Volume XXIX Issue 2 December 2017 PRINCIPAL S MESSAGE

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1 Volume XXIX Issue 2 December 2017 PRINCIPAL S MESSAGE Greetings, Let me say what a privilege it has been to work with your child(ren) thus far. We should be thankful that we have been permitted to be of service to others. We have helped students learn how to learn- and learn how to live. We experience many joys in our teaching, but we also know the sorrow and frustration as we become involved in the lives of our students. This happens because we care. We share their joys and excitements, but we also experience the uncertainty, the confusion, and the hurts that are so often a part of their lives. The glory of education is the opportunity it gives us to work with and help other people. This is the time of the year for rejoicing and for rededication. A quote from Thomas Drier says it well: " If we are ever to enjoy life, now is the time- not tomorrow or next year. The best preparation for a better life next year is full, complete, harmonious, joyous life this year." Now is the time to reflect on our blessings and to recharge our spirits. Happy Holidays! Jacqueline Bass-Fortune, Principal PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES Please contact your child s teacher(s) at any point in the year if you would like to schedule a conference. Upcoming Scheduled Parent/Teacher Conference Dates: (By appointment only) Wednesday, January 10, 2018 Wednesday, March 7, 2018 STUDENT PROGRESS Parents are encouraged to discuss grades and class performance with their children in order to keep informed of their progress. Feel free to contact the school if a conference with your child s teachers is requested at any time throughout the year. Please note that interims are not mailed, but sent home with your child. Interim dates are as follows, and students will be responsible for giving them to their parents/guardians. Thursday, December 14, 2017 Thursday, March 1, 2018 Thursday, May 17, 2018

2 2 Spotsylvania County High Schools Exams ~ January 2018 January 23, 2018 thru January 26, 2018 ~ Early Dismissal ( High School only) - Exam Days Examination Procedures 1. Students are not to be excused from missing an exam unless a doctor s excuse is produced or there is a death or serious emergency in the immediate family. Excuses should be presented to Mrs. Bass- Fortune. 2. STUDENTS ARE NOT TO BE DISMISSED UNTIL THE EXAMINATION PERIOD ENDS. We cannot call your child out of a testing situation for an early dismissal/appointment even if your child has completed the examination. 3. Early dismissals will not be taken over the telephone. 4. Students having an excused absence are to make arrangements with their teachers to make up exams. 5. If weather conditions or snow days necessitate a change in schedule, an announcement will be made. 6. Examinations will not be interrupted under any circumstances, i.e. telephone calls, messages, etc. Time Schedule Tues. January 23 B-Day High School Exam Schedule January 2018 Wed. January 24 A-Day Thurs. Jan. 25 B-Day Fri. Jan 26 A-Day 7:35 9:20 B5 A1 B7 A3 9:20 9:30 Class Change / Class Change / Class Change / Class Change / 9:30 11:15 B6 A2 B8 A4 11:15 Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal 11:30 Make-up Make-up Make-up Make-up Students will be dismissed at 11:15 a.m. each day FLEXIBLE MAKE-UP PERIOD Students may make up missed exams during the specified make-up period. Schools will coordinate schedules to ensure that students needing to make up exams are afforded the opportunity to do so. Students who need to make up exams are responsible for providing their own transportation. Students who cannot arrange transportation may be allowed to take make-ups during other blocks at the discretion of their teachers and the principal when appropriate and with prior approval. INCLEMENT WEATHER (Exam Schedule) In the event of inclement weather (school closing), the exam schedule will be adjusted to administer the exams that were scheduled on the inclement weather day to occur on the day that students return to school following the inclement weather day. Example: If school is canceled on Tuesday, January 23 due to inclement weather and school resumes on Wednesday, January 24, students will take their B Day (B5 and B6) exams on Wednesday, January 24. Additionally, the remaining exams will be pushed back one day.

3 3 Interim Dates End of Grading Period Issue Report Cards to Students Thursday, December 14, 2017 Friday, January 26, 2018 Thursday, February 1, 2018 Thursday, March 1, 2018 Tuesday, April 10, 2018 Thursday, April 19, 2018 Thursday, May 17, 2018 Friday, June 15, 2018 Rpt. Cards Mailed Home After 6/18 Please remember that these dates face adjustment if winter weather or other circumstances force cancellation of school days. COLLEGE BOARD ADMISSION TESTING PROGRAM Students may take either the SAT I or the SAT II Tests (but not both) on the dates listed below. (Registration materials are available in Guidance or online at Test Dates Registration Dates December 2 November 2 May 5 April 6 June 2 May 3 NOTE: Students should check individual college catalogues to determine if SAT II tests are included in the admission requirements for that college. LIBRARY Do your holiday shopping and support the ChHS Library at the same time! The Chancellor High School Library is having a spirit night at Barnes & Noble on December 15th from 5-8 pm. The spirit night will feature a holiday story time for children, a bookmark making station, a face painting station, photos with Santa, holiday games with Chancellor's improv group - Red Box, and holiday music from Chancellor student musicians. You can purchase a cheesecake by calling the store and even get a ChHS spirit drink from the Cafe! Please remember to mention the ChHS Library when you check out in the store and the Cafe. Thank you for your support! COUNSELING The University of Mary Washington will be here on Tuesday December the 5th for on site admissions. Longwood University will be here on Thursday December the 7th at 7:30am. Please sign up in the counseling office. Late Opening 2 Hours (No Morning Charge) Inclement Weather Schedule Two Hour Delay 1 st /5 th Block 9:35 ~ 10:25 Leave High 9:30 for SCTC/CGS/ JROTC 2 nd /6 th Block 10:29 ~ 11:24 SCTC/CGS/ JROTC return to home school by11:40 55 minutes 1:45 for SCTC/CGS/JROTC 55 minutes - classes 3 rd /7 th Block 11:28 1:21 Leave High 12:00pm in order to be at SCTC/CGS/JROTC by 12:20 1 st lunch 2 nd lunch 3 rd lunch 4rd lunch 11:28-11:54 11:58 12:24 12:28 12:54 12:58 1:24 4 th /8 th Block 1:28 2:20 SCTC/CGS/JROTC return by 2:18 52 minutes for SCTC/CGS/JROTC

4 REMINDER OF STUDENT ABSENCES Parents are asked to call the school when their child is absent from school due to illness or other reasons. This will eliminate the need for our attendance office to call parents at work to check on absences. Our school has implemented the use of Auto Dialer. Calls will be made to your homes at any designated time during the day to inform parents of their child s absence from school. If you have questions about this system, please call the attendance office. Parents need to send in excuses for their child s absence(s) on the day their child returns to school. Upon the student s return to school, the student must stop at the Attendance Office, located in the main lobby, to turn in their excuse note. If the student does not have a note from their parent or doctor on the day they return to school, their absence will be unexcused. Please note the School Board policy concerning excused absences: Excused - In general, excused absences are those which are due to illness or death in the immediate family. The principal may, at her discretion, classify as an excused absence, any absence in which she feels circumstances make it impractical for the student to attend school. The reason for the absence must be stated by the parent or guardian in the written note. The student s first and last name should be written on all notes submitted, as well as the absence date(s) and the current date. Requests for approval of absences which will result from family trips or other foreseeable reasons must be submitted in writing and approved by an administrator in advance. The determination of these absences as excused or unexcused will be based, in part, on the number of previous absences and the student s academic standing. The teacher will only grant make-up work for credit with the consent of the principal or her designee. In addition, Senior Skip Days are not sanctioned by Spotsylvania County Schools and will be counted as an unexcused absence in the event that your child skips school. Students who accumulate ten (10) unexcused absences will not be permitted to attend Prom. After-Prom or any other dance, and will lose their parking permit for the remainder of the school year. MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENTS It is the student s responsibility to arrange for make-up assignments after an excused absence. Students have a maximum of three school days to complete work missed. If a student is to be absent two or more consecutive days, and feels well enough to study at home during an illness, the parent should contact the guidance department before 9:00 a.m. to request assignments. When books need to be collected from a student s locker, the locker number must be provided. EARLY DISMISSAL REQUESTS Requests for your child to leave school prior to dismissal at 2:20 p.m. are to be submitted in writing and turned in before first period at the front desk in the main foyer. Parents will be called to verify the early dismissal requests. If the student forgets his/her early dismissal note, the parent will need to come to the Main Office to sign their child out of the building. Upon returning to school following an early dismissal, a note must be submitted at the front foyer reception desk. We cannot accept early dismissal requests over the phone. This is for the safety of your child. 4

5 5 What Is A Tardy Sweep? When teachers are investing all they have into student achievement and engagement, it s frustrating to have students walk in late to class. At the very least it s a disruption, but it can also cause somewhat of a restart to the class. Occasionally we conduct hall sweeps. It s pretty simple. We pick a certain block of the day and once the bell rings, teachers are asked to lock their doors and refer all tardy students to a certain destination. Detentions are assigned to students caught in the hall sweep. Each time we do this we get some feedback from students or parents. Of course, if a student has a legitimate excuse to be in the hall (i.e. sent to their locker by the teacher) the detention is cancelled. However, there are always some students that claim it was their first time being late and they are being unduly punished. I mention this because we will have several hall sweeps in the near future, and I m hopeful that an up-front explanation may alleviate some of the concerns. I believe it s obvious to all that punctuality is a good lifelong skill to possess. Students have four minutes to move between classes here at Chancellor and that is ample time to get wherever they need to go. Often times, the tardy students are those that spend time socializing with friends and waiting until the last minute to start to class. We believe this is an effective deterrent. It s one of the ways we use to curb tardiness to class. The quality of instruction in this school has never been higher, and yet there is always room for improvement. PARENTS IMPORTANT NOTICE Please help keep interruptions in the classroom to a minimum. We will deliver messages to students only in case of an emergency and FROM PARENTS ONLY. We cannot deliver messages from other family members, friends, or employers. Please make every effort to make arrangements with your child about doctor s appointments, transportation issues, etc. before they leave for school in the mornings.we appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

6 6 SUMMER RESIDENTIAL GOVERNOR S SCHOOLS Summer Residential Governor s Schools provide gifted high school juniors and seniors with intensive educational experiences in visual and performing arts; humanities; mathematics, science, and technology; medicine and health sciences or through mentorships in marine science, and engineering. Each Summer Residential Governor s School focuses on one special area of interest. Students live on a college or university campus for up to four weeks each summer. During this time, students are involved in classroom and laboratory work, field studies, research, individual and group projects and performances, and seminars with noted scholars, visiting artists, and other professionals. In the three mentorships, students are selected to work side-by-side with research scientists, and a variety of other professionals. A director and a student-life staff provide supervision of students 24 hours a day, throughout the program. Student Opportunities 2018 Academic Programs Agriculture Humanities Mathematics, Science & Technology Medicine and Health Sciences Mentorships in Engineering and Marine Science 2018 Foreign Language Academies Full Immersion: Spanish, French, German & Partial Immersion: Latin, Japanese 2018 Visual & Performing Arts Programs Dance Instrumental Music Vocal Music Theatre Visual Arts One of the most important aspects of the Summer Residential Governor s Schools is the opportunity participants have to live, study, and get to know other students with similar interests and abilities from across Virginia. Both co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are designed to encourage students' interests and abilities. Recreation and free time are provided outside of the academic environment that enable these students to enjoy, what for many is, their first summer living away from home. Student Nominations Nominations may be made by teachers, guidance counselors, peers, or by the students themselves. A school or division selection committee chooses the nominees from each school or division and forwards the nominees to a state committee. Consideration is given to students academic records, test scores, extra-curricular activities, honors, and awards, creativity, original essays, and teacher recommendations. Students applying for the Visual and Performing Arts Summer Residential Governor s School participate in a statewide adjudication where they audition or present portfolios for review before a pair of professionals in the specific arts field. Because of the limited number of residential placements available, not all students who are nominated by their schools can be accepted for participation.

7 7 Contact Information Interested students should contact their high school Gifted & Talented Coordinator by October 1 st of each school year for applications and details. The process is lengthy and highly competitive for these extremely prestigious programs. Please contact Ronda Dockery at Chancellor High School, (rdockery@spotsylvania.k12.va.us) or PH , ext 2119 for additional information. The deadlines to apply are staggered for each program. Visual & Performing Arts candidates must submit their applications in late October and Foreign Language Academy applicants must submit applications in early December. Academic and Mentorship candidates must submit applications in early January. Some programs require additional testing and or adjudication before final applicants are selected for approval. Visit for additional information. Calendar of Events December Early Release for Professional Learning 4 Jostens - Seniors orders during lunches 6 Blood Drive Winter Orchestra Concert 7:00 pm - Auditorium 7 Drama 4, 60 second plays & Red Box Improv $5 9 Band Holiday Party 4:00 pm - Cafeteria 11 Winter Band Concert 7:00 pm - Auditorium 14 Interim Reports Issued; Holiday Red Box 7:00 pm - Auditorium $5 (2 hours) 14 Barnes & Noble Library Spirit Night/Bookfair Rappahannock Choral Society Winter Spirit Week 18 Winter Choir Concert 7:00 pm - Auditorium 20 Winter Extravaganza B8 21 Winter begins Winter Break (School resumes January 3, 2018) January Winter Break 2 Teacher Planning & Dev./No Students 10 Parent Conference Night 6:00 p.m. 15 Holiday - Martin Luther King, Jr Exams - Early Release at 11:15 a.m. 26 End of 9-Week Grading Period 29 Teacher Planning & Dev. /No students February Report Cards 16 Early Release for Professional Learning 19 Holiday - President s Day