From Mr. Jeffrey Swanson, Principal of Roxbury High School
“The Four “A’s””
Each year as I greet the freshmen students of Roxbury High School during our Freshmen Orientation program, I present them with my traditional “Four A’s” speech. This speech addresses the four critical areas, which every pupil should focus on in order to make the most of one’s high school experience. Each of the “A’s” is an independent theme, but all four of the themes are interrelated. While the speech is only delivered once a year, and only to freshmen, it is apparent that most of our students have adopted its message. It is our formula for success at Roxbury High School!
The first “A” stands for Academics. We place a strong emphasis on the importance of maximizing one’s potential in the academic domain. Most people would suggest that this is the main reason students attend school, and we would agree that it is a critical area of focus. Completing the mandated course of study, including core courses required by the State of New Jersey and the Roxbury Board of Education, is a top priority. However, we also encourage students to undertake an exploration of subjects and experiences beyond these requirements. Whether students choose elective courses or more sophisticated and challenging core courses, our focus is on academia. We expect our students to prepare properly for class each day, and to make good use of the time spent with the teacher and fellow classmates in the educational setting. We offer assistance to those who need or desire it, and we expect our students to avail themselves of these services. To encourage our students to strive for success, we recognize and reward their achievements in the academic domain.
The second “A” stands for Attendance. I tell the freshmen, “If you’re not here (in school) we can’t teach you!” The importance of good attendance in school cannot be argued. It is a fact that students with good attendance records are more successful in the academic domain. Thus, good attendance goes hand in hand with academic success. We employ a strong attendance policy that encourages good student attendance, not only to support their efforts as students, but to help develop good standards for life after school as well. Whether a student’s future holds college, technical school, the military, or employment, a person who has developed quality attendance behaviors will enjoy greater success than one without this trait.
The third “A” denotes Activities. While the academic dimension of school is paramount because it focuses on the cognitive (or thinking) domain, we would be remiss if we did not do our best to help our students grow in the affective (or feeling) domain. Accordingly, we encourage our students to get involved in any of the myriad activities available to them at the High School. Whether a student participates in a sport, club or activity, he/she is learning important skills such as cooperation and teamwork. We believe that students learn responsibility, self-respect, integrity, honesty, leadership, perseverance, loyalty, and good citizenship through involvement in student activities. Almost all of our co-curricular programs are involved in community service programs, and our students give willingly of their time, talent, and treasure the ability to support these ventures. We believe that we support the teaching of these important values in our classrooms as well, thus the link with the other two “A’s” is evident. A student’s high school experience is incomplete if it does not include involvement in a co-curricular activity.
The fourth “A” stands for Attitude. This theme is one that directly impacts the success of students in the other three domains, because, as we all know, attitude affects everything. We encourage our students to start each day with a positive mental attitude and to accept the day’s challenges with enthusiasm and energy. We remind our students that their counselors, teachers and administrators will support them in their efforts. In addition, our outstanding Peer-to-Peer program, in which juniors and seniors work with small groups of freshmen students throughout the year, is a valuable instrument to promote this positive outlook toward high school. Approaching school with a positive attitude every day may seem like a daunting task, but if the challenge is addressed one day at a time, the task is not overwhelming. Following the “Four A’s Formula for Success” is a proven method for maximizing the high school experience. It is a formula that our students have taken to heart at Roxbury High School.