High School Happenings
August 6, 2019
News & Information:
Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year
As summer rapidly draws to a close and the 2019-2020 school year approaches, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to another exciting year at Methacton High School. At Methacton High School, we celebrate and support the special parent, student, teacher, and community partnerships that serve as the foundation of our mission to provide a safe and nurturing environment where our students can learn and grow. We are most fortunate to be able to provide our students with an abundance of academic, athletic, expressive and instrumental arts and club and activity offerings that will expose them to the many wonders of the world. I strongly encourage our students to take full advantage of these many opportunities in an effort to make their time at the High School the foundation of a lifetime of learning. During the months ahead, we will be encouraging all of our students to make good behavior choices, to accept responsibility for their actions, and to respect all of the people that come together each day to make our great Methacton High School community the special place that it is. Please refer to the Methacton High School Student Handbook for the many policies and regulations that assist in providing the best order and structure to our school. Students will be asked to sign-off in acknowledgment that they have read and understood the information contained in the Handbook. A solid home-school partnership in ensuring that these procedures and policies are followed is so important and we thank you in advance for your support in fostering this continued partnership. Teachers and parents working together in the best interest of our children is the key to the success of our school. Best wishes for a wonderful 2019-2020 school year.
Freshman/New Student Orientation
Orientation for all incoming Members of the Class of 2023 and students new to MHS will take place on the morning of Tuesday, August 27. Please reference the separate email that was sent out in July to the parents of all incoming Freshman and new students. Freshmen students should report to the auditorium upon arrival at the high school between the times of 7:15 and 7:30. All new upperclassmen should report directly to the auditorium for orientation. Students should be prepared to either access the PowerSchool app to view their schedule or come prepared with a printed hardcopy. Student ambassadors will lead freshmen to their assigned first period class. In first period, students will engage in team building activities, visit the activities fair in the cafeteria, and venture around the building in tours. Students will then follow their “A” day schedule. Students will be dismissed at 11:20. Additional information can be found on the MHS website. https://www.methacton.org/cms/lib/PA01000176/Centricity/Domain/54/Freshmen%20Orientation%20Letter%202019.pdf Please note that this event is ONLY for incoming Freshmen and students who are new to MHS for the 19-20 school year.
Methacton High School Administrative Structure
MHS will now operate on a “House” system, with each grade-level, ninth through twelfth, operating as a “House” with an assigned “House Principal”. This will allow a building of nearly sixteen-hundred students to function with closer relationships as a grade-level House of nearly four hundred students. Each House is assigned a House Principal as first point of contact for students and parents. Students and parents should direct any concerns or questions directly to the assigned House Principal for your child’s grade-level. The MHS Administrative Team is as follows:
- Dr. Jason Sorgini, Principal jsorgini@methacton.org
- Mr. John Smink, 9th Grade House Principal jsmink@methacton.org
- Dr. Paul Spiewak, 10th Grade House Principal pspiewak@methacton.org
- Mr. Dan Bontempo 11th Grade House Principal dbontempo@methacton.org
- Dr. Karey Kochenour 12th Grade House Principal kkochenour@methacton.org
- Dr. Jamie Gravinese, Supervisor of HS Special Education jgravinese@methacton.org
School Day Schedule for 2019-2020: Please note that a significant change has been made to the school day schedule.
- Students will now report directly to their assigned first period class when the bell rings to start the school day at 7:30. First period will officially begin at 7:35. First period will be extended a short duration of time to allow for homeroom-related activities including the viewing of the Warrior News program. Students will no longer report to a separate homeroom period. It is essential that all students are in first period on time no later than 7:35. Unexcused tardiness will result in both disciplinary as well as academic consequences. Please reference the student handbook for additional information.
Student Schedules
MHS student schedules for the 19-20 school year became available today, August 6, via the PowerSchool Portal. All other grade levels (K-8) are not part of this scheduled release and will be released on 8/19. Transportation information will be available on 8/18. Please utilize your log-in information to access your student schedule. All efforts have been made to accommodate student requests for courses. Requests for changes or modifications to schedules will only be addressed in the following circumstances:
A) Successful completion of summer school, private tutoring.
B) Computer/mechanical/clerical errors.
C) Failure to pass a sequential course.
D) Movement from one school to another.
E) Change in post-secondary planning.
No requests for teacher changes will be honored. Please contact your child’s assigned counselor by Thursday, August 8 if one of these situations is applicable. Additionally please note that study halls do not yet appear on student schedules. Study hall information will be added prior to the first day of school.
School Counselors
Counselors are available during limited hours throughout the summer to address any concerns that arise. Methacton High School counselors work closely with students to develop competencies in the areas of academics, personal/social and career development. Through individual counseling, classroom visits, and group presentations counselors help students understand their learning strengths and weaknesses, select appropriate courses, plan for the transition to college and careers, and meet personal challenges in a mature, productive way.
You can reach the MHS counseling staff by email, phone (610-489-5000), or make an appointment with one of the counseling secretaries, Mrs. Lorraine O'Donnell (ext. 25033) or Mrs. Rita Szczurek (ext. 25030) during the regular school hours of 7:30-3:00. The offices are closed on Friday's during the summer months. Students are assigned to Counselors by last name. The counselor alphabet breakdown for student last names is listed below:
- A-Cl: Mr. William Peck wpeck@methacton.org
- Co-G: Mrs. Roxane Henning rhenning@methacton.org
- H-Ll: Mr. John Midgley jmidgley@methacton.org
- Lo-Pa: Mr. Dave Ruminski druminski@methacton.org
- Pe-Sr: Mrs. Julie Krail-Evans (in for Mr. Rob Howard)
- St-Z: Mrs. Cindy Hartson, Department Chairperson chartson@methaccton.org
Back to School Night
The teachers and staff of MHS are excited to welcome parents and guardians to our two scheduled Back to School Nights. Grades 9 & 10 will be held on Tuesday, September 10 and Grades 11 & 12 on Wednesday, September 18, both nights beginning at 7:00 PM. Two separate nights are held to best accommodate parking and space needs. All teachers are scheduled to attend both evenings. Any parent that has a conflict with the designated grade-level date is invited to attend the alternate evening. Parents will follow an “A” day schedule. Student schedules are available in the PowerSchool portal. Additionally, a blank schedule is available at: https://www.methacton.org/cms/lib/PA01000176/Centricity/Domain/54/Back%20to%20School%20-%20parents.pdf.
Parents can print this out and ask their children to complete the schedule in advance of the event. We look forward to seeing everyone at Back to School Night.
School Closed
School will be closed on Monday, September 2 and on Monday, September 30. Students should not report to school on those days.
Handbook Corner
The Student/Parent Handbook, available on the MHS website, is the best source for all information about the daily operations of MHS. This section of the Happenings email will highlight components of the handbook throughout the school year. For now, please read and become familiar with the Handbook, found on the MHS website at https://www.methacton.org/Domain/54.
Methacton High School
Email: jsorgini@methacton.org
Website: www.methacton.org
Location: 1005 Kriebel Mill Road, Eagleville, PA, USA
Phone: 610-489-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MethactonSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @Methacton