Wildcat Pride

Principal: Michael Leiter Ed.D.

Assistant Principal: Kelly Carque

Assistant Principal: Amanda Alverson

Dean of Students: Karen Dame

Athletic Director: Michael Johnston

Assistant Athletic Director: Todd Graham

Website: https://www.jpsonline.org/schools/secondary/jenison-high-school/
Location: 2140 Bauer Road, Jenison, MI, USA
Phone: 6164573400

Jenison High School Families,

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! We are looking forward to welcoming all of our students back for another great year at Jenison Senior High School. We are excited to see them at our upcoming orientation dates in August.

I hope this newsletter finds you well. It has been a busy summer at JHS as we prepare for another great school year. We are excited to introduce and welcome several new staff members to Jenison High School. These talented educators and professionals bring fresh ideas, diverse experiences, and a shared commitment to our students' success. They are eager to contribute to our vibrant school environment and work collaboratively to support student growth and development.

• Chris Battle, Industrial Arts Teacher
• Ian Doyle, Social Studies Teacher
• Stephanie Gemmen, English Teacher
• Laura Zeichman, English Teacher and Yearbook Advisor
• Michael Johnston, Athletic Director
• Alex Robbins, Mental Health Coordinator
• Karina Torre, Counselor
• Michelle Barrows, Counselor
• Trevor Lucas, JIA/JHS Online Learning Supervisor

In addition to staffing changes, students were on campus this summer participating in numerous learning opportunities, athletic camps, and visual/performing arts activities.

A few reminders/updates for the Class of 2025, JHS will honor our seniors that excel academically as follows: All students with a G.P.A. over a 4.0 will be considered to have achieved High Honors status and will be signified with a gold cord and an additional green/white cord for graduation. Students earning a 3.5 to a 4.0 will be awarded a gold cord and students earning a 3.0 to 3.499 will receive a silver cord. In addition, starting with the Class of 2025 and moving forward, the walking order at commencement will be arranged alphabetically by senior’s last name.

Please review the important information contained in this newsletter. We have included information on the following:

• Student Orientation and Student Parking Passes

• Parent Open House - August 26, 2024 - 6:30 pm - 8:08 pm

• 2024-25 Jenison High School Calendar of Events - Click here

• Student Door Access Keycard/IDs

• Geskus School Picture On-line Ordering Process

• Student Handbook Policy Changes

• Athletics

• Counseling Office Updates

• Technology - Response needed prior to orientation. (Please see Technology news below)

• Hand2Hand Program

• Food Service

• Transportation/Bussing

• Attendance/Appointment Call-In Process

• Jenison High School Daily Schedules - Click here. Please note that this school year there will be 2 lunch periods - Lunch 1 and Lunch 2.

• JHS Website - Click here. To stay up to date on current events and school information, please visit our website.

I hope everyone enjoys the last few weeks of summer. It’s going to be a great year to be a Wildcat!

Go Wildcats!

August 26, 2024 - 6:30 pm - 8:08 pm

Open House is an opportunity to experience a typical “school day” by following your student’s class schedule. All parents/guardians are invited. More information about the details of the Open House will be included in the Principal’s Welcome Back to School letter.

• All returning 10th-12th grade students must bring their door access keycard/Student ID to orientation with them that they were issued last school year. Student IDs will be required to pick up class schedules. If your student has misplaced their ID/keycard that was issued last year, then please have them bring another form of picture ID with them.

• Freshmen and New Students will be issued a new door access keycard/ID at orientation.

• Freshman and New Students will be given a lanyard and plastic sleeve to insert their keycard/student ID into at orientation. Keycards/IDs are necessary for access to the Senior High building and will be needed for the remainder of high school.

• If your student has misplaced or has a damaged keycard/ID then these students will need to visit the media center after school starts to request ID replacements. We will not be taking in ID replacement requests at orientation. A replacement fee of $10.00 will need to be paid at the time of the request.

Jenison High School will continue to use the online-picture ordering option with Geskus Photography. With this new process, students will be given, at orientation, their Geskus ordering code to bring home to parents for placing online school picture orders. Click here for Geskus Picture Information with sample of the ordering code. This process allows parents to view a picture proof prior to ordering them. No order forms will be mailed home prior to picture day, therefore, no payments for picture orders will need to be sent with students for orientation. Also, picture orders will be mailed home instead of receiving them at school.

The Student Handbook with updates for the 2024-2025 school year will be available after the August 5th JPS Board of Education meeting.

The complete handbook will be available on our website, www.jpsonline.org.

Our counseling team’s caseload is assigned according to the first initial of the student’s last name:

Michelle Barrows - ( A-E)

Jen Riha - (F-K)

Katie Koole-McCurdy - (L-R)

Karina Torre - (S-Z)

Alex Robbins, Mental Health Coordinator

Pamela Keen, Registrar

Please be patient with inquires and schedule requests. We have two new counselors and new alpha splits by last name so that caseloads are balanced. Please review the reminders below.

• Some students will have a new counselor due to changes in assignments. If your student has a new counselor, the new counselor will consult with the previous one to address any questions or concerns.
• Schedule changes - If changes to a student's schedule is necessary, please encourage your student to make changes as soon as possible (within the first 5 days of school). Follow the guidelines below when determining a change.
• CAN:
• They don't have a full year of a core requirement
• They are in a class they already received credit for and need to change
• They need a different elective or core class than is on the schedule
• They signed up to dual enroll and need to adjust hours
• CANNOT:
• To be in a class with a friend
• To request a different teacher
• To switch to a different hour of the day
• To switch to a different lunch
• Lunches will be based on 4th hour teacher and will be released/emailed after student orientation dates.

Fall Sport 2024 - First Day of Practice/Tryout Dates - August 12, 2024. Click here for information on sports physicals and participation fees.

Athletic Newsletter:

• Click here to view the Fall 2024 Newsletter!

• All NEW students (including 9th graders), must follow the steps below (with their parent/guardian) to secure a device for the new school year:

1. Read the Student Technology Handbook

2. A Parent/Guardian MUST fill out the Technology Agreement Form (one per student)

1. We recommend this be filled out at least 1 week prior to orientation. Students who arrive at orientation without an Agreement form on file, will not receive their device that day - Students with late form submissions will have to wait until the first day of school to receive their device.

3. Review the Technology Protection Plan. To enroll in this plan, payments must be received by September 13, 2024*

• Students who currently have their JPS device at home for the summer, have a Technology Agreement Form on file that renews each year until graduation. For the 24-25 school year, students (with their parents/guardians) must follow the steps below:

1. Read the Student Technology Handbook

2. Review the updated Technology Protection Plan. To enroll in this plan, payments must be received by September 13, 2024*

3. Pay for any unpaid Technology invoice from the previous school year. These invoices must be paid or a payment plan initiated in order for the student’s device to be unlocked for the start of school*

*Students or parents/guardians will have the ability to purchase the Technology Protection Plan or pay Technology invoices at orientation via cash, check, or credit.

For more information, please visit the Technology Resources webpage.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Sabrina Vanderlugt at svanderlugt@jpsonline.org or call 616-667-3402.

The “Hand2Hand” program helps provide students with food for the weekends and is intended for families who currently may be experiencing a financial burden. We would like to give your student the opportunity to participate beginning on August 30, 2024, before Labor Day weekend. If interested, please complete this GOOGLE FORM - click here

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact JHS Parent Liaison, Jenny van Biljon or JHS Social Worker, Amy Young.

To learn more about Hand2Hand, please visit their website: http://h2hkids.org.

Breakfasts and Lunches will be FREE to all students in the 2024-25 school year. However, we encourage any family to apply for additional Child Nutrition and Educational Benefits. Click here to complete the application. There is important student support funding that JPS receives that is tied to approved applications. Approved applications also ensure that families receive any and all discounts related to Athletics, Technology, Testing, Summer School, Home Internet, etc. To receive any potential discounts, you MUST return THIS FORM to Food Service. You can visit our website at www.jenhudfood.org to find links to menus and more information about School Meals.

Help us minimize classroom disruption during instructional time

Regular attendance is crucial to success in school. Parents, if your student misses school, please be sure to call our attendance line (616-457-3400, option 1) to excuse the absence prior to the start of the school day. If your student has an appointment during the school day and needs to be dismissed from classes, please call the office before the start of the school day and leave this information on the attendance line. By following this process, it will avoid disruption of staff calling into classrooms during instructional time for students to come to the office to sign out. Calling in prior to the start of the school day, the attendance office can provide your student with a pass to leave at the requested time. We greatly appreciate your help with this process.

Reminder: New Feature - Submit attendance through PowerSchool

Parents, please help your student(s) make plans for after school. Students not participating in a club, activity, or sport should ride a bus home or be picked up after school by 3:30 p.m. to avoid unstructured and unsupervised time in the building.

Thank you!

Food deliveries from outside vendors are only allowed during the lunch periods. Students will not be allowed to leave during class periods to pick up food orders from outside vendors. There is a delivery table outside of the main office for food order drop off/pick up.