August 2018 Back to School Edition ATTENTION: STUDENT COURSE SCHEDULES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT JWHS ON THE FOLLOWING DATES! IMPORTANT COURSE SCHEDULE, TEXTBOOK, CLASS FEES, AND CHROMEBOOK INFORMATION Seniors: August 2, 2018 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Juniors/Sophomores: August 6, 2018 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Freshman: August 7, 2018 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CHROMEBOOK DISTRIBUTION Chromebooks will be handed out on August 2 nd, 6 th, and 7 th Students who are new to Frederick County Public Schools will need to make sure the FCPS Mobile Device Take Home Usage Agreement form is turned in before or on August 2 nd, 6 th, and 7 th. If you have any outstanding payments for lost or damaged Chromebooks you can pay them at this time. PARKING AND DRIVING INFORMATION: Parking permits will be sold to Seniors only on August 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Juniors may purchase parking permits on August 6 th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Permits will also be sold to Juniors and Seniors during normal school hours once the school year begins. When purchasing a permit the student must have the following items in their possession: 1) the blue parking application completed, 2) a valid driver s license, (3) the vehicle registration, and 4) a check for $75.00 payable to JWHS. Sophomores may purchase permits after the end of the first nine weeks. They must also meet the following criteria from the previous grading period: No failing grade in any class, no discipline tardies to school, and hold a good attendance record. Freshman may NOT purchase a parking permit under any circumstances. CALCULATOR LETTER Please find the enclosed letter pertaining to all students enrolled in Algebra 2, Advanced Algebra, Calculus, Honors Math Analysis, and Probability/Statistics. If your child is enrolled in one of these math classes for the 2018-2019 school year, please sign this enclosed letter and bring to the library during textbook distribution on August 2, 6 th and 7th. Your child will need to return this signed letter in order to receive his/her graphing calculator which is required for the above listed courses. NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION All new students and parents to James Wood High School are invited to attend an orientation program beginning at 6:00 p.m. on August 9th in the auditorium. This program will be valuable in assisting all new students as they transition to their new school.
Hello Colonels! I trust you have been enjoying summer and that the break between school years is providing the rest and relaxation that is so very needed. I want to first thank the school/community for providing me a memorable first year as principal. My faith in the good in people is reaffirmed each time I see students enter the hallways and the 17-18 school year was no different. I m very proud to be a part of Colonel Nation and it s you, the students and community, that provide that sense of pride. I sincerely hope you, both students and parents, will be active in all that James Wood has to offer. Students - I encourage you to join a club, or play a sport, or be in the performing arts, and visit the library frequently. Parents - consider volunteering a day or two per month, come to athletic events, reach out to a teacher to see if they need anything. We, as a community, are partners in the education of our students. It is hard work, yet it is the backbone of our society. The Colonel Courier is designed to keep you informed of important dates throughout the year as well as to publish success stories, offer information about certain school operations, and provide information about how you might be able to offer your services to JWHS. For example, we will no longer be calling it study hall...it is now known as SCOPE. You will soon learn what that acronym stands for through the students and teachers. Additionally, we will now be running a different bell schedule in that each day will feature four full blocks as opposed to having three blocks and two single classes per day. The Courier is one source that can keep you informed so we encourage you to take note of each publication. This coming year ( 18-19), the first day of school is Wednesday, August 15th. I look forward to greeting the new students as well as the returning students. I believe hard work brings results and I trust that we will all work together to achieve the outcomes we desire. I continue to remain committed to providing a safe and enriching experience to each and every one of our students. Also, I am also committed to improving upon what we do and I welcome your input. If you should have a question prior to or during the school year please know there is an open invitation to contact us. Go Colonels!! Sam Gross Principal
SENIOR PORTRAIT MAKE-UP Thursday, August 9th will be the make-up day for Senior Portraits at JWHS in the auditorium. Victor O Neill Studios will mail those seniors that did not have their portraits taken in July an appointment time. If you do not receive an appointment time, please contact Mrs. Turner in the school office. RETURNED CHECKS Frederick County Public Schools has an agreement with a third party administrator for the collection of all returned checks. If your check is returned by your bank, it will be automatically forwarded to a third party administrator after the first presentation. They will collect the face amount of the returned check plus the maximum collection fee allowable by law. Further action within the limits of law may be taken if you do not properly respond and Frederick County Public Schools may elect to cease accepting checks from you. MySchoolBucks Parents or guardians are encouraged to use the online payment system, MySchoolBucks, to pay school class fees, and place money on a student s cafeteria account. Parents are able to view current account balances, review recent purchases, receive low-balance alerts, and setup recurring payments on a weekly or monthly basis if desired. Once the payment is made, a receipt is automatically sent to the purchaser and teacher notifying them that a payment has been received. VISA and MasterCard are accepted 24 hours a day. The website is user friendly and allows you to self-register. Register on the school s website or on the FCPS homepage. Look for the MySchoolBucks payment link. STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE For the students protection, if medical insurance is not currently provided through the parents employer or individual plans, parents are strongly encouraged to purchase insurance from a private vendor or the student accident insurance program available through the school division vendor The Young Group, Inc. Information about plan types and enrollment instructions can be found on the school s website at www.jwh.frederick.k12.va.us. Click on Parents and Students then Health Services then Student Accident Insurance, where plan information and enrollment instructions are located. Enrollment and claim forms are also available in each school office upon request. FCPS insurance plan does NOT provide medical coverage for accidents or injuries to students during school or during school-sponsored or extracurricular activities.
Cheerleading July 30 and August 1: Competition tryouts as well as for varsity/jv sideline new students and transfers, 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m, auxiliary gym. August 2, 3, 6: Sideline/competition practice 9:00 11:00 am, auxiliary gym August 7: Stunt Clinic 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Please check back for JV sideline practice times. Cross Country July 30 August 4: 8:00 10:00 a.m. daily - arrive by 7:50 a.m. at the football stadium field house. Bring water bottle and towel! Football. Varsity: July 30 August 4, 8:30 a.m. 3:00 p.m. daily. Arrive early! JV: July 30 August 3, 3:15 6:15 pm. Team meeting July 30 at 2:30 p.m. before practice arrive early! Golf The JW varsity golf tryout/practice tee times are as follows. All practices will be held at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club. Players are expected to arrive 20-30 minutes early for check-in and warm-ups. July 26, 27, 31: 11:50 a.m. July 28-29: no practice July 30, August 2 and 3: 2:00 p.m. August 1: Licklider Tournament at SV Golf Club (no practice for non-participants) Volleyball July 30, 31, and August 1: 5:00-7:30 pm, main and auxiliary gyms August 2, 3, and 4: 12:00 6:00 p.m., team camps in gym Any athlete wishing to try out for a sport must have an approved VHSL physical on file dated May 1 or later. Physicals expire at the end of each school year, so 2017-18 physicals are not valid. July 30 August 2, 6, 7 August 9 August 8-14 August 9 August 15 August 30 August 31 September 3 September 11-12 September 13 September 26 Fall Sports Season Starts Chromebook/Textbook/Schedule pick-up Senior Portrait Make-up Faculty/Staff Workdays New Student Orientation, 6:00 p.m. First day of school Back to School Night, 6:00 p.m. No School Staff Professional Development Day No School Labor Day Holiday Underclassman Pictures Senior Parent Night @ 6:30 p.m. JWHS Auditorium College Night @ 6:00 p.m. @ Apple Blossom Mall The 2018-2019 School Calendar will be distributed to the students on the 1st day of school.
Help Wanted-Bus Drivers Frederick County Public Schools is accepting applications from individuals interested in becoming a school bus driver. No experience necessary. For more information contact Kim Neff or Patsy Grim with the Training Department at 540-667-2770, ext. 68112, 68110 or go to Driveourkids.com FCPS Rapid Communication System Text Messages The Frederick County Public Schools Rapid Communication System includes a SMS text message function. In order to receive text messages sent through the FCPS Rapid Communication System, parents must have the phone number of the device on which they want to receive text alerts included on their child s student record. In addition, they must opt-in to receiving the text messages if they have not done so previously. To opt-in, text Y or Yes to 67587 from the device on which you want to receive text messages. Once the opt-in process has been completed, you will receive a confirmation text message. The FCPS Rapid Communication System is used to contact parents in a variety of situations ranging from severe weather and power outages to other emergencies that may cause a school to evacuate, relocate or go on lockdown. The system also is utilized to inform parents when schools are closed, opening late or closing early due to inclement weather. Individual schools also utilize the system to communicate information to their school communities. Enhanced School Safety and Security for 2018-19 Frederick County Public Schools is committed to providing a safe environment for all students and staff. For the 2018-19 school year, all schools have been equipped with a buzz-in entry system which requires everyone visiting a school to identify themselves and the reason for their visit prior to being granted access to the inside of the building. Once visitors are granted access to the school office, they will have to present a valid, government-issued ID which will be scanned through the Raptor Visitor Management System and checked against registered sex offender and other databases that may include custody orders and information on any individuals prohibited from visiting school grounds. Those who are cleared by the system will be issued a badge bearing their name and photo as well as the date, time of entry and destination. (LINK TO BUZZ-IN ENTRY SYSTEM VIDEO- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ql12t8r3y&scrlybrkr AND RAPTOR VISITOR SYSTEM VIDEO- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss_sapxjqfc ) FCPS 101 Frederick County Public Schools is accepting applications for its community engagement program called FCPS 101. The program provides parents and others with an opportunity to learn about Frederick County Publi c Schools and its operations, including instructional and administrative services. Individuals interested i n participating in FCPS 101 must submit the application form by Friday, September 15. Applications will be available at all schools and on the FCPS website beginning on August 15. Do You Have the FCPS Mobile App? Frederick County Public Schools has a custom mobile app that provides instant access to a variety of school and division information including lunch menus, the school calendar, student assignments/grades, MySchoolBucks and school news. The app is available at no cost from Apple s App Store or Google Play. Peachjar Frederick County Public Schools uses Peachjar to distribute e-flyers about important school events as well as activities sponsored by non-profit and governmental organizations. Peachjar delivers these flyers to FCPS families via email. You can also view the flyers by clicking on the Peachjar icon on the bottom, left-hand corner of all school websites. FCPS has saved more than 6.5 million sheets of paper since starting to use Peachjar to distribute e-flyers in March 2016.