Principal Message:Dear Parents, Guardians and Students, These past two months have been filled with Holiday cheer and a time of thanks! We have a lot to celebrate and be grateful for. This season, we hosted a "district of one, Thanksgiving Dinner." We had a tremendous turnout and I am looking forward to our next community celebration. Since the last time you read our newsletter we celebrated our honor roll students, a Thanksgiving Football game victory, a boys soccer playoff win, individual musician accomplishments, and our first college acceptance letter. Our teachers have also been working diligently to engage students in exciting learning opportunities. Below you will find some images capturing these moments. Additionally, School Council dates and information are posted within the newsletter. Please take a look and see what else we have in store! Important! If there are snow delays or cancellations please check your local television stations. A OneCall message will also be issued by the Superintendent. Here’s to a productive end of 2018! CHARGER STRONG. Michael Dudek December 12th - 2nd Quarter Progress Reports Available December 14th/15th - Drama Performance December 17th - HS Band and Chorus Concert (7:00-9:00pm) December 21st - Half Day Dismissal - Pep Rally December 24-28, 31 - Holiday Recess January 1st - New Year's Day - No School January 2nd - School Opens January 16/17/22/23- Midterm Exams for all Students January 19th - Professional Development Day (No School for Students) January 21st - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School) January 30th - 2nd Quarter Report Cards available on X2 IN NEED OF PARENTS:What is a school council? A school council is a representative school building-based committee composed of the principal, parents, teachers, and community members and, at the grade 9 to 12 level, students. School councils are a means of promoting the educational benefits of site-based decision making for each and every school in Massachusetts. With teachers, parents and community members working together at its core, the School Council enables the school to be at the center of planning, goal setting and budgeting for school improvements. The expanded participation of the school community in its decision-making helps to provide the school with different and mutually complementary perspectives on its goals and improvements. What do School Councils do? What are their main areas of responsibilities? The primary responsibilities of the school council are to advise and assist the Principal with the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and to help develop any projects arising out of the SIP that the Principal identifies as beneficial to the successful functioning and development of the school. The school council meets each month during the academic year. We are looking for interested students, staff, parents, and community members to serve on our council. Please email Mr. Dudek (principal) if interested ([email protected]). Anticipated Dates (5:30-6:30pm): December 13th January 10th February 14th March 14th April 11th May 9th SCHOOL GOAL: 95% OVERALL Attendance Rate Monthly Numbers by Year of Graduation: Class of 2019: Sept (94.64%); Oct (94.15%); Nov (90.85%) Class of 2020: Sept (95.78%); Oct (94.3%); Nov (93.06%) Class of 2021: Sept (96.05%); Oct (95.15%); Nov (92.74%) Class of 2022: Sept (95.71%); Oct (94.98%); Nov (92.02%) Dear Parent/Guardian, Blackstone-Millville Regional High School is making a special effort to ensure that all students fully benefit from their education by attending school regularly. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Your student should start building this habit immediately so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Consistent attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and at work. DID YOU KNOW? · Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) increases the chance that your student will not read or master math at the same level as their peers. · Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks. · Being late to school may lead to poor attendance. · By being present at school, your child learns valuable social skills and has the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with other students and school staff. · By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores. WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU We miss your student when they are gone and we value their contributions to our school. We would like you to help ensure that your student attends regularly and is successful in school. If your student is going to be absent or late, please contact the attendance line at 508-876-0114. OUR PROMISE TO YOU We know that there are a wide variety of reasons that students are absent from school, from health concerns to transportation challenges. We invite you to contact us if you are facing a personal challenge so that we might be able to assist you. We promise to track attendance daily, to notice when your student is missing from class, communicate with you to understand why they were absent, and to identify barriers and supports available to overcome challenges you may face in helping your student attend school. SCHOOL POLICIES AND STATE LAWS It is important that you understand our school policies and procedures. We, the school, are required to take daily attendance and notify you when your student has an unexcused absence. If your daughter/son has three unexcused absences in one quarter, we will send a letter of notification home to you. After four unexcused absences we will schedule a conference with you and your student to identify the barriers and supports available to ensure regular attendance. We are obligated to develop a plan that may require an assessment to determine how to best meet the needs of your student and reduce absenteeism. Students who have 10 excused absences within the school year will need to schedule a conference with administration to discuss how to best meet the educational needs of a student. Consultation with medical professions may be considered. At Blackstone-Millville Regional High School, we encourage students and families to commit to, and support students to meet a school expectation of a 95% attendance rate. WHAT PARENTS CAN DO · Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. · Prepare for school the night before, finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep. · Don’t let your student stay home unless they are truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home. · Avoid appointments and extended trips when school is in session. · Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent. · Keep track of your student’s attendance. · Talk to your student about the importance of attendance. · Talk to your students’ teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school. · Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs. COMMON PRACTICES TO AVOID Although excused absences do not count towards the “academic 50” policy, missing days/classes hinder academic progress. Students have commonly missed a school day for routine dentist and medical appointments that do not warrant missing an entire day of school. Please be aware that individual course attendance is taken. Missing school-sponsored community events also count towards a student’s absentee record. Students will not be excused for missing events that build on school culture and positive spirit. Many students/guardians are not aware that excused absences are recorded on school records and forms. Colleges and future employers may view attendance records: excused/unexcused absences, tardies and dismissals. If you have any questions please feel free to contact myself or anyone in our guidance office. Sincerely, Michael Dudek, Blackstone-Millville Regional High School Please be Aware: Safety FirstWe know that the holiday season is a hectic one, where people can be coming and going- always in a rush. However, as a community, we have to be sure that we are paying attention to what matters most - the safety of our children. That is why we wanted to take some time to remind our families of a few of the protocols we have in place to help us do so. We know that they may take a few extra moments, but in the end - they are worth the time they take. |
Michael DudekHigh School Principal Archives
May 2020
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