Readers are leaders…

The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I ain’t read.

 

 - Abraham Lincoln

 

Dear Longs Peak Parents & Families:

 

There is no better example of an American who lifted himself up by his bootstraps (to the presidency!) than Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was known for his voracious appetite for reading. Today, both common sense and a large volume of cognitive research support reading as the most important factor in a student’s success in school.

 

I have always been proud that Longs Peak’s teachers have focused relentlessly on improving reading in every classroom. To that end, every Longs Peak Ram participates in Accelerated Reader (AR). AR is a computer based program. At the beginning of each school year, students assess their reading ability using STAR reading assessment. Based on their STAR score, students set quarterly goals for their reading. After reading a book, students then take an online quiz; if they pass the quiz, they earn points toward their AR goal. AR is a popular program with our students and has increased the amount of reading our Rams do as well as their reading comprehension. Longs Peak’s 2011 first quarter goal is for 75% of our students to make 100% of their AR goal. The first quarter ends on Thursday, October 13. Please be sure you discuss your student’s Accelerated Reader goal at home on a consistent basis.

 

Longs Peak Rams should read 30-60 minutes every evening at home. They will benefit tremendously from this commitment, especially if nonfiction reading is a significant portion of the 30-60 minutes.

 

In closing, I want to note how fortunate Longs Peak is to have our librarian, Beckie Large-Swope, leading the charge for Accelerated Reader. Ms. Large-Swope is the best librarian I have worked with in my 17 years in schools. If you have questions about Accelerated Reader or good books for your students, Ms. Large-Swope is a great resource. She can be reached via email at largeswope_rebecca@svvsd.org. (Ms. Large-Swope is also looking for parent volunteers in the library this year!)

 

Thank you for supporting Longs Peak and remember that RAMS ARE READERS, AND READERS ARE LEADERS. As always, if you have any questions or concerns I would encourage you to stop by my office or give me a call.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Matt Buchler

 

Principal

Lessons from a Middle School Dad

Three years ago at Back to School Night I told our Longs Peak parents that, like you, I too was going to be the parent of a middle school student. Today it’s hard to believe my oldest son is moving on to high school. Soon, my wife and I will start the middle school experience all over again with our two daughters.

I have tried to learn from my experiences as a middle school parent over the past three years and use those experiences to be a better Principal at Longs Peak. This month I would like to share some of the most important things I think I have learned as the dad of a middle school student:

Moms and dads are the most influential teachers of our children. Sometimes middle school students would like us to believe we are irrelevant or less important than we were in elementary school. Don’t believe it! Any of the educators at Longs Peak will tell you how powerful and important parental encouragement and support is for our Longs Peak Rams.

Parents need to “fight the good fight.” In the search for independence and greater control over their lives, middle school students often rebel against their parents. Without repressing their will, it is crucial for parents to set firm, consistent guidelines and stick to them – even when your son or daughter informs you that “You’re the meanest, most unfair parents on earth.”

Good kids (and they’re ALL good kids) make poor decisions and “spin” the truth. Just before the first sixth grade, parent-teacher conference, our son Matthew expressed his great displeasure with his “overly demanding” (his words), sixth grade math teacher. In the conference the teacher let us know Matthew was excessively talkative, had not turned in much homework, and had a low grade. My wife and I responded with a dose of tough love: Your teacher is holding you to a high academic standard – be grateful for that. You need to work harder, get your homework in, and stop talking in class.

Patience, empathy, and love are parenting’s greatest virtues. Over the past 16 years, 99% of the students I have had the pleasure of working with have turned out to be fine young adults and productive citizens. This is difficult to remember in the heat of the moment when your adolescent is struggling with friends, school, or life. Middle school is a time of great physical, social, emotional, and intellectual transition: students enter sixth grade as children and leave eighth grade as young adults. At the end of the day, knowing their parents love them unconditionally is the greatest support we can give them.

I am looking forward to seeing you at the many events we have planned for May. As always, I thank you for your support of Longs Peak and GO RAMS!

Best Regards,

Matt Buchler
Principal

Longs Peak is a National Demonstration School finalist!

The Longs Peak staff is very excited about the recent announcement by the College Board naming Longs Peak as a FINALIST to be a National Demonstration School. Some statistics:

1. There are about 900 middle schools in the country that use the college prep, SpringBoard curriculum.
2. Of these 900 schools, 11 middle schools have been named as National Demonstration School finalists.
3. Of the 11 middle schools, Longs Peak is the only school representing the state of Colorado.
4. The 11 finalist schools represent a wide range of schools and districts. Like St. Vrain Valley Schools, the Belleview School District in Washington is widely recognized as an outstanding school district.

We are preparing for our College Board site visit in May and have been asked by our College Board Regional Director to present at the Colorado Association of School Executives convention in July.

We will keep everyone updated on these exciting developments. Our Rams are on the road to college preparedness!

Best Regards,

Matt Buchler

Principal

Hard work equals success!

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL – FEBRUARY 2011

There is no substitute for hard work.
–Thomas Alva Edison

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
–Thomas Jefferson

Dear Parents:

At our last Honor Roll breakfast I explained the importance of praising students for working hard rather than their intelligence when they are successful at school or in life. Praising students for their intelligence is common – my wife and I have done it many times with our three children – but that kind of praise may not be as beneficial as we think.

In many countries, parents praise their children for working hard and persevering when they get good grades – not necessarily for “being smart.” This kind of praise reinforces that success is based primarily on hard work and perseverance, not on the more innate and uncontrollable factor of natural intelligence. Most of the things people set out to accomplish in life are dependent on a sound work ethic and perseverance.

Since becoming a Pre-Advanced Placement focus school, our teachers have increased the level of academic rigor in classrooms as well as the reading and homework load. We believe this approach will put our Rams – your sons and daughters – on the road to college preparedness. To that end, it is imperative that we partner with parents and families to encourage our students to work hard, apply themselves to their studies, do their homework, and persevere through thick and thin. In the 16 years I have worked with middle school and high school students, I don’t know if I have ever seen a student who was working hard and not making significant academic progress and becoming successful. In short, hard work and perseverance are as close to a recipe for success as we’re likely to get.

Thank you for all the support you lend to your children and our staff. We are truly appreciative. As always, if you have questions please call me or stop by school.

GO RAMS!

Sincerely,

Matt Buchler

Principal

The crucial link between content knowledge and reading comprehension

I have been an astute reader of the work by core knowledge proponent E.D. Hirsch throughout my career in education. Despite the controversy that surrounded his work in the Nineties, most of what he has suggested for students in the area of reading has been thoroughly vindicated by the work of multiple cognitive scientists and, more recently, education researchers like Robert Marzano. Interestingly, almost no one in education refutes the idea any longer that content and vocabulary knowledge is absolutely essential for students to become good readers; the acquisition of content knowledge is particularly important for at-risk students.

The link below explains the crucial connection between content knowledge and reading comprehension. I have shared this with all of our Longs Peak teachers, and it was so persuasive when I first watched it I decided to share it with parents:

Sincerely,

–Matt

Why we put our RAMS ON THE ROAD to college preparedness…

During the first few weeks of school some students and parents have asked me why we are focused on college preparedness at Longs Peak. I have thought about this question in the context of my own upbringing. In 1984, I was a junior at Boulder High School, and I recall that year being the first time I ever heard my teachers talking to other students and me about college. My parents encouraged this as well, but they were not college educated themselves and knew very little about what preparation and practical steps I would need to take in order to go to college and be successful.

Our students will inherit the world’s most powerful democratic republic. In this regard, the need for well-educated Americans has not changed. What has changed dramatically, however, is that our students’ future will be marked by increasingly intense global competition for good careers.

Consider the following about college preparedness:
New research by ACT shows “the level of academic achievement that students attain by eighth grade has a larger impact on their college and career readiness by the time they graduate from high school than anything that happens academically in high school…”This report also reveals that students’ academic readiness for college and career can be improved when students develop behaviors in the upper elementary grades and in middle school that are known to contribute to successful academic performance.”

Our teachers and staff are committed to providing our students with a world class education that gives them the knowledge, skills, and habits necessary for success in the 21st century. NOW IS THE TIME to put our Rams on the road to college preparedness!

In closing, I want to remind everyone that we are just two weeks away from the end of the first quarter. I would like to encourage our Rams to finish strongly and make the first quarter honor roll. At Longs Peak, a grade point average of 3.1 or higher qualifies a student for the honor roll.

As always, I welcome your questions and suggestions. Do not hesitate to contact me by phone, email, or stopping by school. Thank you for your support of Longs Peak and GO RAMS!
Sincerely,

Matt Buchler, Principal

RAMS ON THE ROAD to college preparedness

Last night’s back to school night dessert potluck was a big hit. Our staff enjoyed meeting our new sixth grade families and re-connecting with families of our seventh and eighth grade students.

Last night I explained the importance of building strong partnerships between school and home and of putting all students on the road to college preparedness. Schools and parents need to take a team approach to support and hold our students accountable. The world our students inherit will demand an extraordinarily high level of skills and knowledge in order to stay competitive and be successful.

We have taken another step forward in making our Pre-Advanced Placement curriculum pack more punch for our kids. This year our students will experience the SpringBoard curriculum in both English and math. To learn more about this rigorous, college prep curriculum please visit our website (http://lpms.stvrain.k12.co.us/) or the College Board (http://professionals.collegeboard.com/k-12/prepare/springboard/about).

As always, it is my great pleasure to work with Longs Peak families.

Sincerely,

Matt Buchler

Principal

Welcome to the new school year!

Dear Parents, Students, and Community Members:

On behalf of our staff and teachers, I would  like to welcome  you  to the 2010-2011 school year and invite you to our back to school night potluck dessert on Tuesday, August 24th at 5 pm in our cafeteria. This is a great opportunity to meet other families and Longs  Peak staff members. Please bring a dessert to share. Longs Peak will provide punch, cookies, utensils, and plates. At 6 pm, we will begin our official back to school night program.

As a Pre-Advanced Placement focus school, we are putting YOUR student on the path to college preparedness!

I look forward to meeting and visiting with all of you this school year.

Best Regards,

Matt

Matt Buchler

Principal

Another successful year at Longs Peak…

Another successful year at Longs Peak is coming to a close, and we have begun looking to next fall with excitement and expectation. Academically, our pre-Advanced Placement focus will continue to expand as we adopt the SpringBoard curriculum in mathematics. Additionally, we have made significant changes to our school schedule for next fall (please see the adjoining article), including a longer school day for students, more class time in math and language arts classes, and a greater variety of enrichment offerings during Access class. Longs Peak students will benefit from an average core class size of 22-28 students next year. In a time of massive cuts to education in school districts around the country, our kids are fortunate to be in a school district that has kept budget cuts outside of the classroom. I am very proud of this fact, and I want you to know that the St. Vrain Valley Schools are leading the way to excellence in education.

This summer our bond construction project moves into the final phases. In the fall when students return to school, many noticeable changes will have taken place. There will be new flooring in the entire school, freshly painted classrooms with technology upgrades, an additional computer lab, and a new 1,600 square foot band room. (Longs Peak will be closed for construction May 28^th through July 30^th.  Our administrative & office staff will work at Westview Middle School during this time. We can be reached at 303.772.3134.)

*              *              *              *             

Research indicates that students need about 6 weeks in the fall to reach the academic level they were at when they left school the previous spring. In light of this, parents often ask me what they can have their students do over the summer to stay sharp. The easy answer is to encourage your student to read every day for 30 minutes. Some kids enjoy reading novels over the summer, but even if it’s a daily reading of a newspaper or a magazine, the benefits of spending about 30 minutes a day reading are clear. Please encourage your son or daughter to read every day this summer. If you have questions about good books or summer reading programs, please contact Mrs. Large-Swope, our school librarian, before the school year is over.

*              *              *              *

This is my third year as principal of Longs Peak, so this year’s 8^th grade class is the first I’ve seen progress through all three years of middle school. On Wednesday, May 26^th, we will send off our 8^th grade class at our annual completion ceremony. I am proud of this group of students and they have a very bright future. We are going to miss them! I look forward to seeing all of you at this special event.

Thank you for your continued support of Longs Peak and the St. Vrain Valley Schools. Have an excellent summer, and please contact me if you have any questions.

GO RAMS!

–Matt

Matt Buchler

Principal

Noteworthy Achievements & Celebrations

Dear Parents & Community Members:

As we begin to conclude this school year, I thought it would be important to list some key achievements and celebrations from this year. In my three years as principal, I have never been more excited about Longs Peak & our very bright future!

Noteworthy achievements & celebrations this year:

• Pre-Advanced Placement focus on college preparedness. Every student at Longs Peak experienced SpringBoard in English classes this year. This rigorous & engaging curriculum has resulted in much more student writing, more engaging instruction by our teachers, and a consistent and systematic focus by English teachers at all grade levels. SpringBoard provides a comprehensive, three year course of study that will prepare students by 8th grade to enter high school ready for honors and AP coursework. We will make a decision about adopting SpringBoard Math before the end of school.

• Administrative & counseling team. This is the strongest group of individuals I’ve worked with in 15 years in the schools. Ms Watry, our Assistant Principal, is an extremely intelligent, talented, and strong leader. The experience Ms. Watry brings from her previous positions as an administrator and teacher have been instrumental in moving our school forward academically. Mrs. Rethage, our Dean of Students, has been an invaluable asset to students & staff. She has taken over the role of our previous counselor and has been very creative in working through a variety of challenges with students by partnering with families. Mrs. Malone, our Counselor, and Ms. Marmon, our Interventionist, have built a strong partnership, started new programs like our anti-bullying group, and provided the extra social, emotional, and academic support our kids need to excel.

• A great group of new teachers to add to our seasoned staff of educators. We were fortunate to hire a strong group of young teachers last spring to add to our excellent staff.

• Fine arts. Our electives and fine arts are continuing to blossom. Longs Peak Jazz Band is bigger and better than ever; we have increased the number of students in orchestra; and our Spanish, Choir, P.E., and Art programs continue to flourish. Requiring sixth graders to take music has brought the benefits of music education to every student and we are finding that many families are choosing to continue music education in 7th & 8th grade.

• Accelerated Reader. Longs Peak students are reading more books than ever. Each quarter more students make their Accelerated Reader goals.

• Leadership & 21st century skills. We have expanded the opportunities for students at Longs Peak to participate in leadership groups. Students have taken a great deal of pride and ownership in Longs Peak and have had several opportunities to serve the Longs Peak community.

• Flight School. There has been a significant increase in homework completion rates and a decrease in due to Flight School. This has been a successful program that helps hold students accountable on a daily basis.

• Better communication. Teachers have made more phone calls home to parents this year, we have enhanced the Longs Peak website, and we are using more digital tools like Twitter & WordPress.

• Bond project. Our bond project continues to move forward. This summer we will see major improvements to our hallways and classrooms. We are one year ahead of schedule!

As always, I welcome your questions so do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your support and GO RAMS!

Sincerely,

Matt Buchler
Principal