Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome, Caballeros! I feel extremely privileged to serve this community as school principal.
At Flowing Wells High School, we focus on the three R’s: the Rigor of the curriculum, the Relevance of the learning, and the Relationships with the students.
- Rigor: We have increased the participation in honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes, with over 40% of our students enrolled in at least one of the courses. Four years ago we offered three AP classes; now we offer fifteen sections. However, our teachers have incorporated higher-level of thinking activities in all classes. Flowing Wells’ students consistently score higher on the AIMS test than students at high schools with similar demographics. We increased our Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) reading score by 16 points and our math score by 39%!
- Relevance: We recognize that 21st century learners don’t learn the way their parents did. Who would have predicted 16 years ago that our children would have cell phones with cameras, IPods with portable music, the ability to send and receive text messages, PSP gaming systems, hand-held GPS, or blogs, Wiki’s, Facebook, and Twitter? In addition, we are fortunate to have an increasingly diverse student population, with students who have differing cultural backgrounds and experiences. Students have changed, and we will work on changing the way we teach to better help them learn by effectively incorporating technology, prior learning, and personal experiences into our instruction.
- Relationships: Research indicates that without building strong relationships with students, rigor and relevance is ineffective because learning will not occur. According to the International Learning Center, 60% of seniors are ready for college if they felt supported by teachers; only 15% of those who felt unsupported are ready for college.
Our community climate fosters trust, where students feel secure in discussing academic and personal concerns with teachers and staff. Teachers know what their students’ passions are and what they love to do outside of school. Our teachers attend sporting events, are involved in extra-curricular activities, and support the fine arts. Our staff cares about all of our students, and we appreciate the support of the Flowing Wells community. Go CABS!
Sincerely,
Jim Brunenkant
Principal