I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas break. Enclosed you will find your student’s grade report for the first semester. I want to share some great news with you prior to your student’s return to school in January. As you may be aware, James Irwin Charter High School recently received its School Accountability Report (SAR) from the Colorado Department of Education. Based on the students’ 2008 CSAP scores, we were rated Excellent in achievement and High in growth. Both marks are the top ratings for each category. In addition to this, JICHS is ranked 14 out of 360 high schools in the state. We also received the John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award for being in the top 8% of schools for academic performance in Colorado. This is the fifth time we have received this award and have gotten it for the last four years in a row.

Am I bragging? You bet! However, my boasting is about the fine work your student is doing along with the excellence and diligence of our faculty and staff whose goal is supporting your child’s success. The ratings and rankings are just indicators of the fine education going on at JICHS. In response to these accolades, our CEO, Jonathan Berg, has granted the high school an additional day off during the Christmas break. This means that students will return to school on Wednesday, January 7, 2009. Congratulations to everyone involved with James Irwin Charter High School!

Also, due to a state requirement for daily student contact minutes, we are changing our bell schedule to times very similar to the original schedule printed in the handbook. This means dismissal on Fridays will be back to 2:26 p.m. There is a revised bell schedule enclosed for your convenience.

I cannot tell you how excited I am and what an honor it is to report the news of our achievement to you. I look forward to the start of a fresh semester in January and seeing the students back in the hallways and classrooms. Your partnership with us in supporting your student’s success is incredibly valuable. I hope you had a Merry Christmas, continue to have a wonderful break, and have a Happy New Year!

With warmest regards,
Alex Marquez, Principal