Hello to all BHS students and families!
-- Here we are on day two, off and running for a tremendous 2019-20 school year! I've been greeted by dozens of students in the hallways, eager to introduce themselves and establish the friendly, collaborative relationships that allow us to grow and progress together!
I wanted to take a moment to point out some of the updates/revisions that have been included in this year's BHS Parent & Student Handbook, which can be found on the BHS Website and/or through the link at the bottom of this email. Though there is a great deal of text/information in this email, I've attempted to adequately section it off to help communicate the 'Category' of change that the corresponding paragraph(s) describe(s). We're happy to answer any questions you have about these topics - or any other!
New Faces:
First, the school calendar and our faculty/staff directory have been updated to include events/anticipated dates and the professionals with whom BHS students will interact through the year. Feel free to reach out to introduce yourself and welcome the new members of our school community!
Course by Course Info:
Each student, in his/her first day homeroom, received a summary of school-wide grading practices for this year. Additionally, each teacher has provided course-specific documents that outline the student/parent experience for that offered class. The last page of each course syllabus is a Course Opt-In; please, after reviewing the course descriptors and discussing the elements of each course with your student, sign and return that page to the appropriate teacher. If, perchance, you have any questions or concerns regarding any of its content, please do not return that page and contact the teacher directly to discuss (his/her contact information can be found on that same form). There are some exciting transitions happening here at BHS, which our building professionals and student body have been preparing for over the past few years! While the documents students received in homerooms reflect the majority of these updates, information can also be found on pages 12-14 of the Student Handbook. There will be multiple opportunities to learn more about these practices over the next few weeks - details will be communicated soon!
Attendance:
As always, in order to maintain accurate student records, parents/guardians need to contact BHS if their student will not be in attendance on any day when school is in session. The most significant revision to the Student Handbook (page 9) in regards to attendance is a greater level of specificity in terms of how student attendance will be categorized (excused versus unexcused). This change was made in an effort to increase our procedural transparency as well as support our students and their families in ensuring that learners are in the classroom setting on as consistent a basis as possible. We will continue to work with families, to the best of our abilities, to address any student attendance concerns that may arise; please feel free to reach out regarding your/your student's ability to attend BHS and participate in that process! Please note that, as this year's handbook indicates, parents/guardians may call out a student (due to illness) - without medical documentation - three times per academic quarter. While your call will be received and recorded (and is appreciated) for any additional days of student illness/absence, missed school beyond the third (again, without medical documentation) would be considered unexcused. Additional information and details on this topic can be found on page nine of the Handbook!
Athletics/Co-Curriculars and Eligibility:
On pages 24-26, you will find information on student eligibility for athletics and co-curricular activities! While much of the eligibility policy remains the same as you've seen in the past, one revision that you will find is that students have the opportunity to restore themselves to academic eligibility in most circumstances. Whereas past practices included an approach in which students who received/carried failing grades for two or more academic courses were permanently removed from team/organization rosters, BHS students who now find themselves in such scenarios may be redeemed through restoration of passing/eligible status after a two-week window. It is, after all, our hope that all students continue to work toward passing/credit-bearing status throughout their years at BHS! Please see the bottom of page 24 for details on that process!
And here it is...the 2019-20 Student Handbook:
Thanks for a great first day - and here's to another!
Mr. Matthew Finch
Principal, Belmont High School
255 Seavey Rd., Belmont, NH 03220
(603) 267-6525
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