Buccaneer Family Bulletin
Gulf High School August 1, 2021
~ Return to School Issue ~
Principal's Corner
We are all so ready for the 2021-22 school year to begin! Many of you already took part in our Virtual Orientation and Registration process or visited with your 9th grader during Freshman Orientation and the IB Family Start Up Session. We're ready to greet even more of you on August 5th.
Always remember that our students and families are important members of our Buccaneer Nation. The administration, counselors, teachers, and staff are here for every student and parent/guardian. Our goal is your success and well-being.
There is a lot of information for you in this Buccaneer Family Bulletin. Please read through carefully, click and follow links, download fliers, and come back to this link when you want to have another look at the details.
As we begin a new journey together this year, all of us at Gulf High School are eager to see our students and help them grow academically and as members of our community.
Now, more than ever, we must rally together and be there in support of one another. There is nothing we can't achieve as long as we are Sailing the Rising Tide ~ Reaching New Horizons.
-Mr. Morgenstein
Important Dates
August 5, 2021: On-Campus & Virtual Orientation/Meet the Teacher (see entry below)
September 6, 2021: Labor Day - No School
September 8, 2021: Early Release Day (Dismissal at 11:45am)
September 10, 2021: Progress Reports Available
Stay Informed By Text Message
Here at Gulf, we do our best to send you important information about everything going on. These come to you by phone and email, but can also arrive by text message. Just address a new text message to 67587 and write Yes in the body of the text. Then hit Send. It's that easy and you won't miss out on the great things happening at Gulf High School.
Our Bell Schedule for 2021-22
Gulf High School has a new bell schedule for our day together. Please make note of the times below. Students will need to be at their bus stops ahead of the scheduled arrival of the bus. Upon arrival at school, students should get their FREE breakfast and be in class by the 7:25am late bell.
Anyone who arrives late to school must check in at the front office and receive a pass to class. If the student arrives with an excused note from home or a doctor, the entry will be "Tardy-Excused." Otherwise, the arrival is "Tardy-Unexcused."
Ramp and Stairs
- In the morning before 1st period, students will arrive at different times and head upstairs on the ramp.
- During the school day: RAMP UP / STAIRS DOWN. The exterior stairs too!
- At dismissal, the Ramp and all stairs will be DOWN only.
Student Dress Code
Our goal is that each student arrives on campus ready to learn. This includes being dressed appropriately for learning.
When leaving the house for school each day, check that your student's clothing adheres to our dress code.
In its simplest form, clothing should cover the body and not be full of holes. The top you're wearing should overlap the waist of the bottoms. There shouldn't be any offensive art or writing on clothes. No hats, hoods, or other types of head coverings are permitted (except for documented medical or religious purposes).
Download a copy below and get ALL the details.
Arriving Each Morning & Free School Breakfast
- Buses will begin arriving at 7 o'clock and start unloading.
- Students will go to the cafeteria or breakfast carts off the parking areas and in the Commons to pick up breakfast. Please take a full set of breakfast items.
- Enjoy your breakfast in the cafeteria for a morning Study Hall, in the Commons, or before the start of class.
- CLEAN UP ALL TRASH - use the garbage bins please!
- The first period late bell rings at 7:25am. Be seated in your classroom ready to learn!
Please be considerate of other people and our building.
Building Passes
Gulf High School will again be using the eHallpass system this year so students handle only their own device.
- Students may download the eHallpass app or log in through myPascoConnect and select the app on their dashboard.
- Students must first ask permission from the teacher to be allowed to use the bathroom, go to the clinic, see a counselor, or visit the office.
- No passes during the first 10 minutes of class - to allow learning to get started for all.
- Once okayed by the teacher, the student will use a personal device (phone or tablet) to initiate the pass with location and purpose.
- The teacher will approve the pass on his/her own computer or device. Substitute teachers will have a code to input on the student device for approval purposes.
- If the system says that the student cannot have a pass at that moment, please wait patiently about 5 more minutes or so until there is less congestion around the building and request again.
- No student may be out of class during instructional time without an approved eHallpass.
- Approved locations are: Upstairs -or- Downstairs -or- 300 Building bathrooms; Clinic; Front Office; Media Center; Student Services (Guidance) or a specific teacher's room.
- Students who arrive late to school must check in at the front office. Send your student with a note justifying lateness otherwise it will be an "unexcused tardy." Students will be sent to class on an eHallpass from the office indicating "excused" or "unexcused" status. Patterns of lateness will receive an appropriate consequence. This may include loss of parking privileges for student drivers.
- Students may not leave class to go to the vending machines during class time. Please be respectful of this rule!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We Take Personal Health & Safety Seriously
No Drugs or Alcohol
No Vaping, Tobacco, or Marijuana
No Weapons of Any Kind
Not Permitted Anywhere on Our Campus --- Students or Visitors --- Leave it Home
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lunches and Seating
As part of 4th period, we will have three lunches of 30-minutes each with passing time built around them. Your schedule tells you which lunch you have - A, B or C - and what time is lunch and what time is class.
STUDENTS MUST REMAIN ON CAMPUS
And remember: Gulf High School is a closed campus. No one is permitted to leave during the day. We are all here from arrival to departure at the end of your scheduled class day. This includes lunches.
NO MEAL DELIVERIES PERMITTED
We do not permit food deliveries from services such as DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub or others. Nor do we allow delivery of food from outside restaurants - whether delivered or brought by parents/guardians. Delivery drivers will be sent away from campus and not permitted to unload. Family members should send students to school with their meals. Please do not drop by with bags of food to be delivered to your student. It will be held in the office until the end of day. Thank you!
CAFETERIA GUIDELINES
Cleaning Our cafeteria is sanitized each day and tables cleaned with germicide between each lunch period. We've installed hand sanitizer dispensers across campus - in the cafeteria as well. We encourage hand-washing and custodians check soap dispensers throughout the day.
Must be Seated All students will be required to be seated if eating. No one is permitted to be standing up or walking when eating their food or snacks (at lunch or during passing periods). There is NO wandering about or going back and forth between areas.
Cafeteria and Patio Students in all grades may eat in the cafeteria. Juniors and Seniors only may eat on the Patio. No going back and forth. Please observe social distancing.
Media Center The Media Team will approve special eHallpass "Appointment Passes" for students they allow in for Academic Study Hall during lunch. Passes are limited in number. Stay seated in your assigned seat. To request a pass, stop by if you wish to use the Media Center for lunch and quiet study hall.
Tutoring in the Classroom Some teachers may choose to allow students to eat in their classroom for lunch tutoring. If you have a teacher who offers this, please express your gratitude by being polite and keeping the room clean. The teachers who offer this will issue eHallpass "Appointment Passes," limited in number. Stay seated in your assigned seat. Remember: These teachers are giving up their lunch break to be with you, so be kind!
End of Day Dismissal
At the end of the day, the ramp and all staircases will be down only. This will help divide up the students exiting the building and avoid crowding.
Get right on your bus or head directly home please! No one is permitted to gather on campus after dismissal unless with a teacher or coach for school-related activities.
Registration / Orientation / Meet the Teacher
ON-CAMPUS ORIENTATION and MEET THE TEACHER
On August 5th, we will host Registration/Orientation Day and visitors will have an opportunity to see where classrooms are located and pop in to say hello to teachers.
- Morning Session 8am to 11am
- Afternoon/Evening Session 4pm to 7pm (teachers will not be available)
Families will begin by completing the Emergency Contact information, then the Lunch Form. After that, move through to pick up schedules. Families will have the opportunity to get bus, athletics, and community information, and pay fees.
Our student and parent portals are open for you to go in, review and acknowledge some information from Pasco County Schools, pay school fees, download schedules, check bus information, and be ready to start the new school year off right!
And of greatest importance is the electronic version of the school Emergency Card. - click here for detailed instructions
Get started by downloading the documents that follow:
Do you have a myLearning / Canvas account to see your student's courses online? If not, click here to set one up!
Student Email - Get Set Up Now!
Your Health and Safety Matter to All of Us at GHS!
Every Single Day Self-Assess with the Student Screener
Every morning, your students must get in the habit of going over the self-screener questions before heading out for school. If the student answers "Yes" to any question(s), please follow the guiding information. Just ONE Yes response means "Don't come to school today."
Look for the Student Screener on the district webpage.
NEVER COME TO SCHOOL IF YOU FEEL SICK!
Visitors Coming To Campus
All visitors must
- Complete the Visitor Self-Screener found on the district webpage.
- Come to the front office for check-in
- Remain in a designated location as directed during the visit (ex. front office, student services)
NO DELIVERIES We do not permit food deliveries from services such as DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub or others. Nor do we allow delivery of food from outside restaurants - whether delivered or brought by parents/guardians. Delivery drivers will be sent away from campus and not permitted to unload. Family members should send students to school with their meals. Please do not drop by with bags of food to be delivered to your student. It will be held in the office until the end of day. Thank you!
JESSICA LUNSFORD ACT COMPLIANCE For your peace of mind, please know that any workers contracted to be on campus when students are here must pass a background check consistent with the Jessica Lunsford Act.
VOLUNTEERS As well, all volunteers must be pre-screened by Pasco County Schools through an application found here. We welcome you to apply to be a Gulf High School Volunteer!
Health and Safety Procedures
To follow are health precautions and procedures implemented throughout our school:
MASKS Masks are optional.
SIGNS Students and visitors will see signs all around the campus about social distancing, hand washing, and Up and Down reminders for ramp and stairs.
HYGIENE Hand sanitizer stations are installed in visible areas throughout campus. Soap dispensers are in all bathrooms. Please talk to your student about treating the dispensers gently. We want all to have easy access to soap and sanitizer.
DISINFECTION Custodians will be disinfecting each room daily. Germicide spray is in each room with a microfiber cloth. Cleaning is in place for cafeteria, hallways, handrails, and frequently touched surfaces.
STUDENT BEHAVIOR We believe that all students and families will take health and safety seriously. Therefore, I am confident that we will have full cooperation with following all the best practices for good health. However, if there is a pattern of a student not following the rules, we will enact appropriate consequences.
CLINIC The clinic will have a separate room nearby for any unwell students exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. We will contact parents/guardians for students to be taken home. We have procedures in place for situations that might come up. Our goal is the safety and well-being of all our Bucs.
Join the GHS School Advisory Council
We value your commitment as either a family member or business partner. If you are interested in being part of this valuable team, please contact Mrs. Drury at ldrury@pasco.k12.fl.us.
#gulfhighschoolstrong
About Us
Email: jmorgens@pasco.k12.fl.us
Website: http://ghs.pasco.k12.fl.us
Location: 5355 School Road, New Port Richey FL 34652
Phone: (727) 774-3300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GulfHighSchool/
Twitter: @GulfHSPrincipal