Thanks to all of you who came out to our back-to-school night earlier this week. This is always one of my favorite nights of the year, when our parents get to step into the shoes of their children and spend a night as middle schoolers. I heard a lot of positive feedback from our teachers about the great turnout we had and the positive relationships that they are starting to build with our families.
As we mentioned in the state of the school address, Henley
has a lot to be proud of—great teachers, motivated students, strong scores on
state tests, and an active group of parents who provide a great deal of support
wherever it’s needed. We have worked
hard to create an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and that allows for
high levels of engagement and positive experiences for our students.
I spoke last night about some of the goals that we have for
this school year. One is to “embrace the
shake.” A motto we have borrowed from
artist Phil Hansen who has encouraged us to look at any limitations that
students have as opportunities to be creative instead of as things that hold
them back. A couple of video clips that
will give you an idea of why we want to “embrace the shake” can be found here and here.
I am also very interested in our staff developing an understanding
of Carol Dweck’s work around growth vs. fixed mindsets. The more I learn about this, the more
important I believe it is that we work deliberately as a school to develop growth
mindsets in our students. A very brief
explanation of this concept can be found here.
I know that we’re going to have another great year at
Henley. I look forward to getting to
know our new students and to continuing our work with those who are
returning.
