Mustang Matters Family Newsletter

We look forward to welcoming all students on Wednesday, August 21, 2024! We hope you had a great summer and are ready to kick off another fantastic school year. Open House was a huge success, as evidenced by three full parking lots full of families and students. The energy was exactly what we needed to know it's time to get going!

Click on the QR code to the right to follow MHS on Facebook!

Our staff has been working hard to open the school. A huge thank you to our custodial crew led by Trey Roberts. Our school looks beautiful!

Did you hear? Monticello HS is one of 12 schools in the county who achieved Level One in all accreditation categories: English, Math, Science, Dropout rate, Attendance, and Graduation. WE DID IT!! We'll share more in our Back to School Night State of the School. I mean who doesn't like data like that! We have room for growth, but this is a huge celebration for our entire school community. We could not have done it without all of you.

9th, 10th, and 11th grade Picture Days are on September 5th and 6th. Our makeup day is November 20th.

On those days, students will travel with their Freshmen Seminar (9th) and English class (10th and 11th) to the Auditorium and Atrium to sit for pictures. This process is free, though you may purchase prints after you receive proofs. Students must sit for photos so that we can prepare them a Student ID. Our photographer, Strawbridge Studios, delivers proofs about 4-6 weeks after Picture Days, and we will distribute them to students in their English classes. Please direct questions to Beverley McCaskill at bmccaskill@k12albemarle.org.

Greetings from Family Council!

My name is Sharon Fix, and I'll be serving as the Monticello HS representative this school year. I'm the parent of a proud Mustang and I'm looking forward to getting to know more families in our community.

Some things to know:

- About Family Council -- We advise ACPS, go in-depth on key issues facing students and families, and advocate for change when needed.

- As the MHS Rep, I'll be attending monthly Council meetings and will have the opportunity to share our community's concerns with ACPS leaders. Watch for updates and opportunities in the principal email and via the PTSO. You can reach out to me anytime at mhsfamilycouncilrep@gmail.com to share ideas and challenges that you would like me to pass along.

- You can keep up with the latest on Family Council activities, ACPS happenings, and engagement opportunities on the Family Council Facebook page, and see minutes and updates on the website.

Stay tuned for the results of our first-ever family survey, and an announcement of the topics we'll be diving into during this school year!

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 33 establishes cell phone-free education in Virginia’s K-12 public schools to improve student health and safety. Excessive social media use can double the risk of poor mental health in children.

The Virginia Department of Education will help schools set up cell phone-free policies by 2025 and will host meetings to discuss these changes with parents, teachers, and community members.

At Albemarle County Public Schools, we prioritize student well-being and success. Here is a reminder of our Student Conduct policy on cell phones and devices:

• Device Usage: Devices, including earbuds and headphones, must be off and out of sight during class unless the teacher allows use.
• Bus Safety: Students must stop using devices if a bus driver asks them to.
• Internet Safety: School-provided devices must not use unfiltered internet connections. The school division is not responsible for theft, damage or loss of personal devices.
• Consequences: Devices may be confiscated and returned only to a parent/guardian if rules are broken. Other disciplinary actions may apply.

Our Student Conduct policy on cell phones and devices aims to:

• Minimize Distractions: Helps students focus on learning.
• Promote Mental Health: Reduces excessive phone use to protect mental health.
• Prevent Violence and Threats: Reduces bullying and access to harmful content.
• Enhance Safety: Ensures students follow safety protocols in emergencies.

You can view our full cell phone policies under the “For Students” tab on our website.

Monticello High School is dedicated to helping students develop healthy habits. Healthy habits include submitting work on time, learning how to study or take notes, and regulating a multitude of other behaviors, like technology and cell phone use.

Teachers will give a whole class reminder at the start of every class, "Please turn your phones off and put them away in your backpack," or something similar. Phones may not be out on the desk or on a student's person.

The first time a teacher sees a student with a phone out, they will be asked to place the phone in a phone pouch hanging in the classroom, visible to the student.

If a student refuses, the teacher will call the front office and a member of our school security or administrative (admin) team will come and escort the student to In School Suspension (ISS) for the remainder of the block. A Remind message will be sent to the parent/guardian. A log entry will be submitted through Power School documenting the incident.

Repeated violations will result in continued intervention. Please support our efforts to maximize instructional time and enforce school policy (and state law). Our teachers work very hard and don't want to spend time arguing and and "battling" with students over cell phones.

Mustang Morning will occur between 1st and 2nd block. Students will remain in their first period class unless a teacher uses Adaptive Scheduler to pull them. Students will not use Adaptive Scheduler in the first weeks of school because we want to get them into the swing of this new structure and ensure that students are where they should be. Our team will re-evaluate for when Adaptive Scheduler will be open for students.

Clubs will be held once or twice a month on Mondays during Mustang Morning. Students will only go to the seminar listed on their schedule once a month. "Freshman Seminar" is also a class, so our 9th graders will actually see two seminar courses listed on their schedule. The one during a class period (1-4) is different than their Mustang Morning seminar. Teachers can explain more during the first week of school.

For the first 8 days of school, students will stay in their first block and will have lessons and class meetings. Mustang Morning begins on September 3.

A senior privilege is that our 12th grade students get to leave campus for lunch. We discourage underclassmen from being "checked out" during lunch.

Seniors will be able to turn in a signed permission form during the first days of school. They will receive a senior pass that allows them to leave campus during their lunch. Only seniors with a pink pass will be able to leave during MM if they have first lunch.

Here is the senior lunch permission form:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14gy5trq7S-RSAnL7LoCfFVh58ynNZk5l/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107052510303423597819&rtpof=true&sd=true

We appreciate your patience with student schedules as we return to school. Our master scheduling team has worked tirelessly since February (yes, that is when we start this process after students register for courses!) and we have a very solid schedule for students. If your student has an issue with their schedule, they should go to the Counseling Office and submit a request pass to see their counselor. Counselors prioritize core class changes or periods in the day when a student may not have a class (a "hole" in their schedule).

Students may drop or add classes in the first ten days of school.

The following is shared for your information.

ACPS Human Resources has provided some reminders about politics and political issues during the election season. Staff has reviewed these policies in advance of the school year.

We have two policies that govern these matters:

INB (Teaching about controversial issues)

GD (Political activities)

GD provides the clearest guidance that provides reminders to staff related to their responsibilities in the workplace (bolding emphasizes critical language):

The Albemarle County School Board (“School Board”) recognizes the right of its employees to engage in political activities.

The School Board also recognizes that school time and school property should not be used for partisan political purposes. Thus, when engaging in political activities, an employee may not:

• • use the employee’s position, employment status, or access within the School Division to further a political cause;
• • engage in any activity supporting or opposing a candidate or political party while on duty, while on school property during school hours, or while representing the School Division;
• • suggest in any manner that the School Division or any component of it supports or opposes a candidate for election to any office; or
• • use any School Division property or resources to engage in any activity supporting or opposing a candidate for public office or a political party.

These restrictions are not intended to limit the rights of School Division employees to support or oppose any political candidate or party on their own time. Rather, they are intended to minimize distractions from instruction, assure that no public funds are used to support any candidate for public office, and assure that the public is not given the false impression that the School Division supports or opposes any political candidate or party. School division employees who engage in political activities on their own time must make it clear that their views and actions represent their individual positions and do not represent the views of the School Division.

When it comes to instruction, policy INB directs staff to allow students to explore issues “in an atmosphere free from bias and prejudice.”

Monticello is excited to renew its exchange with the Lycée Ledoux, a high school in Besançon, France, Charlottesville's sister city. We have welcomed classes of about 30 students from Ledoux seven times since 2006. A group of 32 students and three teachers will visit us between October 2-12; this will be their first return to Charlottesville since the pandemic. Several Mustangs met our guests during our trip to Besançon this past spring.

This exchange has offered cultural enrichment to hundreds of students from both Monticello and the Lycée Ledoux. Our partners very much enjoy coming here and experiencing the way of life of the Mustangs and our community at large. They speak English proficiently, are polite and friendly, and are the highest-achieving students at Ledoux.

We need host families to welcome our guests! There is no cost beyond food and transportation, and there's a chance to make a lifelong friend. If you would like more information about this opportunity, please contact Mr. Keith at bkeith@k12albemarle.org .

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.

If you are using bus transportation to travel to WAHS or AHS for a CLC/Studio, the shuttle bus leaves MHS at 8:00 am.

If you are a CLC/Early College Scholar or JROTC student from AHS using bus transportation to MHS, you will take the shuttle bus that leaves from Journey Middle School, departing at 7:55 am. The bus in the afternoon returns to AHS.

If you are a CLC/Early College Scholar or JROTC student from WAHS using bus transportation to MHS, you will take the shuttle bus from WAHS, departing at 8:05 am. The bus in the afternoon returns to WAHS.

CATEC and Center 1 students will load onto the bus at MHS and leave at 9:05 am.

August 18: Community Event-Back to School at Wilton Farms (2:00-4:00)

August 21: Welcome Students!

August 21-September 13: SOL testing window

August 23: Hunter Wyant Insurance on campus to treat our students making good decisions

September 2: Labor Day (holiday)

September 3: First official day of Mustang Morning

September 12: Back to School Night and Regional College Fair

September 18: United Way Day of Caring

September 23-27: Spirit Week for Homecoming

September 27: Homecoming football game vs Goochland

September 28: Homecoming Dance

October 16 and 23: Conferences