2018-2019 Opening of School Letter

For a printable version of this letter, please click here.

 

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students:

 

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! I hope everyone had a great summer and I look forward to another great school year. The following information highlights significant events, dates, and important information that will make the transition to the new school year successful.

 

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT NORTH?

• Enrollment is currently 1,689 students.
• School breakfast $2.50, School Lunch $3.25, Featured Favorites Lunch $4.25.

We are continuing this year with a cashless cafeteria.  You may set up an account by visiting the school’s food services webpage by clicking here.  (Note: freshmen and new students will be added to the MySchoolBucks system by mid-August.)

• Daily announcements, athletic schedules and the latest happenings at North Hunterdon are included on our website at http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/home/. Also, current contact information for all staff is available on our website. We encourage you to visit our website regularly to stay informed.
• The best source of information about what is going on at North is your child; we encourage you to regularly discuss with your child the events of their day at North Hunterdon High School.

 

SCHOOL OPENING DETAILS

 

FRESHMEN

Freshmen will report to the theater for an orientation program on Wednesday, August 22 at 9:45 a.m. Bus information will be located in Aspen under the Transportation tab by the end of next week. Bus pick-up will be exactly two hours later than the normal pick-up time as posted in your Aspen account.  Students should be at the bus stop at least five minutes prior to pick-up.  Dismissal is scheduled for 3:10 p.m.  If you have any questions, please contact the Transportation Department at 908-735-6811.

 

ALL STUDENTS

All students report for a REGULAR school day on Thursday, August 23.  Students will report to their first period class.  Student schedules can be accessed through Aspen in early August. Guidance counselors completed all necessary student schedule revisions during the summer; therefore all student schedules are final. Specific individual concerns should be directed to your child’s guidance counselor by appointment.

 

ENTERING SCHOOL

Doors will be opened for students at 7:00 a.m.  Students may enter through the Route 31 or Regional Road entrance.  Students who arrive prior to 7:30 a.m. must report to the main gym via the Regional Road entrance or the old gym at the Route 31 entrance.  Students should not be dropped off prior to 7:00 a.m.

 

ROUTE 31 AND REGIONAL ROAD TRAFFIC PATTERNS

During the school year, more than 2,000 people are attempting to enter the facility between 7:00 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.  This traffic is comprised of senior drivers, staff members, school buses, and parents/guardians. It is vitally important that all vehicles yield to pedestrians and school buses while on campus.  The speed limit on campus is 5 miles per hour.   Please see the following information on how to enter campus:

 

• Route 31

If you enter from Route 31, make a right and proceed to the Administrative Lot at the north side of the building, traveling to the end then turn left toward the front of the building and then make the right toward the Route 31 Entrance.  Proceed to the furthest drop-off location.  For safety reasons, students may depart the vehicle only when the passenger door is facing the building. An employee will be directing traffic in front of the building.  Clinton Township Police will be assisting as well.  Remember that the speed limit on campus is 5 miles per hour. All cars must exit onto Route 31 south.

 

• REGIONAL ROAD

Cars using the Regional Road entrance must drop off students at the District Office parking lot.  Drivers should then proceed out the lower bus lot onto Regional Road.  The campus traffic circle is to remain clear for school buses. Crosswalks have been laid out to remind motorists that pedestrians always have the right of way.

 

Traffic Pattern

 

 

Students should be dropped off by parents/guardians before 7:20 a.m., and picked up after 2:45 p.m whenever possible.  This can eliminate the bottlenecks that have been created on Route 31 and Regional Road and allow for a more uniform and safe environment for students, staff members, school buses and parents/guardians. Your support of our efforts to maintain a safe environment is appreciated.

 

LEAVING SCHOOL AT DISMISSAL

To allow for a safe and orderly dismissal, only buses will be allowed to exit through the Regional Road exit from 2:25 to 2:35 pm.  Senior drivers will be dismissed after all buses have exited campus.  From 2:25 to 2:35 pm, parents may only pick up students on the Route 31 side of the building.  No cars should be standing around the circle on the Regional Road side.  Parking in any fire lanes is prohibited.  Parking in the District Office parking lot is prohibited.

 

See the diagram above for the Route 31 dismissal traffic pattern, which will be the same as the morning drop-off.

 

IMPORTANT: EARLY DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

Early dismissals are discouraged; however, the school will honor medical/dental appointments and extreme emergencies.

• To arrange for early dismissal, a parent must write a note or preferably email the Attendance Office specifying the student name, date, time, and reason for the request. Emails can be sent to northattendance@nhvweb.net
• Regardless whether you are sending a note or if you sent an email, students are responsible for reporting to the Attendance Office the morning of their early dismissal to obtain a pass.
• The attendance secretaries will issue a pass to the students so that they may leave class at the designated time.
• There may be times when a parent must make an appointment with the doctor during the current school day, but please make sure your child is aware that you will be calling for an appointment.
• It is the student’s responsibility to check with the Attendance Office (in between classes) to see if the parent has called with the dismissal time and to obtain a pass.
• Classes cannot be interrupted to request that a student come down to attendance.
• The parent must come to the attendance office to meet the child and sign the early dismissal book.
• Note: The Attendance Office will request parent/guardian ID before releasing students. Students will be allowed to leave with another family member if a note is presented to the administration and parental approval is confirmed.
• Note: Seniors with valid parking permits who will be driving themselves must still report to the attendance office in the morning for a pass for early dismissal. *They will be required to sign out at the Theater Entrance security desk when they leave. This is the only exit they may use. Failure to sign out at the Theater security desk will result in disciplinary consequences.

 

More information about the attendance policy and procedures can be found in the student handbook.

 

SCHOOL CALENDAR

A link to the 2018-2019 district calendar is available on our website.  For school events, please click on the Community Calendar link on the school’s homepage.  The Community Calendar is updated throughout the school year, as events are subject to change. Please click here to view the calendar.

 

CHROMEBOOKS AND INTERNET ACCESS GRADES 10-12

Students in grades 10-12 who turned in their district-issued Chromebook at the end of the last school year will receive their previously issued device during the first week of school.  If your child opts to bring his/her own personal Chromebook, please click here for a list of acceptable devices. If your child is bringing their own device, they will need to be registered on the school network.  This can be done by visiting the Technology Resource Center by the cafeteria during the regular school day.

 

If you have not already done so in a previous year, parents must complete a Chromebook agreement form and the acceptable use policy form in Aspen in order for their child to receive a Chromebook and gain access to the Internet and school network.  Parents of students bringing their own Chromebook must also fill out an agreement form.  These forms are available in Aspen, under Page Directory, then Technology Forms.  Please fill out one of the Chromebook agreement forms and the acceptable use policy form prior to August 22nd so there is no delay in providing your child with their Chromebook and/or internet access.

 

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS

This year we will have two scheduled Back to School Nights. Parents of students whose last names begin with (A-K) are invited to attend on Thursday, August 30th.  Parents of students (L-Z) are invited to attend on Wednesday, September 5th. The program on both evenings will begin in the main gymnasium at 6:30 p.m.  Parents are reminded to bring a copy of their student’s schedule to this popular year-opening event. Another letter will be sent with details prior to the Back to School nights.

 

AFTER SCHOOL HELP

Students can obtain after school help from their teachers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 2:30 and 3:10 p.m., with an activity bus provided at 3:15 p.m. on these days.  Professional staff will be involved in curriculum work Tuesdays and Fridays between 2:30 p.m. and 3:10 p.m.

 

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

North Hunterdon High School is dedicated to offering its students a variety of extracurricular activities that appeal to students’ varying needs and wants.  While NHHS believes that extracurricular activities are an essential part of education, academics take precedence. Students are expected to maintain a good academic standing, including attendance and discipline, in order to be eligible to participate in extracurricular programs, including senior parking and dances, per North Hunterdon-Voorhees Board of Education Policy no. 2430.  In addition, all students participating in extracurricular activities, including athletics, must be enrolled in the North Hunterdon HS Random Drug Testing program.

 

When a student becomes ineligible for participation in extracurricular activities by reason of poor attendance or poor academic performance, the advisors of the extracurricular activity in the student participates will be informed.   The advisor will suspend the student’s participation.

 

A student is ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities if:

• he/she is failing two or more courses at the midpoint marking period. This student will become eligible when he/she is no longer failing two or more courses in that marking period.
• he/she receives two or more failing marking period grades. This student will become eligible if he/she is no longer failing two or more courses at the midpoint of the following marking period.

 

Random Drug Testing –

Please click here for the Random Drug Testing Policy.

Please click here for the Random Drug Testing Form. (Athletes will complete the Random Drug Testing Form as part of the required registration paperwork.)

 

AGENDA PLANNING BOOK

In order to provide assistance in organization and study skills, an agenda planning book will be made available to every student during the first week of school.  This book will allow students to record homework assignments and mark important calendar dates.

 

PARENT-STUDENT HANDBOOK

The Parent-Student Handbook was developed as an information resource. It explains procedures, opportunities for student involvement, and a student’s rights and obligations. The handbook is available online at our website at http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/home/ under the Parents or Students tab. Parents will need to log into Aspen to acknowledge that they have reviewed and agreed to the content in the Parent-Student handbook. Go under Page Directory, then North Other Forms to complete the form.

 

ID CARD POLICY

Students are to carry ID cards at all times while in school and at all school activities and functions.  Students must present IDs when asked to do so by staff members.  Failure to do so may result in a disciplinary referral. Students must present IDs when signing into school late and when entering Guidance, the Reading/Writing Lab, departmental resource centers, the Health Office, and the Media Center.

 

SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICIES

North Hunterdon High School is an alcohol and drug free zone. Any students found to be in possession of any illegal substances or alcohol will be disciplined and and charges will be filed through Clinton Township Police Department. Any student believed to be under the influence of illegal substances or alcohol will be required to submit to a drug/alcohol screening before returning to school. In order to ensure a safe and drug free school environment, North Hunterdon High School will work with Clinton Township Police and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s office on preventative measures, including but not limited to, the use of canines to detect drugs in school. If drug sniffing dogs are used, parents will be notified after the event so they are aware of these preventative measures.

 

PARTNERSHIP FOR ASSESSMENT OF READINESS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREERS (PARCC)

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is a group of states working together to develop and implement a set of assessments that measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers. These high quality, computer-based K–12 assessments in Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy give teachers, schools, students, and parents better information whether students are on track in their learning and for success after high school, and tools to help teachers customize learning to meet student needs. The PARCC assessments will be administered during the 2018-2019 school year.  For the 2018-2019 school year, assessments will be given in Language Arts 9, 10 & 11 and Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.  A Field Test of the Speaking and Listening Assessment may also occur. More information will be provided at a later date as to the testing schedule, expectations, etc.

 

PROJECT ACCELERATION:

Information regarding participating in Project Acceleration, our concurrent enrollment program with Seton Hall University, will be available to students in class around mid-September.

 

REQUIRED SUMMER READING TESTING

All students will be tested on their summer reading on Thursday, August 30, 2018 during their English classes.

 

REQUIRED MATH PACKETS

All students entering Algebra 1 CP , Algebra 1 Advanced, Geometry CP, Geometry Advanced, Honors Geometry, Algebra 2 Advanced, Algebra 2/Trig, PreCalculus Advanced, Calculus CP and AP Calculus (AB or BC),  were given summer packets that will be collected by their math teacher in August. It is the student’s responsibility to return these packets. Additional packets may be downloaded from the Math Department site http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/math/

 

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

We encourage parent involvement at North Hunterdon High School. Listed below are examples of committees and organizations that are available for parental participation:

• Principal’s Parent Advisory Committee
• Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
• Parent Music Association
• Athletic Booster Clubs
• Special Education Advisory Committee
• School Safety Team
• North Hunterdon Education Foundation

 

If you are interested in being involved in our programs, please call the Principal’s secretary, Mrs. Susan Pellecchia, at (908) 713-4122.

 

The first Principal’s Parent Advisory Committee is scheduled for Thursday, September 20, 2018, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the North Hunterdon High School Theater.

 

VISITING NORTH HUNTERDON HIGH SCHOOL

During school hours, all visitors will enter the building through the Route 31 entrance.  All exterior doors are locked and you will need to use the intercom button to state your reason for visiting to the security personnel, who will then unlock the door. Visitors must then stop at the security desk to sign in and present an ID. The security personnel will provide a visitor’s pass, which must be visible at all times while on campus.  Visitors who are not wearing a pass will be escorted to the main office. At the end of the visit, visitors will sign out at the same security desk where they signed in.

 

DRESS CODE

In order to create a positive school atmosphere, attire and grooming should be school appropriate, reasonably modest and neat.  A student’s appearance must not disrupt the teaching or learning process; therefore, the guidelines below must be followed:

1. Appropriate and safe footwear must be worn at all times. (i.e. no bare feet, slippers, cleats, roller shoes, etc. are permitted).
2. Heads should be uncovered at all times (hats, hoods, bandanas, and sweatbands are not to be worn during school hours).
3. Leggings, yoga pants or other excessively tight pants must be worn with an appropriate length shirt/top and must conform to other elements of the dress code.
4. Skirts, shorts, and dresses must be an acceptable length (just below fist level when arms are straight) and may not be excessively tight (micro/tube skirts, spandex/exercise shorts, or other excessively tight apparel is not permitted).
5. All clothing must cover undergarments, midriff, and cleavage.
6. Clothing that excessively exposes the anatomy is not permitted (i.e. halter tops, strapless tops, open backs, tube tops, clothing worn below the hip line, any garment that is see through, etc.)
7. No tank tops/sleeveless shirts of any kind are permitted to be worn by boys.
8. Clothing with inappropriate pictures, liquor advertisements, sexually suggestive messages, tobacco, weapons, or gang affiliations; slogans that contain offensive or obscene words, symbols, or signs; or slogans depicting violence or degrading any race, color, creed, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin, social or economic status, sexual orientation or drug-related messages are not allowed.
9. Any articles of clothing or accessories with studs, chains, spikes or cleats that could cause damage to other students or to property are not permitted.
10. Outdoor jackets or coats are not permitted except when entering or leaving the building, or when there are special circumstances during the school day.
11. Non-prescription sunglasses and glazed and tinted glasses are not permitted except as prescribed by the student’s doctor.
12. Any articles which are considered distracting or disruptive to the educational process are subject to administrative review.

 

Please see the examples below of clothing that is not appropriate for school.

 

What Not To Wear

 

 

 

Any articles that are deemed by the administration as distracting or disruptive to the education of the students will not be permitted.

 

Students who violate the policy may receive one after school detention, with increasing penalties for subsequent offenses. Students will be sent to the Director of Student Activities or an Assistant Principal’s Office and asked to change into more appropriate dress. Parents should understand that they might be asked to bring a change of clothing to school for students who are in violation of this school policy.  The school administration reserves the right to make a final decision regarding appropriate dress in school and at school-sponsored events. If parents cannot be reached to bring appropriate clothing to the school, the student will be placed in the In-school Suspension Room until such time as appropriate attire can be provided.

 

CONTACTING AN ADMINISTRATOR

Periodically parents ask, “Who do I talk to if an issue exists that affects my child?”  My best advice is to begin with the teacher, coach, or advisor who is closest to the issue and can offer real-time advice.  This can best be accomplished by calling the school (713-4199) and leaving a message, or perhaps contacting your child’s counselor.  This step should always be taken prior to using other options.  If however, you believe that a satisfactory response has not been rendered, the following is a list of administrators and the areas that they supervise:

 

NAME	RESPONSIBILITY	TELEPHONE EXTENSION	E-MAIL ADDRESS
Anthony Petraglia	Director of Student Activities	6357	apetraglia@nhvweb.net
Martha Hickson	Librarian	6414	mhickson@nhvweb.net
Kristine Vitelli or Cynthia Peck	Nurses	6391   6391	kvitelli@nhvweb.net cpeck@nhvweb.net
William Jehl or Karen Korbul	Athletic Trainers	6142   4531	wjehl@nhvweb.net or kkorbul@nhvweb.net
John Deutsch	Assistant Principal (Grade 9) Physical Education and Health Tech Ed Music Fine Arts	6355	jdeutsch@nhvweb.net
Yulee Kim	Assistant Principal (Grade 10 ) English Business Family and Consumer Science	6354	ykim@nhvweb.net
Carol Skidmore	Assistant Principal (Grade 11 ) Science Mathematics Biomed/Polytech	6421	cskidmore@nhvweb.net
Timothy Flynn	Assistant Principal (Grade 12 ) Social Studies World Language Student Activities	6351	tflynn@nhvweb.net
Christopher Schumann	Assistant Principal Special Education Guidance CST	6430	cschumann@nhvweb.net
John Mattes	Assistant Principal/Athletic Director	6401	jmattes@nhvweb.net
Greg Cottrell, Ed. D.	Principal	6350	gcottrell@nhvweb.net

 

If you have exhausted these steps without satisfaction, please feel free to call me at (908) 713-4121 or e-mail me:  gcottrell@nhvweb.net

 

ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• Students may have a “silenced” cell phone on their person.
• The use of these devices during instructional time without the permission of the teacher, or in a disruptive manner, is prohibited.
• Unless specifically allowed by the teacher the use of a cell phone in any classroom or instructional area is prohibited.
• Cell phones that ring, vibrate excessively, or in any other way disrupt the educational process are grounds for confiscation of the device by school staff.
• Students are only permitted to use their cell phones in the cafeteria during lunch periods and in hallways between classes.
  • Voice calls from cell phones are prohibited.  Students needing to make calls can do so in the Main Office & Guidance Office.
  • The use of cell phones during study hall is at the discretion of the study hall teacher.
  • Using a cell phone while walking can be considered a safety hazard and is prohibited.
  • The use of headphones or earbuds in the hall or cafeteria is prohibited.
  • Using a cell phone in the hall during instructional time is prohibited.
• No student shall use a cell phone to violate any student code of conduct, including computer usage agreements and/or bullying policies.
• The use of cell phones in restrooms and locker rooms is prohibited.
• Recording of sound or visual images is prohibited, unless approved by a teacher/administrator.
• Recording of any incidents on campus is prohibited.
• Contents of cell phones may be reviewed and searched if there exists a reasonable suspicion that it may have been used in an activity prohibited by the code of conduct.
• The use of cell phones during any security drill/procedure is strictly prohibited

 

Consequences for Violations

• 1st offense: device is confiscated for one week/one extended detention
• 2nd offense: device is confiscated for two weeks/three extended detentions
• 3rd offense: device is confiscated for one month/five extended detentions
• 4th offense: device is confiscated until the end of the school year/seven extended detentions

*Parents may come to school to retrieve the device before the confiscation period is over by calling the Director of Student Activities to make an appointment for device pick-up between the hours of 7:30 AM and 3:30 PM.

 

 

Again, welcome to the 2018-2019 school year.  We extend our best wishes to everyone for a successful school year.

 

Sincerely,

 

Greg Cottrell, Ed.D.

Principal