Greetings J.G. Whittier Families,

As we prepare for our 2020-2021 school year and whatever that may look like, I am writing today to remind some of you and notify others that we have been conducting home visits with students and families over the past 5 summers, and we would love to continue this successful tradition with you and your student!

We have conducted over 200 home visits over the past 5 summers, and they are entirely voluntary. This is a great opportunity to have 1:1 time with me to answer any questions you or your student may have, address any potential concerns, gather any pertinent information that you may be interested in, and finally to just start a positive connection that includes open communication to ensure for a successful school year.

It is my goal, and our goal at J.G. Whittier to form a partnership with our student’s families in order to help ALL students be successful.  A connection through a home visit is a great way to start.

Our home visits will obviously need to look much different this summer due to COVID-19, but establishing appropriate safety measures will allow us to continue what we feel is a priority for our school in connecting with all of you and answering your questions and addressing your concerns.

We will be conducting our home visits throughout the month of August. Home visits this summer will not actually take place in your homes, but preferably in your yards or on your front or back porches. Any J.G. Whittier staff attending a home visit will be wearing a mask at all times and we will only be giving “virtual” handshakes and high fives.

The home visits will be scheduled at your convenience. We would ask that you try to schedule them during the regular business hours of the day, but if that does not work for your family, we are open to being flexible and accommodating a time that works for you. If you are interested in having a home visit with me and potentially other JGW staff or have more questions about home visits, please email me at (tbetty@haverhill-ps.org).

I look forward to conducting as many home visits as possible over the next month to help build a partnership with you, and prepare your students in the best way possible for the upcoming school year. I look forward to hearing from many of you.

Take care,

Tim Betty

Principal

J.G. Whittier Middle School