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Summit High School

Summit High School

Message From Mrs. Grimaldi

Dear SHS Families,


This week juniors will have their course selection appointments with their counselor. Please be sure that your student checks their school e-mail to find the date and time of their appointment. In order to prepare for these appointments, please review the information below about this process and discuss it with your student. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's counselor if you have any questions.


Tuesday, March 4th marks the halfway point of the third marking period. Please be sure to check your student's Genesis account to see their progress thus far this marking period. Reach out to your student's teachers with any questions.


It's a great day to be a Hilltopper!

Stacy Grimaldi

Principal

Course Selection


We will begin the process of preparing for course selection for the 2025-2026 school year in upcoming weeks. Below is a timeline of events and other important information to prepare for this process.


Course Selection Timeline:

  • January 23, 24, 27, 28, 2025: Midterm Exams
  • January 29, 2025: Presentations by School Counselors during PE classes to review the course selection process
  • February 26, 2025: Honors/AP eligibility letters will be mailed home to students
  • Week of March 3, 2025: Junior course selection appointments
  • Week of March 17, 2025: Sophomore course selection appointments
  • Week of March 31, 2025: Freshman course selection appointments

Preparing for Course Selection Appointments:

  • To best prepare for these scheduling meetings, students should:
    • Review the Program of Studies for course descriptions and prerequisite requirements.
    • Complete the Elective Sheet (with alternate choices) and bring it to their appointment.
  • Students should be confident in their choices as no changes will be made to electives once course selection is complete.
  • The date of a student's course selection meeting does not influence the likelihood of them getting their top elective choices.
  • Students and parents/guardians will have access to review course requests in Genesis following their appointment.


Honors/AP Eligibility:

  • Honors/AP Eligibility letters will be mailed home by February 26, 2025. If you do not receive a letter but believe you should be eligible for a course/s based on the criteria in the Program of Studies, please contact your school counselor.
  • Students will be provided with a list of AP and/or Honors courses for which they are eligible to take based on the following criteria:
    • Students presently enrolled in an Honors/AP class in a discipline will be eligible to take an Honors or AP course the following year if they have a B- (80) or better midyear average (Q1, Q2, X1) with no grade less than C+ (77).
    • Students currently enrolled in a non-honors College Prep course in a discipline will be eligible to take an Honors or AP course if they have an A- (90) or better midyear average (Q1, Q2, X1) with no grade less than B (83).
  • There are several Honors/AP courses that have additional or different eligibility requirements. These courses are listed in the Program of Studies on page 4 and in the course descriptions.
  • We encourage students to make thoughtful and balanced decisions when increasing the rigor of their schedule. Being eligible for a course does not require students to take that course.
  • Students should be aware that when enrolling in an Honors and/or AP course, the following applies:
    • ​No schedule change requests for dropping an Honors or AP course will be considered until the end of Marking Period 1.
    • Grades (unweighted) are carried from the old course to the new course if a level change is made.
    • Level changes are based upon available space and administrative approval and thus are not guaranteed. Approved changes can result in disruption to the schedule overall (ex: other courses and/or teachers being changed, electives being dropped or changed, etc).
    • If approved to drop from an AP-level course, students will be scheduled for the college prep-level equivalent (except for Chemistry).
    • Students taking an AP course are required to take the AP exam in May.


If you have any questions about the course selection process, please contact your school counselor.


Honors/AP Eligibility Letters

Initial Honors/AP Eligibility letters were mailed home to families at the end of last week. These letters list the courses for which each students is eligible to take next year. All students will receive an email this week with information about how to be reconsidered for a course they wish to take for which they are not currently eligible. Please encourage your students to check their email for this information.

Updated Required Notification Form

The district has recently updated the District’s Required Notifications form to reflect updates to the Google Workspace for Education and Google Additional Services language. Please review the required notifications found in your guardian Genesis account.

Summit Public Schools uses Google Workspace for Education accounts to allow students to access the district Chromebooks and online tools for education. Google commits to keeping its educational tools ad-free, compliant with student data-privacy standards, and secure. You may read more about this commitment on the Google for Education - Privacy and Security FAQ page.

9/10 Dance Important Information

We will be holding a 9th and 10th grade dance on Friday, March 7th in the auxiliary gym.


Students who purchased a ticket and plan to go to the dance must attend one of two mandatory meetings during 1st lunch on Wednesday, March 5th or Thursday, March 6th. Any student who purchased a ticket and does not attend one of these meetings will not be permitted to attend the dance.


Students must be dropped off and picked up by a parent or guardian on the evening of the dance. Please partner with us to ensure that this dance is a safe event for all students.

Class of 2025 - New Graduation Requirement - FAFSA

The State of New Jersey has implemented a new graduation requirement (P.L. 2023 c.295) for members of the Class of 2025. For students to fulfill this graduation requirement, they must complete one of the following:

  • Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • Complete and submit the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application (NJAFA)..
  • Have a parent/guardian complete and submit a waiver form. The form is located in the Genesis Parent Portal under Forms, titled NJ Financial Aid Application Graduation Requirement Waiver Form.


The FAFSA gives students access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or vocational school. Completing the FAFSA allows students to be considered for federal financial aid, including Pell grants, work-study programs, and loans. In addition, many colleges and universities, as well as some private financial aid providers, use the FAFSA information to determine students’ eligibility for aid.

Students who are NJ residents but do not meet the requirements for FAFSA, may consider the NJAFAA as an option. The NJAFAA enables students to receive state financial assistance to support their post-secondary college and career goals.


If you choose to submit the FAFSA or the NJAFAA, no other action or notification is required on your part. If you submit the waiver, please note that this does not prohibit a student from submitting the FAFSA or NJAFAA in the future.


More information about this graduation requirement can be found on the Summit High School website under “New Graduation Requirements for Classes of 2025, 2026, and 2027” on the Resources tab. You can also contact your student’s school counselor with any questions.


The deadline for completing this requirement (the FAFSA, the NJAFAA, or the waiver) is Friday, May 16th. Thank you for your prompt attention to this new requirement.

Rotary Digital Detox Scholarship Opportunity


Please consider applying for the Rotary Digital Detox Scholarship - applications are due March 24, 2025.


In collaboration with our SAC Consortium, the Rotary is offering a $1000 scholarship to a SHS senior and a $250 scholarship for a SHS student in grades 9, 10, and 11!


A Challenge Worth Taking: 7-Day Digital Detox & Scholarship Opportunity

I know how much screens are a part of our daily lives, but I also know how refreshing it can be to take a break. That’s why I want to encourage you to try the 7-Day Digital Detox Challenge—not to completely give up your phone, but to gradually reduce screen time each day in a way that’s totally manageable.

This isn’t just about unplugging—it’s about becoming more mindful of how you use technology, improving focus, and making space for other experiences. Plus, there’s an added bonus: scholarship opportunities and cash awards for students who complete the challenge and reflect on the experience.

There will be four winners in our district—and one of them could be you!

I think this is something worth trying, and I’d love to see some of you take it on. Check out the details and consider signing up!

Learn more & apply: Gradual 7-Day Digital Detox

Ramadan Meals Available

NJGPA Testing Schedule - March 11th - March 14th

The State of New Jersey requires all students in the Class of 2026 to show proficiency by achieving a passing score in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics on the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA). All students must take the NJGPA during their junior year. This assessment is aligned with New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) in ELA, Algebra 1, and Geometry. The NJGPA will be administered from Tuesday, March 11th through Friday, March 14th.


To create the best testing environment for the juniors, we will have a modified schedule during that time. Each day the 11th graders will take one unit of the NJGPA beginning at 7:45am. All other students will arrive to school for a 9:45am. The schedule for the week of March 11th is below:


Monday, March 10th- Single Session B Day

No Testing


Tuesday, March 11th - C Day

7:45am - 9:45am: Grade 11 - Testing (ELA Day 1)

9:45am: Grades 9, 10, and 12 Arrive to School


9:45am - 10:25am: All students period 4

10:28am - 11:08am: All students period 1

11:08am - 12:00pm: All students lunch

12:00pm - 12:40pm: All students period 8

12:43pm - 1:23pm: All students period 5

1:26pm - 2:06pm: All students period 6

2:09pm - 2:49pm: All students period 3


Wednesday, March 12th - D Day

7:45am - 9:45am: Grade 11 - Testing (ELA Day 2)

9:45am: Grades 9, 10, and 12 Arrive to School


9:45am - 10:25am: All students period 1

10:28am - 11:08am: All students period 2

11:08am - 12:00pm: All students lunch

12:00pm - 12:40pm: All students period 5

12:43pm - 1:23pm: All students period 6

1:26pm - 2:06pm: All students period 7

2:09pm - 2:49pm: All students period 4


Thursday, March 13th - A Day

7:45am - 9:45am: Grade 11 - Testing (Math Day 1)

9:45am: Grades 9, 10, and 12 Arrive to School


9:45am - 10:25am: All students period 2

10:28am - 11:08am: All students period 3

11:08am - 12:00pm: All students lunch

12:00pm - 12:40pm: All students period 6

12:43pm - 1:23pm: All students period 7

1:26pm - 2:06pm: All students period 8

2:09pm - 2:49pm: All students period 1


Friday, March 14th - B Day

7:45am - 9:45am: Grade 11 - Testing (Math Day 2)

9:45am: Grades 9, 10, and 12 Arrive to School


9:45am - 10:25am: All students period 3

10:28am - 11:08am: All students period 4

11:08am - 12:00pm: All students lunch

12:00pm - 12:40pm: All students period 7

12:43pm - 1:23pm: All students period 8

1:26pm - 2:06pm: All students period 5

2:09pm - 2:49pm: All students period 2

Reminders About Absences And Early Dismissals

Reporting an Absence from or Tardy to School

If your student is absent from school or will be late to school, please contact the attendance office by emailing shsattendance@summit.k12.nj.us or calling 908-273-1494, option 1. Please be sure to include the student's name, grade, and reason for absence or lateness. Please contact the attendance office before 10am on the day of the absence or tardy. If reporting a late to school, please also include the time the student will arrive at school.

Reporting an Early Dismissal

If your student will need to leave school early please contact the attendance office by emailing shsattendance@summit.k12.nj.us or calling 908-273-1494, option 1. Please be sure to notify the attendance office by 8am for an early dismissal. This will allow us to get a pass to your student so they can leave class. Please be sure to include the student's name, grade, reason for dismissal, time of dismissal, and if the student will return to school.

Did You Know?

Did you know that you can view your student's check-ins on Genesis? Students scan into the bathrooms, library, help centers, counseling office, and nurse's office when they visit these locations during the school day. You can view these check-ins in Genesis. Log into your Genesis account, and click check-ins on the left side of the screen. Please discuss with your student any excessive time out of class.


You can also view how many times your student did not have their ID badge with them in school. Please help ensure that your student has their ID badge with them each morning.

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.

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Weekly Calendar

Monday, March 3rd

A Day


Board of School Estimate Meeting, 6pm, SHS Auditorium

Board of Education Meeting, 6:30pm, SHS Auditorium


Tuesday, March 4th

B Day


Wednesday, March 5th

C Day


9/10 Dance Mandatory Meeting, 1st lunch, Auditorium


Thursday, March 6th

D Day


9/10 Dance Mandatory Meeting, 1st lunch, Auditorium

Freshman/Sophomore Family Night, 7pm, Auditorium


Friday, March 7th

A Day


9/10 Dance, 7pm - 9:30pm, Auxiliary Gym

Looking Ahead

  • Monday, March 10th - Single Session Day
  • Tuesday, March 11th through Friday, March 14th - NJGPA Testing (Special Schedule)
  • Monday, March 31st - End of the 3rd Marking Period
  • Monday, April 14th through Friday, April 18th - Spring Break

Important Links

Summit High School Events Calendar

Weekly Lunch Menu

District Arts Calendar

Summit High School Athletics Calendar

Stacy Grimaldi
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