Dear Friends,

This summer, we began a series of letters to our community focused on the beliefs and core values of our school district, as highlighted in our Strategic Plan.  Our last letter focused on “The School District partnering with the community to provide a safe, nurturing and challenging environment to prepare self-directed learners for a diverse workplace and world.” 

This time, we’ll focus on our second belief/core value, “The School District must expect high levels of achievement by its students, staff and members of the community.”

Certainly, HF-L is a school known for academic excellence and is well recognized for high levels of achievement.  Newsweek Magazine ranks HF-L in the top 2% of schools in the nation, and HF-L is recognized as a High Performing School by the National Center for Educational Achievement.  HF-L is one of just 29 school districts to be named a High Performing/Gap Closing district by the New York State Education Department for four consecutive years for excellence in student performance on state assessments. 

But a culture of high achievement is dependent upon a culture of high expectations, and what may be more telling is that our students are continuing to take increasingly challenging coursework.  In 2007, 213 high school students took 442 Advanced Placement exams, the most ever at HF-L.  88% of them scored at the mastery level, earning them potential college credit while still in high school.

Our students are not only achieving excellence in the classroom, but in their extracurricular activities and the community service opportunities they pursue.  This year, our athletic teams won 12 League Championships and eight Section V Championships.  Twenty-one teams were recognized as New York State Team Scholars for having a cumulative average of over 90%. 

Students are also becoming more involved in their community.  In the 2007 Senior Exit Survey, 98% of students ranked their level of volunteerism and involvement in athletics and extracurricular activities positively.  The ratings for volunteerism, in particular, represent significant improvement over previous class ratings.  We encourage our students to get involved and make a difference in their schools and community.  By volunteering on school committees, working with the student council and maintaining open lines of communication with teachers and school administrators, our students’ voices are heard.

Our District strives to model a culture of high expectations for our children.  We are proud of the wonderful staff we have and the outstanding service they provide to our students, parents and community.  We are fortunate to attract many high quality applicants, and we work hard to ensure that we hire and retain the best possible people to work in our schools. 

We are also fortunate to have a community that is so dedicated to our children’s needs and well-being.  We thank those who partner with us to ensure that our children are provided with a loving, caring and nurturing environment that gives them structure and guidance, while at the same time, freedom and opportunity.  We ask you to join us in our efforts to foster a culture of high achievement for our children by setting high expectations that challenge them to grow and excel in their areas of interest and achieve their own personal bests.

Please read our next letter which will focus on the third belief/core value, “The School District must value, model and expect healthy, ethical conduct.”

Sincerely,

Michelle Kavanaugh, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools