Science Hill High School Newsletter

Dear Students and Families,

Welcome back to Science Hill High School! I hope this letter finds you refreshed and excited to embark on a new academic year. Whether you are returning to our campus or joining us for the first time, we are thrilled to have you as a part of our Topper family.

Over the past few years, we have dedicated ourselves to building a culture of significance. This culture instills the desire to use our talents and skills to help others, build good things, and be a positive force in our community. This culture is built on eight pillars: Relationships, Connections, Self-Evaluation, Service, Empowerment, Purpose, Excellence, and Openness. The foundation of our culture is Everyone, Every Day.

This commitment to significance has not only impacted our culture at Science Hill, it has helped us reach greater heights in student outcomes. This past year U.S. News and World Report ranked SHHS as the 10th best high school in Tennessee and in the top 3% of high schools in the country. This is an outstanding accomplishment and speaks to the dedication of our wonderful staff and students.

This year, as a school community, we will focus on the pillars of Excellence and Openness.

Excellence means striving for the highest standard in all we do, from academics to extracurricular activities. It involves pushing ourselves to achieve our best and supporting each other in reaching our goals. Openness encourages us to learn new things and try new things. It helps us learn from mistakes and listen to constructive criticism. Openness also gives us courage to overcome our fears, be honest, and act with integrity.

Together, we will continue to cultivate a culture of significance where every student can thrive. Our dedicated teachers and staff are here to guide and support you on your journey, ensuring that you have the tools and resources needed to succeed.

As we embark on a new school year, I encourage each of you to embrace the opportunities ahead. Thank you for being a part of our Hilltopper community. Here’s to a fantastic year filled with growth, learning, and Significance!

Go Toppers,

Josh Carter

Principal, SHHS

Students will report to homeroom to pick up their printed class schedules, receive their student ID badges and review ID expectations, and find out their lunch period. After a brief homeroom, students will go to 1st block and follow their schedules for the remainder of the day.

The Johnson City Schools Board of Education will meet at 6 pm in the board room at Central Office, 100 E. Maple Street. School board meetings are streamed live on the district's YouTube channel.

Parents and students may visit with Science Hill faculty in the classrooms during Open House from 3-6 pm. Student Services, PTSA, and School Counselors will be available in Grand Topper Hall to provide information about their support for students and families. A SHHS Club Expo will be available in Grand Topper Hall. This provides students and their families the opportunity to learn more about the various ways to get involved in student extracurricular activities.

Over the intercom, 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will be called alphabetically by grade level to have their class pictures taken. Last names A – K are on Wednesday, August 7, and last names L – Z are on Thursday, August 8. Picture proofs will be distributed during homeroom in late August/early September. Students requiring a retake will have their pictures taken again on Tuesday, September 17, during the school day.

Seniors and their parents/guardians can discuss post-high school planning, scholarships, financial aid, etc., with Science Hill counselors from 6-7 pm at Freedom Hall.

The regional Tri-Cities College Fair, hosted by East Tennessee State University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions, provides opportunities to any grade level student in the region to meet with 60+ colleges and universities from across the southeast to discuss admission requirements, scholarships, academic programs, campus life, and more. The fair starts at 6 pm at Freedom Hall and runs until 8.

Take a look at our online calendars to stay up to date with what's going on at Science Hill:

A planned state road construction project on John Exum Parkway may affect school traffic at SHHS during drop-off and pick-up times. Plan ahead to make sure students get to classes on time and be aware of construction vehicles and workers in the area.

See the map of campus traffic flow, parking and drop-off/pick-up locations below, or click HERE for more info.

ParentSquare is Johnson City Schools' new communications application for the 2024-25 school year.

Invitations for ParentSquare have been sent out to all parents. Please follow the instructions to activate your account. The platform syncs nightly with PowerSchool and pulls the contact information that parents have provided to connect them to their student(s). Please contact your PowerSchool administrator to update your contact information in PowerSchool.

We are working out a few kinks as we continue to sync our platforms, but we believe that ParentSquare will be a powerful tool at improving our communication across our district. Parents will only need to learn this platform to communicate with teachers, coaches and other school staff.

Questions about ParentSquare should be sent to Collin Brooks at BrooksB@JCSchools.org.

The Johnson City Schools Board of Education updated the district's policy on personal communication devices this year to help prevent distractions during the school day. According to the new policy, Science Hill students may not use cell phones, smart watches or tablets during class time. This includes text messaging. Using wireless earbuds or headphones is prohibited on school property during school hours. Students who have personal communication devices in class are responsible for having them turned off or silenced so that notifications will not interfere with instruction.

Students with documented medical conditions or disabilities that require the use of personal devices for communication should contact the school's administration to discuss their specific needs. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to ensure students' safety and well-being.

Please review the full policy below.

All students will be required to wear a school-issued ID at all times. Students will receive their IDs during homeroom on the first day of school. IDs must be worn around the neck on a lanyard and visible. This policy has been updated in our Student Handbook.

Parking and driving at SHHS is a privilege. Student driving and/or parking privileges can be revoked as a consequence of student attendance, behavior, or failure to make academic progress.

All students who drive to school must register their vehicles annually to receive a parking decal, which is placed on the driver's side of the back window of the vehicle. Beginning August 7, students may register their vehicles during their lunch periods at the Hub. To register a vehicle, students must have their driver's license, license plate number and their vehicle's make, model and color.

Students may park only in the following designated areas:

• Senior parking is in the tiered lots facing Liberty Bell Boulevard
• Parking for underclassmen is in the range on the corner of Liberty Bell Boulevard and Cotty Jones Lane

Failure to follow the driving and parking regulations outlined in the SHHS Student Handbook may result in fines or assigned parking.

To ride a bus to and/or from school, students must have an approved bus form on file. Students who do not have a Transit Department approved bus form will need to have alternate transportation until the bus form is approved. For more information about Transit services, click HERE.

Students attend the lunch period assigned to their 3rd block class. On the first day of school, teachers in homeroom and morning classes will go over which lunch students eat based on their 3rd block class. Students with questions about their lunch period can ask any teacher for help.

• 1st Lunch - Go to lunch immediately after 2nd block, and then after lunch, report to 3rd block class.
• 2nd & 3rd Lunch - Report to 3rd block class, dismissed to lunch by bell/teacher, and then return to 3rd block class.
• 4th Lunch - Report to 3rd block class, dismissed to lunch by bell/teacher, then report to 4th block class.

Reminder: Students are not allowed to leave campus for lunch. During lunch, students must be in Grand Topper Hall and are expected to wear their ID badges. Restrooms, the clinic, and Hillside Café are available to students at lunch in the GTH area. When the Library Media Center is open for lunch, students may go to the library. All other areas are unauthorized during lunch periods, and students who are in an unauthorized area may be subject to disciplinary action.

Senior picture retakes will be held after school on October 14, 15, 16, & 17. Seniors must schedule appointments for retakes directly through Prestige Photography by Lifetouch. Contact the yearbook sponsor, Mrs. Morgan Rado (RadoM@jcschools.org), with questions about senior pictures.

Help us start the year off right by joining SHHS Parent Teacher Student Association. Go to sciencehill.givebacks.com and click on Membership to join.

Look for our new spiritwear designs at the first home football game, SH vs Anderson County, on August 30. We have some new items that can be preordered by August 9 and delivered in time for the first game. Also, we are excited to offer a Topper plush blanket! Preorder now HERE, and it will be shipped directly to you!

Mark the date for the Homecoming Dance on September 14, which is open to all SHHS students (no guest tickets will be sold). Tickets will be sold during lunch in the cafeteria September 11-13.

By selling spiritwear and hosting the dance, along with memberships and donations, the SHHS PTSA is able to provide student scholarships, fund teacher grant requests, put on faculty and staff events and fund special projects that benefit every student. Your cooperation and support makes this possible!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Go Toppers!!

Daily Announcements
Check out our announcements page that are updated daily on the website! This is where you can find more information about detailed events, student opportunities, club meetings and more! Follow the link above or press the button on the website's main page that can be found by scrolling halfway down.

Social Media

Social Media can be a great communication tool to push out important events and information in a fun and entertaining way. Both our official Instagram (handle: sciencehill_jcs) and Facebook (linked here) as used to showcase what's going on at the hill both academically and athletically while keeping both families and students informed with the most updated information

All student and parent forms can be found in our Main Office in two main places: on a grid on the wall by the main entrance or on our counters.

On Wall in the Main Office

PTA Forms - How to sign up and be informed with PTA events and news.

JCS Communication Tools - Information on how to stay connected with Johnson City Schools.

Gradebook Portal Request Form - To request access to PowerSchool parent account.

DMV Form - Needed to obtain their learner's permit. It must be filled out and signed before taking it to the DMV.

Community Service Hours Form - Log form for students' community service hours. Must be signed by a the volunteer supervisor.

Transit Request Forms - Must be filled out, approved, and on file before students can use the school bus system.

Medicine Administration Permission Form - Must be filled out and turned into the nurse if students have medicine that needs to be taken during the school day.

Parent Observer Request Form - To request access to Canvas parent account.

On the counter in the Main Office

Lunch Form - For more information about our lunch program. There is a QR code that will direct on how to fill out forms regarding free and reduced lunch.

School Map - For a layout of the school so that students are able to locate their classes.

Drop-Off/Pick Up Map - For car drop off and pick up locations.