From Frank

October 2011

It was a real pleasure seeing most of you at Back-to-School Night two weeks ago. We are proud to have 81% of our parents attend! I hope you were able to get a flavor for the teachers, the instructional program, and the atmosphere here at HBW. We are getting into the rhythm of the school year and routines are settling in with students and staff. Academic instruction and activities are underway as well. Around 50% of our seniors -- more than ever -- are engaged in the full-bore effort of preparing rolling admissions, early action, or less commonly, early decision college applications, submitting an application to at least one school by November 1. College representatives are visiting HBW weekly.

On behalf of all the teachers I thank you for your generous contributions to the HBW No-Sweat Fundraiser. This is a never-ending effort so if you have not contributed send a check to our treasure Kathy Funes or me made out to H-B Woodlawn with “No-Sweat” in the memo line. The suggested contribution is $60, but the amount is up to you. At the upcoming PAC (Parent Advisory Committee) meeting on Tuesday October 11 we will review the requests from the teachers for using the No-sweat funds which total so far $39, 000. Once PAC has approved the allocation of funds on 10/11, we will post the funded requests on the Town Meeting bulletin board just outside the main office. Without your generosity we would be using outdated instructional technology and your students would miss out on many supplemental materials and activities.

The YHB Ultimate Frisbee team is well into fall practices with weekend games and tournaments. Frisbee is open to anyone, and it is not too late to join! Just ask in the office for information. You may have noticed that one of our two athletic fields is currently closed. The county is preparing a new, flatter, safer surface and putting down topsoil and a hardy sod. Recently the irrigation system was repaired, and we are hopeful that by March 2012 we will and a safer and improved field. My sincere thanks goes to parent John Sither for all his efforts to have the HBW field ultimately re-done as synthetic turf. John has organized a committee, and their efforts continue for this ultimate goal which would benefit the entire county.

The fall concerts for both choral and instrumental music are the week of October 17, and the second student-directed theater production in the Black Box is the weekend of October 20-22.  The library is open after school Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 4:06-5:15 pm for anyone who wishes to stay and use resources there, or just to study. There are busses those three days at 5:30pm which go to many elementary, middle and high schools. PSAT testing is October 12 in the morning for all 10^th and 11^th graders. A meeting with the Resource Teacher for the Gifted, Liz Waters, is at 7:00 pm the evening of October 24. There is one dance this month for middle school students on October 28 sponsored by the senior class. October 20 is an early release for an ongoing staff development initiative on cultural competency. On October 25 at 7:30 pm Frank and a few teachers will meet with 9^th grade parents.

A number of activities beyond theater, frisbee and music are soon to be underway. For example, the Best Buddies program, which engages HBW students in working with students in the Stratford Program, will start meeting. This year there are both a high school and a middle school chapter (new this year). Competitive programs like Knowledge Masters, Quiznet, the National Geography Bee, Virginia Math League and America Math Competition are upcoming. Students can find out about these competitions by watching postings at school, asking their TA, or asking in the main office.

I am hopeful that the many transportation problems of September are behind us. We appreciate the positive response from parent drivers in dropping off and picking up in the parking lots and not the bus circle or front driveway. On another front, stay tuned for efforts by Arlington Public Schools to make proposals about construction at certain schools to make available more seats as our enrollment increases countywide. While construction of additional classrooms is unlikely at HBW, let us be vigilant about further moves to increase our enrollment, for size is an essential part of who we are and what we do at HBW.

Frank Haltiwanger
Principal

703 228 6363
frank.haltiwanger@apsva.us

• a brief version of this calendar is in the HBW Handbook which you received in the mail the week before school began)
• Report cards and grade advisory dates are also in the HBW handbook—mark your calendars to know when to expect these, for students are responsible for bringing report cards and advisories to you.
• Middle school parents, be advised that HBW does NOT use the parent conference dates on the APS calendar (10/7 and 3/2). HBW MS students DO attend classes those two days. HBW Middle School “student led conferences” are the evening of 2/23.