JUMPING INTO JANUARY
MHCHS: MAKING MAGIC FOR 20 YEARS
GREETINGS FROM THE DESK OF DR. ADAMS-WATKINS
I hope that the holidays were a time for relaxation and rejuvenation for all of you. We are excited to begin the second semester. Students will be busy this semester and time will move quickly. There are many significant events for our students in the months ahead. The monthly newsletter (each reporting period) will provide all information and dates. If there are any other concerns please feel free to contact me through email (the address will be below) or to call.
In order to provide all students with the best instructional experiences, I will be in classrooms every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Our assistant principal, Ms. Sanchez, will be in classes on Tuesday and Thursday. We will make every effort to respond to emails and concerns within 48 hours on weekdays. You may call the front office and make an appointment to meet with the administration on our "in office" days.
If you have specific questions or classroom issues the first person to contact is the teacher. They will have the most information about their grading policy, practices, and specific assignments. It is unethical and illegal for administrators to change grades.
Located in the last newsletter was a link to "WHO TO ASK". Please use for any questions you may have. This will allow you to get your answers as quickly as possible.
Our school improvement team meets every 2nd Monday of the month. This is an open meeting and all are welcome. If you have an item for the agenda you will need to submit it prior to the meeting to the chair, Ms. Dali Emami.
The calendar and website will be updated frequently to reflect the fine arts events and other school seasonal activities as they are scheduled.
Thank you for your support as we move forward in the New Year.
SGA ACTIVITIES
FRESHMAN
In the spring semester, we will reschedule our trip to UNC-Chapel Hill. We are aware that the semester is shorter (May 24 is our last day of school) but will make sure you get an opportunity to have your field trip. This is a very important part of our collegiate emphasis here at Massey Hill.
During the month of February, we will begin the registration process for the upcoming school year. Our guide will be digital. There will not be a hard copy for students to bring home. I will make sure that links are available. All registration is done online. Course registration is a tentative number of courses. It is not a schedule. The schedule will not be populated until June. This happens just prior to our end of year closeout and is based on the number of teachers allotted to the school. Each freshman will meet with the counselor to discuss their upcoming year. After this conversation courses will be selected through a google form.
Along those same lines each NCVPS course costs an average of $345.00 and if students sign up and start the course they must complete it, If they do not they will not be allowed to take additional courses and will receive a 50 for the course.
ALL SCHEDULES are completed by me (Dr. Adams-Watkins). All changes will be done over the summer when the request for change forms are sent home and no further adjustments will be made after that. This is a reminder that teachers are assigned classes based on the schedules when they are created.
If you are participating in sports at your home school please let your GLA advisor know as soon as possible. Make sure that you take a moment to look at the various times for tutoring (located in your student handbook). I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to improve your learning.
SOPHOMORES
Please read the above information about schedules and registration. Those events are coming soon.
As a sophomore, you will have an opportunity to register for two classes from FTCC per semester that are housed at MHCHS. They are one period a day for four days a week. The fifth day is used for study hall. This will allow you to have 12 credits of college transferable courses during your junior year. Next year the classes will not be our business courses, they will be Computer Technologies. Make sure that you sign up for these classes when we do registration. They are only available to rising Juniors or Seniors. Parents if you and your student agree to sign up for the class there will be no schedule changes. Each FTCC class costs the county and FTCC allots teachers to come to our campus to teach the courses. Along those same lines each NCVPS course costs an average of $345.00 and if students sign up and start the course they must complete it, If they do not they will not be allowed to take additional courses and will receive a 50 for the course.
Thank you for following our rules at Massey Hill. The dress code and behavioral expectations are included in your yellow handbook for future reference.
JUNIORS
What an exciting semester this will be for Juniors. Beginning on February 21, 2019, you will take the ACT. Parents this test is used for admission to college and is given FREE of charge once per year to all Juniors in North Carolina. The average cost is 75.00 if taken independently. This test takes approximately 3.5 hours. Since it involves a lot of coordination, we need to make sure all juniors are present that day. Juniors will be allowed to dress comfortably that day.
ALL JUNIORS MUST PAY THEIR DUES BY MARCH 15, 2019 in order to attend the prom. There will be no dues accepted after the deadline and juniors will not be allowed to attend. Parents, when working with caterers, venues and musicians there must be a cut-off date to make sure that all monetary obligations are complete.
Junior dues are $60.00. The prom will be held at the Metropolitan Room on Green St. in downtown Fayetteville on May 4, 2019, at 8:00-12:00 p.m. Parking is on the upper deck in the building and security is provided in the parking lot and at the venue. The theme was voted on by the junior class (only 34 of the 66 voted).
As a junior, your student will have an opportunity to register for two classes from FTCC per semester that are housed at MHCHS. They are one period a day for four days a week. The fifth day is used for study hall. This will allow you to have 12 credits of college transferable courses during your senior year. Next year the classes will not be our business courses, they will be Computer Technologies. Make sure that you sign up for these classes when we do registration. They are only available to Juniors or Seniors. Parents if you and your student agree to sign up for the class there will be no schedule changes. Each FTCC class costs the county and FTCC allots teachers to come to our campus to teach the courses. Along those same lines each NCVPS course costs an average of $345.00 and if students sign up and start the course they must complete it, If they do not they will not be allowed to take additional courses and will receive a 50 for the course.
Finally be reminded that when registering for courses, you must meet the Massey Hill requirements as well as the state requirements.
I will continue to periodically email the junior class with updates, information or requests. Please make sure that at this crucial time in your high school journey you check your email regularly, respond to surveys and assist in junior decisions.
SENIORS
We are going to begin this semester with the end in mind. A successful ending will be your graduation and completion of your high school career. This will be a celebration for you, our staff and your family. Congratulations to all those seniors who completed their graduation projects this semester. This is a milestone event. Good luck to all who will present in May.
This will be a whirlwind semester for you and your parents. Parents, please make sure that you plan to attend one of our senior parent meetings in the next months. These meetings are required for ALL senior parents. If parents do not attend they are only allowed 4 tickets for graduation. The first meeting is scheduled for February 7, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. During the meeting you will receive important graduation and closing information. It will also be a time that you can ask any questions you may have about the ceremony, times and graduation dress.
The schedule for the end of the year is designed to meet the requirements for North Carolina and the Department of Public Instruction. There will be adjusted days due to senior events and testing.
Seniors, please make sure you post your college acceptances and scholarship offers from every college. This is important information. From time to time you will receive emails on your school account that require you to respond, please do not forget to do so.
Parents, some of our seniors are not wearing shirts under their hoodies, it is a requirement. They still need to have an MHCHS shirt or white collared shirt under their hoodie. This is not new and students should be in compliance. During the month of December, there was one day that 10/76 seniors did not have on shirts. The hoodie is a senior privilege, not a right. Enforcing this basic tenet of the dress code is time-consuming. Please work with us and ensure that students are in compliance. If there are too many future incidents, the hoodie can become a dress down or home clothing item.
Senior dues will be collected until MAY 3, 2019. After that students will not be able to participate in the SENIOR BREAKFAST, SENIOR PICNIC or yearbook. Again, parents, deadlines are in place in order to purchase the items needed.
Students and parents need to check the green student handbook that was given to your senior at the beginning of the year to determine which cords and awards students will receive. Teachers will make the final determination based on the criteria stated in the handbook.
UPCOMING EVENTS
7th: Second Semester Begins
10th: Report Cards
11th: GLA
14th: SIT MEETING
17th: PARENT INTEREST MEETING
21st: HOLIDAY/NO SCHOOL
24th: PROGRESS REPORTS
25th: GLA
FEBRUARY 2019
2nd: Choice Fair at EESHS
7th: Senior Parent Meeting
8th: End of First Grading Period
15th: REPORT CARDS (next newsletter)
OTHER EVENTS AND DATES WILL BE ADDED IF NEEDED.
PEARSON INTELLIGENCE SCALE STUDY
THE NATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ARE INVALUABLE. YOUR STUDENT IS TRULY MAKING A NATIONAL IMPACT ON LEARNING. MASSEY HILL STRIVES TO BE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SCHOOL OF LEARNING.
INCENTIVES:
RETURN THE FORM ON FRIDAY JANUARY 11, 2019 to your GLA teacher: Free dress down on Wednesday, January 16, 2019
COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT with a NATIONALLY TRAINED ADMINISTRATOR (these tests are administered by a licensed psychologist) at school and you will receive a second dress down.
SENIORS:
YOU WILL RECEIVE THE SAME INCENTIVES PLUS ONE TICKET FOR COMPLETING THE FORM AND ONE TICKET FOR COMPLETING THE TEST.
SPOTLIGHT ON: MRS. CAROLINE SANCHEZ
The role of assistant principal comes naturally to Mrs. Caroline Sanchez. As a teacher at Massey Hill, she took on many roles in leadership that helped prepare her to make the transition from the classroom to the office. Ms, Sanchez holds a degree in ELA and a Master's in School Administration, she is also a National Board Certified Teacher. She has taught a variety of subjects at Massey Hill including English IV and English II. She has served as SIT chair in the past, graduation project coordinator and NHS advisor.
She is the testing coordinator and will be your primary source for all questions related to the testing schedule in the months to come. She will be able to give you information about the EOC and NCFE tests at the end of the year as well as all AP testing. Ms. Sanchez continues to work with the English department to coordinate graduation projects.
In order to further prepare for the role of Principal, Ms. Sanchez is currently participating in Future Ready Leadership classes with the Department of Public Instruction.
SPOTLIGHT ON CAROLINE SANCHEZ: ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
KINDNESS MATTERS!
COMMUNITY SERVICE IS OUR FOCUS!
RESPECT IN THE CLASSROOM
As we move to the final semester for this year, please review what our expectations are for student and adult interactions. We will nurture your students, but we cannot be their friends or peers. Adults are to be addressed respectfully and appropriately. It takes all of us (you, students and staff) to create a mutually respectful environment.
Parents I also ask that we work together for the success of our students. The relationship between school and home should not be adversarial. You are the experts in your home and the raising of your students, teachers are the experts in their subject matter and requirements. Together we can create a magical and mutually beneficial experience for all students.
Dr. Pamela Adams-Watkins
Publisher
Website: www.mhchs.k12.nc.us
Location: 1062 Southern Avenue, Fayetteville, NC, USA
Phone: 910-485-8761
Twitter: @Masseyhillclass