Parent Orientation at West Chester East High School

I just got home from parent orientation night at West Chester East High School! Wow! My head is still spinning with all the information that was imparted to us by Dr. Richard F. Dunlap, Jr., Principal, Dr. Crystal Dowdell, the 9th grade administrator, and the guidance counselor, the PTO Co-Chair and a few others!

A big change for this school year will be the revised bell schedule and transportation plan. To decrease transportation costs and because Fugett Middle School and West Chester East share a parking lot, the middle school and high school students will now be on the same bus. Other West Chester Area Schools will not be affected as none of the other schools share the same parking lot situation.

The first day of school 8/29/11 is almost upon us. I can't believe another summer is almost over. Homeroom, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday will be at 7:30. On Wednesday, if I understood Dr. Dunlap correctly, the children will go straight into first period. This one change will allow the students, faculty and even Dr. Dunlap 20 minutes at the end of that day to read! How exciting! They will either get to read a book that they bring in, or their teachers will assign a book but each week, they will read together as a school. I would love my boys to share my love of reading and both boys read during vacation this year. I wouldn't say either of them reads to live as I do, but once home, more than once, I've seen Michael, who never met a book he wanted to read, sitting on the sofa reading for pleasure! Last summer I introduced him to Christopher Moore, a very funny author and he read Fool. This year, he tackled Lamb. Now he's reading a big thick paperback. It only took 22 years! Parents don't give up hope!

For Physical education, your freshman kids will only need a shirt and a strap for the heart monitor that is required. Both can be bought, along with shorts if your son or daughter wants them, at the school store.

Dr. Dunlap suggests that each child bring a notebook, a pencil and a pen on the first day. Each teacher will then give the students a list of supplies and we parents get to make our frantic run to Staples, along with the other 380 freshman parents! It's always a hectic night at Staples on the first day of school!

There will be many places to go for guidance, tutoring, extra help and any question the kids may have. Just like in life, students will have to seek out and take advantage of the great things on offer. And there are many great things on offer at this school. I am feeling very blessed to be of the West Chester Area School District!

Best of luck to my son Max, who starts high school as part of the Class of 2015! I know it's going to fly by and I would like to slow it down, just a bit!

Go East!