PRINT ARTICLE

Print    Close This Window
Heights Middle School Letter to Parents

Dear Heights Middle School Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2017-2018 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 21, 2017.
When does the school day start and end? The school day begins at 8:00! Students will be able to enter the building to eat breakfast starting at 7:30 using the main entrance. All students who arrive prior to 7:50 will report to either the cafeteria or competition gym if they do not plan to eat breakfast. The school day ends at 2:45. Teachers are available to meet with parents and students until 3:15 unless a building meeting has been scheduled.

Where can I found out about transportation?
With the relocation of the middle schools to the Wiley Campus this school year, we anticipate more students needing bus services to get to school. Families can visit the following site to see if their child will qualify for bus services next school year:

http://www.chuh.org/Transportation_bs.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 14. Families are encouraged to attend their grade level orientations 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. All orientations will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Wiley Auditorium.

6th Grade orientation will be August 16th, 7th grade will be August 15th and 8th grade will be August 17th. Students who are unable to attend orientation may pick up their schedules at HMS from 9:00-12:00 on August 17th and 12:00-3:00 on August 18th.

The counselors will distribute the schedules in the area just outside the main office, and families may walk the building to locate student classrooms/lockers.

What is the status of the IB Program at HMS?
Monticello Middle School has joined Roxboro Middle School as an authorized International Baccalaureate school. 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. With this understanding and as part of our work with the IB Approaches to Learning, HMS will limit students’ access to their cell phones to before and after school. During the instructional day or any school-sponsored activity, cell phones will be stored in a student’s locker. Cell phones found to be in use or in a student’s possession during school hours or during school sponsored activities will be confiscated. Please refer to the Tiger Expectations & Guidelines located on the District website for more information regarding attendance.

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 miss more than 8 days within a semester will be required to provide verification of their illness by a doctor so we can develop support plans. Please refer to the Tiger Expectations & Guidelines 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 21. 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. If you have an email address registered with the school district you will receive an electronic school newsletter each month written by teachers and students. Counselor and teacher contact information is also posted on the website so you can either call or email questions to staff members.

When is picture day?
Picture day will be October 4. Forms will be sent home with students during the first week of school. Picture retakes will be November 9.

When can I meet my child’s teachers?
Parents of 6
th 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 September 6. The first Parent-Teacher Conference Night will be November 1. 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 28.

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. Mahoney, 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 as a staff 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.

Administrative & Counseling Team - Monticello at Heights Middle School 

Jeffrey Johnston, Ph.D.
Principal
[email protected]

Denise Lackey
Assistant Principal
[email protected]

Jennifer Colvin
Counselor
[email protected]

Ann Bradley
Counselor
[email protected]

Administrative & Counseling Team - Roxboro at Heights Middle School

Patrick McNichols
Principal
Racquel Armstrong
Assistant Principal
Michael Dixon
Counselor
Ryketa Carr
Counselor