It is an honor to begin my third year as Gardenhill's Principal.  This dedicated school community has made tremendous strides in academic achievement and I am committed to continuing on the same path of excellence.  Our school is celebrating an API score of 890!  This outstanding achievement is due to our hardworking teachers, students and parents!  The continued focus on professional learning communities, high quality instruction in literacy, critical thinking, writing, differentiated instruction, and meaningful assessments are all part of our success.  These strategies will continue to help ensure that in the future all students will meet or exceed standards.  As the children of Gardenhill progress through their K - 5 school career, our school strives to instill in them a lifelong love of learning.  Through cooperation, resilience, excellence, creativity and dedication, our school community will continue to provide a challenging and rewarding academic experience for the children of Gardenhill.

We accomplished many things in 2009 - 2010.  First and foremost an increased API score! Gardenhill was also selected as a 21st Century School.  A 21st Century School realizes that we cannot continue to educate in the same manner that we have for nearly the last 100 years.  Our focus will begin to shift from giving the facts, to teaching students how to sift through and analyze information.  Information is readily at our students’ fingertips.  It is our job to continue to challenge them into making meaning of the information they have access to.  Learning needs to become more relevant, active, instantly useful and FUN!
Implications for Gardenhill Classrooms:

Each classroom will have:

3 Computers
5 iPod Touches
1 iPad
1 Printer

Students today are not the same students that we taught 10 minutes ago.  Not only do they look different, but they think and process information dramatically different. Today’s students - K through college - represent the first generation to grow up with this technology.  Today’s new students are called “Digital Natives.”  These natives spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, video games, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age.  Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives.  For those who have not grown up with these technologies on a daily basis, the term “digital immigrants”  has been given. Gardenhill is ready to join the “natives” in the 21st Century!

We couldn’t be more pleased to be selected as a 21st Century School and hope to truly begin to integrate more technology and projects into our curriculum.  This is a great step in helping us fulfill our newly revised vision which emphasizes advancing students’ skills in a technological world.

Our established parking committee that met several times during the 2008 - 2009 school year created an effective and safe parking plan.  This committee was comprised of a Public Safety Officer, two officers from the Sheriff's Department, parents, teachers, and administration.  We appreciated the communities input on our Parking Committee Survey.  The committee was charged with trying to create safer parking situations before and after school.  With 85% of parents being in agreement to drop and pick up their child(ren) at a designated gate that corresponds with specific grade levels, the team designed drop-off and pick-up points for each grade level.  We know many families have several children at Gardenhill, so it is important to choose a drop-off and pick-up spot that is the safest for your family.  We ask that Kindergarten and First Grade Parents use Heflin Drive as their designated area for drop-off and pick-up.  Second and Third Grade Students may be dropped off on Gardenhill Drive or in the parking lot on Gardenhill Drive.  Fourth and Fifth Grade Students are asked to use Valeda Drive as their drop-off and pick-up points. Students may use the walkway ramp on Burgess Drive and the back stairs on Valeda Drive to enter the campus.  Also, the Heflin parking lot will now be reserved for staff parking and the Gardenhill parking lot will be for visitors. We thank you for your support in helping us have a safe parking situation at Gardenhill.

Due to the huge budget cuts for the 2009-2010 school year, we are asking parents to partner with us in many areas. In 2008 - 2009 Gardenhill was given a budget of $102,000 and in 2009 - 2010 our budget was $41,000.  This generally will be the budget for the next 4 consecutive years.  At Back to School Night you will be able to sign up for different ways you can help support our school and help us to continue to maintain an excellent education for your child(ren).  We will be doing several fundraisers, asking for volunteers and partnering with our parents to continue our outstanding professional learning community.  At Gardenhill we believe that children are best served and supported when parents and teachers work as partners, and we are excited about enhancing the home/school connection at Gardenhill.  Parental involvement in a school is an extraordinarily valuable positive feature!

I look forward to another great year working in partnership with the Gardenhill community achieving academic excellence!

Sincerely,
 

- Eileen Burkholder, Principal