Back to School Letter 2019-2020

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students:

 

Welcome to the 2019-2020 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 1,632 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 in 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 21 at 9:45 a.m. Bus information will be located in Aspen under the Transportation tab by mid-August. 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 22.  Students will report to their first period class.  Student schedules can be accessed through Aspen; you will receive a notification when final schedules are available. 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 green 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 at 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 at all times. 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/guardian must write a note, or preferably send an email to the Attendance office specifying the student name, date, time, and reason for the request. Emails can be sent to northattendance@nhvweb.net

• • Regardless of whether you send a note or email, the student is responsible for reporting to the Attendance office the morning of the early dismissal to obtain a pass.
  • The student will be given a pass to come to the Attendance office at the designated time. The student must show the pass to the teacher to be able to leave the classroom.

• Classes cannot be interrupted to request that a student be dismissed to the Attendance office for pick-up.

• There may be times when a parent/guardian must make an appointment with a doctor during the current school day, but please make sure the student is aware that the parent/guardian 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/guardian has called with the dismissal time and obtain a pass.
• When picking up a student, the parent/guardian must come into the school to meet the student and sign the early dismissal book.
• Security personnel at the Attendance office window will request to see parent/guardian ID before releasing a student.
• Students will be allowed to leave with another family member (e.g., sibling, aunt/uncle) if the other relative is 18 years of age or older and a note is brought into the Attendance office by the student granting parental/guardian permission (or permission is verbally confirmed with the parent/guardian before the designated dismissal time).
• Seniors with valid parking permits who will be driving themselves must still report to the Attendance office in the morning for an early dismissal pass.  To obtain a pass, confirmed parental permission must be made from the Attendance office via phone call, regardless of whether or not the student has a written note.

More information about the attendance policy and procedures can be found on our Attendance Office website, http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/attendance/.  

 

SCHOOL CALENDAR

A link to the 2019-2020 district calendar is available on our website.  For school events, please click on the calendar icon in the upper right hand corner on the school’s homepage.  The Lion Pride 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

Students in grades 10-12 who turned in their district-issued Chromebook at the end of the last school year can pick-up their previously issued device on August 5, 6, or 7 during the hours of 8-11:30am or 12:30-4pm in Room 120.  The student will need to show his/her student ID or driver’s license to receive the Chromebook. 

Freshmen and new students will receive their Chromebooks during orientation on August 21st. 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 29th.  Parents of students (L-Z) are invited to attend on Wednesday, September 4th. 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’s 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 which 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 student found to be in possession of any illegal substances or alcohol will be disciplined 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. 

 

PROJECT ACCELERATION

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

 

REQUIRED SUMMER READING TESTING

All students will be tested on their summer reading on Friday, August 30th or Tuesday, September 3rd during their English classes. Summer reading assignments are posted on our website, http://libguides.nhvweb.net/summerreading.   

 

REQUIRED SUMMER MATH PACKETS

All students entering Algebra 1 Advanced, Algebra 1 CP,  Algebra 1A CP, Algebra 2 CP & Advanced, Algebra 2 Honors, Calculus Advanced, Calculus AP (AB), Calculus AP (BC), Geometry Advanced, Geometry CP, Geometry Honors, PreCalculus Advanced, and PreCalculus Honors, 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)
• Music Association
• Athletic Booster Club
• Special Education Advisory Group
• 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 19, 2019, 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, rollershoes, etc. are permitted).
2. Heads should be uncovered at all times (hats, hoods, bandanas, and sweatbands are not to be worn during school hours).

1.   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.
2.   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).
3.   All clothing must cover undergarments, midriff, and cleavage.  
4.   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.)
5. No tank tops/sleeveless shirts of any kind are permitted to be worn by boys.
6. 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.
7. 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. 
8. Outdoor jackets or coats are not permitted except when entering or leaving the building, or when there are special circumstances during the school day.
9. Non-prescription sunglasses and glazed and tinted glasses are not permitted except as prescribed by the student’s doctor.
10. Any articles which are considered distracting or disruptive to the educational process are subject to administrative review.

 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 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 Class of 2022 (10) Physical Education and Health Tech Ed Music Fine Arts	6355	jdeutsch@nhvweb.net
Yulee Kim	Assistant Principal  Class of 2021 (11) English  Business Family and Consumer Science	6354	ykim@nhvweb.net
Carol Skidmore	Assistant Principal  Class of 2020 (12) Science  Mathematics  Biomed/Polytech	6421	cskidmore@nhvweb.net
Timothy Flynn	Assistant Principal  Class of 2023 (9) Social Studies World Language  Student Activities	6351	tflynn@nhvweb.net
Robert Pellechio	Assistant Principal   Special Education  Guidance Child Study Team	6430	rpellechio@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 2019-2020 school year.  We extend our best wishes to everyone for a successful school year.

 

Sincerely,

Greg Cottrell, Ed.D.

Principal