The Bird Call

Hello Clever Bluejays! Welcome to another edition of the Clever High School monthly newsletter which aims to keep our community informed about all of the happenings at our school.

The staff and students have hit the ground running this year and I know great things are ahead here at CHS. Within this newsletter, you will find important updates, upcoming events, and much more. Our goal is to foster a strong sense of community and ensure that everyone feels connected.

Be sure you are following the high school and district Facebook pages for announcements and updates. Also, if any personal information (email address, phone number, emergency contacts, etc.) have changed, please make those updates in Lumen.

Thank you for your continued support. As always, if there are questions please reach out.

Go Jays!

Joe Casey

High School Principal/A+ Coordinator

Email: caseyj@cleverbluejays.org

Our character word of the month for September is Responsibility. Our students are already showing the characteristics of a “Responsible Bluejay” by picking up trash that isn’t theirs in the lunchroom and coming in early to get caught up on assignments before the big test. We are so pleased that this positivity and kindness is being spread around school. If your student has received a positive referral, a note will be sent home along with the positive referral for you to keep.

Tardy Policy

Reminder of our updated tardy policy. This information listed below is taken from our student handbook. Please make sure you are aware of this change and the consequences for period tardies.

Just as important as attendance is promptness. There will be four minutes between each class before the tardy bell rings for class to begin. A person is tardy if he or she is not in the room and seated when the tardy bell rings - unless permission to be late has been granted by an administrator, teacher, or the nurse.

Tardies are accumulated each QUARTER. Students are expected to be in class when the tardy bell rings. Students arriving after 8:05 a.m. in the morning must report to the office for a pass to class and must sign on the daily in/out form.

Students may be tardy cumulatively three times per quarter without penalty. Once the 4th+ tardy has been reached a discipline referral will be generated from the assistant principal’s office. The penalty for subsequent tardiness is as follows:

4th, 5th, & 6th tardy: one-day after-school detention.

7th and 8th tardy: two after-school detentions.

9th tardy: three after-school detentions.

Subsequent tardies: a minimum of four after-school detentions.

A student will not be considered “in good standing” until all assigned detentions have been served.

Mrs. Waisner is here to help students with their college and career plans. She will help them develop a postsecondary plan. Deciding what to do after high school can be hard, so I'm here to provide support on all but not limited to:

• Career Exploration

• Researching majors and programs

• Assisting with college applications

• FAFSA

• Financial Aid / Scholarships

• Military

• Workforce / Apprenticeships

• Develop a postsecondary plan

• Develop a financial plan

• Provide resources & support

We support ALL pathways: College, Workforce, and Military

Dates to know

ASVAB Testing - October 30th (this test allows great career exploration for all careers)

ACT - October 26th

ACT Dates - Register at actstudent.org

Dates the test will be at Clever are October, December and February (Saturday test dates)

September 20th is the deadline for the October test. If your student receives free/reduced lunches, they can take the ACT twice for free. Have them see Mrs. Waisner for details.

Senior Parent Night - September 19th at 6 PM in the HS CPAC

College and Career Fair - October 3rd from 1PM - 2:30PM

College Visits

Missouri University - September 17th

Missouri State University - September 20th

DUAL CREDIT - all students must sign up for their dual credit classes by September 12th. All invoices have been emailed to students and parents and are due now. Please send a check or cash to the high school office. If you would like to set up a payment plan or pay online, please email Mrs. Waisner at waisnerr@cleverbluejays.org. This invoice is for Fall classes and year long classes, Spring invoices will be sent in January.

Teen Safety MattersTeen Safety Matters

The high school will continue our Teen Safety Matters program this year. The Child Advocacy Center will be at the high school September 10th & 11th, and 24th & 25th to provide this important training. During this training, students learn to identify different types of abuse and bullying, and things they can do to stay safe. Please watch for the Counseling Connection Newsletter for more information about this program.

It's #SuicidePreventionMonth. Create hope in your family and your community by educating yourself about suicide prevention. Learn the warning signs and risk factors for suicide, how to support someone considering suicide, and familiarize yourself with #988Lifeline #SPM24

Clever School District utilizes the Signs of Suicide program to teach students, staff and families to recognize signs that someone may be struggling and the appropriate steps to take if they suspect someone they know is thinking about suicide. Please watch for more information about our Signs of Suicide training later this semester.

Mark your calendars!

Picture Day: Tuesday, September 24th.

Re-Take Day: Tuesday, November 12th.

Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence (P.R.I.D.E.) time at CHS takes place at the end of each school day from 2:59 - 3:25. We have revamped the structure and expectations this year with the hopes to better the needs of all of our students.

In general, each week will follow the schedule below:

Tuesday: Students will report to their assigned P.R.I.D.E. time classroom. Their teacher will review their current progress report, specifically looking for any D or F grades. Students with a D or an F will be assigned to a content-specific classroom where two teachers will be assigned to provide extra support. For students with no D or F grades, enrichment time will be offered. Students who have met the expectations we have in place will be given a choice to spend their time in the gym, commons, or library.

Wednesday and Friday: Students will go directly to their assigned location for the week. These will be locked in on Tuesday, meaning a student who improves his/her grade from a D/F will remain assigned to that room until the following Tuesday when we re-assign locations.

Thursday: This time will be utilized for Club meetings. Students will report to their assigned P.R.I.D.E. time classroom. It will also give those teachers working in the support classrooms on Wednesday a day to prepare for students to return to their room on Friday. This could include gathering materials, talking to other teachers, and much more.

In order to set a high standard of excellence and encourage students to actively engage in their learning, the following policy is in place.

In accordance with existing School Board Policy, personal electronic devices - including cell phones and wearable devices - will be prohibited during instructional time. Instructional time is defined as the time spent in a classroom during 1st – 7th hours and P.R.I.D.E. time. Instructional time includes the use of restrooms, water breaks, etc. Devices will need to be set to silent during instructional time and placed in the designated pouch assigned by the classroom teacher. At no point during a class period should a student access their personal electronic device. Additionally, students may not use their cell phones at any time during the school day to take pictures, record videos, and/or record audio. Furthermore, cell phones are strictly forbidden in the following locations: restrooms, locker rooms, and other district schools (i.e. during A+ tutoring, internships, etc).

In the spirit of compromise, utilizing personal electronic devices during the following times throughout the day will be acceptable:

• Before 7:38 and after 3:25 while on campus
• Between classes during passing times
• During the student's assigned lunch period

The inappropriate use of any personal electronic devices will result in disciplinary action. Exceptions need to be approved through building administration. Parents and students are reminded that the school office phones are available for parents and students to contact each other for legitimate reasons, i.e. illness or personal matters. You can reach the main office by calling 743-4830. Beginning this school year, consequences for violating the Personal Electronic Device policy will be as follows:

• 1st Offense: Device is confiscated and turned in to the main office. Administrative conference and phone call home. Student can retrieve device at the end of the school day.

• 2nd and Subsequent Offense(s): Device is confiscated and turned in to the main office. Administrative conference and phone call home. Parent/guardian will be required to pick up device on a day school is in session between 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Absent Work

The number of days allowed for making up/turning in work due to an absence will be equal to the number of days missed. For example, a student who misses two days of school will have until the end of the school day on the second day he/she is back to turn in missing assignments.

Assignments not completed within the allowed timeframe will be recorded as Incomplete ("I") and will then follow the guidelines for missing assignments.

Missing Assignments & Re-Do Procedure

All Formative and Summative activities not turned in on time will be recorded as an Incomplete ("I") in the grade book. This will be calculated as a zero in the student's overall grade. For assignments completed on time, the original grade will be recorded. Turning in incomplete work or re-doing an assignment will be allowed and the new grade will be recorded as long as the following timeframes are met. If the timeframes are not met, the grade will remain an Incomplete or the original grade will be the final grade.

Formative: Due no later than the beginning of class the following Tuesday*.

Summative: Due no later than the end of the school day 7 calendar days* from the original due date (missing) or the day the graded assignment was recorded in Lumen (re-do).

*If the final due date is a day that school is not in session (inclement weather, breaks, etc.), it will extend to the next day school is in session.

It is recognized that unforeseen hardships will arise which might result in the need for flexibility within this policy. In those circumstances, individual exceptions will be considered at the discretion of the teacher or building administration as long as the student or parent/guardian communicates in a proactive manner.

Access to Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more available and easy to use for students. More specifically, AI is commonly used by students to write essays and answer school-related questions. These AI capabilities encourage academic dishonesty.

As a result, the academic dishonesty policy in the high school handbook now includes a statement specifically prohibiting the broad use of AI tools to complete assignments. As is the case with any new technology (calculators, search engines, etc.), there are practical uses that will increase efficiency, prompt deeper levels of understanding, and more. Our hope is to work together to find the balance while deterring students from relying on AI to think for them.

Student grades will be updated weekly by teachers and can be accessed at any time by logging into the Lumen portal. Academic eligibility checks will take place once every TWO weeks this school year beginning on the fourth Wednesday of each semester. If a student has two or more failing grades at the time of an eligibility check, he/she will be academically ineligible until the following eligibility check at the earliest. Ineligible students will not be permitted to participate in or attend any extracurricular activities. This includes all athletic events, clubs, and activities as well as attending any school-sponsored events outside of the school day, such as Homecoming or Prom.

Eligibility checks will take place on the following days during the school year:

• September 11, 2024

• September 25, 2024

• October 9, 2024

• October 23, 2024

• November 6, 2024

• November 20, 2024

• December 4, 2024

• December 18, 2024

• January 29, 2025

• February 12, 2025

• February 26, 2025

• March 12, 2025

• April 2, 2025

• April 16, 2025

• April 30, 2025

• May 14, 2025

Each year during September, the Christian County Library partners with our public schools in a friendly competition to find out which school can get the highest percentage of new library cards made. As an extra incentive, the schools with the highest percentage made will receive either a $300, $200, or $100 donation to their library sponsored by the Christian County Friends of the Library.

All Clever R-V students and family members are eligible for a Christian County library card (regardless of the county in which they live). You can apply online -- digital library application. Students under the age of 18 need to fill out the application with a parent or guardian present. There is also a link to the application in the students' High School Library course on Canvas.

Having a library card gives you access to the Libby and Hoopla apps as well. Audiobooks, ebooks, magazines, music, movies, and more! Be sure to sign up today and help us win some extra money for our HS library!

Every Wednesday, a tutoring bus will be available to students who need a ride home. The bus will leave the high school around 4:40 pm. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, Mrs. Larson (larsong@cleverbluejays.org) in the main office needs to be notified by noon each Wednesday so that final plans can be made with the transportation department.