North Point News

Thank you to everyone who attended our Grizzly Welcome Day on Monday. Our staff enjoyed meeting you and are excited to start a new school year with you! We are truly lucky to have an incredible staff who continue to work extremely hard to ensure NPHS is a special place students want to return to day after day! This school year, we have approximately 1,442 Grizzlies at the Den which is double what we started with 3 years ago when we opened our doors. We encourage everyone to get involved and make the most of these 4 short years we have together!

A new school year means new beginnings, new friendships, new challenges, and a clean slate for this to be your BEST year, yet!

We can't wait to welcome new and returning Grizzlies back on August 19! Our doors will be open starting at 6:45 am. If you are arriving at this time, please use our front entrance and report to the cafeteria as our classrooms will not be open at that time. Our first bell rings at 7:15 am with school officially getting underway from 7:20 am - 2:20 pm. Just a reminder that bus drop-off and pick-up is in the back of our building by the auditorium. Parent drop-off and pick-up is in the front of our building by the main entrance. If you need any help locating your classes, our staff will be in North Point shirts and more than willing to help out!

PLEASE NOTE: The first week of school (August 19-23) we will release at 2:10 pm each day to help students find their busses and ensure our busses arrive at NPMS on time. If your student is riding a bus, you should have received an email from transportation with pick-up and drop-off times and locations yesterday afternoon.

With our new Focus student information system, there are changes this school year to the way you are required to sign your student in and out of school. We will have a kiosk outside the attendance office that we are hoping will make the process a lot faster. You will either need to know your student's ID number which can be found in Focus OR if you have the Focus app, there is a barcode that you will be able to scan. We recommend that you screenshot the barcode to make the process easier.

We ask that you arrive early the first week of school. Doors will open at 6:45 am. Please drive cautiously in our lot and be patient with our staff as we work through issues that may arise due to more student drivers and middle school traffic.

Busses will enter campus from North Point Prairie and make a left toward the back of our building (auditorium entrance) for drop-off and pick-up. This route will only be available for our busses. At the three way stop where the busses entered, they will use the very back of our front parking lot to head to North Point Middle School. We want to keep bus traffic separate from parent traffic. The recommended entrance for parents and students is West Meyer Road due to the traffic light and ability to avoid bus traffic. Please refer to the map below.

Students who are driving to school must have a parking tag hanging on their rearview mirror to park on our lot. This year, we have enough drivers to allow us parking lot security. Mr. Kappauff will be checking parking tags and monitoring our lot for everyone's safety. Student drivers are welcome to park in the front or side lot (by the football field). Please note the first row in each lot is reserved for staff parking. The back lot (by our auditorium) is for bus drop-off and pick-up only.

If you have not purchased a parking pass and are a licensed driver, please see Mrs. Bartholmey in the main office prior to the start of school. You will need a completed and signed APPLICATION, valid license, valid insurance card, and $30 cash or check. Please note you have to be at least 16 years old and your fines must be paid in order to purchase a parking pass.

All 4 high schools will continue with a modified block bell schedule for the 2024-2025 school year. This means that 3 days a week, students go to all of their classes, and 2 days a week, students go to half their classes plus an additional block for DEN Time.

WIN "What I Need" Time is a 1 hour break in the middle of the day for student choice. We had so much success that we will continue to offer this valuable support to our students. During this time, students eat lunch, practice time management and self-care as well as meet with teachers, make up tests, participate in clubs/activities, study, complete homework, and take care of their individual needs. NOTE - WIN Time is listed in FOCUS as Power Time.

DEN Time is focused academic intervention time on Thursdays only. During this time, students are able to visit other teachers for academic purposes, complete homework, check grades, take tests/quizzes, and participate in some career exploration. Students who are in need of additional support to meet their academic goals will receive tiered intervention. NOTE - DEN Time is listed in FOCUS as Student Success Time.

As partners in your child's education, we want to ask for your assistance in enforcing the Wentzville School District Board Policy on Cell Phones. The district expectations for cell phones are very straightforward. Students may bring a phone to school, but once they enter any of our classrooms, phones need to be put safely away.

Where can phones be used?

- Before school, after school, during passing time, on the bus, and WIN Time (lunch).

Where can phones NOT be used?

- Classrooms, restrooms, school offices (unless otherwise stated by an administrator).

Why are we doing this?

- Increase Overall Classroom Engagement

- Increase Student Grades

- Research (Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health)

- Social Media/Cyberbullying

- Distraction to the Learning Environment

- Mental Health

What if there is an emergency and I need to contact my student immediately?

- Please call the office at 636-445-5344. We can deliver a message to your student or have them come down to the office to contact you.

- Students will still have cell phones within their possession (backpack/purse) for emergency purposes.

What are the consequences to having a cell phone visible during class?

- First Offense: Student is sent to the office for phone confiscation and sent back to class. The student may be assigned a detention and/or ISS.

NOTE: If a student refuses to give up their phone, the parent will have the option to come get the phone or the student will be given ISS and the phone will go in a locked phone locker, since phones are prohibited at all times in ISS.

- Second Offense or Subsequent Offenses: Student is sent to the office for a conference, their phone will be confiscated, and they will be assigned discipline ranging from a detention to ISS (increasing with offenses).

To view the entire 2024-2025 WSD CELL PHONE POLICY, click on the following link and scroll to #12 Electronics: Improper Possession or Use; Cell Phones.

Please refer to Policy 2651: Student Dress for the full policy regarding dress code. Listed below are some of the highlights...

Students shall observe modes of dress and standards of personal grooming that align with the educational environment and necessary to maintain an orderly and safe atmosphere for all students. Apparel is expected to conform to reasonable student standards of modesty, and as such, no excessive or inappropriate areas of skin or under garments may be exposed. No apparel or grooming is permitted that has the potential to incite conflict and violence, including, but not limited to gang-related messages, hate/bias symbols, sexually explicit, vulgar, violent messages, or advocating illegal activities. Further, no clothing or personal grooming that disrupts, or can be forecasted to disrupt, the educational environment is permitted.

Please note that blankets will NOT be allowed at NPHS for safety and hygienic reasons.

All 9th-grade families are required to submit proof of residency for the 2024-2025 school year. Forms can be uploaded in Focus and are due by October 1st.

Click HERE for a list of required documents.

We will contact you if we need additional information. Please note these take time for processing and we will get back to you ASAP, if needed.

Just another reminder in order to view your student's schedule, you must complete all annual online registration forms within Focus. One of these forms is the RUP (Responsible Use Policy). Students will NOT have Chromebook internet permissions until their guardian has accepted and signed the RUP form. Be sure your student has access to their District Chromebook on the first day by completing all of the online registration forms in Focus.

The district is offering an insurance program for your child’s Access Initiative Device (Chromebook). The cost to participate in this program is $20 annually. Chromebook insurance can be purchased online again this year. Please click on this LINK.

Participation is optional. Coverage takes effect once payment is received, and the Access Initiative device is issued to your child. It is not retroactive. Buying into the program provides coverage only during the current school year, so from the time payment is received through the end of the school year which is June 30. The program fee is non-refundable and does not transfer to the next school year if the insurance is not used.

Please Note: The insurance covers a broken screen and a broken keyboard, two broken screens, OR two broken keyboards.

In case you missed it, last week our district sent out a WSD Back to School Checklist. Please check it out for links to purchasing chromebook insurance, free and reduced lunch application, required immunizations, etc. It is filled with important back to school information!

Be on the lookout very soon for the ability to see your student's lunch account as well as make online payments through Focus. All leftover money in a student's account from last school year was transferred over from SISK12 to Focus. In the meantime, you are welcome to bring in cash or a check made out to NPHS and place it in the black lockbox in our main lobby.

North Point High School CLASS OF 2025 will graduate at the Family Arena in St. Charles on Sunday, June 1 at 8:30 pm!

We are excited to celebrate our seniors and look forward to seeing everyone there!

Please remember school appropriate attire is required for Trotter to take your picture.

SENIORS PLEASE NOTE: You are required to be photographed by Trotter in their studio in order to be featured in the yearbook. November 30 is the deadline to take your yearbook picture with Trotter. You do not have to purchase a package through Trotter; however, if you want to be pictured in the yearbook, you do have to take your yearbook photo through them. If you need to schedule this free session for a yearbook photo only, please click on this LINK to schedule an appointment.

Please click on the picture to view a larger image.

If you need to contact a member of our administration team, please note the breakdown by student last name below...

Mr. Andrew Elemendorf, andrewelmendorf@wsdr4.org - Asst. Principal for Last Names A-G

Mr. Danny Bethmann, danielbethmann@wsdr4.org - Asst. Principal for Last Names H-O

Mr. Jim Hieger, jameshieger@wsdr4.org - Asst. Principal for Last Names P-Z

Dr. Jake Adams, jacobadams@wsdr4.org - Activities Director

From left to right...Dr. Adams, Mr. Elmendorf, Dr. Shelmire, Mr. Hieger, & Mr. Bethmann

If you need to contact your student's counselor, please note the breakdown by student last name below...

Mrs. Kristy VanRonzelen, kristinavanronzelen@wsdr4.org - Counselor for Last Names A-G

Mr. Kurt Laughman, konradlaughman@wsdr4.org - Counselor for Last Names H-O

Mrs. Meridith Haley, meridithhaley@wsdr4.org - Counselor for Last Names P-Z

From left to right...Mrs. VanRonzelen, Mr. Laughman, & Mrs. Haley

Please click on the picture to view a larger image.

Here are some important upcoming dates for you to save...

• August 10 - Back to School Fair at Liberty High from 8 - 11 am
• August 12 - First Day of Fall Sports Tryouts/Practices
• August 19 - First Day of School (7:20 am - 2:20 pm)
• August 28 - NPHS Fall School Pictures
• August 29 - Open House from 5 - 7 pm
• September 2 - No School PK-12, Labor Day
• September 16 - Late Start (9:20 am - 2:20 pm)
• September 27 - No School PK-12, PD Day
• September 27 - Homecoming Football Game at 7 pm
• September 28 - Homecoming Dance from 7 - 10 pm at NPHS
• October 5 - Homecoming Parade
• October 14 - Late Start (9:20 am - 2:20 pm)
• October 18 - Early Release K-12 (NPHS released at 12:05 pm)
• October 29 - Parent-Teacher Conferences 6th-12th Grade (3:30 pm - 7 pm)
• October 30 - No School PK-12 / Parent-Teacher Conferences (10 am - 8 pm)
• October 31-November 5 - No School PK-12
• November 7 - NPHS Picture Retake Day
• MARK YOUR CALENDARS: June 1 - Class of 2025 Graduation at the Family Arena at 8:30 pm

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for ALL the latest updates!

Dr. Shelmire - @Dr_Shelmire (Twitter) and north_point_grizzlies (Instagram)

Dr. Adams - @NP_Grizzlies_AD (Twitter) and north_point_grizzlies_ad (Instagram)

Mr. Bethmann - @DBethmann_NPHS (Twitter)

Mr. Elmendorf - @Elmendorf_NP_AP (Twitter)

Mr. Hieger - @NP_Hieger (Twitter)

Email: amandashelmire@wsdr4.org
Website: wentzville.k12.mo.us/northpoint
Location: 2255 West Meyer Road, Wentzville, MO, USA
Phone: 636-445-5344