Dear Medway High School Students and Parents,

I hope this message finds you well and that you're enjoying the summer. While we wish to savor every moment of the break, we are rapidly approaching the start of school and are finalizing plans for Opening Day on Tuesday, September 3rd. We’re excited to share a few timely updates that will be helpful as students and parents prepare for the return to school.

The start of a new school year always brings a sense of anticipation and excitement, and this year is no exception. We are gearing up for an engaging and enriching academic journey ahead. Whether you are returning students or new members of our school community, I extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you.

Our dedicated team at Medway High School has been hard at work throughout the summer, fine-tuning our plans to ensure a smooth and successful start to the 2024-2025 school year. We have reflected on our successes and opportunities for growth over the past year and made enhancements to our learning experiences and support systems to provide an even more enriching educational experience.

One of the cornerstones of our school's success is the strong partnership we share with our families. Your involvement and support play a crucial role in helping our students thrive academically and personally. Follow Medway High School updates on Twitter (@MedwayHighInfo) and on Instagram and Facebook (@medwayhighschool) and look for biweekly email updates from me via the Mustang Minute. We are here to listen, answer your questions, and work collaboratively to create the best possible learning environment for our students. Please do not hesitate to reach out to teachers, counselors, or administrators with any questions or concerns.

To our students, I encourage you to approach this school year with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a growth mindset. Each day presents an opportunity to learn, to challenge yourselves, and to discover new interests and talents. Our dedicated faculty and staff are here to guide and support you along the way, and I have no doubt that your hard work and determination will lead to remarkable achievements.

As part of our preparation, I want to inform you about an important change to our cell phone policy. Starting this year, students will be required to place their cell phones in designated holders upon entering the classroom, where they will remain for the duration of each period. This decision is grounded in our commitment to creating an optimal learning environment, free from the distractions that cell phones can present.

To help you understand the rationale behind this change, I’m sharing an insightful article from The Atlantic that explores the impact of cell phones on student focus and overall school culture. The article provides valuable context on why schools like ours are taking stronger measures to limit phone use during class time. I encourage you to read it as we work together to support our students' success and well-being.

Why We’re Banning Phones at Our School

We anticipate that more information and guidance will be coming soon to help inform the next steps for our school and district. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy the rest of the summer, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

John J. Murray, Ed.D.

Principal

Student schedules will be posted on the Infinite Campus portal on August 21st around 3pm. Students will receive an email when the schedules are released. Medway High School develops a school schedule based on course recommendations and student elective requests. This process began in the spring and included opportunities for students to override recommendations and request changes during their academic advising appointments. This process allows us to build classes that are balanced in size and meet the needs of all students. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate requests to change courses or levels at this point in the process. We are also unable to honor requests for teacher changes. Please click here to review the course scheduling process which was shared in the spring.

School Counselors will be available to review schedules that are missing academic courses, graduation requirements, or student services. Students may use this form to request a review if a course is missing.

We are excited to welcome the Class of 2028 to Medway High School! On Tuesday, August 20th, we are hosting our Freshman Orientation from 9:00am to 12:30 pm. Incoming 9th graders are invited to join us to learn more about our school, our culture, and to begin getting acclimated with high school.

Orientation will be a time for incoming freshmen to…

• Learn tips for high school success and set goals for freshman year.

• Learn about student organizations and school expectations.

• Understand the schedule rotation and locate lockers and classrooms.

• Receive a new Chromebook to be used at Medway High School

• Participate in our Clubs and Activities Fair and meet student representatives.

• Receive access and engage in activities on Naviance, our online college and career tool.

• Enjoy lunch in our cafeteria courtesy of the Class of 2024. Lunch will consist of pizza, salad and fruit. If a student wishes to bring their own lunch, they may do so.

Our Peer Counselors, a group of upperclassmen who are trained to support students in their transition to high school, will play a major role in our Freshman Orientation. Each Peer Counselor has been paired with a small group of freshmen. During the summer, the Peer Counselors will contact each student to introduce themselves and extend a personal invite to Freshman Orientation.

Students are asked to bring their backpack, notebook, chromebook, and something to write with.

We look forward to seeing you at Freshman Orientation. We strongly encourage all freshmen to attend though attendance is not mandatory. We wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer! Please reach out if you have any questions.

Parents are invited to arrive for the opening session with students at 9:00 am. Students will leave the opening session with Peer Counselors at 9:30am. Parents may remain until 10:00 am for questions and answers with administrators, or depart and return for student pick up at 12:30pm.

Please review the link below for summer reading and summer assignments for students taking honors, AP courses, or those moving up a level in Math.

Our 2024 Yearbooks have arrived and are now available for pickup!

Pick up will be held in the Main Office of the High School during the times listed below. To help ensure a seamless pickup, please bring a copy of your order receipt from Walsworth. If someone is picking up on your behalf, have them bring this information with them.

Mondays through Thursdays 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Fridays 9:00 am - 11:00 am

We are excited to announce that all incoming 9th-grade students will receive a new Chromebook to support their digital learning experience. Devices are expected to be carried to and from school daily, be charged, and maintained in the best possible condition for up to four years for each student. All 9th grade students are expected to have a Medway Chromebook to participate in school-based tests and state tests. Device distribution will take place as follows:

9th Grade:

• Monday, August 19th between 11a.m.- 1p.m.

• Tuesday, August 20th during Freshman Orientation

• Wednesday, August 21 between 10 a.m.- 1p.m.

• Monday, August 26th between 11 a.m.- 1p.m.

• Tuesday, August 27th between 11 a.m.- 1p.m.

ACTION REQUIRED: Yearly Information Review and Update: Online Registration (ALL GRADES)

The Medway Public School System requires all parents and students annually review and sign off on all policies, procedures, and information on file. The following directions and links provide access to our policies and procedures and an online option to complete this review and policy sign-off. Failure to comply with this review within the set timeframe will result in student loss of access to school-issued accounts and devices.

Please complete the following review before September 15th, 2024

PARENTS please complete the following two steps:

• Step 1 - Review the following documents, policies, and procedures:

Student Handbooks

• High School Student Handbook

• Middle School Student Handbook

• Elementary Schools Student Handbook

School Committee Policies

• Responsible Use Policy

• Responsible Use Procedure

• Access to Digital Resources

• Media Policy

Digital Learning - 1:1 Device Policies and Procedures

• 1:1 Initiative

• 1:1 Policy Care and Insurance

• Step 2 - Complete the Online Registration and Annual Review Process

• Smartphones may experience problems completing this process, we suggest the use of a computer and full-screen web browser.

• If you need help in any way, including language translation or portal account setup, please email us at parent@medwayschools.org.

• Log in to the Parent Portal > select MORE from the left menu > select New Student Reg and Update > select Start next to the listed School Year 2024-25 New Student Registration Existing to begin the annual review. Although labeled “...New Student Registration” this functions as an annual review for existing students.

• To Begin

• Select Begin Student Registration

• Type your name and choose Submit

• Choose Begin Registration!

• Review the information listed for each Pleat and Tab selecting Next and Save/Continue through each section until complete.

• Sign Off of Policies will be available under the Student Pleat for Release Agreements, Digital Learning, and Student Handbook

• Choose Submit at the end to submit your review

• Upon completion, you will receive a message stating that your submission is complete and receive a link to download a copy of the information.

• OPTIONAL Insurance (grades 5 through 12) CLOSES September 15th

• For students taking devices home regularly, in grades 5 through 12, we encourage and are happy to offer an optional insurance policy to cover any possible damage to the device. Please visit the portal here for more information and pricing.

If you have any questions or need help completing this process, please email us at parent@medwayschools.org.

Device Damage and Repair

During the 2023-24 school year, the technology department serviced a large number of devices. To keep devices in good working order, we want to remind students and parents of the following responsibilities:

• Handle devices with care at all times. Keep devices protected when not in use.

• Avoid eating or drinking near the devices.

• Charge devices nightly to ensure they are ready for school use.

• Malicious damage of any kind will not be tolerated.

• Keys missing from keyboards.

• Rubber bumpers pulled off devices.

• Carving into the case, opening the device in any way, or damaging internal components is unacceptable.

During the school year, we request that families continually review the state of their student’s school-issued device to ensure it is in the best possible condition and not being vandalized. For more information on our expectations for the care and use of school-issued devices, please visit our informative website here.

Devices in need of repair can be dropped off at the Middle School IT Office Door 8 during summer break. Devices covered under the optional insurance policy will be sent out for repair at no charge to the family and uninsured devices will be repaired in-house and an invoice for parts will be mailed to the family. We remind families that invoices are due within thirty days and any outstanding charges can be found in the Parent Portal under the Fees menu option.

As previously communicated, new for the 2024-25 school year, the district will be implementing its new transportation registration and Pay to Ride program. While the deadline for registration has passed, parents/guardians may continue to register students via the Parent Portal. (Instructions for the registration process can be found here.) Please note that students who do not qualify for free transportation and who were not previously registered but are registered now will be considered waitlisted.

Routes and stops for students successfully registered for transportation for the 2024-25 school year will be distributed via email to the parents and guardians of those students on Thursday, August 15th.

Any transportation questions or concerns can be submitted here.

• August 20 - Freshman Orientation, MHS Auditorium, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

• September 2 - No School – Labor Day

• September 3 - School Reopens/First Day of Classes

• September 19 - School Council Meeting, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Library

• September 23-24 - Picture Days

• September 25 - Senior Post-Secondary Night

• September 26 - Tri-M Induction Ceremony (Flex)

• September 26 - Back to School Night, 6:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.

• September 27 - Grade Book Update