Day of Reckoning

Why the title? Isn't that kind of gloom and doom?

At South, it probably is. But for some students that have been underachieving or at least less than attentive, there may be a day of reckoning soon. I'm referring to the fact that report cards will be sent home with students for the 1st quarter in a couple of days.

By and large, South students do very well in their classes. There is strong support and high expectations from home, and that is carried over into the classroom by students. We are also blessed to have dedicated teachers that hold these same high expectations for students. The end result is a school where the majority of the student body is adequately and effectively preparing themselves for life after high school.

Since the advent of Pinnacle and Parent Connect, it is easy for parents to monitor the progress of their sons and daughters. If you choose, you can watch their attendance on a daily basis and make note of any missing assignments in class. For the parent that is invested in their child's education, the degree of transparency has never been greater. It's a far cry from the 'old days'.

I remember when the first update of a student's potential grade came with progress reports at mid-quarter. Until then, parents were often left in the dark unless they made a conscious effort to contact the teachers. And it was often too late by the time the progress report arrived home to make an improvement in the quarter grade.

Thankfully, those days are long gone. The level of accountability has dramatically increased over the last decade--for everyone. Students, teachers and even parents are held more responsible for the level of achievement, and much more promptly. It is a result of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation and the fact that technological advances makes access to data so much more available.

For your son and daughter, I hope it's a day of celebration at your house when the report card hits home. It will likely mean that all of us have been doing our job.