To: Parents and Students of SHS

From: Jim O’Connor

Re: Welcome Back

The summer has flown by and it is once again time for school to begin.  I hope that you had an enjoyable and fruitful summer.  The first day of school this year will be on Tuesday, August 22nd. The school day begins at 8:00 AM and will dismiss at 3:57 PM on Monday through Thursday. The school calendar can be found on the District website at www.crook1.com .

We are welcoming one new staff member this fall.  Ms. Ashley Sproul will be taking over our music program. Please take time to stop and introduce yourself and welcome her to the building.

We will be holding Orientation for all incoming 7^th graders and new students and their parents on the evening of Thursday, August 17; all other students and parents are welcome to attend.  The Open House will begin in the Auditorium at 6:00 PM.  During this time the students may pick up their schedule and become familiar with the building and their lockers.  We will provide time for students and parents to meet with teachers and discuss the class expectations and policies.

I would like to remind you that all school policies are outlined in the student handbook which is posted online.  You can find the handbook on the Crook County Website at Crook1.com under Sundance Secondary.  I encourage you to go through the handbook and become familiar with the policies.  The change that will have the most influence on students is when they miss a day of school they get two (2) days to make it up, students will have a maximum of 4 school days (this is a change) to make up work if they exceed 3 or more days absence.  Please remind your students that we are not allowing students to have cell phones in class.  If they need to make a call, they should do it in an appropriate manner and at an appropriate time, students may use their phones before school, at lunch and after school.   We understand that it is difficult to feel out of touch, however, if you need to get a message to your student, please feel free to call the office 283-1007, and the message will be delivered.   There will be medical needs for students to have their phones that will be covered with either a 504 plan or an IEP.  Some of the difficulties we face with almost 200 cell phones being used include the possibility of:

            -Students taking pictures in the classroom of other students without permission and

 posting them on social media.

-Students continuously taking phones out during class and in locker rooms.

-Students taking pictures/videos and posting on TikTok during the school day.

-Students watching movies/listening to music while in class.

-Students participating in group texts/chats during the day to make fun of other kids and     teachers.

 If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Golf practice kicks off on Monday, August 7 at 8 AM at the Sundance Golf Course. All other fall activities begin on August 14.  You need to have a physical before your first practice for all sports grades 6 – 12. You can find our practice schedule on our Face Book page.

Research shows that students need at least 8 hours of sleep a day to be successful student.  This requires that students don’t spend all night gaming or on social media. We ask your help in trying to make that happen for our students.  We are in this together to help all students be as successful as possible.

Research shows that student attendance is a primary contributor to student success.  Students are allowed to miss 8 days a semester.  In accordance with the school handbook, the school sends notification letters to the parent at 4 absences in a class, 6 absences in a class and at 8 absences. Students are allowed 5 tardies, after 5 students will have lunch detention or Friday school depending upon the number of tardies. As a new addition to this year for 9-12 grades; if a student misses 2 or less days a semester they can be exempt from taking his/her semester tests.  

I look forward to another new school year; it is always an exciting time and a chance for a fresh start.  I challenge you all to try to make it this year better than last.  Challenge yourself to make this a beneficial and productive year. It can be as rewarding as you make it.

Sincerely,

Jim O’Connor