Technically, Autumn arrived at 8:44 a.m. on Sunday morning. But I like to think that it hits when I consume my first pumpkin flavored food, which was pumpkin pancakes yesterday morning. But fall is definitely here, with each falling leaf a wave goodbye from summer.
The main highlight for the week is an official visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). We have been accredited by NEASC for many years now and are one of the only K-12 schools to do so.
A group of six will be visiting NHCS for three days to assess our progress on several key areas of which we prioritized during a previous visit two years ago. Our visitors are all teachers and leaders from other schools who will be meeting with our staff, students, and visiting classrooms. Their assessment begins first thing tomorrow morning.
You might be wondering: why bother with this accreditation? We're already certified by the state of Maine, like every other public school. As an independent organization, NEASC brings much-needed perspective and additional sets of eyes on what we do. Meeting their standards requires more of us, and when we know better, we do better.
SPJ
