Monomoy Regional High School
Welcome Back Message from Principal Burkhead
Welcome Back!
We are excited to start the 2019-20 school year and look forward to welcoming our students back on September 3rd. Over the past five years, we have worked extremely hard developing a philosophy and collective commitment that our school is our "Home Away from Home." Our beliefs and actions support a safe, welcoming and nurturing learning environment - "You Are Important" at Monomoy Regional High School!
This year our learning focus will be READ, WRITE, REASON, and RELATE. Simply put, we want to challenge our students to "READ" and "WRITE" more across all disciplines at MRHS. We want them to be able to think critically and "REASON" in class and we want our entire school community to "RELATE", building strong connections, bonds, and relationships.
A major part of our success as a school has been our insistence that our students have a strong voice in the decision-making process. As building principal, I will be encouraging the use of student's voice through the establishment of our first "Sharkness" room. The concept is borrowed from the Harkness Method (click here to learn more about this method) where learning takes place through discussions held around a "Harkness Table." It is important to me that our students and staff have access to their principal and have a voice. To me, "Sharkness Table", as we will call it, symbolizes the family dinner table. It will be a place where everyone has a seat at the table and an equal say. It will be a place to hold meaningful conversations, share ideas, collaborate, and enjoy each others company as a school family. The "Sharkness" room will be located in the heart of our school on Main street.
Initially, I will connect with students through our new Principal Advisory Council (PAC), Student Council, National Honors Society, Diversity Club, and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club. These opportunities will be open to ALL MRHS students. We will also be holding many of our school leadership and staff gatherings at the "Sharkness Table." To encourage everyone to embrace the "Sharkness" concept, the room will be available for students and staff to use during Jawsome time.
As proud members of the Monomoy family, we enter into our sixth year as a highly successful school on the move. I am excited to see everyone and look forward to another amazing and successful year!
Core Values & Beliefs About Learning at MRHS
Our entire school community united behind a set of agreed-upon core family values (see above) to live and learn by. Our school will continue to thrive as we place a strong emphasis on the value of each individual in our school. This includes students, staff, parents/guardians, community members, and visitors.
We are excited to be able to assess our progress in implementing and living our core values and beliefs. This year our school welcomes the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) October 27th through October 30th. The NEASC Commission on Public Schools accredits K-12 public schools. NEASC assists public schools through an ongoing cycle of self-reflection, peer review, school improvement, and monitoring to ensure all students experience a high-quality education.
We look forward to engaging our school community in this process and sharing the commission's findings.
William Burkhead
Principal
Starting the Year: Important Events & Notices
Start of School Information:
Start Time Information:
School will start for students on Tuesday, September 3, at 8:45 am. The building will open daily at 7:30 am, with the library and common areas open for students who arrive early. Breakfast is offered daily beginning at 8 am. The school day ends at 3:15, except on “early release” days beginning September 11. Dismissal on “early release” days will be 2:35 pm. To extend our learning opportunities for students we will be offering several clubs & activities for students to join, with late buses available-details to come.
Student Drop Off/Pick Up:
All student drop off and pick up will occur at the main school entrance in front of the building. We ask that you stay in the left lane when entering from Oak Street to allow for bus access to the rear of the building. ALL drop off and pick up of students should occur curbside to ensure the safety of our students from passing cars in the left lane. Buses will drop students off at the "Community Entrance" at the rear of the building.
Student/Parent Handbook
Contact Information:
It is important we have the most recent contact information to best communicate with home. Please check your contact information on Aspen and contact Ms. Casey (bcasey@ monomoy.edu) in our guidance office with any changes.
Student Schedules:
Student Schedules are now accessible on Aspen. Our guidance team is available to work with anyone who needs to make schedule adjustments before the school year starts.
Student parking:
Students will be able to park on the side lot adjacent to Whitehouse field and enter through the side doors of the school until 9 am. Seniors in good standing will have the privilege of parking in the rear lot if they choose. **New this year we will be housing district school buses in the Whitehouse field lot. There is no parking in these spots.**
Curriculum Night: September 19, 2019 6:30-8:30pm *HS Auditorium
One of the most effective ways to promote student growth academically, behaviorally, and socially is through a partnership that bridges the school and home together. Curriculum Night provides an opportunity for parents to meet school personnel, learn about school-wide and course expectations and ask questions. See you there!
School Pictures:
School pictures will be taken on September 17. All students must have their picture taken for ID purposes. Information will be distributed to students interesting in purchasing a photo package.
Thank you!
Please contact us with any questions or concerns. We look forward to providing your child with the highest caliber education and learning experience.
IMPORTANT SCHEDULE INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS
Our schedule is accessible via Aspen and we have included a copy in the link below. We are extremely proud of our highly successful Jawsome opportunity, which provides students choice, support, and enrichment during the lunch hour.
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR STUDENTS: On the first day of school students will be reporting to their "enrichment" block teacher during Jawsome. Every day 1, including the first day of school, will be a time for students to schedule their Jawsome activities for the week. We will be sharing in more detail the Jawsome "experience" during grade level Town Hall Meetings (schedule below) during the first week of school.
**Our senior privilege (for grade 12 students only) for this schedule will allow all seniors in good standing the opportunity to eat lunch at the tables outside the library and outside cafe across from the library**
We've been very proactive at MRHS in discussing cell phone use. We've had several conversations with our students, staff and school community regarding the impact of cell phones on learning. We determined that we needed a specific policy clarifying the appropriate use of cell phones to ensure a safe and thriving learning culture in our school. This policy was successfully implemented in all our classrooms last year. We found that the implementation of this policy led to students being less distracted and learning enhanced. This policy has been approved by the MRSD and is in our student/family handbook.
MRHS Cell Phone Policy:
All student cell phones will be collected upon student entry into a classroom, other instructional areas, as well as the Detention Room. Cell phones will also be collected in the Main Office if a student has been sent out of a classroom due to inappropriate behavior. Teachers/staff will have a pre-determined and consistent method of cell phone collection/storage. A common method is the use of a hanging caddy. At the conclusion of class/detention/office stay, students may retrieve their phones as they exit the room.
Cell phones may be used during a student`s lunch period, in the hallway between classes or in a classroom for educational purposes as directed by a staff member. Inappropriate use of a cell phone may result in confiscation and detention(s), parent pick-up of a phone for multiple infractions.
Parents Wanted! School Advisory Council
We look to build a strong school advisory council this year to guide our important work. A school council is a representative, school building-based committee that meets quarterly and is composed of the principal, parents, teachers, community members and students. School councils are to assist principals in:
1. Adopting educational goals for the school that are consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards
2. Identifying the educational needs of students attending the school
3. Reviewing the annual school building budget
4. Formulating a school improvement plan
5. Review the student handbook
If you are interested please send an email message principal Burkhead at bburkhead@monomoy.edu indicating your interest in serving on the school council.