Principal's Message

Good Afternoon Green Machine!  It is that time again where are ramping up our preparations to welcome back our staff and students for the kickoff of our 2026-27 school year!  I am very excited to get this year started as we have ambitious goals for the year and as we continue to grow as a school community.  

Our Mission Statement (Purpose - Service - Achievement) remains our driving force as a community school committed to the ideals of the IB.  New this year is our academic theme which involves our focus tightening toward two of the IB Learner Profiles: Communicator and Risk-Taker.  

Our faculty will have a hyper focus of growing literacy through targeted discourse and writing across the curriculum spectrum, and this will be the engine behind our Professional Learning Communities and professional development throughout the school year.  We have identified that our students need more meaningful opportunities to communicate their thoughts, to have them tested in the free exchange of ideas that the classroom should provide (Communicator), and then be able to effectively articulate, explain and/or defend them (Risk-Taker) through writing.  This applies to not only the English classroom, but also to the Math, Science, History, Arts and every other classroom on campus.  We are excited to see how this renewed emphasis on literacy positively impacts our students this school year. 

Personally, my hopes for this year are:
 

• A strong start that establishes cultural and instructional expectations

• School initiatives that are simple, effective, achievable and that make a tangible difference in the lived experiences of students and staff

• Have fun - all over campus, our staff and faculty need to be involved in student life

• Continue to be a school that finds reasons and ways that we can achieve, not one that looks for reasons why we cannot

I want to encourage your involvement in the beginning of the year activities, especially Registration, Keys to Success (Freshmen only) and Back to School Night (August 20th at 5:30pm).  Please see the below graphic for days and times for next week.  These are great opportunities to connect with school staff and your student's teachers.  Remember, we are a community of educators who hope to partner with you to create the best opportunities possible for your student; a strong partnership with families is only going to help that desire.   

I look forward to our first day of school on August 5th!  There is so much to look forward to and celebrate including Club Rush August 12th, the start of Fall Athletics, WOW week for our students, but there is nothing greater than the renewal of a school year and the convening of a school community of support, love and excellence.  See you all soon!  Go Dores!

We still have quite a few families who have not confirmed their online registration at MHS; please take care of that as soon as possible on your ParentVue!  Your student will not be able to participate in extra-curricular activities until online registration is complete.  ParentVue Link

Tom Newton

Head of School

Monterey High School

IB World School MYP/DP