September 28, 2023
March 23, 2023
I hope this message finds you well. Measuring life by the school calendar is an interesting experience. It is the end of March!!! March is perhaps the most fickle month - so much promise with the occasional denial of our long awaited spring. I was reminded of March's promise and denial at our recent Concert-Grande, a truly wonderful event that celebrates Middle and High School performing arts that was moved because of our second snow day. Thinking of music, a number of Hartford's students are participating in the New England Music Festival Association, congratulations to all who achieved this honor. As we have the past few years we provided the opportunity for our students in grade 10 and 11 to sit for the school- day PSAT or SAT during March - in addition to providing these gateway tests at no charge for our students, their completion helps our school as part of our local assessment plan. March is also a time of transition in our athletic programs, winter teams give way to the spring season. Renewal is a hallmark of March. If you visit our campus you will find trees tapped for syrup, on the right day you will smell the truly Vermont scent of boiling sap - our first syrup was created a couple of weeks ago. Flowers are emerging and will soon provide us with their springtime beauty. Our students are preparing for the end-of-year March variety show and our One-Act play is prepped for the regional festival. On Friday, March 10th we hosted our first "Hurricane Day". This day was dedicated to supporting students' development and completion of their Personalized Learning Plans (PLP) and reviewing all the options that are available at Hartford High School for a highly individualized learning experience.
"Hurricane Day" began with a community breakfast. We fed each other and enjoyed the reinstating of a pre-COVID tradition. The remainder of the day was dedicated to the reality of our school's commitment to ensuring that each and every student's learning is tailored by and for them. I am proud of our school for working toward, recognizing, and supporting " school" that looks very different than it did just a few years ago. One of the most important ways that we partner with our learners is our process for course registration. Hartford's schedule of courses is created annually and is based on our students' choices. While this process takes more time and brings with it a number of challenges, the result is student schedules that both meet their needs and provide tremendous choice. Through this process we listen to our students' voices in a tangible way. During the next few weeks our students will be actively participating in their future, yet another springtime transitional tradition.
We spend a lot of time considering how we can continue to provide a highly flexible pathway to graduation. This must include opportunities as unique as the students we serve. I am pleased that more and more our students are recognizing that they can be the driver of their learning.
I hope that you are all well and have the chance to talk with the young person / people in your care about their school experiences and that the learners we share can tell you the way(s) that they are creating, with us, their Hartford High School experience.
Thank you for reading,
Nelson Fogg
Nelson Fogg, Principal
Hartford High School
(802) 295-8610 x *2190
foggn@hartfordschools.net