Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Flock IS Family (08/21/24)

Hello Glendale High School Families,

I want to thank each and every one of you for sharing your student with us this year, and for allowing us to have a chance to impact their life in a positive way.  This blog will serve as a tool to communicate important information to Glendale families.  This is not all-inclusive, so please check out social media and the school website for information.

Glendale High School Mission and Vision
Mission: To inspire personally-driven, community-focused, and globally-connected learners.
Vision: Learners refine their unique abilities to positively impact our world.

GLENDALE ALMA MATER
GLENDALE OUR HEARTS WILL BE WITH THEE
WE PLEDGE OUR HEARTS WITH LOYALTY 
WE’LL LOOK BACK UPON THOSE REMEMBERED YEARS 
POND’RING THOSE MEMORIES WE’VE GATHERED HERE
 GLENDALE WHERE E’RE WE GO WHAT E’RE WE DO 
WE WILL REMEMBER THAT THE RED AND BLUE 
BROUGHT US GLORIES TO SOON GONE BY 
ALMA MATER OUR DEAR OLD GLENDALE HIGH

This Week In GHS Sports (Wednesday-Wednesday Schedule)
Below is our schedule of events for next week:

Students Attending Athletic Events at GHS
All students must follow the rules/expectations below:
  • Middle and Elementary School students can only attend events with a parent or guardian, and must remain in the bleachers or seats throughout the event.
  • All high school students must wear/possess their school ID badges at games. NO ID means NO entry to the game.
  • All students must remain in the stands during the game except to go to the concession stand or restrooms.
  • No bags/backpacks will be allowed under any circumstances. They have to leave them in their car or make a plan to leave them somewhere secure outside of the facility.
  • No skateboards or bicycles are allowed in the stadium, and will not be supervised on-site.  Please do not bring them on-site for events.
Food Deliveries Are Not Allowed By Restaurants or Delivery Companies
Students CAN NOT order food to be delivered to Glendale High School during the school day.  Having food delivered by vendors and delivery drivers creates an unsafe situation at school. To ensure the safety of our students and staff we will no longer accept deliveries by restaurants or delivery companies.  Food that is delivered to school will be sent away with the delivery person.  The school will not be responsible for the food orders.  All students have been notified that food deliveries will not be accepted.

Cell Phone Policy
GHS classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, and other commons spaces are cell phone free zones during instructional times.  Student cell phones should not be out or visible at all during class time.


SmartPass- Electronic Hall Passes for Students

As a learning organization focused on building a strong school culture that accounts for safety and security, we are pleased to announce that we will begin using SmartPass - a digital hall pass system that replaces traditional hall passes such as sign-out sheets, wooden blocks, passbooks, and lanyards.


The benefits of introducing SmartPass include (but are not limited to): 


  • Improved classroom management through seamless, one-touch pass approvals

  • Reduced foot-traffic in hallways during instructional time

  • Centralized management of building “hotspots” that are known to be problematic, such as bathroom meet-ups and unmonitored areas 

  • Flexible management of release time for students with unique, individualized needs, including medical attention, counseling, cool-down walks, and academic interventions 

  • Real-time insights on student movement, which is essential during emergencies, weather alerts, and other incidents


SmartPass does not utilize or support GPS tracking; there is no ability to pinpoint a student location. That said, the system does give our administration, faculty, and staff better insight into whether students are in class or have been approved to be elsewhere. 


Remind- High School Communication Tool
SPS has moved to a single high school communication tool for parents. We will use Remind. You do not have to do anything to receive communication, but can opt-out. The communication will come as text style messaging from teachers.

From the Counseling Office
We are off to a great start of the school year! We will be closing schedule change requests Thursday, August 22nd at 12:00 pm (noon). This means that we will no longer accept any new schedule change requests. For students who have already completed the schedule change request, we are still working through those requests in the office and those changes will continue to be addressed. Now that we are moving past scheduling change season, we are very excited to start meeting individually with our students! Please reach out to your student’s school counselor for any questions or concerns!

Student Council Updates

Important Dates
Glendale Open House/SPS U is scheduled for 09/12/24 from 5:30-7:30 PM.  Look for more information to come.

Glendale Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for 10/29/24 from 3:30-7:30 PM.  Look for more information to come.

Updates From the Financial Office
If you have purchased parent athletic passes, please remember to swing by the financial office at GHS to pick them up.

Senior Ad Pricing and Yearbook Information
Senior advertisements are the perfect way to honor your senior student in the GHS Yearbook. Ads are available online by going to Jostensadservice.com/student. All ads will be run in color and are available in ¼, ½, and Full Page sizes. Simply upload and place the photos you want to use for the ad, enter your text, and submit the completed advertisement to Jostens. Revenue from the advertisements directly supports the GHS yearbook program. All advertisements are due by 12/31/24.

Secure your student’s copy of the 2024-2025 GHS Yearbook! The 200+ page book will be at its cheapest price of the year at $45 until 10/25. Purchases can be made by going to MySchoolBucks or Jostens.com.

Student Attendance Requirement to Attend Dances
In order to attend a SPS dance, excluding Prom, students must meet the following requirements: 
  • 90% overall attendance (school-sponsored activities do not count as absences) by a determined date prior to the dance set by the high school site administration
  • Must be in attendance the entire school day the day of the dance
  • Must not be serving ISS or OSS on the day of the dance
  • Major discipline infractions may result in non-admittance to the school dance
Final Exam Exemption Information
Students are eligible for final exam exemption by meeting the following criteria: 
  • 90% overall attendance (school-sponsored activities do not count as absences)
  • Received no ISS or OSS for the semester
  • Passing the class with an 80% or greater prior to the final exam
  • Exempt students may take the final to improve their grade in a class; in this case, the final exam grade cannot hurt the student’s overall grade
  • This is an academic based incentive, and therefore there are no attendance appeals 
  • Dual credit, AP, IB, and virtual classes are not eligible for final exemptions.
Student Handbooks and Parent Signatures
Student handbooks were sent home on the first day of school.  We are required to collect a parent signature to verify receipt of that handbook.  The signature page is on the inside cover.  Please sign and return that page to your student's first block teacher or the main office.

College and Career Readiness
As juniors gear up for the practice ACT test in October, I want to remind you that your student can start preparing now using the Naviance ACT Test Prep tool. Resources and information about this, along with other ACT-related materials, are available in the GHS College & Career Readiness course on Canvas. Encouraging your student to begin their preparation early can make a big difference in their performance!

From the Branch
Students needing free food, hygiene and/or clothing supplies…  GHS is proud to have The Branch Hygiene, Clothing, and Food Outreach Program inventory available to our students at no cost!  Please see Ms. Massey or Mrs. Patton for any needs.

District and School Text Messaging for Student Contacts
If you previously opted out of receiving text messages and would now like to receive them, text START SPSR12 to 23177 and also to 53291.  The 53291 opts you in for general messages and the 23177 for emergency messages.

Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS)
Springfield Public Schools has implemented PBIS across all schools.  PBIS is An evidence-based practice that, when implemented with fidelity, has proven to reduce problem behaviors while increasing prosocial behaviors.  PBIS is a framework for creating safe and orderly learning environments where all students can be academically and socially successful.  Please see below for the GHS PBIS student expectations.  This year during FLIGHT class, students who meet the requirements will be allowed to travel to the cafeteria where there will be music, raffles, and other activities.  

Student requirements for travel are:
  • 90% attendance (Cumulative)
  • No ISS or OSS
  • No D’s or F’s
  • Students who are drafted to a classroom for academic support will also not travel to the cafeteria
Student Attendance is Vital to Student Success
Student attendance at school is vital to student success, both academically and socially.  Please make sure your student attend school every day.  Please reach out to Emily Massey for attendance support.  Please see below for the attendance to GPA correlation chart.  Students who attend typically have a much higher GPA.
Student Device Information
Students will begin being charged student device fees. Below are the device fee items and the charges associated. 

Fee Item

Free/Reduced Lunch

Full Pay Lunch

Case Replacement

$10

$10

Charger Replacement

$10

$25

Device Repair

$10

$25

Device Full Replacement

$25

$50


Wednesday Is Late Start
Glendale High School teachers participate in professional learning weekly, on Wednesday mornings.  Students may still arrive at the normal times, but their school day does not start until 8:40 AM on Wednesdays (8:10 AM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday).  On Wednesday morning, we provide supervision for students in the cafeteria.

GHS Bell Schedule

Red/Blue Day Calendar
Please utilize the below calendar to help navigate the red and blue days.  

Free/Reduced Lunch Meal Information
SPS Free and Reduced Lunch Application

Fees, Fines, and Other Financial Information
To pay off your students' fees online or with a credit card, please follow the instructions below for an easy way to pay.

Getting started is a simple three-step process!
1. Download the app or visit the https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain.action homepage and click on “Sign Up Free”.
2. Create a user profile with your email address, establish a password, and set up your security questions.
3. Add a Student to your account using the student’s name and date of birth or student ID number.   

Note:  student ID numbers can be obtained by contacting the school. Now you’re ready to make payments! 

Student Home Access (eSchool Gradebook)
If you do not know your login, contact the Glendale main office at 417-523-8900, and the office staff will provide this information. 

Then go to https://www.sps.org/ or  https://www.sps.org/glendale and click on the  Family Home Access Center link. You will then be prompted to enter your username and password.

A+ Program Updates
The A+ Program provides scholarship funds for eligible graduates to attend most Missouri community colleges and technical schools. In addition, several four-year Missouri colleges and universities offer their own scholarship for A+ qualified students. Last year our A+ graduates could earn as much as $10,000 towards their college tuition and general fees. 

Glendale makes the A+ program fun by providing promotional activities and events each school year. Each year we have around 50% of graduates qualify for the A+ program. For more information about the Glendale A+ Program, students can check out their A+ CANVAS course which lists A+ Program Resources, visit the A+ website or follow us on Twitter @glendaleAplus.

If you have any questions please contact Jenny Cofield, Glendale A+ Program Coordinator.

Student Grades 
Please check your student's grades in eSchool.  You can also view student grades in Canvas.  It is vital that students start strong.  Please check your student's grades online, and communicate with your student's teachers.  Our goal is that all students are academically successful, please encourage your student to submit all assignments.

If your student is taking a LAUNCH course or is fully virtual, their grades will be kept updated in Canvas.  

Grades & D/F Phone Calls
Grades in eSchool are the official grades for seated students.  GHS will continue sending phone messages to the homes of students who have a D or F in any of their classes. If you haven't started checking eSchool grades please do so.  If you receive the phone call please check eSchool to see what class(es) your student has the D/F. We also recommend you contact the teacher with questions, concerns, or you feel an error has been made.

For clarification, the report used to determine who receives these calls runs at 4:30 a.m. 
the day you receive the call. It is possible teachers update grades during the course of the
day. Again, please check eSchool on a regular basis and direct questions to the teacher(s).

Glendale and SPS Information 
GHS Website:  https://www.sps.org/glendale
2021-22 Springfield Public Schools Calendar: https://www.sps.org/

Please remember we are here for you and your student. Don't hesitate to reach out to us at 
any time.

For questions, please call 523-8900.