As Waltham-area schools settle into the 2018-19 school year, a number of changes and new programs are coming to Waltham High School. 

Officials are working to “better understand causes of inequity” at the school, according to a Sept. 18 Waltham Patch article, and are focusing on three main areas of change: relationships, relevance and responsibility. “Responsibility,” the article explained, entails the ability for teachers to tailor or adapt lessons so that all students are “supported in their learning” and can work with “complex texts and challenging tasks.” 

In terms of “relevance,” teachers hope to help students develop critical thinking skills that they can take beyond the classroom. Per the Patch article, students will be better able to “analyze and solve problems in their schoolwork, personal lives, and community.” 

Regarding “relationships,” the school district hopes that every student will have at least one teacher they trust and can talk to “so that students can feel like they can communicate their opinions and needs.” 

The Waltham superintendent also announced the search for a new Waltham High School principal, according to a Sept. 26 Patch article. 87 residents volunteered to participate in the search committee, and 21 people will be chosen to serve on the committee, along with two co-chairs and two student representatives from the high school. The search committee will screen and select semi-finalists, conduct interviews and select finalists. Finalists will be announced by the Superintendent to the Waltham community in January.

Waltham High School is also looking forward to welcoming New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman, who will visit the school this year. A Sept. 24 Patch article explained that every year, students select a book for “One School, One Story,” a summer reading program designed to increase student readership and community bonding. This past summer, students read Shusterman’s dystopia “Scythe,” a novel set in a world without death. As part of the program, Shusterman will come to Waltham to speak with the school about his work.