Dear ACS Families,
I can't tell you how nice it has been to have students and families back on our campus. I have been wandering around campus each day, and I've seen nothing but positive energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. It has been contagious.
While we try to make every opening of the school year smooth and easy for students and parents, this opening seems to have gone particularly well. I know, however, that nothing is perfect, and hope you will bear with us as we work to resolve any issues students or families might be having.
New families, I know that adjusting to a new school can be a daunting challenge. Please know that we are all here to help you and your children navigate ACS. We are so pleased to welcome you to our community.
This morning, I taught my first history class—United States History--in sixteen years. Being in a classroom and working directly with high school students is such a great reminder about why we at ACS are all in this profession: to have the opportunity to have an impact on students' lives. I have missed having this role, and although I was anxious about putting my teaching hat back on, I am thrilled to be back in the classroom.
I am also one of a few teachers in the middle and high school incorporating a "Harkness" or seminar style of teaching this year. In Harkness classrooms, students have an enormous responsibility to ensure that each class is a good one. They learn to listen to each other, to respectfully ask questions, to articulate complex ideas on their toes without advanced preparation. Not only are they naturally more engaged in the work of each class, they are also developing skills that will serve them very well in university, in graduate school, and in professional work settings. We'll be highlighting this pedagogy throughout the school year. I, for one, believe that it can be transformative for students.
I would like to wish all ACS students a happy, successful, and productive school year. I am very excited for what lies ahead.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
