Summit High School

Dear SHS Families,

We are halfway through the first marking period, While we don't send home progress reports, this is a great time to check your student's progress. If you need help logging into your Genesis account, please reach out to the grade-level Assistant Principal - Ms. Aaron (grades 10 and 12) and Mr. Murtagh (grades 9 and 11).

If you have questions or concerns about your student's progress in any of their classes, please reach out to the teacher.

This newsletter contains information about upcoming happening at SHS and supports that are available for students and families. Please review it and share this information with your student.

It's a great day to be a Hilltopper!

Stacy Grimaldi

Principal

Each family should have received an email from Wallburg Studios with their student's yearbook/ID photo and ordering information. Picture retakes have been scheduled for Tuesday, October 8th from 7:45am - 11:47am for any student who does not like their original picture or who did not get their picture taken in September. Picture retakes will take place in the main office conference room.

Please remind your student to attend if they did not get their picture taken during the first week of school or would like a re-take.

Summit High School will be providing all 10th and 11th grade students the opportunity to take the PSAT on Wednesday, October 16th. A letter with more information about this test was sent to all 10th and 11th grade families last week.

All 10th and 11th grade students must report to school for a 7:45am start of testing on that day.

All 9th and 12th grade students should report to school at 9:45am for grade-level programs.

The schedule for Wednesday, October 16th will be:

10th and 11th graders report at 7:45am for testing

9th and 12th graders report at 10am for programs

9th grade program: Naviance and Class Meeting

12th grade program: College Application Workshops

Testing should conclude by 11:00am.

On Tuesday, October 8th, SHS will be participating in Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day.

Did you know if you were prescribed opioid pain medication in high school you have a 33% increase in the risk of future opioid misuse?

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day aims to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic's devastating effects. During the lunch block students are encouraged to participate in an interactive activity with Ms. Akian, SHS nurse, and Ms. Herber, SHS Student Assistance Counselor, to discover the facts surrounding opioid use.

Please be on the lookout for Ms. Akian’s Wellness Wednesday, email blast to learn how you can help support your student.

Please join us at the Summit High School for our first Parent Wellness event, Breaking Free: Unmasking the Mind Control of Modern Technology on Today's Youth and How to Build Resiliency, on Wednesday day, October 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM with John Mopper, LPC and founder of Blueprint Mental Health. John, a seasoned expert in adolescent psychology, will delve into how today's physical and digital world is subtly shaping the minds of teenagers. He'll explore the unseen pressures, mind control mechanisms, and their profound impact on:

• Mental Health: Understanding the psychological toll of constant digital connectivity.

• Academic Performance: How technology affects motivation, focus, and learning.

• Social Interactions: The impact of social media on relationships and self-esteem.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about how technology is shaping our youth and discover strategies for fostering their mental health and well-being, while building resiliency and improving parental bonds.

This event is presented by the Student Assistance Counselors Consortium of Summit, Chatham, Millburn, Berkeley Heights, and New Providence. The consortium is dedicated to providing timely and relevant programs that address the needs of students and families in our communities. Each district will host an awareness forum as part of the Parent Wellness Series, open to all community members.

Monday, 10/14/2024 - Single Session Day

Period 1: 7:45am - 8:34am

Period 2: 8:38am - 9:27am

Period 3: 9:31am - 10:20am

Period 4: 10:24am - 11:14am

Period 5: 11:18am - 12:06pm

Wednesday, 10/16/2024 - PSAT Day

10th & 11th Grade Testers Arrive for a 7:45am start to testing

9th and 12th Grade Students Arrive at 9:45am

- 9th graders report to the auditorium

- 12th graders report to rooms to work with counselors

Testing concludes by 11am

Lunch 11:07am - 12:07pm

Period 6: 12:11pm - 1:01pm

Period 7: 1:05pm - 1:55pm

Period 8: 1:59pm - 2:49pm

Tuesday, 10/22/2024 - Jesse's Journey Assembly Program

Period 1: 7:45am - 10:15am (Split the school into two groups (A & B))

8am - 9am Group A assembly, Group B in class

9:15am - 10:15am Group B assembly, Group A in class

Period 2: 10:15am - 10:47am Entire school de-briefs with their period 2 class

Lunch: 10:47am - 11:47am

Period 6: 11:47am - 12:45pm

Period 7: 12:49pm - 1:47pm

Period 8: 1:51pm - 2:49pm

Starting at 7:30am each morning, there will be three entrances to the building open for students. They are the entrances along Kent Place Blvd., the main office entrance, and the entrance by the gymnasium. Prior to 7:30am, all students must enter the building using the main office entrance.

When dropping off your student in the morning along the driveway, please pull up all the way before stopping to let your student out of the vehicle. If you drop your student off on Kent Place Blvd., please drop off only on the school side of the street. For the safety of all students and drivers, please do not make K-turns or turn around in driveways along Kent Place Blvd.

See the video below for some more information about how to make drop off safer for everyone. Thank you to Rachel Rydzewski and Rachel Zucker for creating this video.

Did you know that you can view your student's check-ins on Genesis?

Students scan into the bathrooms, library, help centers, counseling office, and nurse's office when they visit these locations during the school day. You can view these check-ins in Genesis. Log into your Genesis account, and click check-ins on the left side of the screen. Please discuss with your student any excessive time out of class.

You can also view how many times your student did not have their ID badge with them in school. Please help ensure that your student has their ID badge with them each morning.

The Summit High School PTO has supported a multitude of programs and events throughout the last school year. The PTO contributed over $40,000 to programs and capital improvements to enrich our high school community.

The following are some of the highlights:

• PTO Scholarships for graduating seniors
• Student Travel Assistance for the language trips
• Hospitality appreciation events for teachers and staff
• Teacher Wish List items for classroom needs, special projects and speakers
• Beautification of our school’s gardens and grounds
• Programs and flowers for graduation

Please help us continue to support our students and staff by becoming a member of the SHS PTO. Join the PTO by clicking on the “Become a Member” button on the PTO website, summitshspto.com. Thank you in advance for your support!

Senior Portraits: Yearbook selection due no later than 10/31/24.

If you haven't taken a photo with Wallburg Studios yet, contact them at 908.277.2078 or peterwallburg@gmail.com to arrange an appointment for your senior.

If you have taken photos with them, once you receive your proofs via email, click the link to select your photo for the yearbook.

If you prefer to use another photographer, please send a head-and-shoulders photo (jpg format) to creinholt@summit.k12.nj.us no later than 10/31/24.

Appointments must be made in advance to see teachers, counselors, administrators, and other staff. Please be prepared to announce your name and purpose in order to be granted access into the building.

When a visitor arrives at the school, they will be asked to provide identification, such as a driver's license or state-issued ID card. If the visitor does not have any means of identification on them, they will be asked to input their first name, last name, and date of birth into our visitor management system. The identification is then scanned into the system, and the visitor's information is checked against a database to ensure they are not on any prohibited lists. Once the visitor's information has been verified, a temporary badge will be printed and provided to them by the school security officer or school secretary. This badge must be worn at all times while the visitor is on school grounds and will be collected upon their departure. All visitors to the building must be escorted by a staff member at all time.

In the event an emergency visit is necessary, please call the school’s main office ahead of your arrival so we are prepared to accommodate your needs.

Drop-off items (lunch, instrument, Chromebook, etc.) may be dropped off in the bin outside the main entrance vestibule. We will not inform students when items have been dropped off for them.

Our academic help centers are available each period of the day. Please encourage your student to visit the academic help centers during their study hall period.

Construction continued this past week on the interiors of the chorus room, the drama room, and the library. The work on the outside of the library has also progressed with the stone and brickwork installation and roof installation.

Monday, October 7th

C Day

Junior Parent Coffee hosted by the PTO, 9am

Tuesday, October 8th

D Day

Picture Makeups, 7:45am - 11:45am, Main Office Conference Room

Wednesday, October 9th

A Day

Self-Care Fair, 9:45am - 12:15pm, Main Hallway

Parent Wellness Event: Breaking Free: Unmasking the Mind Control of Modern Technology on Today's Youth and How to Build Resiliency, 7pm, Auditorium

Thursday, October 10th

B Day

Friday, October 11th

C Day

Yom Kippur begins at sundown

Sunday, October 13th

Athletic Open House, 1pm, SHS Auditorium

• Monday, October 14th - Single Session Day
• Monday, October 21st - Share the Keys, 7:30pm, Virtual
• Thursday, October 31st - Deadline for Senior Portrait Selection for Yearbook
• Monday, November 4th - Last Day of 1st Marking Period