August 20, 2008
Dear QHS Students and Parents:
Welcome back for the 2008-2009 school year! I hope that you have had a great summer vacation and have spent valuable time with family and friends. I hope that you are energized and ready to start another exciting school year. The QHS faculty and staff are looking forward to working with your family to ensure you have a successful year. We are all very excited to get started and the entire staff has been working hard to prepare for your return. The first day of classes is on Thursday, September 4th. Make sure to get involved, stay organized, work hard and enjoy your high school experience.
Your student’s academic schedule for the school year was mailed August 20th. Please review this schedule closely and if you have any questions, please contact your guidance counselor. All students have been assigned a homeroom and a locker. Please save your locker number and combination and write it down in a safe place that you can remember for opening day. Students will stay together in the same homeroom for the remainder of their high school careers. Lunch period assignments are printed on the back of your schedule. All lunches will take place during period three based on your class and section number. Classes that meet every other day during period three maintain the same lunch schedule. All counselors will be working next week (8/25-8/29) to answer any of your questions. Any schedule changes beyond the first day of school will need to be approved by the teacher, counselor and parent. No drop/adds will be accepted after 9/18 for half-year courses, and 10/2 for full-year courses.
Freshman/new student orientation is scheduled for Thursday, August 28th at 1:00 in the high school auditorium. Students will get a tour of the building, review their schedules, and find their homeroom and locker assignments. Please bring a copy of your student’s schedule with you to the Freshman Orientation Program. The program should take approximately one hour.
Thursday, September 4th is the opening day of school for all students. The school day will begin with a warning bell at 7:25am and a ten minute homeroom starting at 7:30am. Student schedules and agendas will be distributed and general announcements will be made in homeroom. Your homeroom number is listed at the top of your schedule. This will be the only day that we start school with homeroom. Every other day, students will go to their period one class, then to homeroom after period one. The school day ends at 2:05 and the first bus run home at 2:11. The after school activity period is until 2:40. Students must obtain a bus pass from a teacher/advisor/coach to take the late bus home. All students must leave the building after 3:00pm unless they are being supervised by a teacher, advisor, or coach.
On Thursday and Friday of the first week of school, we will be meeting with each grade level to discuss academic programs, review the code of conduct, and share our plans for what will be a very successful school year. We look forward to meeting each class and setting goals for the year.
On Thursday, September 11th at 6:30pm we will be hosting a Freshman Parent Night in the high school auditorium. Counselors and administrators will talk about high school opportunities and expectations for student success. This is a great opportunity for us to meet parents and to answer questions.
Students who attend BOCES will begin their vocational training programs on Thursday, September 4th. All BOCES students should report directly to the cafeteria at 7:30am for homeroom where they will receive their schedules, agendas and locker assignments. All BOCES students will be bused to Dix Ave. from QHS at 7:40am for an 8:00am starting time. Students will be dismissed from BOCES at 10:20 and will be back to QHS for the start of period three. BOCES students are not allowed to drive their own cars to the Myers or Southern Adirondack facilities.
Parents and students are reminded that student and visitor parking and drop-off/pick-up areas are at the front entrance of the school. Only buses and faculty parking are in the back. Students who have been issued parking permits will be allowed to park on school property. A signed copy of the high school parking policy will be required for a student parking permit. Parents who drop-off/pick-up their students must use the front entrance loop. Please stay to the right next to the curb for drop-off/pick-up. The left-side of the lane should be open to pass. Parents can not park or leave their car unattended in the front loop. This is a designated fire lane and cars left unattended will be ticketed. Visitor parking/handicap spaces are available at the front entrance.
Open House for the high school has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 24th at 6:45pm. Parents will follow an abbreviated version of their child’s schedule and have the opportunity to meet with their classroom teachers.
We have welcomed seven new teachers to our high school staff this year. These individuals bring a wealth of experience, diversity and enthusiasm to the Queensbury family. We are all very fortunate to have such a professional and caring staff who are dedicated to providing the best education possible for our students. We are very proud of the quality of our academic programs, our extensive extra-curricular offerings, and the success of Queensbury High School students. Our goal is to build upon previous accomplishments and continuously evaluate and improve our overall programs.
I look forward to working with all of you this year. If there is anything we can do to help along the way, please do not hesitate to call. My phone number is 824-4626.
Let’s have a great school year!
Sincerely,
Mr. Patton
QHS Principal
