Warrior Family News Update
The Warrior Way
2nd Semester
I hope all is well, and that you all had a wonderful Holiday Season!
We are excited to start the new semester off strong TOMORROW (Early Release Wednesday), with all of our students back, and without (hopefully) having to worry about the weather! Although who are we kidding... it's January in Illinois.š
An updated District Calendar is below.
As a reminder, all after school activities, including clubs, practices, and competitions, have been cancelled for today - Tuesday, January 9th, 2024.
Please reach out with any questions! Happy New Year!
Jeff Prickett, Ed.D.
Principal, MCHS
Skyward Schedule Check
All students should double check their schedules in Skyward today to see if there were any last minute schedule changes counselors needed to make!
Attendance Matters!
MORE INFORMATION AROUND OUR 90% ATTENDANCE PUSH COMING OUT LATER THIS WEEK!
Did you know... more schools than ever before are seeing high (20-29%) and extreme (30%+) levels of chronic absence? According to research from "Attendance Matters" & Johns Hopkins University, taken from national data for the 2021-22 school year, such high levels affect almost two-thirds of schools nationwide.
This means that in these schools, at least one of five students in their school was missing almost four weeks throughout the school year.
These exceptionally high levels of absenteeism are a sign that schools are lacking the positive conditions for learning that touch all students, staff, educators and families.
Updated MCHS School Calendar (link to PDF directly below)
SENIOR GRADUATION
SENIOR Parents & Students - If you haven't ordered your Cap & Gown, please do so as soon as possible! Very soon, we'll be in FULL graduation swing! It'll be here before you know it!
24-25 FAFSA/Financial Aid Update
SENIOR Parents & Students -
The 24-25 FAFSA is now available to be completed. Completing the 24-25 FAFSA allows students to apply for financial aid that can be used at almost every 4-year college, community college, and tech/trade school. Additionally, this meets the state's "FAFSA Completion" graduation requirement.
That said, as stated here, the 24-25 FAFSA is available intermittently as a "soft launch". In other words, for the first few weeks of January, it won't be available 24/7. They have also indicated that even if completed now, the FAFSA won't release your completed form and info to the colleges/trade/tech schools you are requesting until late-January. Thus, in the short term, don't feel like you have to rush to complete it, as they're saying they are still working on it.
Remember that our FAFSA expert (Erin Coveny from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission) is in the UC College & Career Center every Thursday during AIM for ANY senior who needs a hand! We also will have a FAFSA Completion Workshop the evening of 2/13 (sign-ups coming soon). MCC's Financial Aid Office will also help any McHenry County family complete the FAFSA. Additionally, this video gives an overview of how to complete the 24-25 FAFSA.
MCHS PSAT/SAT Prep
We are once again offering PSAT/SAT Prep sessions, open to ALL MCHS students. First session is February 3rd. QR Code below!
Daily Attendance & Calling Students Out Early
This is a friendly reminder that parents can excuse students from school for a valid cause up to four times during a semester. After the fourth absence in one semester period, parents must provide written documentation establishing the reason for their studentās absence. Acceptable forms of documentation and valid causes are listed in the Student Handbook.
Note: Absences that are valid and accompanied by supporting documentation are not counted toward the four days of absence. Counting of these days starts over at the beginning of each semester.
Students & Illness
Late to School
If students are late to school, they need to go to the attendance office to get a pass to class. If they are being dropped off late, they should be dropped at the South (student) entrance. Please do not use the North entrance for late arrivals to school.
For Your Calendars
- January 10 - REVISED Start of 2nd Semester
- January 15 - MLK Holiday: No School
- January 20 - Winter Formal @ Freshman Campus: 7:00pm
- January 21 - McHenry County Honor Band
- January 22 - BOE Meeting @ 7:00pm
- January 23 - BPAC Meeting @ 6:00pm
- January 27 - ILMEA All-State Festival
- February 1 - First Day of Black History Month
- February 3 - New Trier Jazz Festival