Welcome SHS Academy Students and Families!
I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as the new Academy Assistant Principal. This is my 9th year here in the building, and I am thrilled to work with each of you in the Academy. I know many students already from having been in the building and look forward to getting to know those of you that I haven’t worked with yet. I have enjoyed getting to meet with some of our incoming freshman this summer and their families as well to help them orient themselves to our program and all that it has to offer. I also oversee the 10th grade class... check out my tab there for more information about me!
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*The building has adopted a new cell phone policy. Please look for more information on this from Mr. McCabe, our building principal. We will follow this plan in the Academy, which means students will not have access to their phones during Academic classes. PLEASE REVIEW THIS POLICY PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL SO YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
- Phones will not be permitted in place of laptops; students should have their laptop (and charger as needed) with them for class.
- Students who want to bring headphones to school to plug into their laptop may do so (to use when given permission by the teacher).
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- Students should put their phone in the hanging pouch on their way into class and can collect them on the way out of class.
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- Students may not take their phones with them to the bathroom.
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- Consequences will be issued for violating this policy, beginning with one lunch detention and increasing for every violation. If a student has an emergency and needs to access their phone, they must have teacher permission to do so prior to doing so.
- If a student is found in violation of this policy and refuses to put their phone in the pouch at that time, additional consequences may be issued for insubordination.
- Being on time to class is a priority and students will receive consequences for being late to class (same progressive consequences as the cell phone policy)
- Appropriate times for bathroom breaks are outlined on the Academy schedule above
- Academy schedules will be live on August 31st at noon with the rest of the building. Reach out to Mrs. Morgan via Schoology or email with any questions.
- Mrs. McQuilkin can be reached at 349-5228 for attendance-related needs.
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The goal of the Academy is to provide a smaller environment for students so that teachers can get to know them better, identify their unique needs, and personalize their learning experience. We do this through shorter classes, a consistent team of teachers from year to year (students will have the same ELA, math, science, and social studies teachers in grades 9-12), and maximizing our in-class time (no homework). This consistent team approach strengthens the relationships between students, staff, and their families. The Academy also benefits from access to its own full-time social worker, who can work proactively with students both in small groups and individually to build the skills they need to be successful in high school and beyond.
Our goal is to better meet the needs of students who struggle in a more traditional setting for various reasons. Students in our program are held to the same high expectations as students in the general setting, but we can provide a higher level of supports to help students meet them. Our basic expectations are as follows:
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- Be present and on time for school and for class. This is essential to the success of this type of program.
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Attend assigned classes, be engaged, and satisfactorily complete the assigned classwork and assessments.
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Follow in class expectations for behavior (cell phone policy, interactions with peers, no distracting others, etc.)
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- Appropriately utilize resources and supports available to manage behavior as needed (advocate for a break at the Student Support Center, Office, etc.)
At every 5-week point of the school year, the Academy and Student Support Team will review academic progress, behavior, attendance, and evidence of engagement in the program using a variety of data, including teacher gradebooks, teacher feedback and direct observation, as well as the degree to which the student was able to comply with the expectations above. Entrance into the Academy is a privilege and there is a waitlist for students wishing to enter the Academy. If at any point the student is consistently not meeting any of the above expectations and taking advantage of the resources provided them, it is possible that they may lose their spot in the Academy and be placed in another academic setting to allow other students the option to join the program.