September RACHS News

It was great to see many of you during Open House this week. We are looking forward to having everyone back for the first day of classes on Wednesday, September 3rd! In preparation for the new school year, please take a moment to read through this newsletter as it has a whole bunch of important information and reminders regarding the start of school, including the new cell phone policy.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day Weekend to enjoy every last bit of summer. Can’t wait to see everyone next week!

Please be sure to take the time to complete the tasks on the Return to School Checklist, especially reviewing the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct prior to the start of school. These documents have important information regarding academic requirements, offerings, behavior expectations and other procedures.

Remember classes start promptly at 7:30! We will be following a slightly modified schedule on the 1st day of school to make time for a Kickoff Assembly in the Auditorium at 9:00am. The adjusted schedule can be seen here.

We will review expectations and procedures, specifically the new state mandated cell phone ban during this time, and then end with a fun activity to start the year with!

Student laptops and schedules with locker info will be distributed in 1st block classes. Please remind your student to bring their charger if they did not turn it in with their laptop at the end of last school year!

Our "Cell Phone and Personal Electronics Policy" in the Student Handbook has been updated. This will officially start on Thursday, 9/4, the second day of classes.

Please be aware that students will be required to store their cell phone and/or personal internet-enabled devices in their assigned lockers from 7:30AM until dismissal time at 2:24PM. Use of cell phones or other personal internet-enabled devices, such as smart watches, will not be permitted during class periods, passing time, lunch, Advisement, study halls or in any other location on school campus during the school day.

Please note that this new policy is aligned with New York State Education Law 2803 which mandates that schools prohibit the use of non-school owned internet-enabled personal devices during the entire school day - including during both instructional and non-instructional times.

If a student is in possession of a cell phone and/or personal internet-enabled device during the

instructional day, there will be progressive consequences assigned. You can find these outlined on pg. 28-29 of the Student Handbook linked below.

If you need to contact your student during the school day, you may email them at their school account, which is gradyearfirstinitiallastname@student.gananda.org. For example, 26jallen@student.gananda.org or call the Main Office in the case of emergencies at 315-986-3521.

We realize this is a big change for students, families and staff. However, we are hopeful given the body of research from places that have removed student access to cell phones, that we will see many positive outcomes both academically and social-emotionally all leading to happier and healthier students in the long-term.

If your student wants to come set up their locker, or even just try the combination before school starts, we will be at the HS Tuesday, 9/2 from 7:30-3:30!

Dismissal time is 2:24 pm - half day dismissal time is 10:56 am.

Based on the Gananda Transportation Request Form submitted by each student's family, route information was sent out via ParentSquare. If you have questions about bus routes, bus numbers or pick up and drop off times, you can contact the Transportation Department at 315-986-4278.

For student drop off, please use the Wiedrick Road entrance and follow the flow of traffic (see yellow arrows on diagram).

Please make sure to use the designated crosswalks when approaching the building. Avoid walking across the parking lot aisles. This helps improve safety and visibility during the busy times at drop off and pickup.

For dismissal, the 2nd row in the parking lot is reserved for cars that are picking up students (see green oval on diagram). Please park and wait in one of the 2nd row spots when picking up your student at dismissal.

Please do NOT use the front bus loop*. This loop is designated for our bus use only. This is for your student's safety.

We greatly appreciate everyone following these procedures as they are meant to help make the parking lot safer!

*Use of the bus loop can occur with approval from our school nurse

Student parking spots will be assigned annually - students must submit their forms prior to driving to school. The form is linked here and can also be picked up in the Main Office. Once it is filled out, you can take a picture and email it to us or drop it off.

A new student scanning system will be installed on buses the first week of school which utilizes RFID cards to alleviate prior issues with barcode scanning. Student scanning on the buses is crucial to ensuring all students are on the correct bus and accounted for in the event of an emergency. New student ID cards will be handed out the first week of school and will be the only ID cards distributed during the school year. Due to the increased cost of obtaining them, replacement cards may incur a fee.

With the switch to RFID, cards will no longer be able to be scanned via cellular device. Parents/students will be able to continue tracking the bus through a new app which transportation will release details on once the new scanners are installed.

Please take the time to review your student’s schedule in SchoolTool. In order to set up your account, please follow the instructions located on this webpage: Gananda.org/Parents/SchoolTool Login.

If you believe there is a missing course or mistake, please submit an Add Drop Form (you can drop them off at the HS, email them to drichards@gananda.org, or ParentSquare an image of it or pdf version to Dani Richards). The Add Drop Process is described in this document. Please be aware that there still might be some minor shifting as we complete our final review to balance rosters as much as possible. Here is a link to current elective options.

The deadline to submit this form is September 12, 2025!

Also, please keep in mind that any schedule change requests that reduce a student's schedule below 6.5 credits for grades 9-11 or 5.5 credits for grade 12, will only be approved under special circumstances (CSE/504 recommendation, medically documented needs, work-based learning opportunities, etc.)

If you have further questions, please contact your student’s counselor:

• Mrs. Kelleher (kkelleher@gananda.org)

• Mrs. Marang (amarang@gananda.org)

You can also click on the buttons below that will take you directly to the Instructional Calendar and Daily Schedules.

Emergency Contact Information was shared via ParentSquare. Please review the emergency contact form and respond with changes as soon as possible.

Other forms shared through ParentSquare:

• Parent/Student Handbook Sign-Off
• Publishing Rights Release and Electronic Access Form

Students entering 12th grade need to have their meningococcal vaccine or a scheduled appointment with their physician by 9/22/25 to prevent exclusion from school.

9th and 11th graders need a NYS mandated physical.

Medications (over the counter or prescription) cannot be given out without a note from the doctor. Please use the OTC Medication Form or Permission to Administer Medication Form found on our website.

Any student registering for sports needs to have a physical dated within 1 year from the start of practices to participate. Outdated, unsigned or missing forms will prevent your student from trying out.

All medical forms can be found under the Health Services & Information part of the HS website, or you can click the button at the bottom of this section.

If you have any questions, please email the school nurse at lhall@gananda.org.

We have partnered with Inter-State Studio/SLR Photo for school pictures again this year. They will be at our school on Wednesday, September 10th to photograph our students and staff.

You may go online to view package options and pre-order your packages by going to the link below and using the code provided. You can pre-order or send cash or check with your student on picture day. Paper fliers will be shared with each student the first week of school, and are available in the main office.

Website: www.inter-state.com/order

Order Code:0209EBA

Please call the Inter-State Studio Office at 585-310-7781 with any questions.

If you have not received an invitation to join ParentSquare from your students school, please contact the main office of their building.

Absences need to be reported to the school health office by the parent/guardian of the student. This may be done so online by completing this form.

Respectfully,

Dr. Christopher J. Whipple, Principal

cwhipple@gananda.org

Mrs. Nickie Mereness, Assistant Principal

nmereness@gananda.org

(315) 986-3521, 8, 3154