PRINCIPAL MESSAGE 2020

September 2022 Message

Dear Depew High School Families,

We are so happy that our students are coming back under normal conditions. It is outstanding to see full auditoriums, gymnasiums and classrooms as we are welcoming our students to the 2022-2023 school year.

Although we are back to the traditional school routine, there is still a lot of work left concerning the academic and social needs that have resulted from the pandemic. You may have heard the term SEL (social emotional learning) on the news or in social media. This year as in the last two, Depew has a soft opening in which we have SEL and class community building activities. Our staff continues these efforts throughout the school year. Through faculty, teacher-leadership and department meetings our teachers plan on working on the following areas this 2022-2023 year:

  • Active listening and engagement with instruction, teachers and peers

  • Partner and cooperative learning with peers

  • Social awareness and interaction with teachers and other students

  • Proper written communication with teachers and other school community stakeholders

In order to address these areas, our teachers are going to be setting expectations and procedures that minimize phone usage to increase focus and maximize engagement in the above areas. Your students will hear this message at our class meetings. The teachers will be putting these expectations in their class syllabi and within their Schoology courses. This letter will be posted on our website and social media outlets. I am sharing this as I am asking for your support in these endeavors.

With these procedures, we should see an increase in:

  • Academic performance

  • Peer Friendships

  • Connection to school and teachers

We should see a decrease in:

  • Classroom distractions and disruption

  • Peer conflict and cyberbullying

As always, the health and safety of our students is our number one priority. If any parent would like to have a voice

in our school-wide decisions, please let me know as we can use representatives on several of our building and

district committees.

Sincerely,
James J. Lupini
Depew High School Principal