- Noblesville High School
- Principal Newsletter
August 12, 2019
NHS Parents and Students,
I want to welcome you to the 2019-20 school year at NHS. We are all excited for the students to arrive as we diligently prepare the building and the classrooms for their arrival. As many of you know we have been making quick transitions as I move into the principal’s role, Mrs. Mobley moves to be an assistant principal, and Mrs. Olszewski joins us as our new dean. Our team has had nine days to finish preparing everything for the arrival of the students and while we have had to work swiftly, we are ready and excited.
Below are some key items you need to know to get the school year started. Not all of these items will apply to you so feel free to read only what you need.
Who to contact if you need help? (please go to the high school website for needed email addresses)
All Grades 9 -12
If you have questions about grades or class-specific academics, please contact the teacher directly.
If you have a question about general academics, graduation requirements, post-secondary options, and/or the general well-being of your child please contact their guidance counselor.
Grade 9
Discipline or Attendance Items: Mrs. Olszewski, Dean
All Other Items: Mr. Swafford, Assistant Principal
Grade 10
Discipline or Attendance Items: Mr. Luna, Dean
All Other Items: Mr. Stuckwisch, Assistant Principal
Grade 11
Discipline or Attendance: Mrs. Olszewski, Dean
All Other Items: Mrs. Miller, Assistant Principal
Grade 12
Discipline or Attendance Items: Mr. Luna, Dean
All Other Items: Mrs. Mobley, Assistant Principal
Students with IEPs
For IEP concerns please contact the teacher of record.
School Times
School Start/End Time: 8:40 AM-3:40 PM
Car Riders / Walkers / Drivers: May enter the building starting at 8:05 AM (must go directly to the cafeteria until 8:25 AM).
Bus Riders: Busses will release students to enter the building at 8:25 AM.
Student Drivers
-Student drivers are required to park in student designated parking zones.
-Student drivers are required to purchase and display a school parking permit by August 9, 2019.
-Information on how to purchase a parking tag is located on the high school website.
Student ID
-Students are required to carry their 2019-20 student ID on their person at all times during the school day.
Drop-off and Pick-up / Walkers
-No students are to enter Door #1 between 8:05 and 8:40 AM. All car riders and walkers must enter the doors designated below. Door #1 is designated for visitors only. Students arriving to school late (after 8:40 AM) will enter door #1 and will need their student ID for entry.
Walkers
-Students who walk to school must enter door #3, #4, or #7 beginning at 8:05 AM.
Car Riders
-All car riders must be dropped off in the front circle drive off of Cumberland Rd.
-Parents/drivers are NOT permitted to drop students off in the student lot or on the back drive. Dropping students off in these areas creates a traffic and safety hazard.
-Traffic the first few days of school will be HEAVY as everyone learns their routines and patterns. Please be patient with the traffic. We recommend that you get an early start the first few days of school.
-When you drop your student off you will enter the circle drive (by the flag pole) and be directed past door #1 around the corner to doors #4 and #3. Please pull all the way forward and wait for traffic to stop before dropping your student off.
-Please see the attached map for the drop-off and pick up traffic flow pattern.
-The roundabout will be open for the first day of school. Please be patient as everyone adjusts to the new traffic pattern. We will have police officers helping us direct traffic at the student drop off entrance and the student driver entrance.
IAL Seniors / FLEX Seniors / FLEX Juniors
-If students do not have IAL or FLEX in their schedule in PowerSchool they are not permitted to leave during these times.
-If students have IAL or FLEX in their schedule in PowerSchool they are permitted to leave as scheduled.
-IAL/FLEX students MUST use door 5 only when entering or exiting the building for FLEX or IAL.
-All IAL and FLEX students will be REQUIRED to attend a meeting on 8/6/19 from 2:10 – 2:40 in the auditorium. In this meeting, we will explain all requirements including our electronic checkout system and our check-in protocols.
Open House
-Mark your calendars. Open house will be 8/15/19 in the evening. Further details will be sent out about this event.
Backpacks, Large purses/bags, and Dress Code
-Backpacks and string bags MUST be stored in student lockers during the school day. Students are only permitted to carry a backpack when they are entering or leaving the building. Even if the backpack is clear it is NOT permitted to be carried during the school day.
-If a student has a medical need related to bags or backpacks please see the school nurse.
-Students who have a Wellness class are to carry their clothes in a plastic grocery bag to and from the locker room.
-If a student has a first or last period wellness class backpacks and string bags must be stored in their regular school locker. These bags are not permitted to be stored in their wellness locker.
-Large purses and bags are NOT permitted to be carried. Small clutch purses and fanny packs are permitted as long as they are no larger than 4.5 in x 6.5 in.
-As we transition out of the summertime it is important to remember that our dress for school will need to adjust. For safety reasons students are not permitted to wear hats and hoods during the school day. Students must also make sure that they are covered appropriately daily between the shoulders and the knees. Please refrain from wearing items that violate the school dress code. For more details on our dress code please go to the high school website and look for the handbook quick link.
Parent to Parent (a message from Dr. McCaffrey):
Parents,
I myself have two daughters (grade 7 and grade 4) and raising children today is very hard, to say the least. My job as a school administrator provides me with a wealth of knowledge that I greatly value because it allows me insight into what I need to do to be a better parent to help my own children. Let’s face it, when you work with over 3000 students daily you tend to learn a thing or two. As I send out communications this year, I will be adding this “Parent to Parent” segment to pass along some of my knowledge in the hopes that it might help you as well. The information I have is not top-secret by any means but if you don’t do what I do daily you just might not know what you don’t know.
Vaping (aka. E-cigarettes or Electronic Cigarettes)
The Center for Disease Control has officially classified vaping as an epidemic in regard to its use amongst the youth of our country. Vaping was the most common discipline infractions at NHS last year. It is estimated that nationally 20% of high school students and 10% of middle school students use e-cigarettes. These devices are highly addictive with one Juul pod having as much nicotine as 20 actual cigarettes. It is important to note that some students smoke multiple pods per day. E-cigarettes are NOT harmless so don’t be fooled into thinking that they are better than cigarettes. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain which continues to develop until age 25. Use of nicotine can impact learning, memory, and attention. Using nicotine during adolescence can also increase risk for the use of other drugs down the road. E-cigarettes can also be used to deliver other drugs like marijuana. In short, these devices are NOT better than cigarettes. If your child is using one of these, intervene now and work with a medical professional to help them stop immediately!
How to guide your child in deciding what he/she wants to do when they finish high school.
Sorry, there is no simple answer here. The world today is drastically different as compared to when I graduated high school in 1992. When I went to college, I knew that if I had a college degree, I could reasonably find a job doing several things even if it wasn’t in my area of major. Today there are jobs that exist that did not exist 10, 15, and 20 years ago. The best advice I have is to continually talk to your child to find out their interests and discuss options. You can contact your guidance counselor for ideas or use our Naviance system (you will hear more about this later) to explore different careers. Get on the web and have your child do as many career interest inventories as they can find. In short, let them explore different options. Help them become a well-rounded student in high school and take a wide variety of classes to push their comfort level. If college is in their future that is great! We have all the resources here at NHS to help them out. However please understand that going to college is NOT a requirement anymore in our society to have a good life. If your child is interested in the trades, there are a lot of high paying opportunities out there for them and guess what…we also have great programs for these students as well.
Thanks for your time in reading this information. I am excited to be the principal of NHS this year and look forward to working with your children. Above I listed grade and type-specific contacts for you if you have questions or concerns. These educators are specialized in these areas and charged with hearing your concerns and helping as much as possible. That being said please know that I am also here for you and your students. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything.
Sincerely,
Dr. Craig McCaffrey
Interim Principal