Hilltop Herald - Parent Edition
Be Respectful ~ Be Responsible ~ Be Resilient
Volume 1 ~ Issue 2 ~ July 25, 2022
Amazing Falcon Families,
"Respect is one of the most important things you can teach a child." ~Catherine Pulsifer~
As we start the second week of school, I want to ensure that all Falcon Families know our Daily Mantra, which states: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Resilient." Every day, I will end the announcement by saying this mantra over the intercom. I am hopeful that when our students are reminded, they will demonstrate behaviors that match this mantra. According to Catherin Pulsifer, "Respect is one of the most important things you can teach a child." In this age where individuals are easily angered and respond with outbursts, we have a responsibility to show our children that there is a more effective way to live their lives. Being respectful regardless of the situation is one of them. Parents, please take time to discuss with your children what respect means and what it looks like.
Schedule A and B This Week
Starting this week, our regular schedule A (Mon-Thursday) and Schedule B (Friday) begin. Start time is 8:05 am in the morning and End time is 3:05pm for Schedule A. Schedule B starts at 8:05am and ends at 1:45pm. Period 0 for Schedule A begins at 7:13am and 7:19am for Schedule B. Please refer to updated schedule below.
Dropping Off and Picking Up Students
As we start the year, I want to remind all of us to be kind in how we drop off and pick up our students. Parents, to avoid hassles, please bring your child to school early. School gates are open at 7:00am. Only students will be allowed to enter the campus. If you need to talk to someone, please park at the east parking lot and walk to the main office. Also, please honor the bus driveway by not driving through it. It makes our bus drop-off that much more dangerous when cars other than staff drive through it. Thank you for honoring this request.
Tardiness
All students are expected to get to class on time. On time means that they are inside the classroom when the bell rings. Starting this week, we will enforce the tardy policy. This means students who are tardy this week will be given afterschool detention on Friday. Parents, we are asking that you drop your children off early if possible. The gates are open by 7am. This way, they will not be part of the Friday detention.
Universal Free Meals for California Students
This year, students will be able to eat breakfast and lunch for the school year. Students may receive one (1) breakfast and one (1) lunch. This last week, you have been calling letting us know that the school ran out of lunch. In investigating this, our amazing cafeteria manager informed me that we did not run out of lunch. What we do run out of is pizza. So please be aware that pizza is not the only option for lunch; there are still other lunch options. If students want more than one serving, they will have to pay for the second set of meals.
Registration and Immunization Verification has been extended
Parents, if you have not provided proof of residency and/or immunization, you have received an extension to submit until August 26, 2022. After that, if your child is still missing the required documentation, they will be dropped from our enrollment. Please take time to complete this process.
Finally, below are important information regarding HTM. Please read the information on the images provided so that you know as much information as possible.
I want to start off by thanking all students who demonstrated appropriate behavior as Falcons on the first three days of school. Your demonstration of our daily mantra of: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Resilient" was wonderful to see.
Unfortunately, there were some of you who decided not to demonstrate our daily mantra. Consequently, you created an unsafe environment during lunch on Friday. Here is what happened.
Towards the end of lunch, a group of students decided to enter the library not to do work but to create an altercation in the library that resulted in injury to another Falcon. Additionally, some of you decided to record it and post it on social media. As your principal, I am disappointed that any of my Falcons would be so bold in participating in this kind of behavior, especially on the third day of school. THIS BEHAVIOR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. All schools are governed by a set of laws; this includes how you are to behave in school. Any display of inappropriate behaviors are subject to these laws.
Click HERE to access these laws.
Those of you who participated last Friday are subject to these laws and both assistant principals and I will apply all appropriate consequences as necessary.
ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE ON CAMPUS. Each of you have a role to play in it. Our expectation is that you act properly at all times.
So that you are aware, here are a couple of my observations on your behavior on the first three days during lunch that contribute to an unsafe environment:
- traveling in large groups
- not keeping your hands to yourselves.
- cramming into the bathrooms (on the first day, we had graffiti).
- running very hard like you are in PE class.
- throwing food at other students.
These lunch time behaviors need to decrease and stop. If these actions continue, I will have no choice but to have a sit-down lunch for those of you who refuse to demonstrate proper behavior, and maybe the entire school. This is only if needed.
Additionally, if something occurs outside of school and it is brought inside to the school, for example, a negative post on social media or you decided to fight someone at the nearby park, your actions may be subject to school consequences.
So that NO ONE has an excuse that he/she did not know, I am asking your advisory teachers to go over the expectations regarding these laws this week. I have provided them with a presentation of the expectations and the consequences when these laws are broken by you.
Click HERE to access the presentation.
Parents, I am asking you to go over these with your children this week. It will take all of us to ensure that our students behave appropriately and safely on campus.
Falcons, I know you can do this. Show your capacity to demonstrate our daily mantra.
Students and Parents,
Last Friday, we dropped 29 students who did not show up to school. Thus, for the next 7 days, the counselors have been given a directive from me to do three things during school day:
- Correct any errors on students' current schedules.
- Adjust the master schedule as needed.
- Balance classes as mandated by teachers' contract. Deadline is the 10th day.
If your child wants to change classes/period/electives in the first 10 days, they need to follow this protocol:
- They can come to the counseling center before school, nutrition break, lunch or after-school
- Fill out a “request to see a counselor” form. Please help us by making sure that students are in the correct classes and in the correct grade level when they come to your class.
- Email their counselors about the change of requests.
- Any change of classes DUE to a medical issue will require a doctor's note with a potential for a 504 accommodation.
Thank you for understanding.
A reminder that all students who participate in extracurricular activities and athletics (Falcon Flight) must be tested weekly and must submit all weekly test results. Here are two ways in which these students can test:
- Participate in the SDSU_NIH Testing Program located at school. Click HERE to register for this testing program. If you are an 8th grader who signed up last year, there is no need to sign up again as your enrollment was rolled over to this year. However, all new students will need to enroll.
- Submit a weekly test result from your health care provider or a verified healthcare organization or a pharmacy who gives out free tests. Home tests are no longer accepted.
- Upon entry, all cell phones must be turned off and placed in the backpack.
- If your a staff member directs you to put it away, please listen and put it in your backpack.
- Cell phones are not allowed in the bathroom. If you are caught with it in the bathroom, your phone will be taken immediately and must be picked up by the parents. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- If a staff member takes a cell phone away, they will give it back to you at the end of each period UNLESS it warrants being taken to the main office.
Click HERE to read the HTM Dress Code Policy. IF you have any questions, please come and see me.
Families,
Make sure that you are here for Picture Day, which will be taken via PE classes.
- August 16, 2022 - 7th Grade
- August 17 2022 - 8th Grade
If you want to order pictures, below is the picture with all the information:
- Go to mylifetouch.com
- Enter our school code: EVTNFSZXB
- Order the package you want
It is time to get GEARED UP as the most spirited Falcon. You will need spirit gear to earn this title! So, get your gear on! Let's see you in blue!
If you want your child to participate in extra-curricular activities such as athletics, tutoring, drama, strings and other programs, follow the instructions below. We need you to sign up TODAY!!
Click HERE to sign up. Once a staff member enrolls your student into the program, you will receive an email stating that they are now part of the program.
NOTE: SUHSD mandates that all students participating in extracurricular activities such as are offered in the Falcon Flight will be required to test weekly. Here are two ways in which you may test:
- Participate in the SDSU-NIH Weekly Testing Program. Click HERE to sign up for the testing program. The results will go directly to the district and will be provided to all schools.
- Provide a weekly test results provided by your healthcare provider or other verified healthcare organization such as 211.org or pharmacies that provide free testing. HOME TESTS ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED.
Easter Finley, Principal
Email: easter.finley@sweetwaterschools.org
Website: htm.sweetwaterschools.org
Location: 44 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA, USA
Phone: 619.498.2700
Twitter: @erfinleysd