August 8, 2018
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year at Heights Middle School (HMS). Our staff members are excited for the opportunity to work with your family. In order to ensure that we have a smooth opening for school, we have included a list of frequently asked questions so that your family can prepare for the new school year. If you have any further questions or concerns feel free to contact the school at (216) 320 - CHUH (2484).
Frequently Asked Questions about the Opening of School:
When is the first day of school? The first day of school is Monday, August 20, 2018.
When does the school day start and end? The school day begins at 8:00 a.m. Students will be able to enter the building to eat breakfast starting at 7:15 using the main entrance. If your student does not plan to eat breakfast and arrives prior to 7:50, he or she will report to either the social or competition gym. The school day ends at 2:45 p.m. Teachers are available to meet with parents and students until 3:15 p.m. unless a building meeting has been scheduled.
Where can I find out about transportation? Families can visit the following site to see if their child will qualify for bus services: http://elink.chuh.org/elinkrp/search.aspx
You will need to enter ALL of the information including your child’s grade, house number, street, and zip code to see if they will receive transportation services.
The Transportation Department will also mail bus pickup and dropoff information to families prior to the start of school.
When can I find out my child’s teachers, the classes they are taking and tour the building? Parents may view schedules on-line using Infinite Campus starting August 13th. 6th grade families are encouraged to attend orientation on August 16th to pick up their student’s schedules, receive an overview of HMS campus expectations and have an opportunity to tour the school/find student lockers. Orientation will start at 6:30 p.m. with schedule distribution while the program begins at 7:00 pm in the Wiley Auditorium.
All students are able to pick up their schedules at HMS from 9:00-12:00 on August 16th and 12:00-3:00 on August 17th. Students picking up schedules will be able to walk their class schedule and place personal items in their lockers prior to the start of the school year. The counselors will distribute schedules in the area just outside the main office.
How do I find out about the IB Program at HMS? Monticello and Roxboro Middle Schools are authorized International Baccalaureate schools. The program provides students with challenging learning activities that tie what they are studying in their classes with real world applications. Please visit our website for more information about the IB Program or contact our IB Coordinators at [email protected] (Monticello) or [email protected] (Roxboro).
Can my child have their cell phone in school? Although we recognize that cell phones play a large part in the social lives of our students, our focus during the school day must be on learning, with as few distractions as possible. HMS will limit students’ access to their cell phones to before and after school and during Tiger Time (activity time). During the instructional day cell phones will be stored out of sight and powered down. Cell phones found to be in use or in use during school hours, outside of the times listed above, will be confiscated. Please refer to the District Student Code of Conduct located on the District website for more information regarding electronic devices.
What should I do if my child needs to miss school? Regular attendance is crucial for students to be able to master course content. When a student is ill please contact (216) 320 - CHUH (2484). You will then be prompted to report the absence for either Monticello or Roxboro. We encourage families to schedule appointments outside of school hours whenever possible to ensure that students are able to maximize instructional time.
Students who are habitually truant without legitimate excuse for five consecutive school days, seven days in a month, or twelve school days in a year will be supported with an attendance plan. Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct located on the District website for more information regarding attendance.
What should my child be doing to get ready for the new school year? Please review your child’s grade level supply list as well as the summer reading list (Copies are posted on our website). We want to ensure that every student is prepared to begin the new school year on August 20th. Students should be reading every day to get ready for the start of the new school year.
What other resources are available for parents to find out about the upcoming school year? Please take a moment to review resources on our school website and follow Monticello Middle School and Roxboro Middle School on Twitter. We will post announcements weekly on Twitter and the website so parents can learn about school events their children may have forgotten to tell them about. Counselor and teacher contact information is also posted on the website so you can either call or email questions to staff members.
When can I meet my child’s teachers? Parents of 6th grade students will have an opportunity to meet their child’s teachers at 6th grade orientation the night of August 16. All teachers will be available to meet with parents at HMS Curriculum Night on August 29th. The first Parent-Teacher Conference Night will be October 3rd. If your student is struggling academically or emotionally, you can schedule a team meeting with your counselor at anytime during the school year to co-construct support plans. If you have any special concerns and wish to meet with your child’s teachers or counselor call (216) 320 - CHUH (2484) to schedule an appointment.
When will I get the opening of school packet? Your child will bring a packet of information and forms home with them the first week of school. Please complete all forms and return them to school no later than August 27th.
When is picture day? Picture day will be September 14th. Forms will be sent home with students during the first week of school. Picture retakes will be November 2nd.
Who do I contact if my child wants to participate in the athletics program? Please feel free to contact the athletic directors, Mr. Jeske or Mr. Stewart, at (216) 320 - CHUH (2484) or at [email protected]/[email protected]. Our fall sports program includes volleyball, tennis, cross country, soccer and football. The Ohio High School Athletic Association rules limit participation in the athletic program to 7th and 8th grade students.
The staff of HMS is dedicated to providing your family with a quality educational experience. Our goal is to provide every student with access to the best programming HMS has to offer by the time they are ready to transition to the next level of education in our District. We hope that you have had a safe and restful summer, and we look forward to seeing all of our students next week.
Rachael Coleman
HMS Campus Administrator
[email protected]
Administrative & Counseling Team - Monticello at Heights Middle School
Administrative & Counseling Team - Roxboro at Heights Middle School
HMS Dean of Students Joshua Luton [email protected]