Summit High School

Message From Mrs. Grimaldi

Dear SHS Families,

The student council is in the process of organizing a Spirit Week for next week and a Halloween program to take place during the lunch block on October 31st. Please encourage your student to participate in the week's activities.

Attention Senior Parents/Guardians - Please be sure that you have submitted your selection for your student's senior picture for the yearbook. The deadline to complete this is October 31st. If a selection is not made, one will be made for you.

It's a great day to be a Hilltopper!

Stacy Grimaldi

Principal

Jesse's Journey

On Tuesday, October 22nd, all students and staff will attend Jesse's Journey, an assembly presented by Maureen Morella, and her son, Jesse. Jesse at 19, suffered severe and irreversible brain damage after a drug overdose and survives today as a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair. Mrs. Morella passionately uses Jesse’s story to educate students on the tragic consequences one bad decision with drugs or alcohol can create.

In addition, during the morning we will be hosting The Black Poster Project, an addiction and overdose awareness group from New Jersey that travels with posters of people who lost their lives due to addiction. It is a powerful display that allows participants to walk through at their own pace reading the personal narratives.

To conclude, in their second-period class, all students will have an opportunity to debrief the morning events. The time in their class with their teacher will allow everyone to reflect on the assembly/display, learn about and identify substance-free activities, and review resources available to them.

Counselors will be available all day to offer support. We do not know your student’s experience with this topic. Therefore, if you have concerns about the program please reach out to your student's counselor, the student assistance counselor, or their case manager.

The funding for Jesse’s Journey is due in part to the PTO. We thank them for their support!

Schedule for October 22nd

Tuesday, 10/22/2024 - Jesse's Journey Assembly Program

Period 1: 7:45am - 10:15am (Split the school into two groups (A & B))

8am - 9am Group A assembly, Group B in class

9:15am - 10:15am Group B assembly, Group A in class

Period 2: 10:15am - 10:47am Entire school de-briefs with their period 2 class

Lunch: 10:47am - 11:47am

Period 6: 11:47am - 12:45pm

Period 7: 12:49pm - 1:47pm

Period 8: 1:51pm - 2:49pm

Save the Date - Share the Keys

Monday, October 21st @ 7:30pm

Register for Share the Keys

Attention Senior Parents/Guardians

Recognize your student with a Yearbook Recognition Ad. Celebrate your student for their accomplishments and achievements this year. Purchase today!

Need help with designing your Recognition Ad? Please view this Quick Start Guide.

Click Here to Order Your Recognition Ad

News from the Health Office

It is cold and flu season. The Summit High School Nurses would like to remind you that we are required to follow the NJ State Department of Health School Exclusion Guidelines.

Students are required to remain home if they have a fever of 100 F or higher accompanied by a runny nose, congestion, sore throat, and/or cough. Students may return to school when their temperature is below 100 F without the use of fever reducing medications and their symptoms have begun to improve. Please do not give your student fever reducing medication or cold/flu medication that contains fever reducers prior to attending school as these medications wear off during the day causing a rebound in symptoms.

Additionally, students who are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms with 2 or more episodes of vomiting and/or diarrhea must remain home until they are symptom free for 24 hours and tolerating fluids and a small solid meal. If your student has been prescribed antibiotics, please reach out to the school nurse for guidance on when they may return.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Akian or Mrs. Driscoll at (908) 273-1494 X5501.

Attendance Matters

It is imperative that students are in school each day and on time.

Every time a student is absent from school, it will fall into one of two categories: CUMULATIVE or NON-CUMULATIVE.

NON-CUMULATIVE absences will not count towards a student’s absence total. These absences are the only allowable absences per Statute (N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3) and the NJDOE Guidance for Reporting Student Absences and Calculating Chronic Absenteeism.

The five, non-cumulative absences are:

Religious Observance
College Visit (up to 3 days per year for students in grades 11-12)
Take Our Children to Work Day
Observance of Veteran’s Day
The closure of a busing district that prevents a student from having transportation to school.

All other absences are CUMULATIVE absences, and will count towards a student’s absence total. Cumulative absences are divided into two sub-categories: VERIFIED or UNVERIFIED.

A VERIFIED absence means that a student is not in school, and the school has been notified of the absence. This applies anytime a parent/guardian has notified the school of the absence, such as the student being home sick and/or missing school due to a doctor’s appointment. Verified absences may count towards loss of credit, or may result in the school district sending a letter to notify families of the number of absences accrued in a given year.

An UNVERIFIED absence means that a student is not in school, and the school has not been notified of the absence. This will result in a phone call being made to parents/guardians in an attempt to verify the absence, and more importantly, to locate the student's whereabouts. In addition to counting towards credit loss (SHS only) and generating a phone call, unverified absences also count towards truancy and/or may result in student discipline (cutting class, for example).

The chart below was created to help as a visual representation of this policy. Please review the chart, and contact your grade level administrator if you have any questions.

Cumulative absences consist of all absences from a class that do not meet the criteria outlined in the Board definition of non-cumulative absences. State law requires 90% attendance for earning credit in high school courses.

Consequences for cumulative absences for full-year and semester during the school are listed below. The number in the parenthesis refers to totals for semester courses.

6 (3) - Referral form indicating total absences will be mailed home.

12 (6) - In-school parent conference and/or phone meeting. The contact will focus on the consequences of the accumulation of the 18th (9th) absence and student non-engagement in learning..

18 (9) - The student may be withdrawn from the course and will receive a WF (withdrawn failure).

Lateness to School/Class

A student is considered late to school or class any time they arrive after the late bell has rung. School begins at 7:45am, therefore it is necessary for students to arrive on campus before this time. Students who arrive after 7:45am but before 8:00am swipe in at the main door swipe station. Tardies require a parent/guardian note to be marked verified.

Any student who arrives after 8:00am must report to the attendance station in the Main Office to sign in.

Lateness to class will be counted on a cumulative basis throughout the course of the year and will receive the following consequences:

4 lates - Genesis notations/letter

7 lates - a) 2 detentions, administrative meeting with student

b) loss of unassigned study

c) administrator may contact parent/guardian for meeting

10 lates- a) 4 detentions, additional parent conference or phone call. The meeting or phone call will focus on the consequences of the accumulation of the 12th late. In attendance during this meeting/discussion may be the administration, the student’s counselor, the teacher of the specific course, and, if necessary, a Child Study Team member.

b) Loss of parking privileges

12 lates - The student may be withdrawn from the course and will will receive a WF. which may impact graduation eligibility.

Students missing more than 15 minutes of class time are marked absent. If it is unexcused, it is a class cut and will be recorded as such.

Your student's attendance can be checked in Genesis. Please contact either Ms. Aaron or Mr. Murtagh if you have any questions regarding your student's attendance.

Spirit Week & Halloween Program

Spirit Week Days:

Monday, October 28th: Pajama Day

Tuesday, October 29th: Wear Red for Red Ribbon Week

Wednesday, October 30th: Dress Like Shrek

Thursday, October 31st: All-Out for Halloween

Friday, November 1st: Cozy Flannel

Halloween Program: During the lunch block on Thursday, October 31st.

Yearbook Information - Senior Portrait Selection

Senior Portraits: Yearbook selection due no later than 10/31/24.

If you haven't taken a photo with Wallburg Studios yet, contact them at 908.277.2078 or peterwallburg@gmail.com to arrange an appointment for your senior.

If you have taken photos with them, once you receive your proofs via email, click the link to select your photo for the yearbook.

If you prefer to use another photographer, please send a head-and-shoulders photo (jpg format) to creinholt@summit.k12.nj.us no later than 10/31/24.

Yearbook Information - Senior Ads

Yearbook Purchase Information

Visitors to Summit High School

Appointments must be made in advance to see teachers, counselors, administrators, and other staff. Please be prepared to announce your name and purpose in order to be granted access into the building.

When a visitor arrives at the school, they will be asked to provide identification, such as a driver's license or state-issued ID card. If the visitor does not have any means of identification on them, they will be asked to input their first name, last name, and date of birth into our visitor management system. The identification is then scanned into the system, and the visitor's information is checked against a database to ensure they are not on any prohibited lists. Once the visitor's information has been verified, a temporary badge will be printed and provided to them by the school security officer or school secretary. This badge must be worn at all times while the visitor is on school grounds and will be collected upon their departure. All visitors to the building must be escorted by a staff member at all time.

In the event an emergency visit is necessary, please call the school’s main office ahead of your arrival so we are prepared to accommodate your needs.

Drop-off items (lunch, instrument, Chromebook, etc.) may be dropped off in the bin outside the main entrance vestibule. We will not inform students when items have been dropped off for them.

Academic Help Centers

Our academic help centers are available each period of the day. Please encourage your student to visit the academic help centers during their study hall period.

Construction Update

Construction continued this past week on the interiors of the chorus room, the drama room, and the library. The work on the outside of the library has also progressed with the installation of most windows and completion of the stone work.

Library Exterior with Windows

Library Interior

Drama/Dance Room Inteior

Drama/Dance Room Interior

Chorus Room Interior

Weekly Calendar

Monday, October 21st

C Day

Tuesday, October 22nd

Special Schedule for Assembly