Wednesday, January 18, 2012

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.

Friday, January 13, 2012

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          
                                                                                   
                                                                   

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

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