Sumner High School & Academy 2027

SUMNER HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES (21/22)

Sumner HS & Academy 2027 Schoolwide:

Students will authentically engage in rigorous, student-centered instruction that is responsive to ongoing student assessment data, utilizing the shared instructional principles.

Sumner High School:

Student achievement will be enhanced through the use of differentiated collaborative structures, student-centered discourse, and relevant rigorous text built upon clear learning intentions and success criteria.

Academy 2027:

Sumner students will utilize WICOR strategies (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading) to critically analyze text aligned to grade-level standards on a daily basis.

I want to thank my faculty, students, and families for an two outstanding Open Houses this past week. Even despite the weather on Wednesday, we had an incredible Academy turnout and Thursday was even better during our High School Open House. I hope our students were able to get to most, if not all, of their classes and meet their teachers. If a student did not attend Open House and/or receive a supply list during Open House, then our teachers will provide their supply list during the first few days of school. I cannot wait to see everybody on Tuesday, August 10th as we kick off the 21/22 school year.

REMINDER-- All students will go to HOMEROOM first on Tuesday (8/10) and Wednesday (8/11) this week. Students will receive their OFFICIAL schedule on the first day of school.

* HS Homeroom locators are below in this newsletter. Academy teachers and Ms. Byrd will be present in the Auditorium during arrival to assist the Academy students with their homerooms.

Parents and Guardians,

Our teachers, administrators, and support professionals are excited to welcome students back for the 2021-22 school year. I understand many of our parents remain concerned as COVID-19 continues to spread in our community, but please know that district leaders have been working tirelessly to ensure campuses are prepared to provide proper health and safety protocols when students and staff return.

On Friday, the Florida Department of Health adopted a new Emergency Rule, 64DER-21-12, which states “Students may wear masks or facial coverings as a mitigation measure, however, the school must allow for a parent or legal guardian to opt-out the student from wearing a face covering or mask.”

With that said, I am announcing today that Hillsborough County Public Schools will require face coverings but will allow parents or guardians to opt their child out from wearing a face covering or mask. This requirement will continue until at least September 3rd. We will continue to work with our health partners at TGH/USF Health to monitor conditions in our community at that time to make further decisions.

While the outcome may be the same whether we make face coverings optional or required with an opt-out, we believe this decision continues to illustrate that Hillsborough County Public Schools takes public safety seriously. We want to ensure we are doing all we can to help community wide efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. By taking this position today, we hope this provides our families time over the weekend to talk with their children before the start of school on Tuesday, August 10.

Parents will be expected to have conversations with their children so that students will follow through with their parents’ expectations regarding wearing masks while at school.

If you wish to opt-out your child, please fill out the HCPS Mask Opt Out Form here - web.hillsboroughschools.org/maskoptout. The only parents who should fill out the form are those who do not want their child to wear a mask. Parents must fill out a form for each child.

We are excited for the new school year and we thank you for trusting Hillsborough County Public Schools with your child’s education.

Respectfully,

Addison G. Davis

Superintendent of Schools

Our Instructional Leadership Team designed and facilitated a Sumner Professional Study Day in which teachers collaborated on our instructional priorities and building a positive academic culture in our classrooms. The Sumner faculty then enjoyed a family-style potluck lunch to enjoy fellowship with each other. As we ended lunch, our faculty participated in a neighborhood bus ride to further learn about our students and families. We cannot wait to get started this week!!

Sumner High School ONLY:

Students and parents, if you have a concern with your schedule and would like to request a schedule change…please click on the link below and fill out the form. Thank you.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-f2oEP_CDU6cGR_iwYgWSqByrOO779JFicKJL1nLycdUMUg3UzJVQk1VVUNUS0ZUUVZSWE1PRFNZNC4u

Academy ONLY: Please email Ms. Byrd at jeanne.terry-byrd@hcps.net or Kiara Henriquez at kiara.henriquez@hcps.net with any questions and/or concerns.

*We request that high school students and/or parents use the high school link with questions and/or concerns and be patient through the process. Our guidance department will get through every question and/or concern and will make the appropriate modifications as necessary. Those changes will come throughout the week and not all will be completed on the first day of school.

The Sumner PTSA will be an integral part to the success of Sumner HS & Academy 2027. Mr. Nelson and our PTSA will conduct monthly meetings to keep our stakeholders up-to-date with "all-things" Sumner. Additionally, the Sumner PTSA provides support to our students and faculty with incentives, resources, and scholarships to ensure a positive culture ripe with high expectations and high student achievement. Please go to the link and join today!

A strong, successful, and positive athletic program is critical to the success of any school. We are building something GREAT at Sumner, so come be a part of our Athletic Booster Club. Your support is wanted and needed this year. Join Us.

Banner Sponsorship:

Do you own and/or work at an area business and/or corporation? Is that business and/or corporation looking for ways to advertise? Advertise at our stadium, The Tank. Sumner HS & Academy 2027 will be the largest school in Hillsborough County Public Schools which will provide plenty of exposure this school year. The Sumner Athletic Booster Club is selling advertising banners for $500 to be displayed at our stadium for the entire year. Please review the attachment, follow the instructions, and complete the form. Purchasing a banner helps your business and/or corporation while bolstering our athletics program as well. We cannot think of a better way to support our school and athletic program. An incredible athletics program will contribute to the creation of a positive culture at Sumner. We are building a legacy and traditions at Sumner, so help us by supporting our coaches and student-athletes. Please click on the link, Sports Schedules/Booster Club / Welcome Back Stingrays!!! (hillsboroughschools.org), complete the below form, and/or email Melvin Williams, Sumner APA, at melvin.williams@hcps.net for more information if needed. #RAYSup

Student AICE exam results will be released on Tuesday, August 10th. We are extremely excited to see how our students succeeded on those exams in our first year as an AICE school. Amanda Miller, Sumner AICE Lead Teacher, will release information as it comes out. Please email Ms. Miller at amanda.miller@hcps.net with any questions and/or concerns about AICE exams or the AICE program overall.

Volunteering is a great way for students to give back to their community. Additionally, students need to complete and document 100 community service hours for the FULL Bright Futures scholarship program (post-secondary). Last, any amount of community service looks tremendous on college, scholarship, and job applications. Please review the BELOW ATTACHMENT (Profferfish-Quickstart) on how students are to submit community service hours for approval and documentation. Do not wait until the last minute. Submit those community service hours now. Please CANVAS message your counselor with questions.

We worked with our student government association students and Student Incentive Committee (made up of teachers) to design a student incentive card program for the 21/22 school year. Sumner HS and Academy 2027 is excited to implement our student incentive card program. Please review the BELOW ATTACHMENT (21.22 Student Incentive Card Guidelines) for details regarding the program. Students will receive their incentive cards in the coming weeks based on their fourth nine weeks academic performance. Look for it!!

A few other details:

Students will receive incentive card in their homeroom after each 9 weeks. No application necessary.

Additional Stipulations:

3 Unexcused ABSENCES, 5 TARDIES, OR EPIC/ISS void all INCENTIVE CARDS

HOMEWORK PASSES: STUDENTS MAY ONLY USE ONCE IN A CLASS, MUST BE PASSING THE COURSE, AND TEACHER DISCRETION

ONLY ONE CARD ISSUED PER STUDENT (If the student loses the card, a replacement will NOT be issued. The student will have to achieve a new one for the next nine weeks)

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Dave Dietz and Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Leonard Meeks. They will be bringing over 55 years of active duty experience to Sumner's JROTC program and cadets. LTC Dietz started his active duty career in 1999 as an enlisted Soldier at Ft. Bragg, N.C. where his very first Platoon Sergeant was Sergeant First Class (SFC) Meeks. The two remained very close colleagues and moreover friends over their years of service to our nation, and now once again they are a reunited team here at Sumner High School. Do you want to learn about leadership? Join the Sumner HS JROTC program!

Operation Patriot is a small, all volunteer charity comprised of employees and retirees of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. We began this charity in 2004 to provide a way to better the quality of life of our aging heroes who are spending their last years at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home (BLSVNH). It is located in Land O’ Lakes and is the regional nursing home for this area of Florida. Approximately 75% of the Veterans are from Hillsborough County.

We identified a need that was all but forgotten in our elderly veterans’ home. Very few, if any, organizations exist to support the veteran heroes of our former wars, which include; WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the original Gulf War. Many of us do not realize that the State has adopted the same dollar allowance as Medicaid for these items, which include toothpaste, toothbrushes, denture products, incontinence products (Depends type items), hand lotion, etc. This allowance is only $35.00 per month. As many of you who have purchased these items know, this is not enough.

We began conducting a product drive for personal care products within businesses and schools in Hillsborough County, delivering between 250 – 400 boxes each Veterans Day to the home.

As time progressed we identified needs to assist the aging residents in their final years. We provide the funding for entertainers to perform for the residents seven times a month. We installed and maintain a computer system (stand alone) with internet access, along with Netflix and Skype capabilities. We provided several large screen televisions in common areas and dining rooms. We also provide numerous themed parties and BBQ events throughout the year, along with purchasing individual personalized Christmas gifts for each of the 120 Veterans, given to them at our annual Christmas party.

In the past, with the assistance of the staff at BLSVNH, the donated items were stored and used as needed for the residents. Due to Covid-19 and the need to maintain PPE and other needed supplies, available storage has been drastically reduced for our use.

Like last year, this year we are accepting donations of Depends briefs and guards, and boxes of tissues. We are also accepting gift cards for Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, and Amazon; checks made payable to Operation Patriot; and monetary donations. All donations will be used to provide quality personal care products in bulk, incrementally, throughout the year.

WE ARE ALL VOLUNTEER, no one receives any compensation in any manner for our work. The donations we receive go to our goals, with very little (less than 4%) going toward operating costs.

In 2007 we incorporated as a charity in the State of Florida and we have attained a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, which allows donors to have a tax deduction when they contribute to our organization.

If you would like to donate to help our Aging Heroes, please contact us at opatriot4@aol.com or send your contribution to Operation Patriot, P. O. Box 2443, Brandon, Fl 33509. Please visit our website at www.operationpatriot.net or like us on Facebook.

Please see our School Resource Officer, Deputy Alonso, for additional details and/or how to give to this wonderful organization.

Sumner still has approx. 100 laptops that have not been returned to the school. PLEASE READ BELOW.

If your child borrowed any of these items from Sumner, please plan to return them to the main office ASAP:

✓ Laptop and Charger

✓ WiFi Device

✓ Textbooks

✓ Library Books

✓ Band and Orchestra Instrument

If a student does not return their assigned laptop and charger, then the student will be put on the debt list until the laptop is returned and/or paid for at the school.

Sumner HS & Academy 2027 has a new bell schedule for the 21/22 school year. We have added a homeroom/mentor period (Period 2) that will meet every day with students. Our high school students will remain with their homeroom/mentor teacher until graduation. Our Academy students will remain with the same mentor throughout the school year. Our lunches will be reduced to 30-minute lunches and our high school students will be on Team A (10th and 11th Grade) or Team B (9th and 12th Grade) during 5th - 7th periods. Academy 2027 students will eat lunch at 10:30 am on most days (regular bell schedule). Students will be allowed to enter lunch lines and eat immediately upon entering the cafeteria. We will have 1-2 additional lunch lines outside on the patio to ensure every student gets time to eat their lunch in a shortened time period. However, lunches may be extended for the first few days as our students learn new procedures. Please review the BELOW ATTACHMENT (SHS Bell Schedules 21-22 REGULAR & EARLY RELEASE) for a sample bell schedule. Our administration and faculty feel this modification and approach will benefit our students throughout their Sumner years.

We have received some questions regarding our lunch periods and times. Due to our large enrollment this year, Sumner will have to conduct 5 lunch periods throughout the day. Our first lunch period does begin at 10:30 am (Academy) and our last lunch period begins at 2 pm (High School). Please know that we acknowledge the early and late times and we will work with our students due to those early and late lunch periods.

HIGH SCHOOL ONLY: You will not see a LUNCH period on your student schedule this year because we are modifying the bell schedule (See Sumner Bell Schedule 21/22). HS lunches will be wrapped around a student's 5th or 7th period. 10th and 11th graders will each lunch before or after 5th period. 9th and 12th graders will eat lunch before or after 7th period. Your 5th or 7th period teacher will tell you which lunch that you will be assigned on the first day of school.

Please click on the link to learn about HS & MS Athletic Eligibility:

H09 What You Should Know about MS and HS Athletic Eligibility.docx (sharepoint.com)

Please open the BELOW ATTACHMENT (FALL ATHLETICS SUMNER 2021.22) for our fall athletics schedule.

Academy 2027 will have an extramural program this year. Additionally, we will be adding a Girls on the run program at Sumner as well. We are excited to see our Academy students compete on the athletic fields this year. Ms. Ebony Robinson, Assistant Principal, will oversee our Academy Athletics program for this school year.

Please review the BELOW form (Planet HS) for MIDDLE SCHOOL physical examination procedures.

Please read below for some general Academy 2027 updates:

HOST INFORMATION (more info below):

Academy 2027 will provide before school care beginning at 6:30 A.M. – 8:00 A.M. and after school care ending at 6:00 P.M. through HOST. If you wish to sign up for this service or need additional information, please go to: https://hostportal.sdhc.k12.fl.us/

UNIFORMS:

Students enrolled in Academy 2027 are required to wear a school uniform. The collared shirt must be Kelly green, Navy blue or gray shirt and is expected to be worn Monday – Thursday, while the school’s spirit shirt or a college shirt can be worn on Fridays. The pants must be black, khaki or Navy blue. Denim, leggings and tights are not allowed to be worn in the Academy. If there’s a designated jean day – jeans can be worn without any holes or frays.

HALL LOCKERS (Academy ONLY):

Students may purchase lockers during their homeroom from August 30th to September 3rd, 2021, for a cost of $5.00. Homeroom is during your child’s second period, please send your child to school with the exact amount needed to purchase a locker.

Due to us taking additional COVID safety precautions at this time, we will not provide High School hallway lockers. We will continue to monitor throughout the school year and might allow students to purchase lockers at a later date.

First Day Procedures: All students will report to their appropriate Homeroom (Period 2) to receive their official schedule (HS Homeroom Locator posted ABOVE). Sumner will monitor and balance class-sizes through the first month of school and correct any inaccuracies on student schedules the first week of school. Please be patient with us through this process. Your child will be placed appropriately as we move throughout the school year.

First Day Expectations: Our goal is for faculty to work with students through our procedures and protocols, the syllabus in each course, and build relationships with your children. It is an exciting time and we want to celebrate our students' return to Sumner.

What will students bring home to parents/guardians on the FIRST DAY? Students will bring home our student handbook, media release form, and most importantly, their emergency card. Please review the information. It is essential that you UPDATE and RETURN the emergency card the next day. If you have a change of address, please provide two proofs of residency when returning the emergency card. Communication is a key lever to success and we cannot keep you updated without current phone numbers and email address.

Students will receive a tentative OPEN HOUSE schedule in their Homeroom (Period 2) if they come to Open House. A (second) updated tentative student schedule will be uploaded to each student's CANVAS page on Thursday, August 5th. Students will use those schedules to report to their Homeroom (Period 2) class on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL to receive their (third) official course schedule.

Why is the third schedule the OFFICIAL schedule? We will continue to balance class sizes through the first day of school (and beyond). Our goal is to have the lowest teacher-to-student ratio and balanced class size to maximize the educational environment. A slight chance does exist that a student schedule on Open House night could be modified before the first day of school.

Sumner will follow the same arrival and dismissal procedures as last year. A MAP (below) has been provided to show the directions that MUST be followed during both times. Safety is our PRIMARY concern, so we request that drivers be PATIENT the first couple of weeks as families are learning the procedures. We have a larger enrollment (and seniors) this year which means arrival and dismissal will be much more congested, so make arrangements to allow for extra time (especially at dismissal).

Academy 2027 DISMISSAL Pickups: Academy students will be escorted to dismissal 5 minutes before the dismissal bell. Academy parents who will be picking up their students each day will be allowed into the student parking lot at 3 pm on the first day of school (8/10) to pick (and park) in a designated spot with a number. That spot will be designated for that parent/family each pickup day (same procedures as last year) for the remainder of the year.

We highly encourage students to use the school bus, ride bicycles, walk in groups, and/or carpool as our student enrollment has greatly increased this school year which will increase congestion at both arrival and dismissal. Please be patient at those times. Safety (NOT speed) is our number one concern during these times.

Drop Off: Academy and High School students will follow the green arrows during morning Drop-Off. High school students will be dropped off between the gym and auditorium and the Academy students will be dropped off my Building 1 (Red Arrows).

Pick-Up: Academy students will follow the two below diagrams. High School students will follow the green arrows in the above diagram and pick up in the same spot as Drop Off (between the gym and auditorium).

Bus Route Availability

The information available below represents bus routes for students attending their attendance-area school.

If you are attending a school via "school choice" and you are bus eligible, look under your choice school for bus route information.

.

• These routes are current as of the date printed. However, they are subject to change. Please check back periodically.

• Parents are responsible for getting their child to and from the bus stop safely.
• Please be sure to choose the bus stop closest to your home that provides the safest walk path.
• Bus stops are for bus-eligible students only. Eligibility is determined based on the child’s home address on record at the school.
• If you have moved, please make sure to update your address with your child’s school immediately.

• https://webquery.sdhc.k12.fl.us/livewq/webquery/

SENIORS: Please review the flyer and email Ms. Robinson for more information.

Please review the two BELOW FORMS (21/22 ALL SNS Information & SHS Apps Benefits Poster) for Student Nutrition Services updates, protocols, and information.

Parents are encouraged to submit a household meal benefit application either online at www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/sns, or via a paper application. A household application means that parents complete only one application for all children in the same home. Parents can learn about the status of their application by calling 1‐866‐544‐5575. Parents are expected to pay for all meals until an application is processed and approved.

Sumner needs your HELP. Please consider volunteering at Sumner. It takes a village to build success. ALL volunteers must complete a volunteer application (and be approved by HCPS) before participating in school events. Please review the BELOW FORM (2122 Volunteer Application FIRST DAY) for more information and application.

You can apply or get more information at this link: Volunteer Services / Overview (hillsboroughschools.org)

Sumner Academy 2027 will have the HOST program for 21/22. If interested in the fee program, then please review the BELOW FORMS (2122 ALL HOST Community Family Communication [English and Spanish]). HOST is open at 6:30 AM and ends at 6 PM. Please follow the directions in the forms to register.

REMINDER: Attendance Matters Every Period Every Day. We cannot educate our students at an optimal level if they are not present and/or late to school.

Attendance of every student enrolled at Sumner HS is required in order to benefit from the continuity of instruction and classroom participation. School attendance shall be the responsibility of parents/legal guardians and students. Absences shall be reported to the school attendance office by the parent/legal guardian on the day the absence occurred. The number to be called to report an absence on the day of the absences is 813-378-8626 ext.4000.

The following factors are reasonable excuses for time missed at school:

A. Personal illness of the student

A student who has demonstrated a pattern of absences due to illness may be required to present medical verification the principal.

B. Court appearance of the student

C. Medical appointment of the student a note from a health care provider may be required.

D. An approved school activity. Absences will be recorded but not reported.

E. Emergencies that are acceptable to the principal

F. Other absences as approved by the principal. A written request from the parent/legal guardian is submitted to the principal at least three days prior to the date of absence. The parent will be notified of the decision.

G. Attendance at a center under Children and Families Services supervision

H. Accident resulting in injury to the student

I. Significant community events with prior permission of the principal

When more than one school is involved, the Area Superintendent will determine the status of the absence.

J. Observance of an established religious holiday

K. Death of a close relative. For purposes of this policy, close relatives shall be defined as the father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, son, daughter (or in-law), stepfather, stepmother, stepbrother, stepsister, half-sister, half-brother, stepchild, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandparents, grandchild, or members of his/her own household.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

State Law requires that students, 14 to 18 years of age, who have not earned a high school diploma, who have 15 unexcused absences in any period of 90 calendar days, be ineligible for driving privileges. School districts are required by this legislation to report to the State of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), the names of any students who have accumulated 15 unexcused absences in any period of 90 calendar days. The student who is reported will be informed by the DHSMV that his/her name has been received and he/she may lose the privilege to drive. Should a student be contacted by DHSMV with information, he/she may initiate a request for a hardship waiver or a request for reinstatement of driving privilege through the Office of Student Affairs.

A hardship for employment is based on verification of need. The factor to be considered is the extent to which a student provides a substantial financial contribution for his or her livelihood or his or her family’s needs. A hardship for medical care is based on the need for transportation, for the student or his or her immediate family members living in the same household, to access required treatment. Consideration should be given to whether there are any other licensed drivers residing in the household.

Students who accumulate 15 unexcused absences in any period of 90 calendar days will be reported by the school to the DHSMV. Please follow the attendance procedure that has been established in order that students not be reported unexcused when they should be excused. Please reach out to our Student Services Team and/or Administration with questions and/or concerns.

Whenever any student has a total of 15 days of unexcused absence from school during any semester, the student will be considered habitually absent. The school will inform the parent of excessive absences and the district’s intent to notify the Department of Highway Safety of Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) of the student's excessive absences.

Tardiness to Class: A student is tardy when the student arrives after the beginning of the school day or when he/she is not in his/her assigned seat or station when the tardy bell rings. A student’s tardiness shall be excused when the reason given is acceptable to the principal or designee. Examples of acceptable reasons for tardiness are the same as the examples of acceptable reasons for excused absences.

Sign-in Procedures: Any student arriving to school after the session has begun at 8:30 must report to the Main Office or Office of Student Affairs. An admit shall be issued indicating excused or unexcused tardy or absence. For the student to receive an excused sign-in, a parent or guardian must accompany the student to the Main Office and give an excusable reason. More than two sign-ins in a grading period shall require medical or other documentation. Students will not be allowed to sign out later than 3 PM Tue-Fri and no later than 2 PM on Mondays. Please understand that students are close to dismissal and sign-out at these times disrupt the learning and dismissal process.

Secondary Students: Once students arrive on campus, they may not leave without permission from the assistant principal for Student Affairs. Students who must leave school during school hours must have their parent/guardian request this release by phone or in-person to the Office of Student Affairs in order to obtain pre-approval. More than four sign-outs’ in a grading period shall require medical or other documentation and/or a parent/guardian must be present in order to be considered excused.

All students need to take hold of their commitment and potential to be the best they can be for themselves...and that commitment and potential starts with being on time and present to each class Every Day.

HCPS will continue to use Canvas as a learning and communication tool in 21/22. The BELOW ATTACHMENTS (2122 ALL CANVAS) provides parents and guardians with helpful information for using Canvas to support and monitor student academic progress.

Email: lora.morgan@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Website: https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/sumner
Location: 10650 County Road 672, Riverview, FL 33579, USA
Phone: (813) 378-8626
Twitter: @HCPS_SumnerHS