Welcome MVRHS Freshmen
We hope you are having a great summer and are looking forward to beginning high school in September. Anticipating the start of high school is usually very exciting. A new school building that is much bigger than your elementary school, new teachers who donŐt know you and generally a new level of expectations will add a little sense of nervousness to the excitement. Please understand with all these unknowns confronting you, there are some basic constants that if you understand and believe in, will invariably lead to a productive freshmen year. Those who succeed at the high school are organized, do their homework and are involved in school activities. These seem simple enough and many freshmen who enter school in September with intentions of following these basic guidelines do and succeed. Unfortunately, a few donŐt follow through with these concepts and falter at some point in the year.
Before school starts in September, ask yourself what kind of student you are going to be at the high school. Will you understand that it is easier to be the student who takes the time to do their homework, meet with their teachers after school when needed, and utilizes the school library for research or a quiet place to do their homework? If you do these things and play a sport, join a club, or participate in the musical/dramatic productions, you will be a happy freshman. You will look back in June 2008 on your freshman year and wonder what you were nervous about.
A Note to Parents
As exciting a time this is for incoming freshmen, it can be interesting for parents. Your children are entering a world that is bigger and harder for you to control. While most of you are probably celebrating your childrenŐs next step on the educational ladder, you may also be bemoaning the fact that it will now be harder to keep tabs on their daily academic performance. We have tried to make it easier for parents to keep the lines of communication open with teachers and have a resource for general high school events and important meetings. The high school web page www.mvrhs.org has been an invaluable resource to parents. There is a freshmen link which can be accessed through the guidance site. There are links to some of the academic teachers who have entire curriculum on their site that includes test dates, project dates and daily homework assignments. You can access teacher e-mail addresses on the website and maintain personal contact with your childŐs academic teachers. The student handbook includes a phone directory of staff so you can maintain phone contact as well. Please understand, teachers do not have phones in their individual classrooms and a twenty-four hour window should be anticipated for most messages to be gathered by our staff. Most of the dates that you and your child will need to be aware of are also highlighted throughout the site.
Homework and makeup work appears to be the biggest obstacle for most freshmen. Please help your child begin the year organized and help them maintain this organization throughout the year. Despite their cries that you are the only parent doing these things, most freshmen need gentle reminders to complete their homework and make up missed assignments (whether they were missed because of athletics, field trips, or illness). Please get them in a solid routine early. Every student will have homework that will need to be done at home. Even if your child has a study hall, we have yet to meet a student who can complete all their homework in a study hall that meets every other day. Good luck and we look forward to working with your child and you.
Summer Scramble for Schedules Week August 20Đ24 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
See enclosed letter for details. Add and drop courses, schedule changes and adjustments before school starts.
Freshmen Parents Night Monday, October 1 Performing Arts Center 7 p.m.
On Monday, October 1 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center all freshmen parents are invited to attend Freshmen Parents Night. Peg Regan, Principal, Neal Weaver, Assistant Principal, and John Fiorito, Guidance Counselor will host this night to answer any questions about the high school. This is annually a good night to hear from our staff and fellow parents about how the high school transition is working for everyone.
Guidance Appointments
Mr. Fiorito will meet individually with each of the freshmen throughout September and October. During these meetings, they will discuss classes, homework, schedule and general transition issues. He is available as well to any freshmen by appointment. Students need to come to the guidance office to schedule these meetings and are encouraged to do so whenever they have questions or concerns.
Important Information
á If you have any questions about grades, homework, makeup work, etc., please contact the teachers directly.
á If your child is going to miss school for any reason, please contact the attendance officer.
á If your child is going to miss school for a prolonged period of time due to illness (i.e. more then five days) please send a doctors note to the school nurse and then contact guidance. We will request homework assignments that you can pick up in the guidance office.
á If you are taking your child out of school for a family vacation, please have your son or daughter meet with the principalŐs secretary and fill out a travel request form.