Principal

 

It is with great pride that I start the 2024-2025 school year as Interim Principal at our school where I have had the privilege of teaching and leading for the past 23 years. Over those years, I have built relationships with thousands of students and families, and I am excited and honored to continue this journey with you. Together with our dedicated staff, I am committed to continuing to make Fenton a school where students are engaged, challenged and supported. I’m excited to work together to ensure an enriching and successful year for all of our students.

 

The first day of school this year is Wednesday, August 14th. To help our freshmen transition to high school, the freshmen will follow an abbreviated schedule from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. where they will run through their schedule with abbreviated classes before other students arrive. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors will join the Freshmen at 10 a.m. and all students will complete a full-day of classes using the Late Start Schedule.  Transportation will be provided for freshmen students for the 8 a.m. start time and a second bus run will happen for all other students for the 10 a.m. start time. Click here to see the Day 1 Student Schedule for 2024-2025.

 

Communication, support, and safety are our top priorities this year. We are partnering with BeSURE Consulting to ensure that our students, families, and staff are educated in cyber safety, cyber-bullying, and the dangers of drugs and vaping. There will be assemblies and training for our students and staff as well as parent-information sessions and informational videos shared with families throughout the year. We will continue our partnership with the YWCA to ensure that our students and staff have access to on-going mental health services and programming. Our priority is to have a student body, staff, and community that is informed, healthy, and fully-supported.

 

To that end, you will receive information in the next few weeks about a communication tool we will be using called ParentSquare. This application will allow you and your student to receive all district, school, and even classroom communication via email, text, or through the ParentSquare app. All communication between students and families and their teachers, counselors, coaches, and sponsors will now be done through ParentSquare to ensure ease, efficiency, security, and safety. We are very excited to take communication with our families to the next level using this dynamic new tool. Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks.

 

Finally, our nation is in the middle of a crisis in school attendance and chronic absenteeism, and Fenton is also experiencing these issues. Missing just two days of school per month quickly adds up to over a month of learning loss over the course of the school year. Students who are chronically absent are much more likely to have lower grades, score lower on standardized tests, experience school-related stress and anxiety, and drop out of high school entirely. Further, we know that chronic absenteeism is often tied to behavioral problems and disengagement from school activities. We want our students to stay engaged, find success in and out of the classroom, develop strong work habits, and become active citizens that work to improve our community. Let’s work together to ensure that all of our students have a successful and rewarding school year by making attendance a top priority!

 

Important upcoming dates to put on your calendar:

 

I am incredibly humbled and excited to take on this new role and to serve the Fenton community in this new capacity. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. 

 

 

 

With Bison Pride,

 

 

Kate Ward

Interim Associate Superintendent/Principal