Welcome back to a new school year! I hope you had a great summer and feel rested, rejuvenated, and ready for an amazing year.
The beginning of a new school year is always a special time. It promises new opportunities, new friendships, and countless possibilities.
To ensure that your child has a strong start, I am including some important information in this letter to help you navigate the beginning of the school year. Communication is important to us, if you need anything this year, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Information in this letter:
● Communication (Weekly Flash, Monthly Newsletter [Thunderbolt News], Email, PowerSchool, Schoology, Website)
● Student Handbook Link / QR Code
● Site Council Nominations
● Open House Information (Flyer Attached)
● Economics Information – graduation requirement
● Attendance Policy
● Student Drop Off and Pick Up (Map Attached)
● Senior Short Schedules
● School Safety Terminology
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Communication
At Mica Mountain, we work hard to communicate with our families. We are always available for phone calls or in-person meetings when needed, but general communication is done electronically. Below are some ways you will hear from us:
Weekly Flash – We will send this out every Sunday, containing schedules for the week, events, upcoming special dates, etc.
Monthly Newsletter – Our monthly newsletter contains pertinent information from all departments and is known as “Thunderbolt News.” This helps students and parents stay informed on upcoming dates and information pertinent to our high school.
Email - We send various information via email, which is also a great first step in communicating with your child’s teachers.
PowerSchool – Keep up with your child’s grades and attendance through PowerSchool. This is the online grade book for our teachers. https://ps.vail.k12.az.us/public/home.html
Schoology – Schoology is our Learning Management System. This is where students and parents can keep up with classwork, assignments, due dates, and what is expected. Click the link below for more information and directions to get on Schoology. Students will be able to see what is expected for the week in each class https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QpxLNmKLHlvP-yUaKiu1m7ykXZdVLaDrfd7vP4hJQbw/edit?usp=sharing
Website – Mica Mountain Web Page (https://mmhs.vailschooldistrict.org/)
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Student Handbook Link
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Site Council Nominations
We have open positions for our Site Council. If you are interested, please send a biography and picture to Nemer Hassey at hasseyn@vailschooldistrict.org. Nominations are due by July 26, 2024 and elections will be conducted from July 29th through August 2nd.
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Open House
Open House is on Thursday, July 25th, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Economics Graduation Requirement
One of the Arizona state and Vail Governing Board requirements for high school graduation is a semester credit in economics. This course teaches basic economic concepts, including the roles of consumers and producers in the free market financial system, resource usage, global trade, personal finance, and the role of government in society.
We offer this course online at Mica Mountain High School through Schoology, which is an online class created by Vail School District teachers. We encourage students to take economics concurrently with their American Government class in their 1st semester of senior year. Doing so will give them daily support from their American government teacher with the economics online course content. During 6th period, we also have a dedicated economics support period where students can receive in-person guidance focusing solely on their online economics class.
Students DO NOT need to take economics on their own time, nor do they have to take it over summer break. If students want to take economics earlier than their senior year, they should make an appointment with their school counselor.
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Attendance Policy
Students who reach nine non-school-related absences in any one course per semester will lose credit in that class. Because we understand there may be extenuating circumstances to excessive absences, absence appeals for credit loss can be made to Mr. Kyle Howell at howellk@vailschooldistrict.org. Please monitor your child’s absences and let us know if there are any situations we need to be aware of regarding attendance.
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Student Drop Off and Pick Up
Student drop-off in the mornings normally goes smoothly. It is in the middle entrance by the marquee and loops around the parking lot. Please pull over to the right to drop off and drive through in the left lane. It is a one-way flow similar to airport drop-off.
Student pick-up after school is very congested, especially at the beginning of the school year. The busiest time is from 3:40 to 4:00 p.m. Parents can arrive in the middle loop or park in the far west parking lot to pick up their students. Valencia Road is under Pima County jurisdiction, and we have no authority on the road outside of campus.
Please support us by NOT parking or picking up your child in the Vail Inclusive Preschool lot, which is located at the farthest east parking lot. We will have staff at the VIP entrance who will not allow anyone other than Vail Inclusive Preschool parents into the most East lot.
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Senior Short Schedules
Many of our seniors have shortened schedules and leave campus by 1:00 p.m. Having a short schedule is a privilege. If any senior has a shortened schedule and maintains any failing grades, they will lose the privilege of an early schedule and will be required to stay on campus in study hall until their grades are a “D” or better. Our intention is to provide support to seniors to ensure success toward graduation. Graduation will be in jeopardy if parents choose not to have their seniors participate in this support.
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School Safety Terminology and Practices
School safety is a priority, and we strive to make our campus a safe learning environment for our students. Each morning, we check student IDs at the front gate. It is imperative that students have their IDs on them every day.
Shelter In Place
This is where we have no movement throughout our campus, but teaching and learning continue. Shelter in Place should not alarm students, staff, or parents. It is simply a process where administration and authorities investigate a potential situation, and we need to limit movement across the campus.
Lockdown
Students and staff are instructed to lockdown, barricade doors, and remain quiet. There is NO movement, no noise, and no classroom instruction.
Evacuation
Students and staff simply evacuate all buildings and exit to the perimeter of our school campus.
We are always reflecting and searching to improve all aspects of our school. We continually collaborate with authorities and other outside agencies to ensure the safety of our students and staff. This process of reflection allows us to utilize practices that protect instructional time while also maintaining a safe, educational environment.
Providing a safe learning environment for students and staff is our top priority. We intentionally practice all of the above situations throughout the school year to maintain a safe campus.
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If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us. Good luck and let’s have a great school year!
We are Mountain Strong!!!
Sincerely,
Nemer Hassey
Principal