SPANISH SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL

Hello Cougar families,

I would love to start by celebrating our Performing Arts students!

I am pleased to announce that our Cougar Band placed first in the 2A division this last Saturday here at SSHS. We received Outstanding Music, Outstanding Visuals, and Outstanding Color Guard.

Congratulations to one of our amazing Lillian Gilpin for being accepted into the National Honor Choir. She will be one of only a few students from Nevada to sing in a choir of ~300 high school students from all 50 states." What a tremendous achievement, we are so proud!

Trick or Treat the Halls was a great event. During Trick or Treat the Halls, our clubs fundraise and provide a fun and safe environment for children to play carnival games and get thousands of treats. We enjoyed this community event and appreciate all your support.

Congratulations to the Spanish Springs High School Army JROTC Raider team. They spent the last few days competing at the national championship at FT Knox, Kentucky. As a result, they came back Champions of the West Coast and 24th in the Nation.

Congratulations to the Cross Country team for their performance at the Regional Championships last weekend. Peyton Miller came in 1st place, which was the first time Spanish Springs has won the individual 5A Regional title. Kambri Felsted finished 3rd and Taizley Felsted finished 4th for the girls, which the first time we have put two girls on the Regional podium in school history! Both the girls and boys teams qualified for State in Las Vegas on Saturday. Way to go Cougars and good luck at State!

Let's talk about our phenomenal tennis program. Our Girls Tennis Team took 1st in state, the very first in school history! Our Boys Tennis team took 2nd! Vanessa Hollenback and Mackenzie Chase won the doubles individual title. Addison Bowers took 4th in State for singles. Travis Lee and Khloe La France both qualified for singles. Kyle Blanchard and Tanner Bowers qualified for doubles. Both teams had an incredible season. The Ladies were undefeated 12 and 0 and the Boys were 12 and 1. We are so proud of you!

The Ladies Soccer team had a great finish against Galena High School in the last match at regionals. In a tight match, ending 2-1, the girls battled it out. Well done ladies, what a great season!

Tonight our football team will be playing McQueen here at SSHS in the playoffs. We are looking forward to a great, if not cold, football game!

I wanted to be able to get you some information regarding the flooding within our school this past Monday. We had extensive water damage to two of our science classrooms along with some water damage to some of the walls in two hallways. With that being said, our district has been working closely with me and the contractors to help with the restoration process of our school. When students left school today, the hallways looked normal, but when they arrive on Monday, they will see some noticeable differences. There will be nothing that is dangerous for our students, but they will recognize that some sheetrock has been removed and is in the process of being reinstalled. We will have these contractors on campus over the weekend and in the evenings while working on the hallways, so there will be no disruptions to our students’ education. I appreciate how our students and staff have been so accommodating and flexible as we get our facility back in order. The hope is that this project will be wrapped up within the next week or two. I truly appreciate your patience.

Sincerely,

Sean Hall

Principal

Our weekly newsletters can be found at the Library Website under newsletters.

SSHS Library Website

A PDF of all our our Bell Schedules and AB Rotation can by found on the following link:

2024 Bell Schedule and AB

After school tutoring for homework help will take place every Tuesday and Thursday in the Career Center from 2:45 to 4:00. At this time, students will need to provide their own transportation.

BEST OF THE WEST!!!

Our annual Charity Volleyball Tournament is coming up here at SSHS! Our staff game against Reed kicks off at 6:00 and then a boys game will follow. It will be the best 2/3 games to 21. Can't wait to see you there!

Please come and join us the African American Student Union. We meet every Wednesday at lunch in the College and Career Center.

Let's Bowl! Let's Bowl! Let's Rockin' Roll! Interested in Bowling?

Bowling is up and running attend the practices on Monday at High Sierra Lanes from 3-5PM - Last day to sign up is November 4th. See Mrs. Louton in room 115 for more details.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes come hang out and hear what FCA is all about.

Come join the Indigenous Peoples Club. We meet every Monday and are now in room E135. All are welcome- stop by and say hello.

The Interact Club is division of Rotary International and is a community service based club which meets the first and third Monday of the month in the library.

Hey Cougars! Come join key club! We’re a club focused on serving our community and the world as a whole. Stop by room 111 at lunch time on Tuesdays to see what we’re about!

Come join Latinos Unidos! We host fundraisers and sell all kinds of food. Everyone is welcome. We meet almost every Thursdays in the career center during lunch. We hope to see you there!

Murals Club is having their first meeting of the year the Tuesday we get back from break, on Oct 15th. If you are creative and you like to paint. Come join Murals Club. We work towards getting painted or decal murals up on our school walls to beautify our school. Murals Club meetings are every Tues 2:30 to 4:30 in room 121. See Mrs. Marsh for more details.

Are you a creative person who can lend your expertise to the National Art Honors Society? Come join our club every Wednesday at lunch in room 147. All creative and art loving students are welcome! We would love to have you!

Sophomores and up come join the National Honors Society! We are a national club consisting of connecting with the community, volunteering, and building up your college resume! We will have our first meeting on September 5th in 219/220!

Do you want a say about our new District Cell Phone Policy? Join Student Voice for our meetings on Monday in Room 257 to have a say in this policy and help develop other policies in the future! We're a club that has direct access to District Leadership and your voices help them make policies and changes that benefit ALL students.

Hey Cougars! If you love writing or just want to explore your creative side, come check out Writers Club, Tuesdays, IN ROOM 255 DURING LUNCH. We’re a group where you can share your stories, poems, or any kind of writing, and get feedback in a supportive space. Whether you're an experienced writer or just curious, everyone is welcome. Come join us, meet new friends, and let’s get creative together!

Did you know that SSHS has a school newspaper? Stay informed with local, world and school news.

Congratulations to Tennis Head Coach John Rogers on a historic Cougar Tennis Season and being honored with All Region Boys and Girls Coach of the Year:

Boys and Girls Tennis Honors:

Boys Tennis = 1st time League Champions, 1st time Region Champions, and State Runner-up’s

Girls Tennis = 1st time League Champions, 1st time Region Champions, and 1st time State Champions

Individual Region Champion Girls Single = Addison Bowers

Individual State Champions Girls Doubles Team = Mackenzie Chase and Vanessa Hollenback

All Region Girls Single Player of the Year = = Addison Bowers

All Region Boys Doubles Team of the Year = Kyle Blanchard and Tanner Bowers

Congratulations to the All-Region Boys and Girls Cross Country Student-Athletes

Boys Cross Country Peyton Miller = Region Champion and All Region Runner of the Year.

Boys Basketball Tryouts will be held on Saturday November 16 and Monday November 18. All athletes must be cleared on Activate/Register my athlete as well as have a physical to be allowed to tryout. Athletes NOT cleared will not be allowed to try out. See flyers posted in the boys locker room for times or coach Penney in room 151.

Student Backpacks are NOT allowed at Athletic Events. Any student with a backpack will NOT be allowed entry to a game.

Skateboards and Scooters are NOT allowed at Athletic Events. Any Student with a skateboard or scooter will NOT be allowed entry to the game.

SSHS Parents and Students:

SSHS is only accepting online Hometown Tickets for all Athletic Events this school year and all Fall Sports ticket are currently available for purchase.

We will NOT have a cashbox available at the events to make change. If you need to pay cash, please bring exact change. Thank you!

Adult Tickets = $10.00 (Seniors 62 years and over receive free entry)

Student Tickets = $5.00 (Students 8 years and under receive free entry)

Military Personal Tickets = $5.00 (with valid ID)

SSHS Students who have purchased their Activity Fee and have Activities Fee (AF) paid on their Student ID will get free entry to all regular season home events. Activity Fee for the school year is $25.00, and all student-athletes are required to pay this fee.

Middle school students need to have a parent with them to enter the event.

All WCSD Employees and a Guest get into all regular season games (home and away) with a current school ID.

We are pleased to provide you with another great way to stay connected with our student athletes. Download the NIAA App (NIAA Live) for scores, schedules, brackets, buying tickets and more... Use the QR Code or link below to download the App. We are excited for the upcoming Spring Championships, best of luck to your Student-Athletes. https://www.fanthreesixty.com/niaa-live

Register My Athlete is now open for the 2023-2024 school year. If you plan on playing a sport this school year, please complete the RMA. If you have any questions, please see the Athletic Secretary, Mrs. Deen, in the main office.

Join the Boosters today and be a part of something really special at SSHS!

For information, email: spanishspringsboosterclub@gmail.com

Interested in earning money for your club or team? The Boosters can help with that!

Register here: https://spanishspringshsboosterclub.boosterhub.com/register/4029

Seniors, if you are interested in attending the UNR Nevada Bound Field Trip please register as soon as possible. There are only 10 more spots left. The last day to register is November 7th at end of the school day. You can find more information on the Career Center web site or ask Ms. McRae in the Career Center. There are only 10 spots are available. Please register soon.

College & Career Center

Francine McRae 38032

francine.mcrae@washoeschools.net

Please come in and see us with any questions you have for have for colleges, careers, scholarships, test prep or let us help your with Infinite Campus access.

The Nevada Bound program runs from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and all groups must be on campus during this timeframe so that students don’t miss out on valuable parts of the day.

Need help completing the FAFSA?

Counseling Secretary

Ginger Ramilo 38023

gramilo@washoeschools.net

Counselor Assignments: all counselors work with 9th-12th graders by last name

A-CHH

Jill Anderson 38028

jill.anderson@washoeschools.net

CHI-GIN

Angie Goss 38025

agoss@washoeschools.net

GIO-KNH

Jewel Cuellar 38026

jewelienne.cuellar@washoeschools.net

KNI-NIJ

Niki Harris 38027

niki.harris@washoeschools.net

NIK-SIC

Shelby Gonzales 38024

shelby.gonzales@washoeschools.net

SID-Z

Tarin Myers 38029

tarin.myers@washoeschools.net

Counseling Secretary

Ginger Ramilo

gramilo@washoeschools.net

School Social Worker

Megan Rix 38067

megan.sularix@washoeschools.net

Family Graduation Advocate

Cristina Avalos 38009

cmavalos@washoeschools.net

Hello, this is an important message from the Washoe County School District:

The State of Nevada requires the meningitis vaccine (MCV4) and the Tdap vaccine for all Nevada 7th graders and new students in grades 7-12 enrolling in the Washoe County School District.

As of the 2024-2025 school year, a student 16 years of age or who is enrolling in the 12th grade in Nevada schools must receive the meningitis – or MCV4—vaccine.

Each Wednesday from 1:30p – 4:00p and the first

Saturday of each Month from 10:30a – 2:00p

Clothes, shoes, school supplies, toiletries and much more

Free with high school ID

· Project 150 Reno Boutique - 1340 Foster Dr. - Reno, NV 89509

· Follow us at Project150 Reno on Facebook

· Call (775)203-4755 or email info@project150reno.org

· Project 150 Reno non-profit provides basic needs for homeless, disadvantaged, and displaced high school students.

Project 150 Reno

The Washoe County School District or the Board of Trustees neither endorses nor sponsors the organization or activity represented in this document. The distribution of this material is provided as a community service.

You will find information concerning bus routes and schedules by going onto the Washoe County School District website, https://www.washoeschools.net/Domain/73. Families are advised to register their students for bus service.

• You can then click on the “E-Link” for bus schedules and/or the “Find Your Zoned School” link to find out what school zone you are in.

Parents are encouraged to contact the district transportation dispatch at (775) 337- 7769 for questions pertaining to their child/children’s bus transportation needs.

· DMV Certifications of Attendance are processed at the district level by the Student Records Department.

· Visit the WCSD web page: www.washoeschools.net and select:

STUDENT AND PARENTS

>STUDENT RECORDS

> CLICK ON BACKPACK CURRENT STUDENT.

FILL OUT INFORMATION, AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE CHECK THE DMV BOX.

· Please allow one week of processing time.

· Please note: Students who miss 10% or more of the total number of class periods for any reason during a semester (high school) for each course will be chronically absent and do not meet the DMV Certification of Attendance requirements. Chronic absenteeism rules are set by State and Federal guidelines.

Information for how to get the attendance for DMV is permanently found at:

Parents and Guardians Page

The complete WCSD policy can be found here: WCSD DMV Attendance Policy

Please make sure you have paid your student's class fees. Class fees are used for labs, classroom supplies, and uniforms. Please email Megan Svare our bookkeeper if you are unsure if you have paid yet: msvare@washoeschools.net

Our webstore is currently being updated, check back periodically or send cash or check with your student to pay in person.

Every 5 tardies = 15 minutes lunch detention

Please know that failure to report to lunch detention will result in the following consequences:

1. 30 minute lunch detention

2. 45 minutes school beautification

3. In-house suspension

* Each consequence will happen if failure to complete the consequence prior.

* School beautification example could be picking up trash, and assisting in helping the school look clean.

Bullying is unacceptable and comments or conduct that disparages or demonstrates hostility or aversion should not be tolerated. By being accepting, kind and inclusive, you can help make the world a better place. Together we can create a world without bullying!

TIPS FOR PARENTS

THE WORLD IS RAPIDLY CHANGING – EMBRACE THE CHANGE!

Digital technology and the internet now play a huge part in all of our lives – especially our children’s. For the most part, school, work and social lives are now all successfully integrated with the internet, offering opportunities that we could have only dreamed of a few years ago – with our children at the forefront of this exciting age of change. Try and embrace the change by seeing it as an adventure rather than a challenge!

LEARN WITH YOUR CHILD

If we are to help our children reach their full personal and academic potential in this new technological era, then we must learn with them on how to use the internet responsibly and safely. Your children might even be able to teach you a thing or two!

STAY A STEP AHEAD OF YOUR CHILDREN

This can be a challenge for many parents who are unfamiliar with the technical devices, websites and social media platforms that their children visit. This parents guide will help you to understand the dangers posed to children online and how to deal with them together as a family.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

It is vital that your child or children can come to you with their online problems, and communicate freely without the fear of losing internet privileges, such as the closing of their social media accounts or confiscating devices such as mobile phones or laptops. If you can build a relationship with your child/children, where they feel comfortable sharing their online problems with you, it is much more likely that you will be able to help them with any online problems that do occur in the future – before they escalate to the point where your child/children cannot see a way out of the situation.

Top Tips for Kids

GOLDEN RULES FOR CYBERBULLYING

DON’T RETALIATE

Do not respond to abusive messages or threats. It could make things worse and you might be accused of cyberbullying. Internet trolls want a reaction from you – why give them what they want?

TELL SOMEONE YOU TRUST

Don’t try and deal with this alone – talk to somebody you trust such as your parents, a friend, a family member or a teacher about it. New perspectives can help you to find new solutions.

SAVE EVIDENCE

Record and store any abusive posts, emails or messages. Some types of cyberbullying, harassment and online abuse constitute a criminal offense, and you might need to demonstrate ‘ongoing harassment’ for legal action to be successful at a later date. For help with how to store evidence, visit our technical advice section.

BLOCK AND REPORT

You can stop someone from sending you abusive messages and posting nasty comments on most major platforms by blocking and reporting them to the site administrator. Visit our social media guide to learn more about the reporting procedure for each individual social media platform.

ASK YOUR SCHOOL

Schools and colleges should have an anti-bullying policy which covers cyberbullying and online abuse. Ask what support your school can offer.

NEVER SHARE PASSWORDS

Never share your passwords with anybody, even your friends! If you do, you could lose control of your own accounts, and have trouble regaining control of them. People can then share your personal information publicly. Treat your passwords like your toothbrush – change them frequently and don’t share them with anybody!

NEVER ARRANGE TO MEET IN REAL LIFE

If anyone you don’t know tries to arrange to meet you, tell your parents or somebody you trust immediately. Never meet anybody you don’t know and don’t share personal information with them such as real names, addresses, emails or phone numbers.

THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK

Most online problems start with a misunderstanding, so think about what you really want to say before you start to write. Everybody that uses the internet should have a basic understanding of “netiquette”.

DON’T GET CAUGHT UP AND DON’T BE A BYSTANDER!

Avoid becoming involved in cyberbullying campaigns. Don’t pass on or promote an abusive or rude comment, message or picture just because “everyone else is doing it.” Stop and think about how that person feels.

REPORT CYBERBULLYING

If you see someone is being cyberbullied don’t just stand by and let them suffer. Report it to the platform you are using, your parents or a teacher at your school.

If you need help or support:

THE CYBERSMILE FOUNDATION – cybersmile.org

https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts

https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/what-you-can-do

https://www.dosomething.org/us/causes/bullying

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/what-parents-can-do-about-childhood-bullying/

The large student window to the main office is now open to students! Please go to that window first with any attendance or book keeping needs. Thank you!

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Spanish Springs HS follows all WCSD Attendance Policies and Procedures.

For information on the WCSD Attendance Policy as required by NRS, click here.

Reporting a Reason for an Absence

Parent/guardian must email, call or request an absence via the portal/app to report your student(s) absence. To verify the absence it must be done so no later than three (3) days after your student is absent. The Attendance Office is unable to record reasons for absences older than three days without a doctor’s note.

Emailing in a Reason for an Absence (preferred method)

Absences may be reported by email. Please email sshsattendance@washoeschools.net or use this link: SSHS Attendance and include:

· Your student's name

· Date of birth

· The date

· Length of the absence

· The reason for the absence

Changes will be made in Infinite Campus when the email is processed.

Calling in an Absence

To verify an absence, contact the Attendance Office call 775-425-7733 x 1. Voicemail is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please leave a message with the following:

· Your student's name

· Date of birth

· The date

· Length of the absence

· The reason for the absence

· Your contact information

Changes will be made in Infinite Campus when the absence is processed.

Requesting an Absence via the Parent Portal/App.

A new functionality was added to the Infinite Campus parent portal and app. It enables parents/guardians to request an absence via the portal/app. The portal/app accepts requests for absences for the current date or future dates only.

For step-by-step instructions, visit: Intervention / The Absence Request Form and App (washoeschools.net)

Changes will be made in Infinite Campus when the request is processed.

Picking Up a Student or Street Passes

When you need to pick up your student early from school, please be aware of the following procedures:

-You may call in advance to have your student waiting for you when you arrive. Please call the Attendance Office at 775-425-7733 x 1 with the exact time and reason your student needs to be dismissed.

-You may come into the Attendance Office to pick up your student. You will be required to show your ID on arrival. Please allow enough time for us to send for your student as it is difficult to send for a student during passing time or during lunch.

-ONLY LEGAL GUARDIANS may pick up a student. Anyone other than a guardian will need to have the guardian contact the attendance office in advance to give permission for the student to be released. If the person picking up the student will do so on a regular basis and is not the legal guardian, there is a form that can be completed giving permission for the student to be released with another adult. This form is valid only for the current school year and will need to be signed and turned in by the legal guardian.

Chronic Absenteeism

Students who miss 10% or more of the total number of class periods for any reason during a semester (high school) for each course will be chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism rules are set by State and Federal guidelines.

Students will not be retained or fail a course (high school) based on attendance. However, students who miss 10% or more of class periods for any course that meets in a semester will be chronically absent in that course(s).

If the student must miss an entire class period for any reason, it is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to see that a written/verbal verification is provided to the school prior to, during, or within three days of an absence. Failure to do so within three days of the student's return to school will result in the absence being coded as Unverified (UNV).

Intervention Guide for Families

COVID Exclusions

The Health Department Excluded (HDED) code is used for COVID exclusions when there is a positive COVID case. Current exclusion period is 5 days and can be extended up to 10 days in the event that a student still has symptoms. COVID excluded students will be placed on Temporary Distance Learning and will complete missing classwork per the make-up work policy. The HDED codes do not count towards chronic absenteeism.

Make-Up Work Policy for an Absence

Make-up work must be provided for any absence by the teacher, but it is the student’s responsibility to request the make-up work in advance or on the first day s/he returns to class. Because it is impossible to make-up some in-class assignments, coursework of a similar nature may be given. It is the student’s responsibility to turn in all make-up class work at the designated deadline. Failure to complete the make-up work within the designated deadline will result in no credit being received for the make-up work.

Students will have the number of days absent plus one to complete missed make-up work or concepts missed beginning on the day the teacher provides the missed assignments to the student. Teachers must provide missed make-up work or concepts missed within two days of the student’s return to class.

DMV Certification of Attendance

Spanish Springs High School assists with the student DMV Certification of Attendance required by the DMV using the following options:

OPTION 1 – Electronic

DMV Certifications of Attendance can be requested from the WCSD Student Records Department.

Effective July 1, 2019, in an effort to provide better and more secure service to our students ALL student records requests can be made online using the automated student record / information request system. Please go to this link on the Washoe County School District website to fill out the form: Application for DMV Certification Form or go to https://washoeschoolsnv.scriborder.com/

OPTION 2 – Hard Copy

If requesting a hard copy from the SSHS Attendance Office, the Student Information section must be completely filled out. SSHS does require 24 hours to complete and review the students’ attendance, it will then be available for pick up in the front office.

Hard Copy link: DMV Certification of Attendance Form

Please note: Students who miss 10% or more of the total number of class periods for any reason during a semester (high school) for each course will be chronically absent and do not meet the DMV Certification of Attendance requirements; the previous completed semester’s percentage is used to determine eligibility. Chronic absenteeism rules are set by State and Federal guidelines.

This guide, available in English and Spanish, helps parents, guardians, and families understand the various components of the attendance policy. Click on button below.