Get Involved!!!

The start of the school year is a great time for both new and returning students to get involved in the many activities that are taking place at Henley.  Here's a sampling of some ways kids can get involved:

• The Outdoor/Environmental Club--Stop by the library to pick up more information.  This club takes multiple trips throughout the year and also leads the school in our recycling and environmental efforts.  The first hike is next Friday, so make sure you get information soon!
• Math Counts--For those of you who love a challenging math problem--this is the place for you!  Pick up information from Mrs. Merrill if you would like to take part in this activity.
• Destination Imagination--An informational meeting will take place on September 20 for any student interested in becoming part of a DI team.  Henley's teams have been quite successful in the past, and students love the challenges that DI presents them.  See Mrs. Merrill for more information!
• ETB49--This is our morning enrichment program that offers a number of activities for our students.  See Mrs. Pehanick for more information

I think that at Henley, we've got something for just about everyone.  I strongly believe that students who are involved in activities such as these turn into some of our most well-rounded students.  Take a chance and get involved today!!!

AYP

Many of you have heard that this year Henley, and a number of other county and state middle schools, fell short in our goal of achieving something called "Adequate Yearly Progress" or AYP.  When people hear this, most immediately think that there must be some big problems with the school system or with a particular school if they can't make the grade that the Federal Department of Education has set for them.  So let me share some data on Henley's AYP performance (most of which is measured via SOL testing results).  This year Henley had 96% of our students pass their reading tests, 95% passed their math tests, 95% passed writing, 93% passed history and 96% passed science.  Hardly what I would consider failing scores, yet we did not make AYP.  Why is that you ask?  In order for a school to be considered to have made AYP, the school must meet twenty-nine different student achievement benchmarks.  This year, we had too few special education students pass their reading tests to make AYP.  We were close, but not quite close enough.  So--is Henley a failing school because it did not make AYP last year?  Absolutely not.  Our overall academic performance clearly places us among the highest achieving middle schools in the state of Virginia.  Do we have some more work to do to get even better?  You bet, and this is always going to be the case even if we achieve 100% SOL pass rates.  Every morning you send your children to an amazing school with a staff who's dedication to student achievement and learning is unparalleled.  Don't let the failure to make AYP fool you--Henley is a top tier school that will keep getting better every year.