Smith Vocational Monthly Milestones

Greetings SVAHS Community,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer and are ready for an exciting and successful year. I am eager to witness the learning and growth of every student and the paths forged during this year. As we hit the ground running, I want to thank Mr. Clark, one of our Assistant Principals, for providing the following pertinent information. Please take time to review this information and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

As a quick reference, the Student Handbook can be found by clicking the link here.

Our attendance policy reflects the shared understanding that your child being here each and every day is critical to their success, especially in the vocational setting. We track attendance to ensure eligibility for credits toward a diploma and hours toward a Chapter 74 certificate of completion. Additionally, attendance is a factor in determining eligibility for co-operative employment during junior and senior year. Students who reach nine (9) or more absences in any one class or shop (including related) may lose credit. Parents/guardians will receive a letter in the mail from Mr. Clark at the five (5) absence mark and then at nine (9) or more absences. It is imperative that documentation is submitted for any absence that can be excused in a timely manner, but keep in mind that submitting documentation does not automatically excuse the absence.

Students should also do their best to avoid being late to school. Mr. Clark will meet with students who reach four (4) tardies to issue a verbal warning. Once a student reaches eight (8) tardies, they will be issued after-school detention for up to one (1) hour. Should a student continue to be tardy, progressive discipline will be employed. Students who are late due to medical appointments or some other situation that can be excused should submit documentation to be reviewed.

Students have the ability to make up time throughout the year using vacation recovery sessions, after-school hours, and summer school. It is imperative that students make up vocational hours to ensure they reach the required 900 hours toward their Chapter 74 certificate of completion. If there are any questions or concerns or you wish to have a report of your child’s attendance, please email Mr. Clark at jclark@smithtec.org or call the main office at 413-587-1414 x3403.

Our Student Handbook has also undergone some revisions for the 2026-27 school year. The following are some new or revised policies for this upcoming year:

Changes to Early Release times:

On early release days, students will now be dismissed at 11:00 a.m. All students will be given the opportunity to be provided with lunch that day prior to their departure. A Google Form will be circulated to the students’ school-issued email addresses. Lunch will be delivered to their 7th period class prior to dismissal. Students will be given the opportunity to eat the delivered lunch prior to their dismissal. The updated early release day schedule can be found on page 13.

Regarding participation in athletics and school-sponsored events (page 31):

In order for a school day to count as a full school day for a student’s attendance, they must be present from 7:40 a.m. through 11:00 a.m. If a student is tardy, they need to have arrived by 11:00 a.m. and stayed through 2:12 p.m. for it to be counted as a full school day for them. Students may not participate in athletics, extracurricular activities, school-sponsored events (such as prom), field trips, etc. if they were not present on the day of the event, or in the case of a weekend, the last school day preceding the event, for a full school day.

Regarding outside food and drink deliveries via Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. (page 45):

Students are not permitted to receive outside food or drink deliveries via DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, or any other similar service during the school day. A student who is found to have had food and/or drinks delivered to the school may face the appropriate disciplinary consequences, in addition to their food or drink item being kept in the main office for them to pick up at the end of the day. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of administration. The handoff of such items takes away from learning, may serve as a distraction to other students, and could create a campus security issue as there is no way to properly vet the drivers who may be dropping items off. In an effort to promote food safety, students are not permitted to share food or drinks with others.

Regarding the Pledge of Allegiance (page 45):

The Pledge of Allegiance will be read on the public address system each morning along with the morning announcements. No student shall infringe upon another student’s right to participate as they choose.

Regarding transportation policy enforcement authority (page 47):

To ensure the safety of all students who ride on buses, it may occasionally be necessary to revoke the privilege of transportation from a student who abuses this privilege. For students where SVAHS holds the contract for busing (typically only students from Northampton), the principal or their designee will make all decisions with regards to the revocation of busing privileges. For students where SVAHS does not hold the contract for busing, the decision making authority rests with the superintendent of the student’s sending district or their designee, or the town in which the student resides.

Regarding school-issued key fobs and replacement thereof (pages 49-50):

In order to maintain a safe environment conducive to learning, students will be provided a key fob to be used to enter all buildings during the school day. Students have access to all buildings from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with early access provided to Building A at 6:45 a.m. Students will be provided their first key fob from the school at no charge. Should they lose their fob at any point, they must report immediately to the main office. Replacement fobs are seven dollars ($7.00) each. Any unpaid replacement key fob fees are carried over year-to-year and must be paid prior to graduation. Students will be asked to turn in their key fob at the end of the year prior to leaving for summer vacation or graduation. No student should share a key fob with any other person, and should not bang on the window to a classroom to alert someone to let them in. Students who have forgotten their key fob for the day can borrow one from the main office upon leaving an item of collateral. Any student who loses a temporary key fob will be charged the replacement fee.

Regarding clothing that features alcohol, cannabis, etc. (page 83):

Students may not wear “any clothing that promotes alcohol (even if solely the brand name), marijuana, cannabis, or any other substance that would be illegal for a student to possess, use, consume, or purchase.”

Additionally, due to the retirement of our director of security, Mr. Brown, the handbook has been updated to reflect that the enforcement of parking lot policies now rests with the assistant principals. If your child plans to drive to and park on campus, they must register their vehicle via the Google Form linked here. Parents/guardians will receive an email to confirm that they have received the parking lot policies and approve of their child parking on campus.

Lastly, our club and organization descriptions have been updated. All students are encouraged to find clubs and organizations that interest them and get involved on our campus. These updated descriptions can be found on pages 34-37.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the updates to the Student Handbook or would like a physical copy, please reach out to Mr. Clark via email or phone.

With gratitude,

Dr. Linkenhoker

Enjoy this month's update from the cafeteria: