HRHS Faculty Newsletter
Sept. 10-14
This Week's Calendar
Everest Team Meeting during advisory (in auditorium)
Tuesday 9/11:
Greylock Team Meeting during advisory (in auditorium)
Department Meetings 2:30-3:30
Goal Writing Workshop with Admin 3:30-4:15
Wednesday 9/12:
8th Grade Class Meeting during advisory (in cafeteria)
Thursday 9/13:
School Picture Day
Friday 9/14:
Safety
Fire Drills:
Students on Crutches: In the event you have a student in your room with crutches, a boot or something that may affect their ability to safely and quickly leave the building in the event of a fire drill or evacuation, please have that student do the following:
- If your class is on the 2nd or 3rd floor, the student should wait on the landing of the stairs at the front of the building. Staff have been assigned on both floors for this purpose.
- If your class is on the 1st floor, the student should slowly exit the building with the class.
Vests and Go Bags: Please make sure you wear your vest during fire drills. In the event of a real emergency, also make sure to bring your go bag and reunification materials.
Doors and Windows: Doors and windows should be closed before you exit the classroom.
Flow Chart: Please make sure you have the most updated copy of the fire drill and evacuation flow chart.
Propping Doors Open: Please do not prop any doors open (auditorium, outdoor doors, etc.). If you find one propped open, please close it but let admin know so we can follow up.
Emergency Procedures Poster: Please print out a copy of the new poster, review with students, and post it in your classroom next to the door.
Updated Documents: Please review the updated documents in the document server under "Fire Drill and Evacuation Forms."
For Your Information & Action:
TIP Update(Transitional Intervention Program): Thank you all for your thoughtful feedback regarding TIP. There were a lot of positive comments as well as constructive criticism, which was welcome. The primary challenges have to do with communication and collaboration between TIP and classroom teachers, as well as SPED Liaisons, opportunities for direct instruction of class content and planning/communication around transitions back into classes. We’re working on these issues at this time and will be sharing revised protocols as they develop. We’re thinking it might also be helpful to join you for department meetings for more direct discussions about program plans. Your continued input is welcome and appreciated as this is still a very new program that will benefit from all of your various perspectives.
Middle School Lunch: Starting Monday there will be two zones in middle school lunch, one for 8th grade and one for 7th grade. Students will be expected to sit in the correct area. Signs will be posted.
Budget Audit:
Please remember that all cash needs to be turned in to our school vault via the main office daily. There are no exceptions. For events that take place after school, there is a drop box on the door to the vault. If needed, drop the cash in multiple bundles in order to avoid bringing cash home. You will receive a receipt once the cash is received. It is best practice to have multiple people count incoming money.
Any fundraisers that are done at HRHS need to be approved by administration. Fundraising request forms are available on the server. Bake sale fundraisers are not allowed, during or after school.
The district went through a financial audit of all student activities and local funds. Some of their recommendations include a better grasp on handling of money. Specifically:
Absolutely no cash at home or in desks
No reimbursements for purchases
Deposits should be made immediately to the Student Activities Account Manager (Sue) or to Central Office, depending on where the money is being deposited
Tickets that are sold to students should be pre-numbered and turned in with deposits as a check and balance system for sales
Senior Parking Fundraiser: Seniors will have the opportunity to purchase their own parking spot for $15. On October 11, from 3-5pm, we will have a painting party where they will bring their own supplies and paint their parking spots. Designs will need to be approved by admin before painting. The specific expectations and rules will be outlined as we get closer to the Oct. 11 date. Seniors who would like to purchase their spot can see Jen in the main office.
Information from the Guidance Office
PreACT & PSAT:
On Wednesday, October 10th all 10th graders will be taking the PreACT and the majority of 11th graders will be taking the PSAT. The tests will begin at 7:45 and end at 11:15. We will extend third block and adjust lunch schedules accordingly.
On October 5th during advisory and period 1, juniors taking the PSAT will report to the cafeteria to complete pre-administation for the PSAT. Students will return to period 1 for the last 10-15 minutes.
On October 4th during advisory and period 1, students taking the PreACT with extended time will report to the guidance career center to complete the pre-administration for the PreACT.
College Visits:
Throughout the fall, we will have approximately 50 college admissions representatives visit our school. These visits are a valuable way for our juniors and seniors to learn about the college search/application process and the variety of offerings at colleges. They also provide students with the opportunity to make a personal connection to admissions offices which in turn gives them a better shot for acceptance.
Juniors and seniors must sign up for the visits ahead of time and they must have permission from teachers to miss a class for a visit. Students are responsible for any work they miss. In most situations, students will not miss the entire class period.
During homeroom, students will receive passes for the visits. Students must get the pass signed before coming to the guidance office for a visit. If the student cannot miss your class due to a test or other activity, they should let Ms. Jablonski know and she can have the representative leave extra materials for the student.
Reminders
- All staff should be in the hallway outside of their classroom during morning music and in between periods.
- Extracurricular rosters must be sent to John after your first meeting.
Shout Outs!
Congratulations to Trisha Keane, the new advisor for the Class of 2022!
Responsibility and Perseverance:
- Shout out to everyone who toughed it out and persevered through the extreme heat this week. Despite the heat, kids were still learning and totally engaged in classes!
- Thank you to the history hallway and the third floor teachers for consistently being out in the hallways in the morning and in between classes!
- Aidan Talbot was the first extracurricular advisor to turn in his roster to John!
- Thank you to Ben Snyder who has thoughtfully and diligently updated teacher laptops in a seamless manner. Ben has also been responsive to tech situations that have arisen in the classroom and helped allow access to student learning tools on school computers. It is so appreciated!
Collaboration and Engagement:
- Thank you to Liz Sormanti for being such an actively engaged, knowledgeable, patient paraprofessional and an overall wonderful presence in chemistry classes!
- Thank you Ty Dickinson for all the extra time and effort you're putting out to support special education students on all four middle school teams. You rock!
- It's great to see how hard Jesse Porter-Henry and Jon Letendre have worked to synchronize their 7th grade curriculum and lessons so the students can experience both of you even through you're on two teams.
Respect and Compassion:
- Thank you to Glenda Hall and Jan Sniffen for holistically working with a middle school student to help smoothly integrate her back into school.
- Jason Threlfall is always patient, kind and understanding. The students are so lucky to have him!
- A special thanks to Cyndy Domina and Lindsey Sojkowski for quickly responding to a student emergency today, and to Scott Green who carried a (empty) wheelchair up to the 3rd floor to assist the nurses!
- Thank you to Glenda Hall for sharing her air conditioning with 7th grade classes.
- Shout out to the cross country team for sincerely encouraging and cheering on their opponents from Frontier at a recent meet.
- Shout out to the history department from one of your colleagues for making his life easier!