Letter from the Principal - September 2024
September 12, 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome back! It’s hard to believe we are already in our third week of school. Most of us have settled into our routines, and summer seems long behind us.
The school year started strong as we celebrated many traditions and launched new initiatives. I invite you to read this first edition of our Communicator to learn more about opening school events and initiatives.
The most impactful initiative this year is our new phone policy. We are pleased with our partnership with Yondr, but I want to emphasize that this isn’t about the pouch. This initiative is about creating a healthy environment where human relationships, mental health, learning, and student engagement prevail.
This new policy is already creating a culture shift at CDH. The halls and cafeteria are louder because students are talking and interacting. Teachers are reporting greater student engagement in class. It’s encouraging that, overall, students understand and accept this change. Many of our students even welcome and embrace it. They realize this new policy isn’t a punishment or a statement about “teenagers today.” Teenagers didn’t create this frenzied phone culture; they were born into it. It is the responsibility of the adults in their lives to create a better future for them.
Parents, I credit you for so much of our success at CDH, including this initiative. The messages they receive from you guide their decision-making and interactions with us. You recognize that the best interests of your daughters and sons are paramount to us. You have fully supported us, even when it means coming to school to pick up their phones. We are grateful for your partnership as we create this culture shift. Your influence is the primary reason our students continue to be so respectful.
It can be difficult to recognize your positive influence on your children when they are teenagers exploring and seeking their independence. I want you to know that your significance in their lives is abundantly clear following the deaths of CDH parents Christopher Schmitt and Katherine Olin. Their deaths are particularly devastating because their children are heartbroken. As your daughters and sons witness their friends’ loss and heartbreak, they turn to you for reassurance and love. Their actions and empathy for their grieving classmates are a reflection of your love. It is a privilege to witness this sacred bond.
Parents, you accepted our invitation to partner with us the first day you dropped your student off at CDH. I want you to know that we accept your invitation to teach, support, and care for your children each and every day.
God’s peace be with you,
Mona Passman, Principal