Board of Education Meeting Recap
November 5, 2024
Highlights from our Suffern High School Student Report
- SHS hosted the Speech and Debate tournament today wtih two of our students placing in the top of the competition.
- SHS sports tryouts have begun -and there is a great turnout all around.
- This Thursday, the Spring Musical will be revealed during unit lunch. Students have been waiting since last year to learn what the show will be and there is a lot of excitement around what it could be!
- Also Thursday, we'll celebrate those of our students who have committed to play a sport in college. There will be an official NCAA signing taking place after school.
- On Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23, the Suffern High School Music Department will be hosting the New York State School Music Association Zone 9 Area All-State Festival. 450 students from 42 high schools will be participating in the festival which will culminate in two concerts on Saturday. Students who scored the highest in their instrument/voice in the spring solo festivals were selected to perform in the ensembles.
Suffern High School Portrait of a Graduate
Here are some highlights:
What does it mean for students to commit to their fullest potential? Through an instructional vision committee, the school created a portrait of a graduate, which is a list of competencies students can look to achieve prior to graduation.
Dr. Adler showed images of students at work and asked the board to label pictures with the competency they felt best represented the work shown. He highlighted the Project Based Learning work 9th graders did in science class that focused on critical thinking (using real life to solve a problem); the Deaf Awareness Club that provided ASL signage in the schools to help with emergencies (community contributors), the AVID students' college fair, where they present with underclassman about potential college options (Collaboration); SHS's homework club, where students voluntarily come to get support on school work, showing their self-awareness and focusing on resilience; and our plays and musicals showcasing how being a creator and explorer.
There are clear goals the high school is working on and Dr. Adler highlighted many of them as they relate to the portrait of the graduate in his presentation. Those include:
- Increasing student sense of belonging
- Increase attendance
- Increase rigor in regents classrooms (not just honors/AP)
- Increase performance in regents and increase access in AP classes