August 5, 2013
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 20th and Wednesday, August 21st. 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, which is posted on the high school
website. 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. Students who drive are
required to get a parking pass for the student lots. There is a $5.00 deposit for the pass, which
will be refunded when the pass is returned.
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. Please make note of the parent/teacher
conferences for the coming year. The
high school schedule is slightly different from the other buildings. The first conference opportunity will be October
7th in the evening in the high school gym. This will be an open format where parents can
meet with teacher stationed around the gym.
No appointments are necessary these conferences. Another block of conference will be held on
November 7th and 8th for which we will set up
appointment.
The first day of school is a
half day on September 3rd 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 2013-2014 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
