principal’s newsletter august/september 2013, page · karissa kilmer—ms. kilmer earned a...

Dear Parents and Students:

Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year and the next chapter in the great history

of The James Monroe. Mr. Duarte, Mrs. Rachal, and I invite each parent or

guardian to become an active partner in his/her child’s educational experience.

We believe that the high school experience is one of the most important and

memorable times in a person’s life. Please feel free to contact the school for any

assistance and information; we are here to help make each student successful.

James Monroe High School has always assembled the brightest and most ener-

getic faculty members, and the tradition continues for the 2013-2014 school

year. New to JMHS this year:

Brach Cobb—Mr. Cobb graduated from George Mason University with a Master

of Music degree. He has taught as a substitute in Fredericksburg City Public

Schools and will teach Orchestra.

James A. Ewing—Mr. Ewing earned a Bachelor of Arts from The Thomas More

College of Liberal Arts. He has worked in the construction and building industry

and will teach Carpentry.

Shamus Gordon—Mr. Gordon earned a Master of Arts of Teaching from Kaplan

University. He has taught for three years in Iowa, and he will teach Spanish.

Karissa Kilmer—Ms. Kilmer earned a Bachelor of Science from New York State

University—College at Oneonta and was a student teacher in New York. She

taught summer school at The James Monroe High School and will teach mathe-

matics.

Justin Reid—Mr. Reid earned a Master of Arts in English/Education from James

Madison University. He taught for three years in Augusta County, and he will

teach English.

John Rensink—Mr. Rensink earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Univer-

sity of Minnesota Duluth. He taught in Minnesota for two years, and he will

teacher Mathematics in the R.I.S.E. program.

Kyle Sponseller—Mr. Sponseller earned a Master of Education from Loyola Uni-

versity and was a student teacher in Baltimore County. He will teach Social Stud-

ies.

Fee Night, Fees,

3

Ten Point Grading Scale JM Brickyard

4

Cafeteria Notes, Student Parking Per-mits

5

Tardy Policy, Student Accident Insurance, Student Lockers, E-Mail Notification Alerts

6

Notifications, Cellular Phone Policy

7

Drop Off Procedures 8

Bell Schedule, PTSA Application for Membership

9

Principal’s Newsletter August/September 2013,

Ashley Vera—Mrs. Vera earned a Bachelor of Arts from Utah Valley University/Brigham Young Universi-

ty. She has taught for five years, most recently in Alexandria, Virginia, and she will teach ESL.

In anticipation of the start of the 2013-2014 school year, please make note of the following dates and

events:

There will be an orientation program for all new students on Thursday, August 22 from 9:00 A.M.—

12:00 P.M. in the auditorium. A full day of activities has been planned. All freshmen are encouraged

to attend.

The James Monroe High School Open House/Fee Night will be on Thursday, August 29 from 3:00 —

7:00 P.M. This event will provide students and parents an opportunity to pay class dues, to pay

course fees, to pick up student schedules, to pick up Parent Portal information, and to visit briefly

with teachers. Information regarding clubs and activities will also be available. Open House/Fee

Night will provide students and their families an opportunity to get an early start on the school year

and remove some of the anxiety from the first few days of school.

Tuesday, September 3 will be the first day of the new school year. Students will find their names on

homeroom lists posted in the commons area. They will then report to their respective homerooms

where each student will receive his/her official class schedule and other important information.

Many of these materials will need signatures and should be returned to school as soon as possible.

Homeroom will be conducted for the first five days of school.

An all school assembly will be held on September 6; an all female assembly will be conducted on Sep-

tember 12, and an all male assembly will be held on September 13.

September 17 is the last day to drop a course for the first term.

September 19 we will host our Back to School Night from 6:00—8:15 P.M.

On September 20 the first interims will be distributed.

There will be an early dismissal on September 20 when students will be dismissed at 12:00.

J.A.Y.E.M. A.M. will begin on September 23.

The theme for this year is ONE MORE!!!

Dr. John B. Gordon III

Principal—The James Monroe High School


Description Fee Use Grade(s)

Physical Education Classes $5.00 Lock Rental 9-12

PE Uniform $15.00 Physical Education Classes 9-12

Lock Replacement $5.00 9-12

Trades & Industry Classes Fees assessed on a per project basis when students will assume ownership of the project upon its completion

Materials 9-12

Job Skills USA Membership $15.00 Trade & Industry Courses 9-12

Hall Lockers $5.00 Locker Rental 9-12

Parking Stickers $40.00 per term /$80.00 per year Parking Permit 10-12

Driver’s Education $200.00 Behind-The-Wheel Training 10-12

PICK UP SCHEDULES

PAY FEES

FEE NIGHT PICK UP PARENT PORTAL LOGINS

MEET TEACHERS

Fees are reduced or waived for economically disadvantaged students and students whose families are undergoing economic hardships and are financially unable to pay them, including but not limited to, families receiving unemployment benefits or public assistance, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Se-curity Income (SSI) or Medicaid; foster families caring for children in foster care; and families that are homeless. An application for a fee waiver may be obtained from the office at each school. The consequences for nonpayment of fees include exclusion from the activity related to the fee. No student’s report card, diploma or class schedule will be withheld because of nonpayment of fees or charges. No student will be suspended or expelled for nonpayment of fees or charges.


Effective September 1, 2013, The James Monroe High School will convert to a ten point grading scale. The James Monroe High School will continue with the three-tiered (Level I, Level, II, and Level III) course system with Level I Courses earning the highest grade quality points. Tran-scripts will now include a legend that describes the previous grading scale, which ended after the 2012-2013 school year, and the new ten point grading scale. Transcripts will also include the letter and numerical grade for each course. Listed below is the new ten point grading scale and three tiered course system:

Format for the 10-Point Grading Scale A Range = 100-90 (A+ = 100-97) (A = 96-94) (A- = 93-90) B Range = 89-80 (B+ = 89-87) (B = 86-84) (B- = 83-80) C Range = 79-70 (C+ = 79-77) (C = 76-74) (C- = 73-70) D Range = 69-60 (D+ = 69-67) (D = 66-64) (D- = 63-60) F Range = 59-0

Three Tiered Course System

Level I Courses Level II Courses Level III Courses

A+ = 5.25 A+ = 4.75 A+ = 4.25

A = 5.0 A = 4.50 A = 4.0

A- = 4.75 A- = 4.25 A - = 3.75

B+ = 4.25 B+ = 3.75 B+ = 3.25

B = 4.0 B = 3.50 B = 3.0

B- = 3.75 B- = 3.25 B- = 2.75

C+ = 3.25 C+ = 2.75 C+ = 2.25

C = 3.0 C = 2.50 C = 2.0

C- = 2.75 C- = 2.25 C- = 1.75

D+ = 2.25 D+ = 1.75 D+ = 1.25

D = 2.0 D = 1.50 D = 1.0

D- = 1.75 D- = 1.25 D- = 0.75

F = 0 F = 0 F = 0


The James Monroe Cafeteria serves breakfast and lunch

each school day. The price list for the cafeteria is as follows: Breakfast 1.00 Reduced .30 Lunch 2.50 Reduced .40 FREE AND REDUCED APPLICATIONS All free and reduced applications are distributed to enrolled students on the first day of school. Students who were previously enrolled in the city schools and were eligible for free or reduced lunch have thirty (30) days to turn in a new application. All other stu-dents must apply for the first time. Completed appli-cations must be submitted to Mrs. Rachal. Ques-tions regarding a student’s lunch status should be directed to Diane Struebel or Marie Thomas (372-1130). PAYING FOR LUNCH The J.M. cafeteria operates under the SNAP system. Each student is issued a pin number. The pin num-ber is the student identification number and is printed on the student schedule page. As a student makes a purchase in the cafeteria, the purchase amount is

automatically deducted at the cashier’s register when the student enters the pin number. If money runs low in the account, a letter will be sent to the parent/guardian with notification of the amount of money left in the account. The student can bring a check or cash to the cafeteria manager, and the amount will be credited to the student’s account. Please note, NO LUNCH MONEY WILL BE LOANED THROUGH THE OFFICE. If students run out of money in their accounts, they will be given a sun butter or cheese sandwich for lunch. Make sure your child does not give his/her pin number to other students. All pin numbers are confidential. FOOD DELIVERIES FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES Students may bring a bag lunch, but no food deliver-ies for students from commercial food sources are permitted. SENIOR DINING PRIVILEGES Members of the Class of 2014 have the privilege of eating lunch at the round ―SENIORS ONLY‖ dining tables which are located on the perimeter of the com-mons area and at the picnic tables located in the courtyard. There will be a Seniors Only lunch line provided for the first ten minutes of each lunch peri-od.

Parking permits for the 2013-2014 school year are now on sale. Please contact Ms. Franke at 372-1100 Ext. 2405 if you have any questions. Students applying for a parking permit cannot be on the school’s current debt list. Please clear all debts before applying. Any student with a learner’s permit who has not completed behind-the-wheel instruction will not be allowed to purchase a decal. Students must submit a completed Parking Permit Application (available online and in the main office) and a copy of the current registration for the vehicle. The cost of the permit is $40.00 per term or $80.00 per year, and checks should be made payable to James Monroe High School. Students must have a 2013-2014 permit on their vehicle before they will be allowed to park on school grounds. Permits are issued by number, and students must park in the corresponding park-ing space in the student parking lot. A permit is required of all students driving to school. Students are not allowed to park on city streets or adjacent properties while in attendance at James Monroe.


TARDINESS In order for students to be successful, they need to be in class and be on time. At the sound of the first period tardy bell, students must be in class. Stu-dents who are late to school must report to the At-tendance Office and receive a tardy pass. Documen-tation possessed by the student as to the reason for the tardy will be verified by the Attendance Secretary. Excused Tardies to School Family Emergency A documented legal matter

(court appearance) Unexcused Tardies to School Any late arrival to school for reasons not listed above will not be considered excused. Tardy Policy 2013-2014 This policy will encompass both tardy to school and tardy to class. The first week of school will be con-sidered a grace period. 1st Tardy—Warning issued and a tardy pass to class 2nd Tardy—Detention assigned and a tardy pass to class 3rd Tardy—One day of I.S.S. 4th Tardy—Two days of I.S.S. and an Administrator will contact the parent 5th Tardy—Three days of ISS 6th Tardy—Three days of I.S.S. and parent contacted 7th Tardy—Three days of I.S.S. and parent contacted 8th Tardy—Three days of I.S.S. and parent contacted We will also conduct random clean sweeps in which teachers will be instructed to lock their classroom doors when the tardy bell rings. All tardy students will be escorted to the commons area and will be as-signed 1-3 days of I.S.S. or Saturday School. Administrative action taken against students for being tardy to school is based on the nine week period. At the start of a new nine week period, administrative action will begin at step one of the tardy matrix.

Fredericksburg City Public Schools purchased a stu-dent accident insurance policy to cover all students during regular school hours and/or when students are involved in school sponsored activities. 24-Hour accident coverage may be added to the school time accident coverage for an additional premium. If elected, coverage will be provided for accidents oc-curring during the time not covered by the school time accident coverage, subject to the exclusions, 24-Hour coverage is not automatic—parents must com-plete and submit an enrollment form which is availa-ble in the school office.

Student lockers are school property provided for stu-dent use. There are four locker bays, each located at the entrance of an academic hallway. Each student is assigned a locker and will be charged $5.00 ser-vice fee which the homeroom teacher will collect. Please be prepared to pay the $5.00 fee on Septem-ber 3. The student must complete a locker agree-ment form and return it to the homeroom teacher be-fore a locker is issued. Students may not share lock-ers and are discouraged from sharing their combina-tion with anyone. Questions regarding student lockers should be di-rected to Ms. Franke, Assistant Principals’ Secretary.

We would like to encourage all parents with a desire to communicate with Fredericksburg City Public Schools via email to register their home/work email address with us. Registering your email with Freder-icksburg City Public Schools will allow you to receive email alerts regarding emergency school closings and special announcements distributed by the school division. Registration with our Email Messaging Sys-tem (EMS) will also allow us to add your email ad-dress to our email SPAM filters. Email registration is done online by signing up for our Email Messaging System (EMS). A link to the EMS registration page is located at the bottom of our division home page. The Universal Resource Locator (URL) for our home page is http://www.cityschools.com ; scroll to the bot-tom of the page and click the hyperlink named Click Here under the Email Messaging System description. Read and follow the instructions on the EMS registra-tion page.

http://www.cityschools.com


Students may be in possession of electronic devices such as cell phones; MP3 players; headphones, tab-let, etc. on campus under the following conditions:

Electronic devices will be turned off during regu-

lar school hours of 7:45 A.M. to 2:45 P.M., and dur-ing Saturday School.

Devices may not be used for text messaging; up-

dating social media networks; to check the time; etc.

Devices may be used at the conclusion of the

regular academic school day. The school is not responsible for lost, stolen, or dam-aged devices, or any financial obligation resulting from electronic devices being stolen. Violations will result in the following:

The first offense – Strike 1 – will result in a disci-

pline referral being processed documenting the in-fraction and consequences determined by the admin-istration.

The second offense – Strike 2 – will result in an electronic device discipline referral being processed and confiscation of the device by the administration. The device may be retrieved by the student’s parent or guardian only by appointment.

The third offense – Strike 3 – will result in a disci-

pline referral being processed and confiscation of the device. The device may be retrieved by the parent or guardian, by appointment, at the conclusion of the academic term in which the incident occurred. Any further violations of the Elec-tronic Device Policy will result in a discipline referral being processed and confiscation of the student’s de-vice for the remainder of the aca-demic school year. Retrieval of the phone will be by appointment only, by the parent or guardian, at the conclusion of the school year. Violation of the Electronic Device Policy may result in additional disciplinary action. NOTE: The phone in the main office is available for student use if one has a need to contact his/her par-ent during the school day.

In accordance with School Board Policy KN, the follow-ing notification regarding the dissemination and use of sex offender registry information is provided to all par-ents and employees of the school division: The Fredericksburg City Public School Division recog-nizes the danger sex offenders pose to student safety. Therefore, to protect students while they travel to and from school, attend school, or at school related activi-ties, the Fredericksburg City School Division shall re-quest automatic electronic notification of registered sex offenders in the same or contiguous zip codes as any school within the division. Such request and notifica-tion shall be made according to the procedure estab-lished by the Virginia Department of State Police (State Police). The Superintendent shall serve as the contact person with the State Police for receipt of the registered sex offender information.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), enforces Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). The provi-sions of these civil rights laws apply to any programs or activities receiving or benefiting from Federal financial assistance. Title IX states: ―No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimina-tion under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.‖ Section 504 states: ―No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be subjected to discrim-ination in employment under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.‖

The Fredericksburg City Public Schools do not discrimi-nate on the basis of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability in admission or treatment of employment in its programs or activities. The Superintendent is designated as the responsible person regarding assurances of non-discrimination. He may be reached by telephone at 372-1130 or in writing at 817 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401. You may also contact the Principal of The James Monroe High School.


Faculty Parking

Buses ONLY Student

Drop H

andicapped P

arkin

g

Faculty P

arkin

g

Parent/Guest Parking

Student Parking

In the Student Drop Off/Pick Up Circle DO pull as far forward in the circle as possible DO remain in single file DO NOT park DO NOT switch drivers DO NOT unload items from the trunk DO NOT pass vehicles in front of you If extra time is needed to drop off your student please park in the

Parent/Guest Parking Area DO NOT pull into BUSES ONLY drop off area


Homeroom 7:45 - 8:20 35 minutes Class Change 8:20 - 8:25 5 minutes Period 1 8:25 - 9:50 85 minutes Class Change 9:50 - 9:55 5 minutes

Period 2 9:55 - 11:10 85 minutes Class Change 11:10 - 11:15 5 minutes WAVE 3A Lunch 11:10 –11:35 25 minutes Class Change 11:35 - 11:40 5 minutes Period 3 11:40 - 1:05 85 minutes Class Change 1:05 - 1:10 5 minutes WAVE 3B Period 3 11:15 – 11:55 40 minutes Lunch 11:55 – 12:20 25 minutes Class Change 12:20 – 12:25 5 minutes Period 3 12:25 – 1:05 40 minutes Class Change 1:05 - 1:10 5 minutes WAVE 3C Period 3 11:15 - 12:40 85 minutes Lunch 12:40 - 1:05 25 minutes Class Change 1:05 - 1:10 5 minutes

Period 4 1:10 - 2:45 95 minutes

Freshman Orientation—August 22 Fee Night—August 29 Back to School Night—September 19

Name _____________________________________________ Email Address __________________________________ Home Address _____________________________________________________________________________________ Home Phone ________________________Cell _______________________ Work Phone _________________________ [ ] Parent [ ] Teacher [ ] Student Checks payable to JMHS PTSA. For more information contact Becca Mahon, President, [email protected] or 540-847-8646.

principal’s newsletter august/september 2013, page · karissa kilmer—ms. kilmer earned a...

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