I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve as the new principal of Enfield High School. As a graduate of Enfield Schools, I am proud to be a part of this community and cannot think of a more exciting time to be an Eagle! Our first year as a combined school was a success thanks to the positive attitudes and dedication of many Enfield students, educators, parents, and community members.
While there are always areas for improvement, we are proud to highlight a few of the many accomplishments from this inaugural year. We successfully implemented a new block schedule that afforded students the opportunity to take more electives and a wider variety of courses. Our students took advantage of a new and innovative Eagle Hour Block, which provided students greater access to teachers and encouraged a flourishing of new clubs and activities to ensure students feel more connected at school. In athletics, our Girls’ Basketball Team won the division championship, our Unified Sports program thrived, and all of our student-athletes and coaches were honored by the CCC Conference with the prestigious Sportsmanship Award for the 2016-2017 school year. Academics flourished as the Social Studies Department won the Red, White, and Blue Schools Award for promoting citizenship, and students had the opportunity to take new courses such as Forensics, Astronomy, and AP European History. Whether it was at our annual Art Show, a Lamplighters production, or a musical performance, the Enfield Eagles showed their creativity and proficiency in the arts.
While we are very proud of last year’s accomplishments, we have much to look forward to in 2017-2018. We are thrilled to announce the introduction of PowerSchool, new technology that will improve communication and data collection as a means to help our students. We have added new course offerings such as Community Action Learning (pilot), AP Art History, Marine Biology, and AP Computer Science. We are also offering an interdisciplinary course merging English and social studies called The American Experience: The Role of Lesser Heard Voices. These are just a few examples, and we look forward to announcing many other exciting opportunities and events as we move throughout the school year.
For the faculty at EHS, summer is often a time to catch up on the latest educational research and learn about new instructional strategies. Several dedicated faculty members from EHS have joined a summer book club to read Carol Dweck’s book Mindset. This piece looks at how to improve student motivation by promoting a positive attitude and “growth mindset” among students. It is an interesting read for both educators and parents alike, and we invite you to join us in learning about these strategies. You can access her Ted Talk by following this link:
Carol Dweck's TedTalk (Video)
The team at EHS hopes all of our students and their families have a restful and enjoyable summer, and we look forward to seeing you all very soon.
Sincerely,
Erin E. Clark