January 2025
Welcome Back from the Holiday Break with a Focus on Instruction
Dear Bulldog Families,
Welcome back! I hope you had a restful and rejuvenating winter break. As we return, it’s time to focus on making every day count—state testing is now less than 45 school days away!
This is a pivotal time to ensure our classrooms are places of rigorous, engaging, and meaningful learning. Let’s prioritize critical thinking, data-informed instruction, and targeted differentiation to prepare our scholars for success.
Let’s build on these strengths and set the tone for a productive and focused quarter. Together, we’ll ensure our students are ready to meet the challenges ahead.
Blitz Homework Initiative
On Friday, January 10th, we began in all tested subjects, to distribute the Blitz homework created by our teachers and administration team. This initiative supports test prep by allowing students to engage with the material over the weekend or as part of Friday’s lesson.
Students who complete the homework will be entered into a raffle for prizes, including gift cards. Let’s encourage participation and maximize this opportunity to prepare for the state testing window, beginning on March 24th.
PBIS Mid-Year Assemblies
As part of our continued focus on fostering a positive school culture, our PBIS team which includes grade level principals, and the Dean of Culture, will host mid-year assemblies to reinforce behavior expectations and strategies for success. These assemblies will provide students with a refresher on our core values and opportunities for reflection.
Thank you for contributing to a respectful and supportive learning environment through the parent/teacher partnership—our data shows a significant reduction in major discipline incidents compared to last year!
Building-Wide Updates
To continue promoting Bulldog PRIDE, we are implementing the following school-wide expectations:
- Students must wear and carry their school IDs.
- Hoods and headphones should remain off during the school day.
Additionally, Culture Kahoots during lunch continue to spark meaningful conversations, with this week’s topic focused on Implicit Bias, extending to Explicit Bias in future discussions.
Celebrating Black History Month
February is on the horizon, and we are thrilled to partner with the Mojuba Dance Collective for a special Celebration and Performance on February 20th. Preparations are underway, and we look forward to an inspiring event!
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our students and school community,
and for being part of our vision: GHHS—Where Every Student Belongs, Every Day Counts, and Together We Have Bulldog PRIDE!
Together, let’s make 2025 a year of success and achievement!
Warm regards,
Mr. Townsend
Principal, Garfield Heights High School