ADMINISTRATIVE NEWSLETTER
FIRST NINE WEEKS
September 2005
Dear Parents:
I would like to formally welcome you to the 2005-2006 school
year. I am excited about our
accomplishments last year. Thanks to
your child’s efforts, our school is fully
accredited and we met AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) in all
categories. I truly appreciate all of
your child’s hard work that made this possible.
In addition to our SOL success, we had five Career and Technical
Education teachers and seven students receive Industry Certification. Also, our 2004-2005 senior class set a school
division record of scholarship monies received:
$2.4 million. Furthermore, many
of our teachers have created web pages that can be accessed through the
There are many new and exciting things happening at our school which are highlighted below and outlined on the next pages. I look forward to working with you and your child during this school year. Please remember that if you have any questions, do not hesitate to call my administrative team, guidance department, teachers, or me at 538-5420.
Thank you in advance for all you and your child plan to do for the 2005-2006 school year to make it a success.
Sincerely,
Thomas W. McLemore, Jr.
Principal
attachments
CHARACTER
TRAITS
September RESPECT Recognizing the Value of Others’ Ideas,
Beliefs, and Property
October RESPONSIBILITY Being Accountable For Your Actions
November SELF-DISCIPLINE Controlling Your Actions and
Emotions;
Setting and Accomplishing Your Goals
DATES TO
REMEMBER FOR THE FIRST NINE WEEKS
September 30 SAT Registration deadline for November 5 testing
(for more information go to www.collegeboard.com/testing)
October 3
College Night (Site—
October 4 and 5 Algebra Readiness Testing (Specific 9th grade students)
October 8 SAT (Site--Lakeland High School)
October 12 PSAT Testing (All 10th graders/11th graders who paid)
October 13 and 14 Interim Progress reports issued
October 14 Homecoming
October 18 and 21 SOL English Multiple Choice Test
(Selected seniors/transfer students only)
October 18 Senior Information Night 7:00 P.M.
October 19 and 20 SOL English Direct Writing Test
(Selected seniors/transfer students only)
October 22 ACT Testing (11th and 12th graders who registered)
(for more information go to www.collegeboard.com/testing)
October 27 Extended Guidance Hours 3:30 P.M.-6:00 P.M.
(Counselors are available for parent conferences)
November 3 End of the 1st nine weeks
November 3 Academic Reception 6:30 P.M.
November 3-4 High Schools That Work Technical Assistance Visit
November Native American Heritage Month
A LOOK
TOWARD SECOND NINE WEEKS
November 5 SAT Testing
November 8 Staff Development Day (Students are not in school)
November 11 Veteran’s Day (Students are not in school)
Parent Teacher Conference—Report cards will be distributed
9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. (Lunch hour from 12:00-1:00)
November 15 Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Meeting 7:00 P.M.
NANSEMOND RIVER HIGH SCHOOL
NEW ATTENDANCE POLICY
2005-2006
We will be monitoring your child’s attendance very closely this year. You may refer to the student handbook pages 4 and 5 for a list of guidelines that must be followed. Here are the highlights from those pages:
q If your child must be absent from school, you must submit the appropriate documentation to excuse the absence.
q The Attendance Review Committee will determine if the absence is approved or disapproved.
q Documentation for an absence must be submitted within 5 days of the absence. If documentation is not received within the 5 days after the absence, then the absence will not be excused.
q If your child has a doctor’s, dentist, or counseling appointment or a court date, we are requiring official documentation from that office. If you forget, they may fax it to us at 538-5430. It will be your responsibility to follow up on the faxed documentation. We will not accept any handwritten notes for these absences.
We will also assign an attendance monitor to make random calls to verify documentation after an absence. When your child brings in documentation for being absent, he/she should place the documentation in the locked box that is located on the counter in the main office.
q Reports will be generated at the end of each nine weeks. The attendance monitor and assistant principal supervising attendance will identify students in violation of the attendance policy.
q A letter will be sent to the parents advising them that their child has been identified as being in violation of the attendance policy and will invite them to meet with the Attendance Review Committee regarding the absences.
q The Attendance Review Committee will meet at the end of each nine weeks rather than at the end of the semester to make attendance waiver/non-waiver determinations.
q Students who may be non-waived and were passing the class will receive a “69” for the nine weeks rather than for the semester. This holds your child accountable sooner and also provides him/her with an even greater opportunity to recoup the grade during the next nine weeks.
q Students will have the opportunity to make up 2 absences each nine weeks for a total of 4 absences each semester. On designated Saturdays from 8:00-12:00, students can attend the Make-Up Center and make-up class work and/or receive SOL remediation. Absences within a nine week period must be made up within that nine week period.
SOL TUTORIAL SCHEDULE
Fall 2005
SOL tutoring will be available for those 10th,
11th, and 12th grade students who need to verify SOL
credits and will be testing in December.
SOL tutoring will begin on October 6 and end December 8, 2005. Tutoring hours are 2:30-4:30. Transportation is provided. The
schedule is as follows:
Monday
Earth Science Ms. Axselle Room 225
Biology Ms.
Ficklen Room 226
Chemistry Ms.
Gyoker Room 215
Tuesday
Algebra I Mr. Holcomb Room 210
Geometry Ms. Davis Room 209
Algebra II Mr. Fariel Room 167
Thursday
World History
I Ms. Avery Room 203
World History
II Mr. Collins Room 113
VA/US History Mr. Hall Room 101
EXTRA HELP PROGRAM
In addition to SOL tutoring, all teachers offer extra help tutoring at least once per week. The tutoring times are posted on each teacher’s classroom door. Transportation is also provided.
PARENT
TEACHER STUDENT ASSOCIATION
September
2005
Dear Parents and Students:
On
behalf of the NRHS PTSA, I would like to welcome you to the 2005-2006 school
year at Nansemond River High School. The
PTSA is looking forward to another new and exciting year and
welcomes the new challenges of the coming school year.
The
NRHS PTSA last year met all National, State and Local PTA requirements. Through our membership campaigns at
orientation, Back-to-School night in September and throughout the year, the
PTSA achieved a membership of 271 members. The PTSA welcomed the teachers back
to school with a breakfast in August.
The NRHS PTSA participated in the National PTA Reflections Contest with
many entries by the students. One of
The
PTSA of NRHS again hosted the annual faculty basketball game, this time between
all three high schools (NRHS won again!!).
A trophy was donated last year by Ms. Angela Burrell, which now sits in
Nansemond River's trophy case. The
trophy will be presented to the winning school of the upcoming game in 2006 and
will remain there until the next year.
Through
its scholarship program and with the generous donation of $250 from the
Downtown Locker Room, the NRHS PTSA was able to present a deserving NRHS senior
a $1,000 scholarship for the 2004-2005 school year. This school year the PTSA will be striving to
award a $2,000 scholarship to a graduating NRHS senior.
The
After Prom Celebration last year was held at the AMF Bowling Center in
Chesapeake at a cost of approximately $3,000.
This did not include the security and drinks that were provided by the
administration of the school or the donations of time and materials from the
many teachers, staff, and PTSA volunteers.
Everyone had a good time, and we anticipate a bigger and better event
this coming spring.
Regardless
of the "fun" things that the PTSA does for the students of NRHS, it
is important to remember that PTA/PTSA is a child advocacy group and advocating
for your child or children and youth is something all of us can do. One of the most effective ways to be a child
advocate is to join the NRHS PTSA. With
your membership, you automatically become a member of the National PTA and the
Virginia State PTA/PTSA.
I personally invite you and your
student(s) to join the NRHS PTSA. The
membership dues are only $5.00 per person.
One half of your membership dues are forwarded to the Virginia State
PTA/PTSA and National PTA. The remaining
$2.50 stays with the NRHS PTSA to help fund the budget and support its
programs. You can send in your
membership to the PTSA at the school address (
Thank
you and I hope to see you at our PTSA
meetings—October 18, November 15, December 20 (Winter Concert), February 21,
March 21, and May 16 (Spring Concert) beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Sincerely,
Vernon
A. Williams, President
Nansemond
River High School PTSA
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ANNUAL
MEMBERSHIP DUES
All-Inclusive Membership
______ Members @
$5.00 per Member Amount
Enclosed: ___________
Member’s Name:
_______________________________________________________
Member’s Name:
_______________________________________________________
Student’s
Name:________________________________________________________
Student’s Name:
_______________________________________________________
Telephone No.: ______________ E-mail Address (optional)___________________