August 2024
Dear Members of the Class of 2028 and Parents/Guardians:
We are fast approaching the beginning of another school year. The staff and administration at North Hunterdon High School are looking forward to meeting you this fall. Please join us in a “commitment to excellence” that will make the 2024-2025 school year productive for you and everyone in our school community.
FRESHMAN ORIENTATION:
North Hunterdon High School provides a Freshman Orientation program on the first day that freshmen are in the building. This experience will occur from 9:45 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
Transportation will be provided for orientation. Busing information with times and bus stop locations will be available in Aspen under the Transportation tab in the next two weeks. Bus pick-up for Freshman Orientation will be exactly two hours later than the scheduled normal pick-up time. Students should be at the bus stop at least five minutes before pick-up. Dismissal is scheduled for 3:10 p.m., and busing will be provided home.
When freshmen arrive at the high school on Wednesday, August 21, they should go promptly to the theater for a brief assembly. They will then meet their counselor and proceed through a schedule of orientation activities.
School lunch will be available for purchase on Freshman Orientation Day. Freshmen may bring their own lunch or purchase it through our cashless school cafeteria. Parents must create an account in PaySchools to make purchases in the cafeteria. Students will enter their student ID number at the register to make a purchase, and it will deduct money from their PaySchools account. Instructions on creating an account are posted on our Food Services website: https://www.nhvweb.net/foodservices/. The cafeteria price list and menus will be posted on that website closer to the start of school.
ACTIVITIES FAIR:
The freshman Orientation program includes an activities fair from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The fair will occur in the Main Gym and allow freshmen to explore many co-curricular options.
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT:
This year, we will have one scheduled Back to School Night. Parents of 9th-12th graders are invited to attend on Thursday, August 29th. Parents are reminded to bring a copy of their student’s schedules to this popular year-opening event. Another letter with details will be sent before Back to School night.
A Back to School Night Virtual Option will also be available for anyone who can not make it or chooses to stay home that evening. Videos prepared by teachers that provide a course overview and expectations will be available on our website, with more information to be sent out on August 29th.
ACCESS TO ASPEN (Student Information System):
Parents/guardians should have received login information in July to access Aspen, our student information system. This system will allow you to view your student’s schedules, assignments, attendance, locker information, and fees. In addition, your student’s bus route and pick-up time will be available in Aspen. (The transportation department will not mail home bus cards.) If you already have an account in Aspen from last year, please note that your freshman will be automatically added to your account. If you have problems with your parent Aspen account, please contact Sherri DiMarcello, Database Manager, at sdimarcello@nhvweb.net. For tutorials to help you navigate Aspen, please visit https://www.nhvweb.net/technology/aspen/aspen-family-portal-intro/.
CHROMEBOOKS AND INTERNET ACCESS:
Our school district has a 1:1 initiative that provides every student a Chromebook, school email, and a Google account. Students have the option to accept the district-issued Chromebook or to bring in their own Chromebook. If your child accepts the district-issued Chromebook, they will receive it during orientation on August 21st, provided you have completed the agreement form in Aspen (see information below). If your child opts to bring their own personal Chromebook, please click here for a list of acceptable devices. Your child must bring their own Chromebook to orientation so we can register the device on the school network, or they can visit the Technology Resource Center outside Cafeteria A during the regular school day.
Parents must complete the Technology Agreement Form in Aspen so that their freshman can receive a Chromebook and gain access to the Internet and school network. Parents of students bringing their own Chromebooks must also fill out the agreement form. The form is available in Aspen under Page Directory, followed by Technology Forms. Please fill out the Technology Agreement Form before August 21st, so your child can be provided with school network access and a Chromebook.
PARENT ORGANIZATIONS:
Parent organizations are an essential part of the school community at North Hunterdon High School. If you want to join one of the following organizations, please click the links below to read more about each group and access the membership form.
- NHHS PTSA (Parent-Teacher-Student Association): http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/ptsa/
- NHHS Music Association: http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/musicassociation
- NHHS Athletic Booster Club: http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/booster/index.php
- North Hunterdon Education Foundation: http://www.nhhsfoundation.org/
- Principal’s Parent Advisory Committee (PAC): Information and an invitation regarding involvement in the PAC will be sent out in a separate email.
As you, the Class of 2028, approach this new school experience, I want to remind you that your education is more than a mark on a report card. School is also about people and opportunities. I would like to draw your attention to the fine array of clubs, athletic teams, and co-curricular activities available to you. Take advantage of our school’s many opportunities, and you will look back fondly on your school days. I encourage you to visit our website regularly at http://www.nhvweb.net/nhhs/home/.
If you have any questions, please contact the Counseling Office at (908) 713-4130. Best wishes for a great year, and welcome to North Hunterdon High School.
Sincerely,
Greg Cottrell, Ed.D.
Principal
