Staff will be welcomed back to school on Tuesday, September 2nd and will be engaged in professional development all day on Wednesday, September 3rd. We are excited to see our students on Thursday, September 4th. Our theme this year at LHS is ‘The Dragon as protector of knowledge and treasures!’ Dragons are often depicted as guardians of knowledge and treasures and we believe Miller the Dragon will inspire each of us to protect the learning that takes place in our school both in and out of the classroom. It’s going to be an amazing school year!
Families are asked to read the following important pieces of important information carefully:
- Cell Phone Policy – Nova Scotia restricts the use of cell phones in classrooms and other learning spaces in all schools in an effort to prioritize student learning and well-being. Please have a conversation with your child/children before the start of the classes in September to ensure they are aware of this expectation and understand that their cell phones must be powered off during instructional time.
- Communication between home and school will primarily be via email and phone. Out of respect for teachers’ schedules, all in-person meetings with staff must be scheduled in advance. Parents/guardians who arrive at the school in person to request a meeting will be asked to contact the person they wish to meet with to schedule a meeting.
- GNSPESis the primary mode of communication used between teachers and students and Students Services and students. Please ask your child to make sure they have checked their gnspes email as an invitation was sent inviting them to join the Google classroom for their grade. The grade level Google classrooms are where Student Services provide valuable information to students throughout the year so it is important that students check their classroom regularly.
- Chromebooks– All school Chromebooks have been allocated to classrooms for student use. Teachers will provide students with Chromebooks in class if they are required to complete schoolwork. Students are encouraged to use school Chromebooks and computers while at school.
This year, ALL grade 9 students will receive their own Chromebook to use. Details about this new program will be sent to families before opening next week.
- Student Attendance Policy – The EECD Student Attendance and Engagement Policy is attached for you to review. Regular attendance is key to a student’s success. It is important to note:
A teacher can recommend loss of credit when a student has missed 20 per cent of class time due to any absences, and strong efforts have been made to improve the student’s attendance, but no improvement has been demonstrated by the student.
Students and families are encouraged to make note of the ‘Classroom Assessment Due Date and Extension Procedures.’ These new procedures outline the process that will be used should a student miss a due date for an assignment in a course. Once a due date is missed, the teacher will confer with the student and/or parent and will determine if an extension of the due date is warranted. If an extended due date is negotiated and that deadline is missed, the teacher may decide to record a zero for the assigned work, which could impact a student’s final grade in a course.
To support students in meeting due dates in all courses, families are asked to ensure that they have an organizational tool/strategy (e.g., calendar, electronic device, binder, notebook) to record due dates in all courses starting on the first day of school.
All questions related to a student’s assessment should be directed first to the appropriate classroom teacher and then to the Department Head. Department Heads will consult with the administration as required.
- Student Fees– Student fees are $25 this year for all students. Student fees are used to provide a wide variety of student events throughout the school year. Student fees can be paid to Mrs. Daigle in Student Services by cash or cheque or online using SchoolCash. If paying student fees is a financial strain for your family, please email your child’s vice-principal and they will be waived confidentially.
- Student Parking
There is one designated student parking lot. Student parking is available on a first-come, first park basis.
***Due to the ongoing construction of the new turf field, an update will be provided on student parking from HRCE Operations before students arrive on September 4th***
Staff will have parking permits on display in their vehicles; students will not. There is a Parking Officer on site who will issue tickets to student vehicles that are a) not parked in the marked parking spaces in the student parking lot and b) parked in staff or visitor parking spaces.
Signage clearly indicates where students can park.
Students are encouraged to carpool as much as possible. A reminder that in the second half of the school year, we usually have an increase in the number of students earning their driver’s license and bringing vehicles to school. Students should be prepared for this as ALL students will have equal access to student parking.
Please have a conversation with your student driver about the importance of keeping our student parking lot free from litter. All garbage should be placed in a garbage can at school or left in the vehicle to dispose of later. Student drivers should use the outdoor etiquette rule “Leave No Trace”.
Important: Parking on school property is at your own risk. The school is not responsible nor liable for any damage that may occur to your vehicle while you are parked on school property.
- Vandalism– Vandalism of any part of our school property hurts everyone and is very costly. It is also a violation of the Provincial Code of Conduct and in some cases, the law. Any student who vandalizes our school property in any way will have serious consequences. Please have a conversation with your children about the importance of respecting our school property and the surrounding community areas. Respect for our school property is expected at all times.
- First Day of School
On the first day of school (Thursday, September 4th), all students will enter via the main front doors of the school. Students in grades 10-12 will proceed directly to their first period class for Day A (A block on Day A). Grade 9 students should proceed directly to the gymnasium, where they will be greeted by the administration and introduced to their A block teachers before going with those teachers to their first period class. Students should check their PowerSchool bell schedule before September 5th and make note of their first period class on that Thursday, as well as its location. Staff and Student Council members will be present in the main forum to help direct students.
- School Supplies– Students should have a binder, paper and pens/pencils to begin the school year. Individual teachers will tell students on the first day of school if there are other specific supplies needed for their course. To support our families during this difficult financial time, basic school supplies are available in the library and the Schools Plus room for students to pick up (no questions asked). If any of our families have extra school supplies that they would like to donate to enhance our supply, we would greatly appreciate it.
- School website
Families are encouraged to check our school website often at: https://lhs.hrce.ca/
Information is updated on our website regularly. On our school website, you will find contact information for all staff. Email is the best way to communicate with staff as teachers are often unable to answer calls during the school day. Please remember that staff have two business days to respond to email and phone calls.
- Course Selection
Course corrections will only occur twice within the school year, once in the first week of September and again at the end of January for second semester.
Course changes are only considered in the following circumstances:
1. The scheduling process has resulted in an incomplete schedule
2. A student does not have a pre-requisite for a course in their schedule OR the course and its pre-requisite are scheduled in reverse order.
3. A course is scheduled for which a credit has been previously granted.
4. A failing grade was obtained in a required course and it needs to be repeated.
5. A student was unsuccessful in a course and wants to change academic levels i.e. Math 11 to Math at Work 11.
6. A grade 11 or 12 student who is carrying more than the required course load (8 for Gr 11 or 7/8 for grade 12) would like to drop the extra course.
7. A course change request is also considered for the following prioritized reasons:
-a potential graduate lacks a required course to complete graduation requirements
-a student requires a course for their identified post-secondary path
Students will receive the Course Correction Request Form in their GNSPES email at the end of the day on Friday, September 5th. Forms must be submitted before noon on Wednesday, September 10th.
- Parent Concerns- All of us have a role to play in helping students feel safe and supported when they return to school. Parents/families who have concerns throughout the year should follow the Parent Concern Protocol found on the HRCE website. Communication between all members of our school community should be respectful at all times, including on social media.
Thank you for your continued support as we begin another school year. We are so excited to see our students both new and returning and look forward to working with you to ensure that our students have a safe, positive and fun school year!
Kind regards,
K. MacLeod, Principal
The Lockview High School community supports and challenges all learners to achieve personal excellence and to become responsible citizens in a safe, respectful environment