Greetings Lancer Families,

It has been a busy and productive September here at Elba JSHS. Classrooms have been energized and engaging, extracurricular clubs and organizations are off and running, our athletes have seen success on the courts and fields, and we enjoyed a fantastic Homecoming celebration!

Aside from an emphasis on making meaningful connections with students, teachers have spent the first month of school establishing and reviewing procedures and expectations. Our hope is that following protocol is the norm, so an emphasis can be placed on academic learning and growth. If you should have any questions regarding classroom expectations, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher(s). Your partnership with them in reiterating expectations and holding students accountable will make for a much more academic-focused experience. When we work together, our Lancers will achieve more. Your involvement in your child's academics is appreciated.

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know students throughout the first month of school. What a wonderful group of respectful, fun, and involved students we have here at the Junior Senior High School! It has not taken long for me to feel very proud to be a Lancer, and even more proud of all of our students and the amazing things they are doing every day.

As always, please reach out anytime with questions or concerns. You can reach me by phone at (585)-757-9967 ext. 2150, or e-mail me at: mmarcello@elbacsd.org.

I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy all the beauty and fun the autumn brings. I look forward to seeing you at one of our events very soon!

With Lancer Pride,

Morgan Marcello

As we reach the 5 week progress report date, our ineligibility policy will come into effect. A few highlights for you to be aware of regarding involvement in any extracurricular events/activities, including athletics (participating in, or attending games/contests):

1. Students must have a passing grade in all courses in order to participate in extracurricular activities, including: practicing or competing in athletic competition, attending athletic contests as a spectator, participating in or attending club or organization activities/events, and participating in and/or attending school activities such as dances. Students and parents can access grades on SchoolTool; being proactive in staying after with teachers to make up work or complete corrections can prevent students from being placed on the Ineligibility List.

2. If students are not passing a course, they must stay after for at least a week with a teacher to make up work/improve their grade to passing. As long as they are staying after every day with a teacher, they are still eligible to participate in/attend extracurricular events and activities. If after a week they are passing and the teacher recommends that they be removed from the list, they are then removed and are no longer required to stay after.

3. Students have a responsibility of getting a pass signed by the teacher they stayed after with and turning it in to Mrs. Casper in the Student Success Center. This is the system used to track students' staying after. If they do not get the pass signed and turned in, they will not be eligible to participate.

For a full explanation of the Academic Eligibility Rules and Regulations, please click here.

If you drop your child(ren) off to school in the mornings, please do not exit your vehicle as it holds up the line of other drop-offs. If you would prefer to get out and walk your child(ren) to the door, please park in the parking lot and walk them up. This procedure is simply to keep the traffic moving steadily and allow all students to get in the building and settled on time. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

As a reminder:

If your child will be absent from school, tardy, or dismissed early, please contact the Health Office at (585)-757-9967 ext. 1240. You can leave a message any time day or night. A written excuse must be sent in when the child returns from an absence. If your child is tardy, please sign him/her in at the District Office. Students will also be dismissed early through the District Office. Please note that unexcused absences and tardies can and will result in disciplinary sanctions according to our school policy, as outlined in the student handbook.

*If a student accumulates more than THREE unexcused tardies, he/she will be assigned a lunch detention for every following tardy.

Thursday 10/6: Early Release Drill. (Dismissal at 2:00pm)

Friday 10/7: Superintendent's Conference Day; No Students Report

Monday 10/10: Columbus Day; No School

Our building theme for this year is integrity. We want to model and instill the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Please consider helping us teach our students the meaning of integrity by discussing ways students can practice it on a daily basis. We will be celebrating examples of integrity during the school day. Your partnership in assisting us to instill this important quality in our students is so appreciated!

Here is a video you might consider watching and discussing with your child.