May 26, 2023
Good afternoon,
It is hard to believe we have reached Memorial Day weekend. I wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable weekend. I look forward to an enjoyable conclusion to the school year with you and your student.
Below are a number of updates for next week and beyond:
Letter day rotation:
5/29 – No School – Happy Memorial Day
5/30 – A day
5/31 – B day
6/1 – C day – Student half day
6/2 – D day
SEL Survey: We thank you and your family for being our valued partners as we work together to educate the children in our district. As you may already be aware, building our social-emotional learning skills has been an important goal for our school this year. Last fall, we asked your child to reflect on their own experiences and approaches to learning via an online survey. We will be giving this survey again on June 6, 2023 during advisement. The survey shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to complete. The SEL student survey data will be particularly helpful to ensure that the social and emotional learning actions schools are taking are working, and decide whether to continue or change what we are doing. We are reflecting on our strengths and areas for growth based on the aggregate data, and will be using this to inform initiatives we will be putting into place in the future.
We are asking that all of our students participate in the surveys, as their responses will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our district to their needs. The responses to these surveys will be completely confidential, similar to other academic or attendance data.
After we have collected student responses, school personnel will collaborate on the following items:
- What are ways we can innovate to be more effective and equitable?
- Does the data suggest that any of our practices are ineffective? How could they be changed?
- What does this data make us think about in terms of our practice? About teaching and learning in general.
If you wish to not have your child take the survey, please contact Tom Burger at [email protected] If you have any questions about this survey, please contact our Director of Student Services, Tim O'Connor, at (585) 349-5151 or [email protected].
Student half day: As a reminder, June 1, 2023 is a half day for students. Students will attend periods 6, 7, 1, 2 on this day. Dismissal is at 10:50.
8th grade updates:
Boston Trip: Yesterday, I sent an email update to 8th grade families regarding the trip and plan for students who are not attending the trip. On June 1, 2023, we will post room and bus assignments to the 8th grade Schoology page. Please note that these will be final assignments and we are not able to make changes as they have been communicated with the bus company and hotel. On June 2, 2023, students will meet during advisement in gym 1 to meet their chaperone and review trip expectations.
Attached to this email you will find a FAQ sheet that we have created to help assist with any questions you or your student may have. Also, on our website you will find a “Boston trip” tab that contains important information regarding the trip (Itinerary, etc.) We are excited for this trip and know that your student will create memories that will last a lifetime.
If your child is attending the trip and you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Boston trip advisors (Mrs. Woodard, [email protected] or Mrs. MacCollum, [email protected]).
8th grade moving up day: 8th grade moving up ceremony is scheduled for Monday, June 12, at 1:30. All 8th grade students will attend this ceremony which will be held at the high school performing arts center. Due to fire code regulations of the PAC, students are allowed to have ONLY two family members attend this event. We ask attendees to park in the parking lot behind the HS and follow the instructions of our parking staff that will be outside to assist.
Safety Reminders:
Dismissal: If you are picking your child up from school at dismissal, please note that the front loop is the only location this should occur. Pick up in the side lots (near the HS or near the soccer stadium) is not permitted. It creates safety concerns when students are walking through these parking lots at dismissal.
Late arrival to school: If you are dropping off your student at school and they are going to be arriving late (after our 8 a.m. start time), they will need to be signed in by a parent/guardian at the greeter's desk upon arrival. Parents or guardians should not send students into the school alone after 8 a.m. Please contact your grade-level administrator with any questions or needs that may arise because of this requirement.
Late arrival to class: As a reminder, students have 4 minutes to travel from one class to another. We have seen an increase over the past few weeks in students arriving late to class. Continued late arrivals to class will result in contact home and disciplinary referrals. Any help you can provide at home in reminding your student of the importance of being on time for class would be appreciated.
Cell phone policy: Students are permitted to use their cell phone during passing time and during lunch (cell phone use is not permitted in classrooms). Please note that personal technology may not be used for audio or video recordings, such use interferes with the operation of the school; or infringes upon the general health, safety and welfare of students or employees. This is a violation of our acceptable use and school board policy as it relates to the use of personal technology devices.
Important upcoming dates:
5/29 – No school – Memorial Day
6/1 – Student half day – dismissal @ 10:50 a.m.
6/12 – 8th grade moving up day – 1:30 p.m. @ HS PAC
6/16 - Last day for students
I hope you have a great long weekend! As always, please reach out if you need anything.
Take care,
Jim
2022-2023 Grade level contact information: