Dear Parents,

I hope you enjoyed your family and friends over the winter break. As we begin the spring semester I would like to inform you of a few of our priorities and goals and, in particular, our new attendance policy that will be in effect (see back for summary of the attendance policy).

As you may be aware, Amador High School was granted a three year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) this past summer. The WASC report provides a basis for some of our goals for the spring semester. While the report cites many areas of strength, it also provides an action plan that recommends areas for improvement. The three areas for improvement include:
        • Creating a positive school environment.
        • Increasing student achievement.
        • Increase the demonstration of higher level thinking skills of all students.


Creating a positive school environment has been a focus over the first semester. The campus is cleaner, the tardy and discipline rate has declined, and there have been several improvements to our facilities. This semester we will institute a new attendance policy that will, hopefully reduce the number of absences and truancies. We will also update our safety plans. We will continue to support our athletic and extra-curricular programs by recruiting the best possible coaches and improving facilities. A cleaner, safer, and more attractive campus, where students get to class on time and attend class regularly, will contribute to a more goal-oriented, purposeful, and positive school culture.

Increasing student achievement and increasing higher level thinking skills for all students will involve several approaches. First of all, instruction must be directed toward clear targets (national, state, industry, and college preparation standards). The design and sequencing of curriculum takes time. A plan to provide increased collaboration time for teachers and departments to align curriculum to standards will be implemented this semester. One focus of professional development will be for faculty to explore ways to increase critical thinking skills in their lessons. Amador’s School Site Council, consisting of parent/staff/community representatives, will provide an umbrella for overseeing this action plan.

Finally, our job at Amador High is to provide the highest quality academic, vocational, and extra-curricular programs possible. Your child’s job is to take advantage of these opportunities. As always, I welcome your input, you can reach me at avanvelzen@amadorcoe.k12.ca.us


Sincerely,



Allan Van Velzen
Principal