Teachers are the foundation of our schools. They inspire, guide and lead our students to love learning and ideas and to greater self understanding. Each May and December we ask families to tell us about the teachers who have made a difference in the lives of their students. The response to our Thank-A-Teacher program is always heartfelt and inspiring.

To participate, families send a donation to us and we pass their words on to the honored teachers. The funds raised by the program are used for grants to teachers.

Here is a sampling of what families said about teachers this year:

• I will remember your kindness with warmth and gratitude. Thank you for all you do!"
  
• "My daughter walked through the school doors a hesitant 5 year old and left ready for the rigors of middle school!"
  
• "Thank you for exposing our son to unique science opportunities. You have ignited his interest in biology.
  
• "I came to you with little things and sometimes real problems and you always helped me. It was truly a very comforting feeling."
  
• "I appreciate your willingness to hang in there with my son and demand better work from him. You all joined the village in raising him this year."
  
• "Thank you for teaching me all you could teach me this year. As my Dad said, you are a good teacher."

Since 1997, Reaching Heights has published Neighborhood Newsletters to help inform citizens about the students, staff and families at each school. The seven elementary school newsletters include news from the feeder middle school and Heights High.

In the newsgathering process, we meet with each principal to identify stories that tell about that school's priorities. An interesting trend has emerged in the last few years: principals are using a common language and working on the same goals and priorities. There is a plan here, a unified and coherent approach to increasing student achievement.
Here are the most common themes we saw in interviewing the CH-UH principals:

• Teachers collaborating in professional learning communities - sharing best practices, supporting teacher moral and student achievement.
• Programming to orient and welcome new students and families.
• Teachers using student performance data to individualize instruction.
• Consistent and clear communication with students for uniform behavior standards.
• Increased academic challenge for capable and motivated students.
• Extra curricular activities that complement the academic focus of school.
• An emphasis on literacy for learning at all levels.
• The benefits of drawing on a cadre of dedicated parent and community volunteers.
  
  The newsletters would not be possible without the volunteer efforts of 40 community writers and more than 300 friends of our schools who distribute them to every home in the district.

• Medium sized knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn
• Needlepoint canvas, cotton or wool floss or yarn

Also needed are volunteers who could come to the school once a week at 3:00 p.m. to help guide the young crafters. If you can help in any way, please contact Donna Feldman at D_Feldman@chuh.org.