The Sparta Express

Welcome back to school! We had an AMAZING first week of school. Just a reminder that students are able to start arriving at school at 6:45 am. Students must be in class be 7:10am. Students are expected to be ontime for every class each day. Students are tardy if not in their seats when the bell rings. Please remind your student that our school follows a 10/10/30 rule. Students are not to leave class the first 10 minutes, the last 10 minutes or 30 minutes before dismissal. It may seem like a small thing, but we want to squeeze every instructional minute that we can.

We are super excited about this school year--- and have HIGH academic goals and expectations. In order to reach each of those goals, it is important that EVERY student is in school EVERY day from bell to bell and that EVERY student is on their best behavior every day.

Be sure to review expectations about dress code. Also be aware that many teachers do not permit cell phone usage in their classroom outside of instructional purposes. I don't want you to be caught off guard--- I want you to expect excellence.

Our admin team & student service teams support students based on the last name of the student. For quick support, here are the people you should reach out to:

Mrs. Long (Assistant Principal) & Mrs. Johnson (School Counselor): Last Names: A-E

Mr. Johnson (Assistant Principal) & Mrs. Spoon (School Counselor): Last Names: F-J

Mr. Manson (Assistant Principal) & Mrs. Dunn (School Counselor): Last Names: K-P

Mrs. Long (Assistant Principal) & Mrs. Johnson (School Counselor): Last Names: A-E

Mrs. Ennis-Smith (Assistant Principal) & Mrs. Burgess/ Mr. Martin (School Counselor): Last Names: Q-Z

2023-2024 Yearbooks - if you purchased a yearbook last year and did not pick that up yet, please see Ms Holland in the gym before or after school.

2024-2025 Yearbooks - on sale NOW at the lowest price.

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1051219/Smithfield-Selma-Senior-High-School/

Picture Day is September 13. Save $10 when you pre-order portraits before picture day at CADY.com/PictureDay

Fall Sports Media Day - September 11 after school

The PSAT/NMSQT will be offered during the school day in October. Students in 11th grade have the option of taking it. The cost of the PSAT will be $17. More details and finals dates to follow.

Do you need service hours? We have just the event for you! We are looking for people to help with the FIRST Family Fun-Day. Please sign up here!

Annie Auditions will be held September 12th and 13th during Sparta time in the Chorus Room

Students who have early release on their schedule MUST leave campus. If students do not have a valid reason for having early release or transportation off campus, their schedules need to be updated with additional courses. Please see your counselor for more details.

Have you heard about high school students taking college classes at JCC? The program is called CCP. You can learn more about the program here: https://www.johnstoncc.edu/programs/career-and-college-promise/

CCP is now accepting applications for CCP Spring 2025 through November 4, 2024. Students are eligible in grades 9-12.

Many of our classes run on an A day / B day schedule. Check out the calendar attached if you need to know what each day is for your classes.

The next Driver's Ed Class will start September 3rd. There is a mandatory parent's meeting. Please see details below.

Parent/Student Meeting: September 3 6:00pm-7:30pm SSS Cafeteria

Class Dates: 9/9-9/13, 9/16-9/20, 9/23 2:30pm-5:30pm

Alive@25: 9/24 2:30pm-6:30pm

Students who are driven to school for morning arrival should be dropped off in the BACK of the school. Students should NOT be dropped off in front of the school prior to 7:10 each morning. In the afternoon, all students who are car riders should be picked up in the back of the school. They should not be picked up in the front of the school.

All individuals who received school bus transportation last school year, or have requested school bus transportation for the 2024-2025 year prior to Tuesday, August 13, 2024, your child’s bus assignment has been completed and is ready to be reviewed in the Edulog Parent Portal app.

If you are interested in viewing your child’s bus assignment today - including your child’s school bus number, stop times, and bus location - you must download the Edulog Parent Portal app on your smart device.

To download the Edulog app, please:

1. Download the Edulog Parent Portal from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

2. Search for “Edulog Parent Portal” and choose the app with the white bus on the teal background. Once you have the app downloaded, sign up using your email address.

To register your student(s) you will simply need to:

1. Click on the STUDENT LIST tab by selecting the “+” icon or the ADD STUDENT button.

2. Follow the prompts. You must have the following 5 pieces of information to ensure security.

   1. Student’s First Name (spelled correctly)

   2. Student’s Last Name (spelled correctly)

   3. School to which the student is assigned.

   4. Student’s date of birth

   5. Student ID Number, assigned by the school district.

Learn more about the Edulog Parent Portal here!

We are excited to begin the new year and look forward to safely transporting your student(s) to school and back home!

Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) is excited to announce the new North Carolina Student Information System (NCSIS), Infinite Campus! Just as PowerSchool did in the past, this system offers enhanced features for monitoring your child’s educational progress with a user-friendly mobile experience, and more.

Two of the features, The Campus Parent and Campus Student portals, provide real-time access to grades, attendance, assignments, and schedules. These tools facilitate seamless communication between parents, teachers and students, keeping everyone informed about school activities.

Key Features of Infinite Campus Parent Portal:

• Announcements

• Assignments

• Attendance tracking

• Academic planning

• Grades and Class schedules

• Document Access

• Notifications

JCPS parents can request access to the Parent Portal by completing the Request for Parent Portal Access Form. Please be sure to provide the most accurate information (full name, phone number, and email address) when completing the form. It will take 3-5 business days to process the request.

Please visit the JCPS website for more information on Infinite Campus, here.

Thank you!

Request for Parent Portal Access Form

Any student who parks on campus during the school year must register their vehicle with the office and display the permit in their front windshield. This non-refundable permit costs 120.00 and can be purchased online on the OSP (Online School Payment) website. (OSP Direct Link: bit.ly/sshsosp) A valid driver’s license and current vehicle registration must be presented in order to purchase a parking permit. You may complete this process this week in the front office or at open house prior to school starting. Cars are NOT permitted to park on campus without a permit OR at the SRAC. Students MUST have a valid drivers license to park (or drive) on campus.

Counselors will make changes in the order requests are submitted to the form and will communicate with you by email if questions arise. Counselors will not be able to make changes unless they are initiated through the online form. Please do not submit duplicate requests. / Los consejeros harán cambios en el orden en que se envían las solicitudes al formulario y se comunicarán con usted por correo electrónico si surgen preguntas. Los consejeros no podrán realizar cambios a menos que se inicien a través del formulario en línea. No envíe solicitudes duplicadas.

All requests should be submitted by Wednesday, September 4th at 4:00 pm. Counselors will communicate with you by email if they have questions. You will receive a modified schedule from your homeroom teacher if your schedule has been changed. / Todas las solicitudes deben enviarse antes del miércoles 4 de septiembre a las 4:00 p.m. Los consejeros se comunicarán con usted por correo electrónico si tienen preguntas. Recibirá un horario modificado de su maestro de salón si su horario ha sido cambiado.

Due to the master schedule, course request conflicts, and enrollment limitations, there is no guarantee that your requests will be accommodated. Please note that changing courses may result in the use of alternate courses. / Debido al cronograma, las solicitudes de cambio cursos y las limitaciones de inscripción, no hay garantía de que se atiendan sus solicitudes. Tenga en cuenta que cambiar de curso puede resultar en el uso de cursos alternativos.

Drop/Add will ONLY be for students who: / Eliminar/Agregar SÓLO será para estudiantes que:
1) have passed a course on their schedule. / 1) haber aprobado un curso de su horario.
2) JCC students with scheduling conflicts. / 2) Estudiantes de JCC con conflictos de horarios.
3) failed or did not take a prerequisite course. / 3) reprobó o no tomó un curso de requisito previo.

4) missing a block in their schedule. / 4) falta un bloque en su horario

Drop/Add will NOT be for students who: / Eliminar/Agregar NO será para estudiantes que:
1) wish to change a requested course. / 1) desea cambiar un curso solicitado.
2) wish to request a different teacher. / 2) desea solicitar un maestro diferente.

3) wish to have a different block of the class. / 3) desea tener un bloque diferente de la clase.

Students planning to play sports in high school must meet the following requirements. / Los estudiantes que planeen practicar deportes en high school deben cumplir con los siguientes requisitos.
* 9th, 10th, 11th must be enrolled in 4 courses each semester / * 9no, 10mo, 11mo deben estar matriculados en 4 cursos cada semestre
* Seniors must be enrolled in 3 courses in the fall/2 courses in the spring / * Los estudiantes del último año deben estar inscritos en 3 cursos en el otoño/2 cursos en la primavera.
* Pass 70% classes the semester prior to your sport. / *Aprobar el 70% de las clases del semestre previo a tu deporte.
* Must be promoted to the next grade level. / *Debe ser promovido al siguiente nivel de grado.
* Cannot miss more than 13 days in a semester / * No se puede faltar más de 13 días en un semestre

*NO EARLY RELEASE will be offered to athletes during their season of play. / *NO se ofrecerá SALIDA TEMPRANA a los atletas durante su temporada de juego.

Students need to abide by the JCPS Dress code every day. Please remember that hats / hoods are not permitted in the building. Among other things listed, Please also refrain from shirts that show midriff / belly, and shorts that are not an appropriate length.

Below you will find information about the Johnston County Schools dress code. Please use this information as you back to school shop or plan your outfits for each day.

MEAL PRICES

All students enrolled in a Johnston County Public School will receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at no cost to the household.

FORMS OF PAYMENT AND BALANCE COMMUNICATION

School Nutrition Services accepts payment in the form of advanced payment or payment at time of service by cash or personal check, or online payment by credit or debit card via LINQ Connect. Checks must be made payable to your student’s cafe. (Example: Smithfield-Selma High Cafe)

CHARGE POLICY

Students may not charge a la carte purchases that will result in a negative account balance.

For information about payment and school nutrition, visit: https://johnstoncountypsnc.sites.thrillshare.com/page/school-nutrition

Rooms Support Page on the JCPS website. This page provides information, tutorial videos, and step-by-step instructions for parents. Please bookmark this page. It is a great one-stop-shop resource for many questions.

This is a quick reminder of School Board Policy Code: 6125 (Administering Medicines to Students).

This policy covers the process for administering medications in detail, but the key detail I want everyone to keep in mind is that a health care practitioner (licensed medical professionals who are legally authorized to prescribe medications under NC law, such as doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners) MUST sign the Physicians' Order Form prior to medication administration at school. Parent/guardian signatures are required as well, but without the health care practitioner signature, medications cannot be administered. This includes ALL over the counter (OTC) medications.

Every year, we ask our families to review and sign off on documents pertaining to their child's learning environment for the upcoming school year. Many of these documents can now be signed digitally. We ask that our parents and guardians review the documents listed below and sign the necessary items for each of their students.

To Be Signed:

Parent Guardian Verification Form

Publication Permission Form

Tech and Digital Citizenship Agreement

To Be Reviewed:

24-25 Annual Notice

24-25 Aviso anual (muy pronto)

Parents' Right to Know

Parents have the right to request and be provided with information regarding any state or local educational agency policy regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by the state or local educational agency.

There are multiple opportunities to catch our Spartans in action this week! Come out and support our fall sports teams.

Seniors must have their meningitis vaccinations/exemptions within the first 30 days of the school year, or they will be excluded from school. Remember to get your meningitis vaccinations before starting your senior year. You can call for an appointment at Johnston County Health Dept at 919-989-5200 before the rush begins.

Questions about what to do after graduation? Not sure where to start? Ms. Garcia, your Duke College Adviser is here to help you navigate the college process and so much more! Students and parents are able to email me at mariagarciaortega@johnston.k12.nc.us and schedule an appointment.

¿Preguntas sobre qué hacer después de graduarse? ¿No estás seguro de por dónde empezar? ¡La Sra. García, su asesora de la universidad de Duke está aquí para ayudarle a navegar el proceso universitario y mucho más! Los estudiantes y padres pueden enviarme un correo electrónico a mariagarciaortega@johnston.k12.nc.us y programar una cita.

📣 Bookings are now OPEN for senior photo sessions for the class of 2025. You must be photographed by CADY to be in the yearbook. Get photos for grad announcements, senior yearbook ads, and flawless Insta posts. Book now at cady.com/schedule. #CADYsenior

The 2024 Questbridge National College Match application is open! HS Seniors can apply to the nation’s best colleges and be considered for early admission and a full four-year scholarship. 💰

Questbridge is looking for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges. Finalists typically come from households earning less than $65,000 annually for a household of four and have minimal assets. They take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and do not have absolute criteria or cut-offs for GPA, standardized test scores, income, or other factors.

DEADLINE ➡️ September 26, 2024

Find more information and application at https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match

Find this scholarship opportunity and many others at bit.ly/JCPSscholar2ships 🎓

JCPS Students & Parents ➡️ Check out this great career exploration opportunity for HS students interested in broadcasting! 📺

WRAL Explorer Post 5 offers members the opportunity to learn all aspects of television broadcasting, from reporting and anchoring to producing newscasts and shooting local productions. Members will hear and learn from award-winning professionals at WRAL through clinics and workshops.

The Post 5 2024-2025 season meetings will be held two Tuesday's a month, from 7:00pm-8:30pm, starting on September 10, 2024, through May 27, 2025.

Applications must be completed to be considered for membership.

If you are interested in participating in the program, please complete the application at https://shorturl.at/U3AWL

Seniors! 🎓 The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their final year of high school. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. The 2025 application is now open! Learn more and apply here by September 30 ➡ https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/

Find this scholarship and other opportunities at bit.ly/JCPSscholarships

Class of 2025! 🎓 The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Scholars will receive funding for the full cost of attendance that is not already covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 💰 Applications are due Sept 15. Find more information and apply at https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship/

Find this scholarship and more at bit.ly/JCPSscholarships