Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut

Thoughts and prayers are with the children, families, and community of Newtown, Connecticut, following the incredibly tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 

Because this news may be difficult for many of us to understand, the link below, from the National Association of School Psychologists, provides tips to parents and staff on talking to children about violence.

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence.pdf

Another source of information can be found the following address.

http://www.loveandlogic.com/pages/tragedy.html

Preparing for the ACT - College Readiness Standards

As students prepare for success after high school, one thing that is essential is some sort of post-secondary training.  As a gauge of a student's readiness, the State of Michigan requires all students to take the Michigan Merit Exam (MME).  This test is administered in March of a student's 11th grade year.  There is really no way through all of the MME tests to see growth over time because it is just a "snapshot" in 11th grade.  However, a part of the MME is administration of the ACT.  The ACT has been around for many, many years as a college entrance exam.  The creators of ACT have established College Readiness Standards that correlate to success in college and the student scores.  

The folks at ACT have also developed tests that can be used in lower grades.  These tests are based on the College Readiness Standards so, if they are administered in lower grades,there is an opportunity to show growth over time.  Shepherd High School and Middle School administer these test.  The 7th and 8th grades will take the EXPLORE, and 9th and 10th grade students will take the PLAN.  The data from these assessments can help identify instructional and skill gaps. 

The links below are very helpful to show the standard and how they relate to a student's score.  They can also help identify what skills need to be improved to make improvements on the tests.

Mathematics College Readiness Standards

Science College Readiness Standards

English College Readiness Standards

Reading College Readiness Standards

Writing College Readiness Standards

Health Safety Alert - Snorting Kool-Aid

We had a brief issue this year with a potential health request.  Some alert teachers noticed students "making deals" with quarters and Kool Aid.  The transaction smacked of a drug deal - but for Kool Aid?  We quickly did a little research to see why students might do this.  We found that indeed there was an issue with students snorting Kool Aid.  There were several articles.  To see one of the articles, click here.  It is very interesting.  What kids will do!

Though there doesn't seem to be much of a "high" for the students, there are some serious health risks.  One is that snorting the powder puts a solid substance or crystal into the respiratory system, which is designed for gases or vapors.  Even smoke is a gas, not a solid.  Additionally, there were reports that the sugary crystals get caught in the nasal passage and while people sleep, flies enter the nasal passage (attracted  by the sugar) and lay eggs, leaving larvae to grow in the individual's nasal passage.

Though this is a concern by itself, the activity of trying to get a "high" is maybe more of a concern.  Why would a student seek this "high"?  It they don't get the feeling they want, will they try some other substance or activity?  There can be much bigger issues in the future from this behavior.

So, if you are a student reading this, please consider the harm that you may be doing to yourself and talk to someone, like a school counselor or teacher, about any struggle you may be having.

Power School Parent Access Setup

Power School Parent Access Setup

Power School allows parents to have a single personal log-in for all of their students.  In the past, parents had to have a separate log-in and password for each student.  The link below is a tutorial on how to set up the parent access.  The tutorial walks you through the entire process and is very good.  It is under five minutes, but will give you all that you need to set up this access.  If you have difficulty, please contact the office for assistance. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk9UBBJ4BP8

Parental Involvement with Homework - Repost

I published this post about a year and a half ago, but I thought it was appropriate to share it again at the beginning of this year.  There are new students to the high school and new people may view the blog.

A friend of mine recently sent me an article on the importance of parental support when it comes to the academic success of the students.  The article contained many good points, but what I want to share is a simple list of "10 Ways to Help Your Kids With Their Homework."  I don't want to steal from the author of these suggestions so I will provide the link rather than copying them in this blog, but I would encourage you to look at the 10 suggestions.  They may not all be practical for your situation, but how can you use this information to maximize your student's success?  I hope you find this link helpful!

Click here for - "10 Ways to Help Your Kids With Their Homework"

Settling In

It has been a few weeks and things are starting to settle into a routine.  This is a good time for parents to do a quick check on student grades.  We have been having some trouble with our parent access to Power School, but a quick email to the teachers and you can get a progress report.  You can also ask your student about his/her grade. They can sign into their account so you can check on progress.  It is important to know progress at this point before they get too far behind and it becomes very difficult to pull the grades back up.  Parental support and accountability is a critical factor to student success!  

Shepherd Alumni and a Current Students Take the Trip of a Lifetime

I recently received an email from a former student and Shepherd High School Alumnus, from the class of 2001.  He shared with me information about a trip members of his family were planning in recognition of his grandfather's 90th birthday.  His email was a testament to his grandfather's sacrifice during WWII and description of a wonderful trip that some of his family will take to celebrate this special birthday.

The student is Derick Brumley and with his permission I am sharing his information with you.  

"...On October 21st, 2012, my Grandfather, John Priest (a graduate of Shepherd in 1941), will be turning 90 years old. To help celebrate this important milestone, the family has begun preparations to return him to Europe from September 24th – October 9th, for the first time since the end of WWII in 1945; that’s 67 years! Once there, he’ll retrace the footsteps of his battalion, the 1277th Combat Engineers, 1st Platoon, 3rd Squad of C Company.

Joined by his son, Kenneth Priest (a graduate of Shepherd in 1967), two grandsons, Kevin Priest and Derick

 Brumley (a graduate of Shepherd in 2001), and one great grandson, Walker Priest (current student at Shepherd), our party will fly across the pond on September 24, 2012. Another grandson, Kirk Priest, currently living in Berlin, Germany will meet us in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Over the course of two weeks, we will roughly follow the path that Grandfather and the other soldiers took across France, Germany and Austria in 1944/45.

We've created a blog for family and friends to follow us virtually on this trip of a lifetime (http://johnrpriest.tumblr.com/) and we're also in the process of working with the Morning Sun for a story. 

It is a unique opportunity for my family and to honor the sacrifices that he and so many others made. I know Grandfather has participated in the veterans ceremonies at Shepherd in the past (since Taylor and Walker Priest are current students) and maybe this veterans day will be a unique opportunity for him to be involved again. If anything else, I just wanted to let you know because I believe it is another small testament to the caliber of students that come from Shepherd..."

Derick is correct.  There is a tremendous number of high quality and high caliber students who come through Shepherd Schools.  I am proud to be alumni as well as acting principal.  I hope many of you will follow this trip at the link provided.  Thanks, Derick!

First Day

The first thing we did today was have a welcome assembly.  As the students were filing into the auditorium, I commented to one of the teachers that it was amazing we were starting a new school year.  It seemed like such a short time ago that we were telling the students to have a good summer.  The rest of the day was spent going to each of the classes that were shortened due to the half day.  The day went very smoothly and it was good to get back in the swing of things.  Welcome back Jays!

Successful Start for Freshmen

Shepherd High held its first Freshmen Welcome on August 28th.  It was very successful with about 70 students in attendance.  These students were able to do some activities that helped them create a sense of class identity.  They also were able to attend sessions on academic concerns, behavioral expectations, how to get support, and how to be involved in the life of the school.  There was also a cookout for the students.  It was a good day and a great start for the class of 2016.

Common Core PTA Guidelines

For those of us who live in the education world, we realize that there are always efforts to review and revise curriculum.  I won't go into the history of curriculum development as it has shifted from local to regional control, but suffice it to say that there has been a shift over the past twenty years to align in broader and broader terms.  This has been coupled with the accountability movement that increased the required testing.  The latest curriculum movement has been to implement what are known as Common Core State Standards.  These standards are accepted beyond the State of Michigan by a large regional area.  

I was informed of the National PTA website.  This site might be helpful to provide insight about these new standards and might help when new terms or being used to discuss this trend in education.  The link takes you to a page regarding Common Core, but there may be other information that may be helpful.

Click the link below to access this site.

Common Core PTA Guidelines

Freshmen Welcome Event

Freshman Welcome

 Get the year started right and get a jump on seeing your friends!!

We are very excited this year to introduce a Freshmen Welcome Day.  This day is just for Freshmen and is   intended to help students make the transition to high school.  There will be activities that will help students     develop a “class” identity, understand the many opportunities for involvement that    exist in the high school, and understand the expectations of high school content.       Generally, this day will help students get off to a great start to High School.  We believe this is very important and would like to have every freshman make arrangements to attend on August 28^th!  

WHAT:  Freshmen Welcome

WHEN:  August 28th from 9:00am - 2:00pm 

Cookout Lunch Provided!

 WHERE:  Starting in the Auditorium

2012-1203

Program Topics

¨ Who is the Class of 2016?

¨ I have four years.  What can I  find to do?

¨ What do I have to do to land that job?

¨ I am not sure  I am ready for High School!  Will I be able to pass my classes?

¨ Now that we are in High School we can do what?

¨ What happens if I have trouble?  Who can I go to?

¨ I heard there was a       freshman still stuffed in a locker from last year!

¨ Please plan to take care of your book deposit during this event.  ($10.00)

 Questions? Contact: The High School Office @ 989-828-6601

 

Start of the 2012-2013 School Year - Parent Letter

August 2, 2012

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 Tuesday, August 21^st through Thursday, August 23^rd 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 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.  This year we are not requiring a parking pass for the student lots.  Students may park in the lot on the west side of the building and the lot on the south-west corner of Hall and Fourth Street.

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, you should be able to click the link on the high school page and follow the prompts to create an account.  Power School has added a good feature that should help parents with more than one student in Shepherd schools.  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.  If you have any trouble, please contact the office.  Enclosed with this letter is a “Request For Progress Report” form.  Because parents can access grades at any moment through Power School, we 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. 

The first day of school is a half day on September 4^th starting at 8:05 with a brief assembly.  The opening assembly 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 2012-2013 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.  We have also added a Parent Resource Center link on our website.  The Parent Resource Center will have information that will help parents support their son/daughter’s educational and social development. 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.  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

Smart Phone Alert

I received the following from one of my teachers.  I thought is was worth passing on, especially to parents!  Please take note of the following.  I know I have had this happen to me.


This is alarming!

As with all new gadgets, there is almost always a pitfall of some sort
and this one falls well into that category.

Apparently, makers of many smart phones decided it would be a really
neat idea to embed location information into the pictures you take
with your smart phones such as GPS coordinates of the location of the
picture.  It's called Geotagging and there are browser plug-in's and
web sites devoted to showing a map of where the picture was taken.
It's a really neat feature if you work for National Geographic and
need to know where that picture of the Lion was when you return to
your office.  However, when you randomly post things online and
someone with malicious intent decides they want to find you or your
children in the picture, they can get a very detailed map to your home
or wherever the picture was taken.

The average person should disable this feature on your phones to
eliminate the threat.

This is an interesting read on the subject from the Privacy Rights
Clearing house:
http://www.privacyrights.org/geotagging-privacy

Below is the warning I received and a news video also explaining the threat.

Warning" If you, your kids or grand kids take pics from your
phone---WATCH THIS!

This is truly alarming - please take the time to watch. At the end
they'll tell you how to set your phone so you don't run this risk!
I want everyone of you to watch this and then be sure to share with
all your family and friends. It's REALLY important info, about what
your posting things on your cell phones can do TO YOU!!!

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS VIDEO, AND TAKE THE RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2vARzvWxwY

PLEASE PASS THIS INFO TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO TAKES PICTURES WITH THEIR
CELL OR SMART PHONE AND POSTS THEM ONLINE.

Q&A With Representative Kevin Cotter

The Shepherd delegation to Youth In Government was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Representative Kevin Cotter. Representative Cotter is a graduate of Shepherd High School. He offered to provide a pizza dinner for the Shepherd and Beal City students at the conference and to answer questions from the delegations. Everything went very well and the students had some great questions. It was very nice that Representative Cotter would take the time to meet with these students. It was a very good experience for them and it was much appreciated.

Michigan Youth in Government 2012

There are 10 Shepherd High School students in Lansing for the next four days participating in Michigan Youth in Government. This is a great learning experience as the students get to simulate all aspects of state government. Before the students began their work this morning, they heard from legislative leaders and Governor Snyder.

Driving Safety

I have a son who is just about to be able to drive.  That scares me.  I remember thinking when I first received my drivers license that I was skilled enough and was a good driver.  I never thought about my parents being worried or nervous about me being out on the roads.  However, I do know that I made some reckless decisions while driving that could have easily ended up tragically.  I came across a web site that is devoted to promoting driving safety by real people telling their stories about tragedy that struck them because of driving carelessness.  The one that was first brought to my attention was one on texting and driving.  There is another about wearing a seat belt.  I think one of the things that struck me in watching some of these videos was the impact the tragedy has on everyone after it's over.  The link below is to the Utah Safety Campaign web page.  Take a few minutes to visit this site and at least look at the videos.  As I write this, the featured video is about wearing a seat belt, but there is a very good one about texting and driving in the center of the page called "Texting and Driving Destroys Lives."  I know that as an educator my first thought is getting this message to the students, but these messages are good for everyone.  For many of us adults, we may not maneuver our vehicle recklessly, but we may be just as careless if we are distracted.  If I text and drive, am I any better than I was as a teen?  Click here to visit the site.

Instant Alert Communication System

At the school, we are always trying to find ways to better communicate with parents.  This has been a concern for decades.  We have parent/teacher conferences, Friday Folders, parent meetings, and mail information home.  With the increase of technology tools, we have tried to increase communication using technology.  Doing so provides more timely notification, and it saves the expense of several mailings.  To this end, we have implemented the Power School student management system, which allows parents instant access to student grades and attendance.  It also provides email links to teachers.  We are now adding another tool to help communicate better with parents.  It is the Honeywell Instant Alert for Schools.  This technology allows us to use the contact information parents/students provide to send an automated message of important school related information such as school closings or delays.  We are just getting started with this system so use will be limited at first.  Parents will receive a test call in mid January and the system will be up and running shortly thereafter.  The links below contain more information about this system. 
Parent Letter from Ms. Bunker, Superintendent   
Frequently Asked Questions for Parents          
                                                                                   

                                                                   

Dress Code Clarification

January 3, 2012

SHS Students and Parents:

We want to wish you all a Happy New Year!  We hope you had a wonderful holiday break and are eager to jump back in to school as we continue this second trimester.  We are writing to share with you some information and clarification about the SHS dress code as described in the student handbook.  Although our existing dress code covers the majority of what is deemed inappropriate for school attire, there are always new trends popping up, and currently there are a couple that do not meet the handbook language which states that clothing should be “modest” and not “suggestive or revealing”.  This is not a new policy, but new trends are requiring us to remind students and parents to ensure adherence to the existing one.  In the case that clothing is deemed too tight, too revealing of undergarments or the lack thereof, and/or drawing of attention as a result, it is not considered modest and can be disruptive to the educational process.

It is with this in mind, that we are sending clarification on the recent trends in our young ladies' attire that have increased the wearing of off-the-shoulder and one-shoulder tops and spandex pants, leggings, or tights worn as pants without being covered to mid-thigh.  We believe these items are not appropriate for school for the reasons stated above, and we will enforce the “dress code” accordingly.

Some have tried to label the issue as one with "yoga pants," and though some yoga pants do contain spandex and are inappropriate for students to wear to school, some are cotton without spandex and are acceptable to wear as pants. These are not the items of concern.  At this time and unless this becomes an issue of confusion, we do not foresee a blanket statement prohibiting "yoga pants," though through our research on this issue, we have found a number of schools that have.  Students should know that spandex, tights, spandex/form-fitting yoga pants, exercise pants or leggings may not be worn unless there is a garment worn over them that meets the mid-thigh length requirement.  In the case that a student's clothing does not meet the expectations, we will handle the situation the same way we do every question of clothing appropriateness: by pulling the student aside, privately indicating the issue with the clothing that does not meet code, and asking the student to change or call for a change of clothing before returning to class. This being said, students are expected to learn from such a situation and not have a repeat incident of this nature; therefore, repeated offenses against a reasonable request will be considered an act of insubordination.

We believe we live in an exceptional community with smart young people who come from families that value education.

Thank you for your continued support of our school and our efforts to ensure the best quality educational experience for your son/daughter.

Respectfully,

Mr. Bush and Ms. Bridges