50 South Washington Ave.
Oxford, NY 13830
607.843.2025 x 1305
Fax: 607.843.3231

August 2023

Parents/Guardians and Students,

Welcome back to school! Whether you and your student are new to or returning to the High School, I am looking forward to seeing you and working together this year. I truly believe that together everyone achieves more. Please join the staff and faculty on September 6 from 2 pm to 3 pm to go through your student’s schedule, important forms that the school needs filled out, and a meet and greet with your student’s teachers. Stop in at the cafeteria at the High School for some ice cream as you tour the building and talk to the teachers.

The high school teachers have been participating in professional development this summer and the building growth team is planning our focus areas for the upcoming year. One major area we need to continue work on is the student’s daily attendance rate. After analyzing data, nearly 25% of our students last year in grades 9-12 missed eighteen or more school days. This is a decrease from the year before but still an area of concern. According to the NYS Education Department this is considered chronically absent.   The negative effects of absenteeism in a student’s education can be profound and can carry into adulthood. Students who attend school learn more, have less learning gaps, have a higher vocabulary and reading level, and are more successful on local and state tests. Helping make school attendance a habit carries over when the student seeks scholarship opportunities, trade school, military, and college admissions, and employment. The good news is that students can reverse their academic performance if they make steps to improving their daily attendance. Attendance truly does matter!

The building is getting ready by our custodians. Our STEAM Academy and Theatre and Media Expressionism camp were successful. I continue to expect the word to get out and our numbers to grow. These experiences and opportunities only enhance our classes and help student engagement and areas of interest grow. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Donahue, Mr. Rovente, Mr. and Mrs. Gross, Mrs. Dunckel, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Thorne, and Ms. Rosas for all you did to make these experiences happen for the students in those camps. Mrs. Johnson just took a group of students to Oswegatchie FFA Camp. I know from personal experience that it is an unforgettable place and I am sure our students learned and played a lot and made lifelong friendships while there. Thank you Mrs. Johnson for sharing that special place and your passion with the students.

We will continue with our schedule having 9 periods and an enrichment period at the end of the day before sports. This does not lengthen the school day or cut services. The first dismissal and bus run will be at 2:23 pm with enrichment starting at 2:30 pm until 3:06 pm. The second dismissal and bus run will directly follow the enrichment period at 3:06 pm. The enrichment time will be a time for teacher directed assistance, time to better study and understand class concepts, grade level classes can meet with their advisors, and clubs and organizations to meet and do their work. Students can work on homework, make up class work or labs, and personalize their learning with the assistance of our teachers and staff. Sports will begin at 3:15 pm. All students staying after, even for sports, are expected to be with a teacher in a class. 

New to the Mathematics department is Ms. Jessica Ellis. Ms. Ellis is coming to us from St. John Neumann in Williamsport Pennsylvania where she taught courses from Pre- Algebra to Honors Calculus. She is a graduate of Lock Haven University and Pennsylvania State University. Please welcome Ms. Ellis to our school community if you see her and she will be located in room 274.

Mrs. Davis has taken another teaching position at a school closer to where she lives. We wish her well and continued success with her new group of students and school. We have had interviews and should be close to announcing a name for the Earth Science opening in the Science department.

Ms. Maroney has moved over from the Middle School and will be supplying reading and writing support to our students. She will be in room 296. 

A copy of the new Parent/Student Handbook was sent to emails we had on file in our student management system. There is a wealth of information in there for both you and your student. There is also a copy on the school website under the High School and bell schedules we use throughout the year. We will continue to put out monthly electronic newsletters from the High School Main Office to keep you and your student informed. We will be on an extended homeroom schedule for the first day of school on September 7, 2023 so that Chromebooks can be distributed so please make sure your student has their forms, mobile device form, and insurance payment.

I look forward to this year and the opportunities we have here to share with your student and your support. Let’s Go Blackhawks!

Sincerely,

Dawn A. Hover, Principal