Jasper — Editor’s note: In order to give you a better sense of how our schools are structured, the Jasper News featured a questionnaire about a different school each week for five weeks. This is the last feature. The schools were Hamilton County High School, Central Hamilton Elementary, North Hamilton Elementary, South Hamilton Elementary and Greenwood. Reporter Joyce Marie Taylor sent a list of questions to the principal of each public school in Hamilton County and we are publishing the responses. The following is the interview with Hamilton County High School Principal Wanda Law. This is the first school year as principal for Law. She previously served as assistant principal at HCHS.

JN: What is your school’s philosophy?

WL: Hamilton County High School will produce, through a rigorous curriculum, prepared young adults that are creative, individual learners and productive citizens of society.  Each individual will be prepared to enter a college, trade/vocational school, or work force with the tools needed to be successful which will leave no child behind.



JN: What is the school’s approach to discipline?

WL: Our approach to discipline is to be proactive and take preventative measures whenever possible.  If a discipline issue does arise, we refer to the student code of conduct and matrix of disciplinary actions that is listed in the back of the student code of conduct.

JN: How do teachers and staff encourage student progress toward meeting state standards?

WL: Through the use of Multi-Tiered System of Student Support (MTSSS), teachers meet to discuss student data and conduct data chats with students to inform them of the information that is gathered from Progress Monitoring Assessments (PMA).  Teachers also plan together and implement various instructional strategies, such as differentiated instruction and small group/cooperative learning instruction to assist students in meeting the standards.

JN: What library resources are available to students?

WL: Some of the resources available to students through our media center are the use of computers, books, Barnes and Noble Nooks for electronic books. We also have an outstanding media specialist and we can use the Sunlink system to locate various resources from across the state.

JN: How is the school adjusting to new technology?

WL: We are adjusting to new technology by making our technologies available to all teachers. We have 5 computer labs on campus. We also have 6 computer on wheels carts that have 24 laptop computers each. We are also in process of becoming completely wireless across our campus. In addition to computers, we also have student response systems (clickers) and wireless tablets that are shared among teachers to increase student participation in class.

JN: How are students adjusting to the new uniform policy?

WL: Our students are conforming very well to the standardized dress policy.

JN: What Arts programs are available and how do they fit into the curriculum?

WL: We offer band, chorus, drawing and painting and ceramics classes. For our middle school students, these classes are offered through an exploratory wheel. For high school students, these classes are offered as electives. The teachers of these courses implement the same instructional strategies that our core teachers use so that the students see consistent instruction throughout their day.

JN: What extra-curricular activities are offered?

WL: The sports that are offered at HCHS include volleyball, football, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, track and field and weightlifting.  Students can also participate in cheerleading, band and/or flag corps.  HCHS also offers a wide variety of clubs that includes Senior and Junior Beta, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Key Club, Student Government Association (SGA) and Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT).

JN: How does the school support students with disabilities, academic, social and emotional?

WL: We support our students with disabilities through Inclusion classes as well as providing paraprofessionals in classes that have students with disabilities in them.  We also have resource classes where our students with disabilities can meet with a teacher to receive help on any work that they may bring in. We also have an outstanding Special Olympics program for our students to take advantage of.

JN: What strategies are used for teaching students not fluent in English?

WL: Our students who are English Language Learners (ELL) have access to a tutor through migrant services as well as a paraprofessional who specializes in students learning the English language. Students also have access to the English in a Flash computer program.  Our teachers are also encouraged to become ESOL certified to implement strategies that will assist ELL learners within their classroom.

JN: List professional development opportunities for teachers.

WL: Some professional development opportunities that our teachers have access to are CHAMPS classroom management, Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) training,  Bioscopes science training, Next Generation Content Area Reading Professional Development (NG-CARPD) and lesson study. We also have access to and will soon begin the Editure Professional Development Suite.

JN: What are some of the school’s greatest accomplishments?

WL: At HCHS, we are very proud of our abilities to move students in the bottom quartile in math and reading, which were among the largest gains in the state. We are also very proud of our systems that are in place to keep our middle and high school students separated during the day. Our master schedule also allows for our core teachers to have two planning periods which is very helpful for planning and meeting purposes.

JN: What are some of the school’s biggest challenges?

WL: Some of the biggest challenges that we face at HCHS is the constant move away from the traditional FCAT at the high school level to End of Course (EOC) exams in certain subject areas.  Keeping up with the transition from Sunshine State Standards (SSS) to NGSSS to Common Core Standards (CCS) and the requirements that come from these transitions are challenging at times.

JN: How does the school keep parents informed on activities, etc.?

WL: To keep parents informed of activities, we use call-outs, our school website, the Counselors Chronicle (guidance newsletter) and emails for parents that have a valid email address on file.  Also, parents can keep track of their student’s progress in class through our Skyward grading system.  Articles in the Jasper News as well as use of the local radio talk station (WJHC 107.5) help us to get information out to parents.

JN: Does the school have an active PTA?

WL: We do not have a PTA, but we do have an active School Advisory Council (SAC) that meets in the media center at 4 pm on the third Thursday of every month.

JN: What is the school’s goal for the 2011-12 school year?

WL: Hamilton County High School’s goal for the 2011-2012 school year is to continue moving towards earning a ‘C’ and making AYP at the end of the school year.