Beth Patton Principal Joanne Keely Secretary Chris Barker Associate Principal Tim Heaphy Assistant Principal Michael LeMoyne Assistant Principal Todd Russo Assistant Principal Erika Chapman Instructional Support Services

From the Office of the Principal…

                                                                                                          September 2010

Dear Parents and Students of the R-H Community,

Greetings from everyone at Rush-Henrietta Senior High School!  On behalf of the administrators, teachers, and staff members, we are looking forward to starting the 2010-2011 school year with our students and their families!  We have been working hard this summer to get the building and your schedules ready for you.

We sent a letter to all registered students in July to let you know when and why we send students their schedules just before we open.  We wait until summer school is finished and most adjustments are made to students’ schedules before we send them out.  It is our goal to give accurate and up-to-date information to our students and their families. Sophomores will receive their schedules at Orientation on September 2. All other schedules will be mailed September 2.

As you prepare, remember that information about school supplies has been posted on the district’s Web site since this past spring.  Supply lists are generated by course, not by individual teachers, so look on the high school’s page and you’ll find the link on the left-hand side of the page.   

It is our district’s goal to help every student meet and exceed the standards required for courses and, ultimately, for graduation.  This is the philosophy behind a “standards-based” approach to teaching and learning.  I’ve included our district’s vision statement in this issue for you to help illustrate our beliefs.  Last year, we began to hold students more accountable for completing required work assigned by withholding course credit if required work was not completed.  Students who did not complete their work for courses required for graduation either went to summer school to finish their work or will have to repeat courses this fall.  Students who did not complete their work in elective courses simply did not receive credit for the class.  We will continue to hold students accountable in this manner again this year.  Teachers will identify for students and parents the required major assessments such as unit tests, projects and papers for each course.  A notation of incomplete (INC) will be recorded on report cards for students who are not meeting these requirements.  Students who have an incomplete in any course will not be allowed to participate in extra-curricular or athletic activities until the incomplete work is made up.  Holding students accountable in this way is a new practice for us this year.  We do so not to punish students but, to make our priorities clear, we are in school to learn.  I wanted to let you know of our expectations for our students right up front so everyone understands our purpose and practices.  

Our schedule remains the same as last year.  Please note that all students are assigned to a Homeroom that occurs at the end of the school day, from 2:05 to 2:45 p.m.  The only exceptions are those students who attend EMCC in the afternoon.  In reference to the priorities I noted above, homeroom time should be used to get started on schoolwork.  Students can use this time to seek support from classroom teachers, to see a teacher for extra help, or make up work missed due to an absence.  It is important to note that we expect students to attend their assigned Homerooms, follow established procedures for signing out of Homerooms to see other teachers, and make appropriate use of this time.

For seniors only, we continue to offer the opportunity to exercise an early release option at 2 p.m. in lieu of attending their assigned Homeroom.  Mr. Russo, Assistant Principal for Grade 12, will be discussing eligibility requirements in detail with seniors during their beginning-of-the-year assembly.  There will be an academic achievement requirement for eligibility.  Our first and foremost job as educators is making certain that all students achieve to their highest potential. We cannot, in good consciousness, allow seniors to leave early if they are experiencing academic difficulty.  We see this opportunity as a privilege to be earned, not a right, so there will also be eligibility requirements related to good school citizenship. There will not be a separate bus run for this early release opportunity so seniors will need their own transportation and permission from parents to exercise this option.  Again, until we are settled in and have completed mandatory tasks and we have established our routines, all students will attend their assigned Homerooms.

Opening of School packets will be mailed out on September 1 or picked up at Sophomore Orientation.  Information provided in that mailing includes student schedules, guidelines for making changes to student schedules, mandated notifications regarding our Code of Conduct and use of pesticides, as well as a welcome letter from grade level Assistant Principals.  Parents and guardians, please take time to sit down and carefully review this information with your child.  Students are welcomed to come to the building during regular business hours, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. after September 1 to find their classrooms and lockers.  Our first day of instruction is Wednesday, September 8.   

Our expectations regarding the dress code have not changed.  We expect students to come to school dressed appropriately for participating in a learning environment.  You received a letter from our Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Ken Graham, in the information packet that describes in detail the expectations we have regarding the dress code.  We will continue with the protocols we had last year with regards to the use of electronic devices in school.  Students may use cell phones, iPods and the like during passing times between classes and during their lunch period.  It is not appropriate or allowed for students to use these devices during instructional time.  If students use these devices during instructional time, teachers are authorized to take the item from students.  Seniors assigned to senior study hall will also be afforded this privilege during that time.  We hope you understand that our goal is to teach appropriate habits.  Talking or texting on cell phones is never appropriate during instructional time and we will enforce this expectation vigorously.  Again, parents, we are respectfully requesting your assistance in making sure that students comply with our expectations.  We want to focus on your child’s learning. Thank you.

Here are some important dates to remember:

9/8                   First day of Instruction

9/21                PTO Meeting                         6:30 p.m. Small Cafeteria

9/23                Open House                          6:45 to 9:10 p.m.

To the incoming sophomores and their parents, a warm welcome to Rush-Henrietta Senior High School!  We have a terrific, dedicated faculty and staff anxiously waiting to meet you, help you transition to the high school, and help you continue to work towards meeting standards and graduation requirements.  We are very excited about initiating Link Crew – consisting of students in 11^th and 12th grade - to help our sophomores get connected to the high school!  Your Link Crew Leader will be a terrific support for you this year. 

To our juniors and their parents, focus on results!  Junior year is so important for you to hone in on your academic achievement.  Your academic achievements this year will have a huge impact upon your future!  You know how school works and what we have to offer you so make good decisions, prioritize your time, and keep your eye on the prize!  And finally, to our seniors and their parents, you have been a terrific group of students for the past two years and now it is your responsibility to step up and be positive, supportive role models for our underclassmen.  We will have a great year filled with memorable events for you, just remember you still have to “take care of business” in order to walk across that stage on June 24, 2011.

Enjoy the last few days of summer.  We look forward to seeing you next week!  Remember, it’s all here for you!  Take advantage of all we have to offer!  Rush-Henrietta Senior High School is a great place for kids!!

Sincerely,

Beth Patton

SHS Principal

School Profile 2008-2009 (pdf file - 129kb)

Voicemail List 09-10 (pdf file - 43kb)

Map of the Senior High School (pdf file - 195 KB)

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