Dear Editor,
As summer has arrived and we have time to reflect on another school year, there are many great things that our staff and students did here at Poultney High School, and I would like to highlight just a few of them.
This year, Poultney High School was one of a handful of Vermont schools to be honored with a US News and World Report national ranking with a bronze ranking.
Our students were above the state average in the majority of statewide assessment tests.
Our students participated in Model Congress in Springfield, Mass., against schools from all over the Northeast, and PHS teams passed all three bills through their committees, including one that had a unanimous vote.
PHS students won numerous art awards in local, statewide and regional competitions. Our band and chorus students also participated in numerous state and local concerts.
We were able to bring our entire student body down to New York City for a day and visited the 911 Memorial Museum as well as other local attractions.
PHS students attending Stafford Tech Center won several awards at the statewide competition and one attended the national competition in June.
In order for a school to be as successful as ours, it not only takes a caring and talented staff, but also lots and lots of support from the community. I would personally like to thank all of the community members and businesses that have helped support our students and allow them opportunities to grow and learn throughout the year. Special thanks to First Light for their generous donations that helped fund our New York City trip.
I would also like to thank all of the organizations that support PHS year in and year out, especially those that provided scholarships for our seniors at graduation. A special thank you to the Poultney Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad for all of their support throughout the year during our sporting events and our pep rallies and parades, the Poultney Rotary Club for their continued support and help with our Interact Club, and all the other community organizations that have helped support us one way or another this year. I constantly remind the students how blessed we are to live in a community where they support our youths and schools.
As we move into another school year, we are excited to see all of the great learning experiences and opportunities that await our students. I am looking forward to not only working with the youth, but also the businesses and organizations that make Poultney a great town and Poultney High School a wonderful school. Thank you all, and let’s keep that Poultney Pride going.
Joe DeBonis,Principal, Poultney High School
