Mustang Matters Family Newsletter

Picture: Students having fun with foosball in the library

We hope you had a great winter break and then a safe snow break this week. We are ready to welcome all students back on Monday, January 13, 2025. We have a quick week for the end of the semester and then back at it again on Tuesday, January 21 to begin second semester.

We wanted to share some updates about the end of the semester. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or your child's administrator, but I trust that teachers will be sharing more with students on Monday.

Friday, January 17 will remain the last day of the first semester. Friday will be an A day.

Teachers will set final due dates for work and assessments. They have until February 5 at 9:00 am to submit grades, so there is ample time for students to complete work that will count for the first semester. The time in between the end of the semester and when grades are due will also allow teachers to work with students who want to retake assessments or edit projects for an improved grade. Teachers will edit the dates of submission in Power School to ensure that the grades are accurate for first semester work. They will also clarify for students which grades count for first semester and which grades count for second semester.

One additional point of clarification: grades do not get "stored" until the end of the year, so T1 in the gradebook gets averaged with T2 in the gradebook and that is how students get their Y1 grade. I encourage everyone to log onto Power School on a computer to double check grades, as the view can be misleading on the app as students look at their average and not their second quarter grade.

Does your child need additional academic support? We have multiple tutors who work with students all day long. They usually work out of the Learning Lab, which is the classroom off the library, so please don't hesitate to ask for help. Throughout the week, we have students from UVA who can tutor in almost every subject.

Not receiving REMIND messages? You may not have the most accurate contact information. Please call the school to update your information. If you don't have notifications turned on, please do. Teachers regularly use this tool to communicate and we don't want you to miss important updates!

Last month, the Albemarle County School Board approved a new policy to support a personal device-free learning environment in our schools. You can read the division’s December 13 news release for more details.

The adopted policy reinforces our commitment at the school for a safe, productive learning environment for our students. While most of our practices relating to students’ personal communication devices will remain the same; we have provided clarity on our procedures and expectations when we return from winter break. Those procedures are provided below:

• No device use during class periods or blocks.
  We will strictly enforce the practice that all personal communication devices will be away during all class periods, regardless of content area. This includes study halls and intervention periods (e.g. Mustang Morning). The policy also clearly states that it applies to headphones, airpods, tablets, and watches. Exceptions for students with specific accommodations related to personal devices for students with IEPs and 504s will be provided.

• Clear and consistent expectations for device storage.
  Students can utilize backpacks and lockers (as requested) for device storage. Students should not have personal devices on their person while in class, including while making visits to restrooms, etc.

• Emergency contact procedures for parents.
  Families who need to contact students at the school should call (434) 244-3100. In addition, students may take advantage of email to communicate with families in the case of a personal emergency or need.

• Strategies to support students during transitions and lunch.
  We will work with student groups to develop alternatives to cell phone use during lunches and class changes as we seek to minimize use this semester heading into August of next school year.

• Policies applying to school-sponsored events, trips, including transportation.
  Students may possess a personal communication device on school buses, provided that the use of the device does not distract or create an unsafe environment while the students are on the bus or school transportation vehicle. School bus drivers may direct the student to put their phone away or cease use if it does become a distraction and report to school administration if necessary.

Schools and school staff will adhere to the same guidelines as established within the school building for off-campus events (field trips) with exceptions made by staff related to the use of personal communication devices as an instructional tool at the event or as a recording device for photos, videos, etc. These will be approved by school staff on a case by case basis.

We will continue our practices as follows:

1. At the start of every class, teachers announce that instruction is beginning. All devices must be off and stored in the student’s backpack.

2. If the student has a cell phone (or other device) after this announcement, the teacher directs the student to place the device in a cell phone pouch in the classroom (to be retrieved at the end of class). If they refuse, a member of our security team goes to the classroom and escorts the student to ISS for the remainder of the block.

3. Continued use of cell phones could result in additional interventions, including a contract or other restrictions.

What will feel different to students is not being able to have their phones after instruction is over and no cell phones during Mustang Morning and Study Hall. We do not want to battle with students over cell phones and will continue to do our best to adhere to the board policy and protect the learning environment. We appreciate your continued support of our school as we continue to improve our learning environment and welcome your input.

We can't stress enough that we do not want to engage negatively with students about their devices, and we understand there can be a real dependence on the device, but we are now dealing with new policy and believe that this measure will improve your child's ability to focus and engage in their learning.

Thank you to everyone who sponsored a pet for the holidays! We had a great visit from SPCA staff and Gonzo on December 20 and the organization was very grateful for your help this winter.

Students interested in learning more about attending Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) after high school, including programs offered, tuition and financial aid, transfer to 4-year colleges, and the application process, can reach out to PVCC Admissions Coach Mrs. Ratliff at cratliff@pvcc.edu at any time. Join the email list to receive updates about opportunities for high school students (campus tours, PVCC registration day at your high school, financial aid workshops and more) here.

The nomination window for the 2024-2025 Golden Apple Awards is open. Linked below is the Golden Apple webpage, which contains links to the online nomination forms, as well as printable PDF versions of the nomination forms in both English and Spanish, with your school communities. Anyone can nominate a teacher for Golden Apple: students, families, community members or other educators.

Golden Apple webpage: https://www.k12albemarle.org/our-division/golden-apple-awards

CLICK HERE FOR SPIRIT WEEK INFORMATION

For updated rosters, coach contact information, detailed schedules including live stream video links (when available), ticket information, results, or out-of-season workout schedules, please visit www.GoMonticello.org.

MHS Yearbooks are for sale! Go to www.yearbookforever.com to reserve your copy today!

January 17: "A" day of school and last day of first semester

January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)

January 21: First Day of Second Semester

February 5: Grades are due at 9:00 am

February 16: Last day to withdraw from year long, DE courses with a W

April 15: SAT School Day

April 18: Senior Class Trip to Kings Dominion

April 21-25: Senior Celebration Week

April 26: Junior/Senior Prom

May 20: Last Day for Seniors in good standing for graduation

May 21: Senior Awards Night

May 29: Graduation (JPJ, 6:00 pm)