Medway High School Newsletter August 2015

Transcription

1 Medway High School Newsletter August 2015 Greetings everyone, The past several months have been very busy at the high school as we prepare for the new academic year by finalizing schedules and hiring staff. Schedules for the School Year are posted on the Parent Portal and can be accessed through our school website ( School Counselors have been putting in a great deal of time this summer to finalize schedules, enroll new students, and other school counseling tasks. Though counselors will return full time on August 21 st, they will not be available for appointments for current students on the 21 st or the 26 th, as they will be engaged in the registration of new students, and the Class of 2019 Orientation. When schedules are released, all scheduling concerns or questions will need to be submitted through an electronic form found on the Medway High School website or with this link. Please know that the counselors will review these requests, resolving as quickly as possible beginning with anyone with incomplete schedules. They will contact you if they have questions. Students will be provided a new schedule on the first day of school. In order that we address concerns efficiently in a timely manner, we ask that students and parents do not come in regarding schedules without an appointment. We are offering a special welcome to our incoming Grade 9 students as members of the MHS Class of We urge all of you to attend the Orientation on August 26, Parents of incoming Grade 9 students are welcome to attend the opening session of Orientation, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Once the students depart with peer counselors, parents are invited to stay and talk with school administrators, who will answer any and all questions about the transition to high school. The parent portion of the meeting will go from 9:00 a.m. until approximately 10:30 a.m. Regards, Mr. Timothy M. McCarron Principal tmccarron@medwayschools.org Mrs. Dorothy Pearl Mr. David List Mr. Robert Pearl Dean of Student Services and Dean of Academics and Activities and Athletic Director Students Last Name A-J Students Last Name K-Z rpearl@medwayschools.org dpearl@medwayschools.org dlist@medwayschools.org Important Links for Parents and Students School Website: Guidance News: Athletic Info:

2 First Day of School The first day of school is August 31 st. The warning bell is at 8:02 a.m., with all students expected to be in homeroom at 8:04 a.m. Homeroom listings for incoming Grade 9 students will be posted in the foyer. In this mailing you will receive the Student Enrollment Information Form, the Emergency Contact and Health Information Form, the Network, Equipment & Internet Use Agreement and the Student Handbook Agreement. Similar to last year, the handbook is only available online at our website. Please take time to read and review the contents of the handbook. As you will see, this signoff sheet needs a parent/guardian signature, as well as the student signature! Please be sure to review and correct inaccurate information located on the Student Enrollment Form. With the integration of our Parent Portal, contact information, including , is quite important. Even if there are no changes, please have your child return the form to school on the first day. All students should return the four (4) forms to their homeroom teacher at the start of the first day of school. Bus Routes Bus routes are posted on the District and High School websites. School Counseling News August 2015 Medway High School is reached by calling Dean of Student Services: Mrs. Dot Pearl (ext. 5119) Secretary: Mrs. Carol Hopson (ext. 5118) School Counselors: Mrs. Dominique Ross (ext. 5105) A-F Class of 2019 A-C Class of 2018 A-G Classes of 2016 & 2017 Mrs. Jenn Bullard (ext. 5107) G-M Class of 2019 D-L Class of 2018 H-M Classes of 2016 & 2017 Ms. Allison Jasmin (ext. 5127) N-Z Class of 2019 M-Z Class of 2018 N-Z Classes of 2016 & 2017

3 School Adjustment Counselors: Mrs. Kathy Cumming (ext. 5111) Mrs. Anne Jacobs (ext. 5110) (Walk in Center) (Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday) School Psychologist: Ms. Jenny Duncan (ext. 5106) LINKS Program Social Worker: Ms. Debra Dodge (ext. 5112) Special Education Liaison for LINKS: Mr. Tim Brandon (ext LINKS Room, or ext Support classroom) Information by Grade Level Freshmen Reminder to attend the Class of 2019 Orientation on Wednesday, August 26, Though a letter was sent through parents s previously and posted on the website, peer counselors will be sending personal invitations in early August. For the letter with details about the Day: Class of 2019 Orientation August 26, To assist with transition to high school, Mrs. Pearl and Mrs. Cumming will host The High School Years for parents of Grade 9 students on Tuesday, October 6 th at 6:30 p.m. In addition to mirroring information that will be provided to students in classroom guidance sessions on high school requirements, timelines and information for post-secondary preparation, and personal/social information; parents will also learn about the adolescent brain and tips for navigating the adolescent years. Please mark your calendars! Sophomores and Juniors We will be administering the PSAT, Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test to all Grade 10 and 11 students on the National School Day testing date, Wednesday, October 14, Students do not need to register on-line and will receive details in late September. Note: If you are a student with a learning disability who requires testing accommodations such as extended time, please let your counselor know by right away if you have not yet applied for approval for accommodations through College Board (deadline is August 27 th ). Please visit collegeboard.com for specific information regarding accommodations and requirements. Having an IEP is not enough; College Board must approve accommodations for PSAT, SAT or SAT Subject Tests. (Note that ACT has a similar process for ACT tests.) Many Grade 10 students with extended time as part of their IEP accommodations do often take the PSAT in Grade 10 without any accommodations, and will have an application processed for the PSAT in junior year. Students should be aware that if granted extended time, the entire time allotted is provided and the test administrator cannot move onto the next section prior to that time. Our experience is that not all students will need or utilize this time.

4 Seniors Along with the approach of September comes the college application season. Seniors will be working closely with counselors in the months ahead. We hope the summer months have included some exploration of postsecondary options, as well as, researching and visiting colleges and other programs. Students are encouraged to utilize the Naviance site and to continue to use as a means to receive messages from the school counseling office throughout the year ahead. Seniors can prepare to provide counselors with necessary materials to allow them to write recommendation letters and assist with the college application process by completing the Data Portfolio posted on Naviance, as well as updating their resume in the weeks ahead. It is important for students to identify deadlines for applications, financial aid materials and other important senior year tasks. The counselors will host an information evening to review the application process, including the use of Naviance in this process, and other important details for the months ahead. Please watch for details. Deadlines for Fall College Admissions Testing SAT (collegeboard.com) Test Date Deadline Late October 3 September 3 September 18 November 7 October 9 October 23 December 5 November 5 November 20 ACT (actstudent.org) Test Date Deadline Late September 12 August 7 August 8-21 October 24 September 18 September 19 October 2 *Medway is a test site for the October SAT testing; however it fills quickly.

5 Medway High School Health Office Summer Hours August 24, 8:00am-1:00pm August 25, 8:00am-1:00pm August 26, 8:00am-1:00pm August 27, 8:00am-1:00pm Dear Parents/Guardians: Please stop in during these hours to discuss your student s health concerns, update health care plans, and to drop off medication, medication orders, and/or supplies. You may call to schedule an appointment during this time or just plan to drop by. If these times are inconvenient, please call or to schedule another time to meet prior to school starting. In addition to the times listed above, I can be availa ble August 20, 21 by appointment only, or for a scheduled evening appointment August 24 or 25. Also, please remember that a physical exam is required prior to the start of the school year for all students entering grade 10 and a yearly physical exam for all student athletes. Feel free to mail, , or fax the physicals to the address and numbers below. Please me with any questions. I look forward to seeing you and your students. Enjoy the last weeks of summer vacation. Sincerely, Christine Babicz MSN, RN Nurse Leader Medway Public Schools School Nurse Medway High School x 5108 fax cbabicz@medwayschools.org Important Dates Monday, August 19 Fall Athletes Mandatory Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 31 First Day of School for Students (warning bell at 8:02 a.m.) Monday, September 14 No School Rosh Hashanah Monday, September 21 Open House-Begins in the Auditorium at 6:00 p.m. T.B.A. Grade 12 Family Evening Post-Secondary Application Process, 6:30 p.m. in Auditorium Wednesday, September 23 No School Yom Kippur Tuesday, October 6 Grade 9 Parent Meeting The High Schools Years, 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium Wednesday, October 14 PSAT (Grades 10 & 11) Senior College Visit/Career Exploration Day Grade 9 School Counseling Workshop