Dimond Newsletter

This year is already filled with positivity and excitement! Our First Day with Freshman went swimmingly and allowed everyone to start off strong last Friday with the first full day of classes. Our Back to School assembly was bursting with school spirit and I can’t wait to see how that enthusiasm spreads in the classroom, on the trails, the field, and the court! Go Lynx! This is our first full week of school and by this Friday, all students will have experienced every variation of our schedule. Bell schedules are posted around the building, and you can also find the new bell schedule attached to this email and on our website: https://www.asdk12.org/dimond .

As you may know, lunch is open campus and students are able to leave to get lunch. With this privilege is a great responsibility to return to school on time. In the first few days we have had several students coming in up to 10 minutes late. This is not only disrupting the learning of the students arriving late, but also the rest of the class whose instruction might be interrupted multiple times as students wander in after the bell. We know that attendance and punctuality are very important to employers, and we would like to ensure our students are set up for success beyond high school. Please discuss the importance of being to class on time with your children. We all want the same thing!

Thank you to all the parents moving through drop-off and pick-up lines patiently! I appreciate seeing cars moving as far forward in line as possible, allowing more cars to enter the queue. Please remember that students must exit and enter vehicles from a sidewalk. Families are doing a great job with this so far, keeping everyone safe!

As a reminder, our school building is open every day from 7:30am until 4pm. At 4pm we will ask students to exit the building and lock the exterior doors. Students who are involved in extracurricular activities must be supervised by their coaches/sponsors. Our front office is open from 8am - 4pm. Please feel free to reach out to Dimond with any questions: (907)742-7000.

As an FYI, for this year’s newsletters, all new or important information will be placed at the beginning of each newsletter with all relevant repeat information clearly noted at the end. Hopefully, you’ll be able to skim through the newsletter for information that is relevant to you!

Reminder of our Cell Phone Policy!

It’s a new year, and we have added a layer of clarity to our cell-phone policy. Students are still allowed to carry cell phones and use them freely during passing and lunch times. However, during class, each teacher will indicate what usage is allowed in their room using the same visual messaging. Each classroom will have a poster with a stoplight. Red means no cell phone use and no earbuds in either ear within the classroom. Yellow means that the teacher will explicitly tell the students when and for how long they may have their cell phone out, and green means the student does not need to ask permission to use their cell phone device. The expectations are written to the right of each color. Teachers will clearly indicate the “light-level” they are at both visually and verbally.

Our expectation is that students enter all instructional spaces with devices silenced and out of sight. If a student refuses to comply with the expectation, their device may be confiscated and placed within a locked cabinet at the front office until the end of the day. Each confiscated phone will be put inside of an envelope marked with the student’s name, ID, date and name of the teacher; and the student will sign it out before leaving campus. If the failure to comply with this policy is chronic (3 or more times) additional disciplinary action may be applied. To ensure your student is as successful as possible, please make sure that any after school planning texts are sent outside of classroom hours. Also, remember that if you ever have an urgent need to contact your student, the front desk is available to answer and assist with those needs. Thank you so much for your support! It’s going to be a great year!

Hi From The Nurse
My name is Karra. I am so excited to be here at Dimond this year with your students as their school nurse! My goal is to support their health and education. I find that often, students are learning to care for their health just like they learn a new mathematical skill.

I have enjoyed getting to connect with many of you during our first week of school. I imagine that you probably do not like when I call to say that your student is not up to date with vaccines. I promise, I want to help! Per Alaska state law, vaccines must be up to date, or a current religious exemption must be on file. In many cases, I can vaccinate a student here at school with written consent. Additionally, I can connect you to community resources to find other options.

If your student has an inhaler or epi pen that they keep at school, please fill out an up-to-date care plan with their medical provider. These must be filled out on or after July 1st of the incoming school year. So, we have to do it each school year.

It almost feels like fall is in the air, looking forward, I will soon be getting information out on flu shot clinics. The CDC recommends a flu shot every year.As we navigate this post COIVD pandemic world, I am getting many questions on ‘when can my student come to school?’

We Have Changed Our Alpha Groups for Counselors!

Counselors continue to complete schedules and are actively working on schedule changes, please be patient, they are completing changes as quickly as possible! The best way to reach out to your counselor is via email. Also, don’t forget that students should request schedule changes by using the schedule change request form. Schedule Changes should be made as soon as possible.

Students are assigned to counselors based on the student's last name, with the exception of freshmen. The following is a list of counselors and the alpha group they serve:

Freshman Class Only: Eric Hallis

A-D: Jeffrey Hulbert

E-K: Amber Jaasma

L-Q: Mary Lynn Zock

R-Z: Pete Mandel

Canvas Parent Observer

If you have not signed up to be a canvas parent observer for your student(s), this link will help you set one up. Becoming a Canvas parent overver for your student will all you to see class notes, assignments notes, deadlines and submissions, and in many cases class expectations.

Backpacks and Bags

Students are permitted to bring backpacks and bookbags to school, they are a great place for your students to store their cell phones and other electronic devices! It is strongly recommended that students store backpacks and bags in their lockers during the school day, and only take what is needed to each class. If students elect to carry a backpack/bag to classrooms, it is expected that students can store their bag under their seat or hang it on a chair so as not to be a tripping hazard.

Teachers may have their own classroom expectations for backpacks, and it is the responsibility of students to comply with the expectations in each classroom.

Dimond High School is not responsible for any lost or stolen bags or bag contents.

Attendance

Attendance is one of the most important factors for student success. Absences (whether excused or unexcused) have an impact on academic performance and high school graduation. Attendance Works (www.attendanceworks.org) notes that “by 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.” Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, is considered chronically absent and can affect a student’s academic success. It is critical that students practice good attendance habits now which positively translate to employability skills in the future. Please help us set students up for success and communicate the importance of going to class on time every day.

Tardies

Tardies will start counting towards discipline next Monday, August 26th, 2023. It is imperative that students use this first full week to find their classes and attend all of them. This is a short grace period that will change quickly. Starting next week 4 tardies equal 1 lunch detention, with increasing consequences for subsequent tardies!

During this grace period absences will be marked as follows:

If students arrive within the first few minutes of class, they will be marked present.

If students arrive with a pass or are escorted by a staff member, students may be marked present or tardy excused based on the situation.

If a student arrives late (past five minutes), without a pass or escort to class, they will be marked as tardy. This will allow our attendance to be accurate, and the tardies aren't counted yet for discipline.

If students arrive within the last 10 minutes of class, they will be marked absent (unexcused or excused based on whether they have a pass). Teachers will try and note the time they arrived in the attendance notes. This will help us track absences and we can reach out to families when patterns emerge.

Chromebooks

Students who received a chromebook last year should bring it daily for classroom use. If your student is in need of a chromebook, they will be directed to see the school’s Tech Specialist.

If your student is having issues with their chromebook, please take it to the library or Tech Specialist office for help. We are enforcing fines this year for broken/missing items, those fines are as follows:

• Missing/Lost Chromebook: $225

• Lost/ Missing/ Unusable Charger: $20

• Screen Replacement: $50

• Hinge Replacement: $15

• Broken/Cracked LCD Top Cover: $15

• Broken/ Cracked Bottom Cover: $15

• New Keyboard: $50

• Missing Keys: $5 each key up to the price of a keyboard replacement

• Top Case: $75

• USB-C Ports/Input Ports: $150

Lunch Charges

In preparation for ensuring that your student is set-up for charging lunch, please keep in mind that Student Nutrition will accept payments through Q ParentConnect, at the cafe, or checks sent by mail to Student Nutrition, 1307 Labar Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99515. The Schools’ front office cannot accept payments. See below for more information from the Student Nutrition Department:

For more information about adding to your balance in Q:

https://www.asdk12.org/Page/13241

This is also the perfect time to file for free and reduced meals for this year, to learn more and see if you qualify: https://asdk12.org/Page/13246. For more information, parents may email snadmin@asdk12.org.

Activity Stickers:

Activity Stickers are available for purchase online through ParentConnect. The cost is $50.00 for the school year. This will get your student into any home or away game during the school year. Your student will receive a label on their Student ID they will need to present at the games

Grades Matter! Academic Eligibility for Sports and Activities:

Students participating in sports or all-state academic/ fine arts activities must remain academically eligible. Eligibility is checked at the beginning of the 1st and 2nd semesters, as well as the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters. ASD VIRTUAL STUDENTS be aware that although virtual courses are self-paced, a quarter grade will be given based on your work completed during the grading period. This grade counts towards your academic eligibility. Students who are not eligible will not be able to participate in their sport or activity.

UPCOMING SPORTS START DATES AND SIGNUPS-

Each sport costs $225.00. There is now a student cap of $675.00 per year. Once you have reached this amount, all other sports will be free for the remainder of the current school year. If your family is seeking a financial waiver, you will need to apply and be approved for the Free and Reduced Lunch program. You can find this application process on the Student Nutrition website.

If you have additional questions, please contact Chelsea Hunt in the Activities office at 742-7005. Office hours are 8 AM to 4 PM with a closure at 12 PM for 30 mins.

START DATE

September 4th

Riflery

SAVE THE DATE

Important Notices from Last Weeks Newsletter

School Start Time Change

As a reminder ASD is launching new school start times this year to support student well-being and success. Please visit ASD’s webpage to learn more about the rationale for this change, and to review the new start times for the 2024-25 school year.

For the 2024/2025 school year, school start times will look like this:

PLC Monday Schedule

Start Time: 9:45 a.m.

Release Time: 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday Schedule

Start Time: 8:45 a.m.

Release Time: 3:15 p.m.

As a reminder the building is only open to students from 7:30am to 4:00pm. All students not actively participating in after school activities must be cleared out of the building by 4:00pm.

Bell Schedule

Dimond will be on a similar bell schedule to last year; however, it has been adjusted to reflect the new start time. Please visit this link on the Dimond High School website for more information.

Lockers:

Lockers are available to students and assigned at the beginning of the school year. The location and combination can be found in the student's Q portal and will be printed on the class schedule. Lockers must be kept locked at all times and the combination to your locker must remain personal. Damage to the locker or lock may be charged against the student to whom the locker is assigned. As lockers are the property of the school, they may be searched by school officials as established in the Student Rights and Responsibility document.

Drop Off and Pick Up:

Please review the traffic flow map for the current school year. You'll note that there are two primary areas for student drop off and pick up:

• The sidewalk area adjacent to the student parking area.

• The sidewalk area contained in the front-of-school roundabout.

Please note that all other areas are for staff or buses only. Importantly, although the staff parking area appears a good location for drop-off and pick-up, it cannot be used by non-staff members, as its layout creates safety concerns for those entering and exiting the parking lot: Please do not enter this area.

Thanks for your help in ensuring a safe and smooth start to the school year!

Transportation

Please take some time to sign on to ParentConnection/Q to find your student’s bus number and route. Transportation is provided for students who live at least 1.5 miles from their neighborhood school.

Parking Permits

Parking Permits will be FREE again this 2024/2025 school year! HOWEVER, a physical Parking Permit Form must still be completed and returned along with a copy of your driver's license along with a copy of your insurance. Once the physical forms have been signed by both students and parents, a parking permit placard will be issued. You can pick-up the physical Parking Permit Forms in the front office from Mrs. Pritchard. The parking permit placard will be good for the entire school year. Placards must be visible in your vehicle at all times. Parking fines will be issued to those who do not have a parking permit or are parked in reserved spots, such as the Lynx Lair spots reserved for parent volunteers.

Warm Regards,

Principal D’Atri