did not receive your letter, and wish to speak with me, please do not hesitate to telephone, visit, or e-mail me.

Southern Lee has had some really outstanding accomplishments this year, athletically, academically, and professionally among its staff. I am pleased to announce that our 2008 Teacher of the Year has been selected in the person of Mr. Robert Scott, math teacher extraordinaire! Mr. Scott was selected as a Teacher of the Month, and was selected by his peers as our Teacher of the Year! We surprised Mr. Scott with balloons, a certificate, and a delicious cake in his classroom on March 28, 2008, and he moves on to district competition. Should he be named the 2008 Lee County Schools Teacher of the Year, he will be the recipient of a car (for one year free use) and move on to compete on the statewide level!

On a personal note, I have had a blast serving the children of Lee County with you since 2005. A new opportunity awaits with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, full of excitement and a degree of uncertainty. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Gary Jackson as your interim principal effective Monday, April 28, 2008 as the district helps to ease in a new permanent principal into our school, perhaps as early as June 1.

Cavalier Words of the Day!

I think y’all know that I’ve always viewed effective communication and an expansive, yet fluid vocabulary as essential ingredients for student, personal, and professional success. Here are this week’s words:

Monday: Lethargic

Tuesday: Inundate

Wednesday: Imbrue

Thursday: Gerrymander

Friday: Enumerate

Please challenge your student to define these words and use them in context! Again, knowledge and elocution is power!

Okay, that’s all for now! I will probably do another entry at the end of this week, summarizing the “goings-on” at Southern Lee! Until then, you know you’re welcome in the school for an impromptu visit. Just come by the main office, ask for me, and I’ll sign you in and get that visitor’s pass to you and we can walk and talk!

HDL

Lassiter’s Liberator!
Week of April 7, 2008

Well, well, well! Here we are on this beautiful second week of April, and guess what? This week, April 7-11, represents the beginning of the final grading period here at Southern Lee High School! We have had a pretty good year thus far along several fronts, those being academically, athletically, facilities-wise, and for innovation.

Here’s what I mean:

Academically, our students and staff really dedicated themselves toward improving our testing composites as measured by the North Carolina student accountability testing program. We have hovered around the 60% proficiency mark for the past three years, and we as a school set some instructional goals for ourselves prior to the 2007-08 school year to break this trend. At the end of the first semester, our EOC proficiency mark was 63.1% (unofficial), and our VOCAT proficiency mark was 70.1% (official).

The teachers, student body, and staff worked very hard during the first semester, and everyone is working hard to do well on the forthcoming exams coming up in June! With this, our staff will plan our after-school extra help sessions designed to ready our students for success. During our April 8, 2008 faculty and staff meeting, SLHS staff will discuss and hopefully approve an after-school extra help session schedule.

Athletically, Southern Lee has had (and is having) a banner year. Our fall and winter sports teams did very well, and our spring sports teams are very competitive. Our baseball team is in first place in the Cape Fear Valley Conference. Our softball team is in first place in the conference. Our men’s tennis team is in third place, and our women’s soccer team is tied for first place in the league. And not to be outdone, our two-time, back to back men’s golf team is in sole possession of first place in the league, and “on par” to win their third consecutive league championship!

Southern Lee is also in the midst of planning for a Ninth grade Academy, designed to help incoming freshmen make the transition from middle school to high school a little smoother. The academy concept, as designed and researched by SLHS staff, will feature the transformation of the 600 hall into the 9th grade center, with the four “core” courses offered there-Algebra 1, English 9, World History, and Earth/Environmental Science. Additionally, the freshmen will have their own lunch period, which allows them to be with their age and grade-appropriate peers while they become acclimated and accustomed to high school academics and routines.

We need your continued support, visits, and well-wishes as we embark upon this final leg of our journey that is the 2007-08 school year. We will contact you VERY SHORTLY about opportunities to serve as test proctors, volunteers, and motivators during the final weeks of our school year, as we will have 1, 182 students to test, prepare for promotion (or perhaps summer school), and graduation.

Until next time,

HDL