Lebanon High School

Dear Lebanon Parents and Guardians,

As we begin the month of August, it is almost time to start a new school year! If you are entering LHS for the first time, either as an incoming 9th grader or you are new to our district...WELCOME! We are glad you are joining us and look forward to your contributions to our school community. If you are a returning student...WELCOME BACK! We can’t wait to see you again, to find out how your summer went, and to see what the 2024-25 school year has in store for you!

Here at the high school, we have been getting ready for changes for the new school year. In this edition, you will learn information about:

• New monthly newsletter
• New start time for school
• New cell phone policy
• Updated dress code
• 10/10 rule
• Expanded exam exemptions
• Dual Enrollment classes

We are ready for the 2024-25 school year to start. As always, our goal is to make your experience at Lebanon High School a great one, and we can’t wait to get started. This monthly newsletter is designed to answer the questions you have about Lebanon High School throughout the school year. If you have additional questions or if there is something with which I can help you, please call me at (513) 934-5103 or email me at reynolds.robert@lebanonschools.org. Until we see you in a few weeks, take care, enjoy the rest of your summer, and…ONWARD, LEBANON!

Bob Reynolds, Principal

Lebanon High School

School Calendar

This year, we are starting the new school year a little later than in the last few years. Freshman Focus will be August 15th & 16th and Monday, August 19th will be the first day for all students. Other changes include:

• A full week off at Thanksgiving (November 25th-29th) and two full weeks at Winter Break (December 23rd-January 5th.)
• We generally have Spring Break the week before Easter. However, since Easter is so late this year (April 20th,) Spring Break will take place March 24th-28th.
• Finally, with our later start, the school year will go past Memorial Day this year. The last day for seniors will be Friday, May 16th, Commencement 2025 will be Saturday, May 24th, and final exams will be given May 27th-29th.

School Start Time and Bell Schedule

Starting this year, the school day will begin at 7:25 a.m. and end at 2:25 p.m. This change has been made as an outcome of the transportation review the district conducted last year. Buses will drop off students at 7:10 a.m. and the tardy bell will ring at 7:20 a.m. Also, the building will now open at 6:55 a.m. for students who need to be dropped off early.

Even with this later start time, we will continue to have an 8 bell day schedule. Click this link for the times of classes for the upcoming school year.

Cell Phone Policy

Last month, Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law requiring all school districts to have a cell phone policy. At that time, he also released a model cell phone policy for schools in Ohio. The model policy prohibits students from using cell phones or similar electronic communications devices on school property during school hours. It also requires that students keep their cell phones in a secure place – such as their locker, a closed backpack, or a storage device provided by the district – at all times when cell phone use is not permitted. Exceptions in this policy are included for students using a cell phone for a documented purpose as part of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or for monitoring a health concern.

In alignment with this model policy, beginning this fall, cell phones are not to be in a student's possession during a scheduled class period. For LHS, this means:

• All students are not to have or access their cell phones during any and all class periods. These include but are not limited to academic classes, student activities, study halls, student aide assignments, field trips, etc.
• At no point should any cell phone be out or in use in a restroom or locker room.
• Students may only access their devices before school, during lunch, and after dismissal.
• No headphones, earbuds, Air Pods, etc. are to be worn or in use at any time during the school day.
• Students are not allowed to take pictures of or video anyone else during school time without the permission of a teacher or administrator. An example of this might include a class activity or project under the direction of a classroom teacher.
• The only exceptions to a student being in possession of a cell phone during prohibited times are for a documented purpose as part of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or for monitoring a health concern documented by a physician.
• Like all changes, there may be some students who chose not to comply with these new rules. If they do not, here is the progressive discipline that will happen if they make poor choices.

This is a significant change from past practices. The reason for this change is simple: The mission of Lebanon High School is to provide the highest quality education for each student. Too often, students become distracted from learning and instruction by their electronic devices. This change will help our students concentrate on their education by limiting the distractions caused by social media, listening to music, and texting their friends when they should be focused on school. Other schools and districts have taken this approach, and have reported positive results both in academic performance and increased social interactions among students.

10/10 Rule

The 10/10 rule means that students are not allowed to leave the classroom during the first ten and last ten minutes of class time. The purpose of this change is to keep students in class during the crucial first ten minutes of class and also not to have them leave class early and not return for the end of the lesson. The only exception to this rule is if it is an emergency situation; then a student could request to go see the nurse. For more information on the 10/10 rule, here is a resource from the Classroom Management Toolbox at Eastern Washington University.

Dress Code

There are not many changes to the dress code for 2024-25. We are aligning our language with that of the Junior High School; otherwise the expectations for students to dress responsibly and not wear clothing that causes disruptions or distractions remain the same:

It is the policy of Lebanon City Schools that appropriate student dress and grooming practices are as important as appropriate conduct. The best guide for proper dress and grooming is common sense and is best supervised by students and caregivers themselves. In general, appropriate student dress includes covering private parts and undergarments. In order to establish and preserve an atmosphere in our schools which is conducive to learning, the Lebanon City Schools Board of Education has adopted the following dress code for its students.

Additionally, student dress and grooming practices shall not:

• Present a hazard to the health or safety of the student himself/herself or to others in the school;
• Materially interfere with school work, create disorder or disrupt the educational program, including but not limited to the depiction, advertisement or advocacy of the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other controlled substances; nor shall clothing depict pornography, nudity, or sexual acts;
• Cause excessive wear or damage to school property;
• Prevent the student from achieving his/her own educational objectives.
• Additional dress and grooming restrictions include the following:
• Grooming, hairstyle and/or wearing of clothing, jewelry, head coverings, or accessories, which by virtue of color, arrangement, trademark, or otherwise denotes or implies membership in a group, gang, satanic worship and/or includes symbols or drawings, including but not limited to those outlined by the Anti-Defamation League, which are deemed offensive, obscene, profane or disruptive to the educational process will not be permitted.

Exam Exemptions Expanded

During the second semester of 2023-24, we piloted an attendance exam exemption policy to encourage students to come to school every day and be on time. The results were significant with 811 underclassmen earning attendance exam exemptions. For 2024-25, we are expanding this policy to both first and second semesters:

Attendance Exam Exemptions- students may be exempt from two of their final exams each semester if they:

• Have 35 hours or less of absence from school (approximately 5 days) between August 26 and December 9 for 1st semester and between January 13 and May 16th for the 2nd semester.

• And have at least a grade of “C” for both the 1st and 2nd quarters for 1st semester and 3rd and 4th quarters for 2nd semester in a specific class. Both quarters would have to be “C” or above.
• For example- a “B” in the 3rd quarter and a “D” in the 4th quarter would not count toward the exemption.

• Please note, students who attend CCP classes off campus and who are absent for all their on-campus LHS classes will be considered absent for the entire school day (approximately 7 hours).

All annual school forms must be completed in FinalForms BEFORE the first day of school. Parents/guardians should have received an email from FinalForms with additional information. Missing the email or need help accessing your account? Fill out the FinalForms Help Request. Warren County Career Center families, please make sure to complete these forms as well.

Incoming 9th grade students will receive their class schedules during Freshman Focus on Thursday, August 15th and again on Friday, August 16th.

Freshman Focus is an orientation program for all incoming 9th graders. It takes place on two action-packed days: Thursday, August 16th (optional) & Friday, August 17th (mandatory). Over these two-days, students will:

• participate in team building activities

• meet other incoming freshmen (and their upperclassmen student mentors)

• learn the ins and outs of being an LHS student!

On Day 1 (Thursday Aug. 15th, 12:30-5:30 P.M.) students will:

• receive their class schedules

• receive their locker assignments

• tour the building

• enjoy a cookout at the end of the day (bring money for Kona Ice if you would like).

• While students enjoy the cookout, we will hold a freshman parent meeting in the beginning at 5:00 pm. This meeting is designed to give parents a chance to ask questions and get a general sense of what their student’s 9th grade year will be like.

On Day 2 (Friday, Aug. 16th, 7:00 A.M.-2:25 P.M.) students will:

• visit an activity fair

• practice walking through their daily schedule

• participate in a building wide pep rally,

• and practice going through the lunch line.

*Students must bring their own lunch or purchase a lunch from the cafeteria on Friday the 16th. For more information on Freshman Focus 2024 and Lebanon High School, please click this link: 2 Page Freshman Focus Flyer 2024 or call (513) 934-5100.

Student council is selling class shirts as a fundraiser for the class of 2028! Class shirts will be available to order on Thursday, August 15th, at the freshman parent meeting at 5pm. Shirts will be $15 (cash or check). We will also be sending order forms home during TEAM the first few weeks of school. Please reach out to Mr. Nollen (nollen.ryan@lebanonschools.org) or Ms. Molina (molina.tessa@lebanonschools.org) with any questions.

If you are a new student to LHS and have not yet been scheduled, please contact Mrs. Chapman in the Guidance Office at (513) 934-5106 to schedule an appointment with your counselor after the office reopens on Thursday, August 1st. We will have a New Student Orientation on Friday, August 16th from 8:00am-10:00am. During that time, you will meet some teachers who will give you a tour of the building and help you understand how the school functions and what daily life at LHS is like. You will need to provide your own transportation to and from New Student Orientation on Friday, August 16th.

Accessing Your Student's Bus Route:

Lebanon City School District's transportation information is available on a new site and app called My Ride K-12. If you had the previous app called Ride 360, usernames and passwords will carry over into My Ride K-12. My Ride K-12 provides secure access to student routing information.

Who can use My Ride K-12?

Parents, child care providers, and grandparents may use My Ride K-12, but only two caregivers are able to connect or link to their child's account. Once you are connected to your child's transportation account you will be able to share access with anyone you wish. Additionally, you can also remove access should you need to (i.e. if your child attends a new babysitter, you can remove access from the previous one). You can share access to your child's account to as many or as few people as you wish.

How is My Ride K-12 accessed?

ONLINE: To access My Ride K-12 online, click the following link:

https://OHLebanonCitySD.myridek12.tylerapp.com/

You must register first before using the system.

MOBILE APP: To download the My Ride K-12 app in order to use the mobile version, choose one of these links Google Play Store or Apple App Store. You must register first before using the app.

LHS students holding a VALID Driver’s License can purchase a parking pass at HomeTown Ticketing. Students with temporary licenses are not eligible for parking permits. Please read the rules and regulations section carefully. Students not following rules and regulations may lose parking privileges temporarily or permanently. NOTE: Students running to their cars in the building or in the lot in an effort to beat the buses will lose parking privileges.

To order your Parking Permit, use this link and pay online before August 16th. Once the form is completed and you have paid, you may come to the LHS Main Office to pick up your parking sticker from Mrs. Hoyt. YOU MUST BRING YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE WHEN YOU PICK UP YOUR PERMIT! After August 16th, you will only be able to purchase parking passes at the front desk with check/cash.

Please be patient with the traffic if you are dropping off or picking up your child from school. There are a lot of vehicles coming and going each day, so here are a few points to help keep traffic moving:

• Student drivers - When arriving, please note the 20 mph speed limit signs and drive with caution.

• Student Spots 6-64 Click the link for specific directions.

• Student Spots 68-130 Click the link for specific directions.

• Student Spots 131-510 Click the link for specific directions.

• Doors will open at 6:55. When leaving, you must use the main entrance and stay out of the bus lot.

• Parents dropping off (AM) - Do not use the front parking lot or stop in front of the building. Follow the arrows and pull around to the left side of the building and drop off your child in the drop off zone (between the signs). Please have your student exit the car quickly and then you can follow the white arrows to exit the bottom of the parking lot. Doors will open at 6:55. Please do not pull in designated staff or student parking spots to drop off your students.

• Parents picking up (PM) - Do not use the front lot or park along the drop-off drive. Please pull into the student lot (by veering left at the Y) and find a parking space. Please do not drive through cones, barriers, or chains. Traffic will be stopped once the buses begin leaving the lot around 2:38, so you may have a 10-12 minute wait until all buses are off of the lot.

• Visitor Parking Information

• 30-Minute Parking Spots: Available at the front of the building (Door 1) and on the side (Door 10/Event Entrance).
• Door 1: Please use this entrance for accessing the main office or nurse’s office. This is the designated entrance for these areas.
• Door 10: For student pick-up during school hours or early dismissal, please use the visitor parking spots located on the side of the building near Door 10, which is the student entrance and the location of the attendance office.

Please follow all of these guidelines and follow directions to those directing traffic to ensure a safe and quick loading and unloading zone. Thank you for your patience and help with this!

Friends of Academics (FOA) acknowledges student academic accomplishments via awards, luncheons, and scholarships. To contribute to these achievement recognitions, kindly consider making a donation to FOA through their Venmo account @lhs-foa. Over the summer, approximately 100 senior students creatively decorated their parking spaces to show support for FOA. We extend our gratitude to the 2024 freshman parents who generously donated $300 following our presentation at Freshman Focus in August. Be sure to visit the Friends of Academic link to champion LHS academics! Additionally, we now have a new email address, friendsofacademics@lebanoncityschools.org. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any inquiries.

Class of 2025...don’t miss the chance to leave your mark on Lebanon High School. Paint-Your-Parking-Spot weekend is August 9-11. Bring your family & friends to help you paint. Simply fill out this form, sketch your design, and bring your $20 (payable to “LHS Friends of Academics”) to your spot. Friends of Academics will be in the parking lot Friday, August 9 starting at 11:00 to approve your designs, collect your payment and help you get started. If you have any questions, please email Jill Davidson at friendsofacademics@lebanonschools.org or text 513-295-6396.

To receive an Academic Honors Diploma, students need to fulfill six of the seven criteria listed below as well as earn the minimum graduation requirements:

• 4 math credits (algebra I, geometry, algebra II, plus higher level course)

• 4 science credits (including 2 units of advanced)

• 4 social studies credits

• 3 world language credits (3 of one language, or 2 of two different languages)

• 1 fine art credit,

• Earn a 3.5 GPA (on 4.0 scale)

• Earn an ACT Composite score of 27 or a 1280 on the SAT.

There are other Honors Diplomas available as well: Career Tech, STEM, Arts, and Social Science/Civic Engagement. Each one is slightly different from the other with more of a focus in a particular area. See your counselor for more details.

All students will have their pictures taken on Thursday, August 29th. Please make sure your student sits for picture day. The school picture will be used for student IDs and our student information system. Please remember to dress well for pictures! Retakes are scheduled for Thursday, October 10th.

*Seniors will also have an additional Formal Senior Picture Day on January 15th. For seniors to be included in their composite, yearbook and graduation slideshow, they must have a formal sitting with Lifetouch (Prestige) on January 15th. Warren County Career Center seniors will have a Formal Senior Picture Day at both WCCC campuses on January 15th

Lebanon City Schools supports a 1:1 technology implementation across all our buildings, including Lebanon High School. At the start of high school, students receive a Chromebook and a charger. They are expected to keep both the Chromebook and charger throughout their high school years. Incoming 9th graders will receive their Chromebook and charger during the first week of school; they should bring the Chromebook cover issued to them in 8th grade. New students to the district will be given a Chromebook, a charger, and a cover during the first week of school. Returning students, please locate and charge your Chromebook now to ensure it is working properly. All students at LHS are expected to bring their Chromebook to class daily.

The Ohio Department of Education requires that all high school students take six end-of-course tests (ELA II, Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, American History and American Government). To qualify for graduation, students are required to earn a competency score of 684 or better on the Algebra I and ELA II and earn readiness seals by scoring 700 or better on Biology (Science Seal), American History and American Government (Citizenship Seal).

For more specific information on end of course testing as well as Ohio graduation requirements, please go to: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Ohio-s-Graduation-Requirements

• SCHOOL DAY: School begins each day at 7:25 and ends at 2:25.

• DOORS OPEN: Doors to the building open at 6:55.

• SCHEDULES: All students will immediately report to TEAM the first few days of school. Every student will receive a finalized schedule during this time.