August 3, 2011
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
What seems like a short time ago, we eagerly entered into the summer by closing another school year. The administrative and office staff members have been working hard during the summer to complete year-end reports and plan for the upcoming school year. Now, as summer begins to give way to fall, it is time, once again, to provide information that will hopefully ensure that the beginning of the school year goes very smoothly.
Students should have their schedules and locker assignment with this mailing. It is important to note that the drop and add process is the same as it was last year. Meetings with a counselor are being arranged by appointment only. Students/parents should call the high school office and sign up for an appointment time to speak with a counselor. The appointments are being scheduled for Monday, August 29th through Wednesday, August 31st from 8:00 – 2:30. Additional times may be added if needed. More specific details can be found on the high school web site. Students should be aware that they will not be able to change classes after these dates unless one of several criteria is met. These criteria are in the student handbook. Students should see a counselor during this time if they have any questions. During that same time, new students can meet with a counselor for new student scheduling.
The building will be open on the dates above for freshman and new students so they can pay their book deposit and check on their locker assignment. Students should take care of their book deposit before school begins to ensure that they are able to receive all of their text books. The book deposit is $10.00 and is refunded when a student graduates or leaves SHS. Checks should be made out to Shepherd High School or you should have exact change. If a student paid his/her deposit but has a media center fine, he/she needs to pay the fine before they will be able to check out a text. Students who wish to drive to school must first acquire a parking pass. Students may also use this time to pick up a parking pass with a $5.00 deposit that is refundable at the end of the year after the parking pass has been returned. These passes are for the main student lot on the west side of the building and the lot on the south-west corner of Hall and Fourth Street.
The high school teachers typically like to welcome you and your student to an Open House/Meet the Teacher Night. This year this event will be held on September 13th from 6:30 – 8:30 in the auxiliary gym. One of our goals is to develop an even stronger relationship with parents and students so I highly encourage you and your student to attend this event.
Parents with students who attended Shepherd High School or Middle School should remember that we have a student management system that has a Student/Parent Portal that allows parents/students to check student progress and attendance. For those who do not have a user id and password, we will be creating those and getting them to you as soon as we can after school starts. Enclosed with this letter is a “Request For Progress Report” form. Because parents can access grades at any moment through Power School, we will no longer send a hard copy progress report through the mail. The new student management technology not only gives parents and students
instant access, but it enables us to save postage cost by not sending progress cards through the mail. However, some may wish to receive a hard copy or may not have access to the Internet (Power School). In this case, please return the “Request For Progress Report” form so we know that you wish to have a hard copy mailed home. We only send progress reports home for students who are achieving below a 70%. We create a list of these students and compare that to those who want a hard copy that is then mailed. We will also mail home report cards to everyone at the end of each trimester. Power School has added a good feature for this year that should help parents with more than one student in Shepherd schools. Beginning this fall, parents will be able to have a single “parent login” that is linked to all of their students so you will not have a separate login for each student.
The first day of school will start September 6th at 8:05 with a brief opening assembly followed by each period like any other day. The opening meeting will take place in the auditorium. The first day is a half day for students, and there is a predesigned half-day schedule that we will follow. Students will be release at 11:05 on the first day. Students should bring their enclosed schedule with them when they come to school on the first day as we will not have reprinted copies available. Please be aware that students will receive a student handbook on the first day and the contents will be reviewed. The student handbook will also be posted to the web site for your reference.
The athletics department is once again offering passes for 2011-2012 sports. Family passes are $150 and includes immediate family, but excludes post high school children/siblings. An individual pass is $90, and a student pass is $60. Please be aware that these passes do not include tournaments including SHS invitational and state tournaments. These passes can be purchased in the high school counseling office between the hours of 7:00 - 2:30. Please make checks payable to Shepherd Athletics or have the correct amount. The office does not have money to make change.
Daily student announcements and updates related to the building are posted by 9:30 a.m. on the high school web page, http://shepherd.edzone.net/hs/index.php. Please use this resource to remain informed about building activities and important dates. There is also a link to my blog which will have information about school events and helpful information about the state of education at Shepherd High School and the state. This year there will be an emphasis on posting information that will help parents support their son/daughter’s educational and social development. The blog link is http://shepherdhigh.blogspot.com/. This blog has an RSS feed so if you utilize an RSS reader, you can have updates automatically post to your RSS reader.
We look forward to another great school year and to having the school busy with students, parents and teachers once again. Shepherd Public School is a great school in a great community. Student, parents, community, and staff working together make the difference that ensures that students meet their highest potential.
Sincerely,
Douglas J. Bush
Principal
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