What I Noticed: Foundations, First Steps, and Forward Momentum

Have you ever noticed how the energy in a room shifts the moment people stop waiting for direction and start building together?

Walking through our halls during these opening days, that shift was everywhere. The start of a school year is never just about syllabus reviews or locker combinations; it is about establishing our collective rhythm. When you step into a classroom and see students leaning in, testing ideas, and leaning on one another, you realize that culture is not something we talk about—it is something we actively construct from day one.

This past week, our building came alive with purpose. From our newest sixth graders finding their footing to our seniors stepping up into leadership, our students demonstrated that when we show up with intentionality, excellence naturally follows.

Collaborative Problem-Solving in Action

Across grade levels and disciplines, our classrooms immediately transformed into active workshops of critical thinking:

Engineering Under Pressure: In Mrs. Costanzo’s 7th-grade math classes, students tackled the Marshmallow Challenge—armed only with 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and a single marshmallow. Through rapid prototyping and persistence, Ashton and Robert engineered the tallest freestanding structure across all three sections at an impressive 23.5 inches.
Hands-On Discovery: In 8th-grade STEM, Mrs. Wilcox had students diving straight into design work with the “Grab Lab,” while Mr. Robison’s Sr. High School Data Inclusion classes were already busy gathering and analyzing quantitative data firsthand.
Scientific Foundations: Mrs. Nemet’s 6th-grade science classes established early group norms by collaborating around core success skills, Mrs. Coney’s 7th graders worked on an engineering lab, and Mr. Reutter’s CCP Biology students stepped directly into laboratory investigations.

Tradition, Tenacity, and Building Belonging

Classroom rigor was matched by an incredible sense of community across our entire campus:

Senior Leadership: Our Class of 2027 started their final chapter on high ground, gathering for the Senior Sunrise organized by our counselor, April. That momentum carried right into the school day, with seniors arriving early to connect and set the tone in the cafeteria student lounge.
Academic Ownership: In CCP Calculus, Mr. Geiser stepped back to let students take the board to work through advanced problems collaboratively. Down the hall, Mr. Lepley led Maker space courses through critical hands-on safety demonstrations, Mrs. Cornelius guided 8th-grade social studies groups through chronological timeline analysis, Mrs. Koroshazi kicked off 8th-grade ELA with interactive, team-building trivia, and Mr. Stewart worked on some group work projects with some students.
Friday Night Energy: That same collective spirit spilled onto the field Friday night. The student section packed the stands with energy to cheer on our team as we secured an opening-night victory under our new head coach and 8th-grade intervention specialist, Mr. Leja.

When students are given the space to take ownership of their learning, they do not just meet expectations—they elevate them. Thank you to our staff, families, and community for showing our students that they belong to a supportive, ambitious network. As we take these initial steps together, we remain focused, united, and moving forward with purpose.

-Mr. Hartman