Happy New Year to all of the members of the Cranford community. 2011 was a year of personalized growth for Cranford High School in academics, arts, character education, service, and athletics. It was also an opportunity for CHS to maintain our authenticity while we continued to push toward continuous improvement. Each new year is a time to reflect on our passion and commitment to teaching and learning. What we further demonstrated as a community in 2011 was the strength, perseverance, and partnership that exemplify the Cranford experience.

Cranford High School continues to be ranked as one of the top high schools in the State by New Jersey Monthly magazine, most recently ranked #13, our highest ranking ever. For the seventh consecutive year, Cranford High School was named by Newsweek magazine as one of the top high schools in the nation, #352. Our students embody the best of what Cranford has to offer. Individually, our students were selected for prestigious awards and recognition such as the Wallenberg Honors Program, New Jersey Governor's Jefferson Students in Action Award, New Jersey Governor’s School, NJ Scholars Program, Girls State & Boys State, and National Merit Recognition where four students were recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars.

CHS continued the expansion of rigorous course offerings for our students and the opportunities for increased academic engagement. In 2011, students challenged themselves in 737 advanced placement tests in 25 disciplines. This statistic demonstrates more than a 15% increase from the prior year and 81% of these students scoring a "3" or higher on their advanced placement exams. In addition, Cranford High School continues to surpass the state and national average with a mean SAT score of 1661 and will continue to make sustained progress in years to come. The scholarly learning environment in our school is possible because of the willingness of our students to set high expectations and the nurturing and knowledgeable staff who support them in achieving their goals.

Our Performing Arts program continues to thrive evident through the eyes of our audience. The CHS Marching Band placed third in the USSBA NJ State Championships with the highest score for music. Student representatives performed with the NJ All State Chorus, NJ All State Orchestra, NJ All State Women’s Chorus, Region II High School Band, and NJ All State Band. Seven students performed in Chicago with the American Choral Director’s Association National Honor Choir. In Dance, students participated in and earned scholarships at the Regional High School Dance Festival and Academy Dancers were selected to perform at the Union County Teen Arts Showcase. Our Theater program received twelve Rising Star nominations and Awards for our production of OKLAHOMA!

The Fine Arts and Applied technology program provided our students ample learning opportunities both in school and beyond our classroom walls. CHS students had artwork selected for display at the Morris Museum Fresh Perspectives exhibit, won in the student category at the JCAS Cranford Plein-Air event, and had work displayed at NJPAC. CHS Engineering students participated in the Union County Bridge Building competition at UCC and automotive students kept teachers on the road by completing car repairs as part of their coursework.

In Business, thirty-three students advanced to the regional DECA competition while three students were elevated to the International Career Development Conference held in Orlando, Florida. Model U.N. and Youth and Government participated in their annual conferences against representative schools from the region. In both instances, both groups received the Outstanding Delegation Award and numerous elected student positions and recognitions.

In terms of service, the Character Education Partnership awarded CHS a Promising Practice award for its Cutting Boards for Toys, bringing our total to twenty-seven awards since 2000. "Blankets for Babes" and "Blankets of Love" crafts quilts for children, teens, and their families who are battling terminal illnesses that are in need of some holiday cheer. Pathways for Exceptional Children is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping children with disabilities. "Pathways" has successfully developed over 35 recreation, life skills, and employment programs for children. Cranford High School has now trained 110 of its students to work with the disabled children in Cranford. Cougar P.R.I.D.E. (Peers Rooted in Integrity and Developing Excellence) was implemented as our new peer leadership program to support the freshman transition at CHS and to continue giving back to the community. I am also happy to note that our students and staff have made a renewed commitment to follow school rules and are taking a stand against bullying and harassment.

Athletics posted six Conference Championships, two County Championships, one District Championship, and one Team State Sectional Championship. Two Union County Scholar Athletes were named as well as one New Jersey State Scholar Athlete award winner. These are only some of the accomplishments we are proud of. Please take a few moments to visit our Achievements and Special Announcements sections of our school website.

Last year was also an opportunity for us to assemble new members of our esteemed staff and a supervisory team who will further support the growth and development of our teachers as lifelong learners. We have charted a course for continuous improvement for our students. Thank you to those of you in the community who have joined us on our ventures and who have been supportive along the way. Instruction and curriculum are clearly on an upward trajectory.

2011 did not go out without its challenges. Most memorable was Hurricane Irene. She roared into town and left her mark. But more importantly, the manner in which our community rallied together left an even greater impression. We have shown the energy and resilience needed to move forward. Best wishes for 2012 and I am hopeful that the new year will bring joy, good health, and prosperity to every member of our community. We press on.