It is once again my pleasure to be serving as an assistant principal here at Indian Trail. This is truly a great place to be! The school year is already well under way and summer vacation is becoming more and more a distant memory. We will be preparing for the end of the school year before we know it. Time really does fly when you’re having fun!

Last year I served as the sixth grade-supervising administrator. This year I have moved with my students and now serve as the seventh grade-supervising administrator. Watching them grow and evolve into young adults is the greatest thrill of my job.

Every new school year brings new and exciting changes. The newest change that I am most excited about here at I.T. is the school-wide adoption of PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support). This is a paradigm shift away from holding students accountable for behaviors that they may or may not have learned; instead PBIS teaches our behavioral expectations to students and rewards them for the correct positive social behaviors. For more information on PBIS please visit www.pbisillinois.org or www.pbis.org.

Besides becoming a person of good character, gaining an education is also a key to a person’s success. Seventh grade brings an exciting and challenging curriculum for students to learn. To help your child be successful in school, please arrange a schedule for him or her to follow every night. This will allow your child to successfully complete all homework. A good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast will also help students do their best in school.

The middle school years can be both a challenging and rewarding time. These are often difficult years for students of this age as they are the “Tweenies.” They are between childhood and adulthood. They are just a few years removed from sleeping with a teddy bear and a few years away from choosing a college; but if we work together as a team, we can ensure the success for all of our wonderful students here at Indian Trail.

I encourage you to directly contact your child’s teachers with any questions or concerns that you may have for them. As always, please feel free to contact me as well if you have any questions or concerns.

Bob Pape

Assistant Principal