SHS Teachers Write EIA Teacher Grants

Teachers at Seneca High School had the opportunity to participate in an EIA teacher grant workshop with District Grant Writer Jennifer Dodd today. EIA teacher grants support the improvement of classroom instructional practices and procedures. Grants may be written for projects that support instructional activities and for the implementation of the South Carolina curriculum standards. Grants may be writtent to support teachers in the following areas:

• implementation of performance assessments



• instructional activities for parental reinforcement at home



• computer-assisted instruction



• techniques for motivating and rewarding achievement



• techniques for improving students' study skills



• innovative teaching strategies, activities

Teachers may write individual grants up to $2,000, or teachers may submit group grants up to $6,000. Seneca High School is proud of the following teachers for participating in this workshop:

Stephanie Brewer, Al Langston, Michelle Williams, Demetric Tensley, Hans Schmidt, Jaquette Gilbert, Cheryl Cook

All County Orchestra

Seneca High School would like to congratulate the following students for being selected to participate in All County Orchestra:

Sheida Abdi
Saxon Cook
Brianna Hyslop
JoAnna McAnally
Olivia Piccirillo
James Quarles
Kim Romero
Brianna Smith
Brian Stephens
Zach Suffern
Jason Vo
Javier Zamarripa


The concert will be Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 7:00 at West Oak.

Mrs. Brewer's Class visit China Inn

Mrs. Brewer's students have been studying China. During the unit, students learned about the geography, history, and people of China. Guest speakers, Sam Holleman and Dr. Norton, shared pictures and artifacts from their visit to China. The students enjoyed learning about the Great Wall, Terracotta Soldiers, pandas, the Chinese New Year, and Chinese Food. As a culuminating activity, students had the opportunity to eat lunch at China Inn on Friday. In addition to eating Chinese cuisine, many students ate with chopsticks! Mrs. Brewer has done an outstanding job with her students. They have had the opportunity to participate in many educational activities this year.

Coach Duncan and Family Visit Seneca High

Today was exciting at Seneca High as we welcomed Coach Duncan. Coach Duncan spent several hours touring our school and athletic facility, and meeting teachers and students. Coach Duncan also met with all boys interested in playing football. More than 100 young men met with Coach Duncan to hear about the football program. He began explaining his expectations for our students and our football program. Seneca High School and the Athletic Booster Club hosted a reception for Coach Duncan, his wife Misty, and their two children. We had a great turn out of students, parents, faculty, and community members. Coach Duncan plans to be at Seneca High School a few days each week during second semester. Our school and community are proud to have Coach Duncan join our faculty.

A huge thank you to Frank and Beth Thompson and the Athletic Booster Club for coordinating the reception.

Seneca High Welcomes New Football Coach

Seneca High School welcomes Head Football Coach and Social Studies Teacher Ron Duncan. Coach Duncan was approved by the School Board on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 during its regularly scheduled meeting. Coach Duncan comes to Seneca High School from Bamberg-Earhardt High School where he has established a successful football program. He has an overall record of 50-12. He has been named Region V Coach of the Year for the last four years. His football team has had numerous accomplishments including being the Region V Champions and Upper State Champions in 2007, Region V Champions in 2006, and Lower State Champions in 2005. He is described as being an excellent teacher, running a first class football program, a great communicator and a person with high expectations. Ron is married to Misty and has two children- Jackson and Laney Claire. We are excited to have Coach Duncan at Seneca High School. A reception will be held for Coach Duncan and his family on Thursday, January 10th from 4:30-6:30 in the Seneca High School cafeteria- students, parents, faculty, and staff are invited.

Welcome Back!

I would like to welcome our students, faculty, and staff back to Seneca High School. I hope that everyone had a safe and restful break and is looking forward to a great 2008. Students and teachers will prepare for exams that begin on January 11, 2008. I have included the exam schedule on the right column of my blog. The schedule can also be found on the school's website. It is important for students to study and do their very best on these exams. Second semester will begin January 17, 2008. As we enter a new semester, please contact the school if you have any questions or concerns. The faculty and staff of Seneca High School enjoy working with your student and want to provide a positive and safe learning environment for all students.

Also included on the right column of my blog is our registration schedule for next school year. Please be sure to mark important dates on your calendar.

Have A Happy New Year!

"Sounds of the Season" performed by Seneca High School Choral Department

Tonight we began celebrating the holiday season by attending our choral department's "Sound of the Season." This year's concert was performed at Seneca Baptist Church, so we enjoyed their facility beautifully decorated for the Christmas Season. More than one hundred twenty-five students participated in the choral concert representing five differen choral groups: Men's Chorus, Women's Chorus, Honors Women's Chorus, Honors Chorale, and Madrigals. The groups performed a wide selection of music. Some of the titles include: "A Joyful Spanish Carol," "Marshmallow World," The Coventry Carol," "Carol of the Bells," "Jingle Bells," "Aspenglow," "Still, Still, Still," and many more. I am very proud of our students-- we have such great talent. A huge thank you to Ms. Diane McFarlane and Ms. Melissa McClain for their expertise and hard work to prepare our students.

Winter String Performance

On Tuesday, December 4, Seneca High School's Chamber and Orchestra performed for family and friends. A variety of music was played including Sarson de Cordes (Season of Strings), Handel's Concerto for Strings Orchestra, and some favorite holiday songs. Mr. Warlick played violin and Sheida Abdi accompanied on the piano to the night's final selection, The Christmas Song. The faculty and staff are proud of our strings students.

Generation Next Votes 2008

Thursday, December 6, 2007, nearly 1,000 students in the School District of Oconee County had the opportunity to participate in Generation Next Votes 2008. Of the 1,000 students, more than 160 were Seneca High School students. These students, who will be 18 before November 8, 2008, had the opportunity to register to vote and to learn more about the Presidential candidates. Candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties were invited to join the students. Senator John Edwards, a former Seneca resident, made an appearance at the assembly and spoke to students about the importance of exercising their right to vote. This was a great opportunity for our students. We would like to thank Mrs. Evie Hughes, principal of Walhalla High School and the Walhalla High's SAGE team (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship) for inviting Seneca High School to attend.

Students Inducted into National Beta Club

Seventy-seven Seneca High School students were inducted into the school's chapter of the National Beta Club. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher are eligible to join the National Beta Club. Congratulations to the following students:

10th Grade
Shedia Abdi ; Kira Grimes ; Leirin Smith
Jessica Adams; Joseph Haggwood; Haley Tanner
Samantha Adams; Christopher Hall; Jessica Tollison
Cameron Blassingame; Brianna Hyslop; Jason Vo
Samantha Brown; Hunter Jarrett; Christy Watters
Sam Burchfield; Tiffany Lament; Gregory Watters
Reneisha Butler ; Jenna Lay; Breanna Whitner
Brittany Collins; Carson LeCroy; Devan Williams
Maria Condatore; Corey McCubbin; LaMarcus Wright
Taylor Edens; Morgan Roper ; May Zhu
Erin Garland; Jordan Ross
Kiley Gaston; Tori Schiazza

11th Grade
Zachary Al-Nasser; Mackenzie Garland; Michael Price
Katheline Armentrout; Danielle Gay; Courtney Pund
Paige Blackmon; Brittany Hartman; Ajalek Robinson
Devon Bowser; Jordon Helms; Tripp Ross
Lauren Brock; April Holland; Brytannia Sears
Rebecca Conner; Lauren Klukkert; Jason Smith
Josiah Conrad; Anna Maria Land; Zachary Thompson
Necia Cook; Hillary Lee; Sydney Tran
Rachel Cunningham; Bobby McGill; Paul Watters
Kristopher Dennis; Andrea Oglesby; Anna Williams
John Doud; Alanda Parker; Heather Wright
Kevin Egan; Tamara Parker
Katie Fronck; Adrienne Pitre

12th Grade
Mary Douglas; Leann Nix; Sheena Swaney
Shanice Mayes ; Chase Pate; Levall Wall

Research Says Family Involvement Important

Family involvement in student education is important...even high school students. This month's National Association of Secondary School Principal's Research Review dedicates the issue to promoting family involvement. The article identifies four important facts, and they include:

• Family involvement in education remains a powerful predictor of student academic achievement and other positive outcomes.
• Family involvement in secondary education is associated with higher rates of college enrollment.
• Academic encouragement by parents is more powerful than the support provided by friends.
• Intervention programs can strengthen family involvement with positive results for student school success.

The faculty and staff of Seneca High encourage you to be involved in your student's education. We encourage you to contact a teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator for ways that you can be involved.

Seneca High Opens a New Computer Lab

Students in Mr. Tensley's computer classes began working in a new computer lab prior to Thanksgiving Break. Twenty-eight new Dell computers were purchased so that teachers and students would have more access to technology. The classroom is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with computers, printer, and an LCD projector. Mr. Tensley and his students have enjoyed the new technology. Other students and teachers may access the lab during Mr. Tensley's planning period.

2007 Report Cards are Published

The South Carolina State Department of Education has released school and school district report cards. Seneca High School's Report Grade is Absolute Rating: Average; Improvement Rating: Unsatisfactory; Adequate Yearly Progress: Yes.

The Absolute Rating for high schools is based on four items: Graduation rate, First Time HSAP (High School Assessment Program), Longitudinal HSAP (the percentage of students who pass all three portions of the HSAP(reading, writing, math) prior to graduation, and End Of Course Exams.

Seneca High School's Graduation Rate is 74.3% up from 69.3% last year.
Seneca High School's First Time HSAP is 81.8% up from 79.3% last year.
Seneca High School's Longitudinal HSAP is 89.5% down from 94.9% last year.
Seneca High School's End Of Course is 65.8%. This is the first time EOC has counted in the absolute rating of the report card.

The faculty has reviewed many different types of data this school year. We have also reviewed and discussed our report card grade. As a faculty, we continue to set goals that will allow us to continue improving our school ensuring that we prepare your student for their future. I am very proud of the outstanding faculty we have at Seneca High School.
For more information about our school report card, please contact me.

PLAN Given to Seneca High School Sophomores

Three hundred twenty-four students participated in ACT's PLAN assessment today. PLAN's content is very similar to the ACT. PLAN is given to 10th graders and provides information to schools and school districts about instructional areas that may need to be improved. PLAN is also used as a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and post-graduation years. Seneca High School will host a PSAT/PLAN interpretation workshop on Wednesday, January 23rd at 7:30 in the Hamilton Auditorium.

November Student of the Month

Josh Powell was honored today as Seneca High School's November Rotary Student of the month. Josh is a senior at Seneca High School. He is very active in school activities and volunteers in our guidance office. We are proud that Josh represented Seneca High School.