A Chatham High School Showcase...

We have spent a considerable amount of time lately thinking and talking about what we need to do to spread the word concerning what Chatham High School has to offer, especially in light of last year's departure of a rather significant portion of our incoming freshman class from our middle school. We fully understand and appreciate what school choice is all about but we want to make certain that any decisions parents make regarding sending their children to another school district is made only after considering all of the available information. To that end, we want to get all of the relevant information about our excellent school out in the open so that everyone can make an appropriate decision. In the past we have worked hard to get information out to the media and share news via newsletters, but we now want to do something a bit more dramatic and interactive.

Here's what we are thinking about: we are planning to hold a CHS Showcase sometime in early spring for parents of 7th and 8th graders in our district and for prospective school choice parents and students. The plan would entail showcasing many of the positive educational and co-curricular opportunities that are available to students at our school through a series of concurrent presentations by teachers and students throughout the evening which would give parents and their kids an opportunity to find out about programs that might interest them.

Our thinking is that we would begin the evening with a nice dinner and parents would be encouraged to bring their kids along. We would have some welcoming remarks and perhaps some accompanying music by our excellent jazz band while folks enjoyed their meal. Following dinner parents and students would be directed to a series of half hour presentations all over the school where students and teachers would not only speak about programs, curriculum, and opportunities but would demonstrate them as well. We envision presentations on teaching mathematics using the Promethean Board, STEM education and our new engineering lab, Advanced Placement opportunities at CHS, Forensics, Art demonstrations, the performing arts, We The People, the Community Internship program, and interscholastic athletics at CHS, to name a few. Though only in the early planning stages, it does sound like an interesting evening and hopefully we can fine-tune the idea and pull it off successfully.

So, that's what we are thinking about on this cold winter's day. What do you think?