Dear QHS Parents/Guardians:
We are down to the final weeks of the school year! Thanks again for all you have done to help keep our schools open and safe. Since the beginning of the second semester, over 600 students have safely returned from virtual/hybrid to daily, in-person instruction. This is a critical time for all of our students to maintain their academic focus and wellness to have a strong finish to the school year. Quarter #4 will be very important for the academic success of our students, and we all look forward to graduation at the Cool Insuring Arena on Friday, June 25.
Several student recognition programs will continue as planned with both virtual and hybrid celebrations. The Student Spotlight Awards ceremony for grades 9-11 is scheduled for Thursday, June 3 at 7 pm with a google meet link that will be shared in advance. Our Senior Scholarship and Recognition Program will be in person for students on June 10 and live-streamed for parents. Mrs. Sipowicz will be sending a letter to all high school seniors and families in regards to this event. Students receiving recognition at the assembly will be notified through a personal invitation from the Counseling Center to let them know that their presence is required. If you have any questions, please call Mrs. Sipowicz at 824-4613. Our Athletic Director, Mr. Keys, will be sending out information about the Senior Athletic Awards program in early June.
Last Day of Classes; Final Exams, Regents Exams
The last day of regular classes for students in grades 9-11 will be on Wednesday, June 16. All local finals and Regents exams will begin on Thursday, June 17 and continue through Thursday, June 24. The final exam and Regents schedule are included with this letter. Please review this schedule with your student, and save it for future reference. A transportation schedule will be posted in classrooms and on the high school webpage. During exam weeks, only students who are scheduled for exams are permitted in the building. No cell phones/electronic devices are permitted in the testing area and must be turned in to the head proctor.
QHS has been fortunate to provide daily instruction all year long. We expect all students to sit for the Final exams and Regents exams, which are summative assessments allowing students to demonstrate knowledge of exit outcomes and standards. Final/Regents exams provide important feedback for students, families, and identify gaps that may be addressed in future planning. For this school year, the following Regents exams will be administered: Algebra I, ELA, Living Environment, Earth Science. Fully virtual students will take an equivalent local assessment in lieu of the Regents exam. In other courses, a local 90-minute final will be administered. Due to the hybrid/virtual instruction this year, final exams will be 20% of QTR #4 in all full-year courses. There will be separate columns on the report card for the RE exam score and local final score. Transcripts will be sent home with report cards this year to allow students to choose whether to include the Regents score on their transcript. Parents are encouraged to check SchoolTool to monitor their student’s progress.
Chromebook collection
In an effort to give students total ownership over their assigned Chromebook, once again, we will not be collecting Chromebooks from students in grades 9, 10 and 11 over the summer months. Once a student is assigned a Chromebook in 9th grade, they will possess that Chromebook every day until they graduate. If a student leaves the district over the summer, it will be the student and parent’s responsibility to return the Chromebook and charger to the assistant principal’s office. Additionally, if a student’s Chromebook is in need of repair, we will be offering a repair clinic in August. We will send out a school messenger regarding our summer repair clinic dates this summer. Senior Chromebooks will be collected during the month of June. There are two collection dates for Seniors: June 22 and June 23. Chromebooks and chargers must be turned in by Seniors on one of those two dates.
Class of 2021 Graduation Ceremony
The Class of 2021 graduation ceremony will be held on Friday, June 25 at 7 p.m. at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls. Graduating seniors are required to attend a one-hour rehearsal at 1 p.m. that afternoon in the Arena. Students should arrive for rehearsal no later than 12:45 a.m. Due to COVID capacity restrictions at this time, each graduate may invite up to four guests for the graduation ceremony.
Senior Give Back Day; Senior Prom
The Senior Class is also planning a community Give Back Day on June 4 and Senior Prom at the Fort William Henry. Additional details will be posted in Google Classroom for Seniors. Both the prom and graduation ceremony will require attendees to follow COVID Safety Protocols: In addition to masks and physical distancing, each attendee must provide evidence of one of the following:
- Proof of COVID immunization
- Proof of having had COVID (Dr.’s note) within the last 90 days
- Proof of negative COVID test – (PCR) – within 3 days of event
- Proof of negative COVID test – (Rapid) – within 6 hours of event
Additional information about the verification and collection of this information will be shared at a later date. Despite the challenges our school community has faced this year, we remain #SpartanStrong and look forward to a successful finish!
Sincerely,
Damian Switzer
QHS Principal