On behalf of the staff and administration of Waterford Alternative Programs - Sentinel High School and the Waterford Unified School District Board of Trustees, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2023-24 school year.  Sentinel High School is an alternative option to students in grade 11-12 who are not on track to graduate at Waterford High School due to credit deficiencies. Sentinel High School provides students an opportunity to continue their schooling in a smaller class setting and develops an individualized education plan to facilitate a pathway to graduation for your student.  The goal of the program is to provide students with an individualized plan for their academics while they are addressing the reasons that are preventing them from being successful so that they can return if they desire to Waterford High for their Senior Year.

As we enter the new year, we will be focusing on two themes throughout the year - Attendance and Relationships. For most of our students, attendance issues have been a major reason behind past difficulties with school. When attendance improves, we see student success improve and progress towards graduation becomes "real". One of the major areas that can improve student attendance is the relationships they build with peers and staff. We will be increasing our incentives for student attendance this year with a monthly drawing for prizes for students in addition to "Lunch with Bibbins" and highlighting student achievements each month. More will come out in our parent newsletters about these two areas of focus.

Like last year, parents/guardians will be invited to a parent orientation prior to the first day of school to go over details of Sentinel which will be held on Tuesday, August 8th at 6 pm. During the first three weeks of school, students will also be meeting with staff to identify their plan for the year for their academics and to set up additional services, as appropriate, needed to make their plan a success. Parents /guardians will be encouraged to participate in the development of the students' plan to get them back on track for graduation.

Lastly, Sentinel High School is not expecting any restrictions on student engagement activities for the coming 2023-24 school year. This means student field trips will be back fully and opens up more opportunities for students to interact and explore their career and college goals for after high school.

We will have a great year ahead of us and we are excited to see everyone in August

Sincerely,

 Tonya L. Bibbins, Principal