By Joey Campanella
For the past two months since we began the 2022-2023 school year, I have had the pleasure to observe so many amazing things on campus that have served to confirm what I have known for some time now–that High Point Academy is a very special school with an outstanding academic program and a close and supportive community. And these are only two of the foundational attributes of our school. There is so much more that makes High Point shine!
I have enjoyed being part of the admissions tours, organized and led by Kristin Haines, that we have hosted on campus the past several weeks, welcoming the opportunity to share with prospective parents what makes our school so special. During a tour last week, a visiting parent commented to me that, despite only being at the school for a few months, I already have a deep knowledge of High Point. I thanked her and told her that it has been quite easy to recognize and embrace the range of wonderful qualities that are evident every day at school. High Point is comprised of a wide variety of talented people–teachers, administrators, parents, and students–who are deeply committed to the community and collectively work to ensure that our school, guided by its mission, continues to thrive.
After so many years as a school leader, I see my foundational responsibility as doing everything I possibly can to ensure that each student has the most positive experience at school on a daily basis. This, of course, is not always entirely possible–we all have our “off days”, but I will say with utmost confidence that we have very happy students at High Point. I get to witness this every day, whether it’s helping a Kindergartener bounce out of the car in the morning after greeting me enthusiastically and then rushing to her classmates with a beaming smile or observing 8th grade students collaboratively engaging in a science experiment, curiosity and fascination evident on their faces. These examples of the joy of learning are ubiquitous each day at High Point and a delight to observe.
At times, we might take for granted that High Point has a challenging and rigorous academic program at its core, but in my regular visits to classrooms each week, I see firsthand the active and engaging academic dynamic that is reflective of the strength of High Point’s program, the engagement of our students, and the talent and creativity of our outstanding teachers. Preparing our students–academically, socially, and personally–to succeed in high school and beyond is a fundamental goal at High Point, and academic readiness is only one essential component in this preparation.
Over the course of the first couple of months of school, I have had the distinct pleasure of conducting practice interviews with the 8th grade students with the goal of helping to prepare them for their interviews at high schools as part of the application process and also so that I have the chance to connect with them and get to know them personally. In my conversations with our senior students, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about their strengths, challenges, interests, and goals, and I have been so impressed by their confidence, their poise, and their strong communication and interpersonal skills. These are exceptional, well rounded young people with a multitude of talents and interests, and I have no doubt that their excellent interpersonal skills will be instrumental for them in gaining admission into their high schools of choice and continued success. High Point students are not only accomplished academicians but also impressive leaders, athletes, artists, and individuals.
I continue to marvel at so much that I observe at school on a daily basis, enjoying my interactions with students, teachers, and parents. The more I experience at High Point, the more I appreciate how fortunate we are to be part of such a special school.
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