June 8, 2009

Dear LoMA Family,

As happens every year, LoMA’s staff has been meeting to evaluate our work this year and plan for next year. In considering our successes for the year, we were especially proud of the outstanding performances this year on our own stage, basketball court, Broadway and at Lincoln Center, the success of our Advanced Placement students, and our “well developed” score on this year’s school quality review. We got this score because of so many of the wonderful lessons I saw throughout our school that included our first dissections, lively projects and improved writing. As always, our counseling team has done a great job taking care of everyone resulting in fewer fights (hardly any) and more focused kids. Our graduates are another source of pride. Nearly 90% of our students who entered four years ago are graduating on time and that over 80% of them will be attending four-year colleges. In areas where we can do better, we have come up with some new policies to improve our students’ success. While we still have many details to work out, here are some of the changes we hope to make for next year.

• In talking with the seniors last week about their internships and classes, many of them told me that they needed more academic classes in order to be fully prepared for college. They’re right, which is why every senior next year will take an additional math and science class. They will all also attend at the same time Monday through Friday from 9-12 and then go to their internships in the afternoon.
• As an alternative or supplement to internship, more seniors will be taking as additional advanced placement and college classes at NYU, BMCC and/or John Jay College.
• One of our biggest concerns has to do with the rising levels of lateness. Students who come in late are much more likely to fail classes. Furthermore, colleges judge students by their attendance and timeliness. I’ve instructed every teacher to make lateness a more direct part of their grade. For instance, in my own class I refuse to accept do now assignments and homework from late students.
• There are too many students hanging out in the hallway unsupervised during lunch. As this is a safety concern, students will have to report to the cafeteria, the library or go outside. If they wish to work with a teacher in a classroom, they may do so.
• We will be shuffling many of the advisories around a bit to help students who need extra help in their classes or in order to pass Regents.

There are six more days of classes as Regents Week begins next Tuesday. The schedule for Regents, Finals, Scantron testing (for all freshmen) and RCTs is printed on the back of this letter.

John Wenk