#StayTRU
Truman High School Newsletter-January 2024
The Gift of a Fresh Start
Thought all the gifts were given at Christmas? Think again. In January, we are all given the gift of a fresh start. At school, we start a new semester-one that will fly by before we know it. Each student starts with a new beginning, a blank slate-no marks in the gradebook, no tardies, no absences, etc. It's a wonderful gift to be able to start anew with new goals in mind and renewed sense of purpose.
As we returned to school last week, we led students to set new goals for attendance and academics and to create plans for ways to achieve them. We focused on The Patriot Way-reteaching & reminding students of classroom and building expectations- from engagement in learning to timeliness, from attendance to conduct and more.
Some say January is a time of dreaming and February is a season of doing. In January, we will being doing both-dreaming & envisioning student futures while planning the path forward. Enrollment Week begins Jan. 23rd. with presentations for students and parents, a Jamboree for 8th and 9th graders, special presentations for juniors and seniors, Parent Camp for adults-all with the aim of providing as much information as clearly as possible so students and parents can make the best decisions to build their futures and take full advantage of all the Academies of the ISD have to offer. Then we move towards completion and review of enrollment forms. In February, students will enter their course selections in Power School.
Of course, parents are a critical piece of this important process, so how can they be involved?
1. Attend Parent Camp on Jan. 25th in the THS Cafeteria (see flyer below for details) RSVP at the following link: https://bit.ly/3Gwqhke
2. Explore resources on the district and school website with your student.
3. Ask lots of questions.
4. Connect with your students teachers and counselor
In addition to enrollment week, we prepare for Extreme Test Day coming up in March with free ACT Prep Sessions after school on Wednesdays, an ACT Bootcamp, and other daily practice to ensure our students are well-prepared.
We look forward to a productive January full of planning and prepartion for successful futures. All the best of everything is before us as we work to make the most of every opportunity.
Important Dates at a Glance-December/Jan.
Mark Your Calendars!
JANUARY
1/17/24-PTSA mtg. 7pm-Library
1/18/24-Senior Class Mtg. during PAT
1/23/24-Academy Jamboree & Enrollment Week
1/25/24-Parent Camp-Enrollment and Senior Class Mtg. Night.
FEBRUARY
2/1-ACT Bootcamp
2/10-Courtwarming Dance
2/15-Senior Career Fair
MARCH
3/8-End of 3rd Quarter
3/12-Extreme Test Day
3/12 and 3/13-Parent Teacher Conferences
3/29-No School-Spring Holiday
Coming Very Soon-Enrollment!
We will be hosting a Parent Camp: Enrollment Info Night January 25th, (RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3Gwqhke) which coincides with students getting their enrollment information. This night is designed to share all that same information with parents so we can all work together to help students reach their full potential and access all the opportunities the Academies have to offer.
In the meantime, we highly encourage you and your student to look at the following resources together to begin to craft their enrollment plans:
Academies of the ISD website: https://www.isdschools.org/academies-of-the-isd/ to get an overiew of the Career Academies, Core Courses, Global Courses, etc., as well as Graduation Requirements, AP/Dual Credit information, Capstone Courses, and Grades & Credits.
ICAP (Individual Career & Academic Plan) your students have already begun planning for their courses in high school as well as their plans beyond high school. Ask them to show you their ICAP as it is an important planning and enrollment tool.
There is more to explore, but reviewing the above page and the resources and information linked within can help you and your student communicate, plan, and prepare for enrollment.
Attendance Update
While we have improved our attendance over last year's, our rates have continued to decline since Sept. Please encourage your student to strive for less than 5 absences this semester This is an incredibly important time in the semester to be at school as teachers introduce new units, begin new projects, etc. Also, don't forget that good attendance and grades sets students up for the chance to win a variety of prizes during our weekly and montly drawings as well as the 3rd Quarter Incentive.
EXTREME TEST DAY, MARCH 12th
What's the why behind this day?
Assessments of these types (standardized tests) help students, parents, and educators gather important information that helps families plan their student's courses in high school & their college and career steps, and helps educators plan for continued improved instruction & programming to ensure all students graduate college and career ready. When they receive results, students can identify areas of strength and areas for improvement. Additionally, it gives students some experience with national standardized testing as many will take some assessments more than once. The ACT is a college readiness exam and the Work Keys is a workplace readiness exam.
When is Extreme Test Day?
Tuesday, March 12th, 2024
Will we have normal classes on this day?
No, there will be a special schedule this day that will be shared closer to the date.
Who participates?
All juniors and some sophomores will take the ACT.
Sophomores who do not take the ACT will take the Work Keys.
All Freshmen will have college visits.
Seniors who have completed all required assessments prior to March 12th, have 90% attendance or better with no make-up time needed, and are on track towards graduation (not behind in credits or failing any courses needed for graduationare encouraged to attend a college visit or job shadow. Seniors who do not meet those criteria should plan on reporting to school that day.
How much does the ACT cost?
There is not cost for the ACT this as the district is picking up the cost.
Can students receive testing accommodations on Extreme Test Day?
Testing accommodations are available for students with IEPs or 504s on the ACT and WorkKeys. Administrators at Truman will work with ACT and WorkKeys to ensure students are granted appropriate accommodations.
Does Truman offer any test preparation for the ACT test?
Yes, in addition to the course curriculum, we are hosting a half day ACT Bootcamp on February 1st from 8 to 11 am. This half-day program is held during school hours at the building and is exclusively for students who are taking the ACT on Extreme Test Day. Outside presenters will be leading the session. The cost to students is $20 and includes an ACT workbook. Payment can be made through MySchoolBucks: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain.action. Students would be excused from their regular classes on this day. Test preparation materials are also available through the ACT website: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation.html. There are only 32 spots available. It will be on a first come first serve THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP IS JANUARY 16TH
Beyond the ACT Bootcamp opprotunity, we do offer some free sessions as noted above. We will be sharing helpful information with students during their 5th block class each week to help them prepare. Finally, the best prepartion for any test is to attend school each day and engage in the learning the teacher is presenting.
We strongly encourage all students to take advantage of all of these opportunities to adequately prepare for the ACT. By dedicating time and effort to test awareness & preparation, our students will have a better chance of achieving their desired scores and opening doors to future opportunities. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the ACT administration or test preparation, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to support our students and ensure they have every opportunity for success. Thank you for your continued support in helping our students reach their full potential.
Courtwarming Dance Feb. 10th-Eligibility Requirements
As we approach the upcoming Courtwarming Dance, we wanted to remind parents of requirements for students to attend dances.
Students must:
1. Have 90% attendance or better for the school year so far.
2. Be passing 7 of their 8 classes.
3. Have no major disciplinen issues.
4. Have fewer than 10 tardies for the semester.
5. Not be on LOP-Loss of Privilege
We encourage all students and parents to review these requirements before purchasing attire, tickets, making plans etc.
The process:
Students will be emailed a form from the front office.
Students must complete the form by the due date. If they do not, they will not be eligble to purchase a ticket. This allows the office to check their eligibility.
Students will be notified via email if they are eligible to purchase a ticket or not.
Eligble students will be permitted to purchase a ticket through My School Bucks.
Eligible students bringing an off-campus guest must complete a Guest Form in order to purchase the guest a ticket. If the guest is an ISD student, they must meet all the same requirements.
Ineligible students can inquire to the Front Office of their Admin as to why they are ineligible.
The night of:
Students must have form of photo ID with them to enter
No high heels are permitted on the Small Gym Dance Floor. Attire is semi-formal. Admin reserves right to address any inappropriate attire.
Students must arrive by 8pm or they will not be permitted to enter.
There is no re-entry. If students leave the dance, they are not permitted back in.
Tickets are non-transferrable (if someone decides they don't want to attend, they cannot give or sell their ticket to someone else).
All rides should arrive promptly at 10:00pm to pick up their students. Late arrivals could result in students losing after-school/event privileges.
All school rules apply to dances.
Did you know.....
Downloading the School Messenger App is the best way to catch all voicemail, email, and text messages from the district and your student's school.
Click the link below to learn more about downloading the app and how it works.
Sports Schedules, School Gear Store, and more
Need to know when your student is playing?
Want to order some Truman Gear?
Want score updates?
Interested in joining our Patriot Booster Club?
Click the link below for your one-stop for all things Sports and Activities at THS.
https://gotruman.com/Sporting Event Reminders
1. All students need to show a current year school ID to attend all home and away events or be accompanied by their parent or gaurdian.
2. All middle school schools students must also have a current year student ID AND be accompanied by a parent.
3. No backpacks are allowed in to any events.
4. No re-entry: once students or patrons leave the event, there is no re-entry permitted.
5. All school rules apply to porting events-home and away.
6. Activity passes are available for purchase from our Activities office. Otherwise, there is an entry fee for all events.
Truman HIgh School Anti-Bullying Coordinator
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