2425.b2s.1 Grizzly Growler 08.15.24
Access to Student Schedules
Your student will be able to access their school schedules on August 19th, after 4:00 pm. Their schedule will be available virtually via StudentVUE. If you receive an invitation to any google classes, please keep in mind that some adjustments may be made, so confirm that you’re in the correct class with your teachers in person next week.
Schedule Changes
Deadline for schedule changes is August 30th, at 3:30 p.m.
Email your schedule change request to your assigned school counselor.
Please note that:
Requesting a class change may change your schedule, such as changing multiple periods and teachers. Once changes are made, we cannot guarantee your original schedule.
We are unable to honor requests for specific teachers and periods.
If dropping an AP/Honors class, please have your parent/guardian email your school counselor.
Pick Elective: If this appears on your schedule, please go to the Counseling Office during the period that says “Pick Elective”.
Deadline to request a schedule change is August 30th, by 3:30 PM.
START SMART FALL DATES
Attention grizzlies! To park in the student parking lot, students are required to have a valid parking permit. To obtain a parking permit students are required to complete a Start Smart course and submit all required paperwork, including proof of driver license, valid registration and car insurance to the Finance Office.
The Start Smart dates for this 2024 Fall semester are:
Monday, August 19th @10am- 12pm Redwood Theater
Tuesday, September 10th @6pm-8pm in the library
Wednesday, November 6th @6pm-8pm in the library
Check out our website to register for a Start Smart course.
E-BIKE PARKING PERMIT
As part of an e-bike safety campaign, Double Peak School, San Elijo Middle School, San Marcos High School and Mission Hills High School will require students who bike or e-bike to school to obtain a permit. Students must attend an in-person safety course with one parent or guardian, led by the Sheriff’s Office. Students MUST bring their e-bike/ bike and helmet with them to the safety course.
Upon completion of the safety course, students will receive their permit stickers to be placed on their bike and helmet. Students will not be allowed to park their bike or e-bike on campus without a permit. Students will have until October 31st to complete this process.
Safety courses coming up:
August 28th Mission Hills High School Redwood Hall Theater @6pm
**Please note that all students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian**
VOLUNTARY STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
Did you know the average cost of an ambulance ride in CA is $549? This is why SMUSD has partnered with a third-party to provide optional student accident insurance, for as little as $14 for the year. Voluntary student accident insurance is highly-beneficial if an accident was to occur while attending or participating in school-sponsored activities.
For details and more information, see the flyer here or visit www.studentinsuranceusa.com.
NCTD BREEZE ROUTE 305
On August 20th, NCTD will be add an extra BREEZE Route 305 trip serving Mission Hills High School making all regular stops. Check out the flyer below for more information and the schedule. Lastly! Students, don't forget to apply for the Youth Opportunity Pass (YOP). It provides all riders 18 and under to ride NCTD and MTS services for FREE! For more information, check out their website or scan the QR code in the flyer below.
FREE MULCH AND COMPOST DISTRIBUTION
The City of San Marcos is thrilled to announce our SB 1383-compliant mulch and compost distribution program, beginning August 23 and available to all residents🏡
Visit the designated pickup area located on La Moree Rd. East of Supreme Ct. for free mulch pickup 🌱
📍 Beginning 8/23, Friday- Sunday from sunrise to sundown
⛏️ All mulch and compost is self-serve- please bring your own equipment.
UPDATE ON SCHOOL ATTIRE
As we eagerly prepare for the new school year, we want to share some updates about our school attire guidelines. We ask that you be mindful of these when preparing for back-to-school shopping. These guidelines are designed to create a safe, positive, and inclusive environment for all our students across K-8, middle, and high schools.
What's New?
To promote a focused and supportive atmosphere, we have updated our list of prohibited attire items. After thoughtful collaboration with the San Marcos Sheriff's Department, here are the items that will no longer be allowed for students to wear to school:
Professional sports teams' jerseys and logos on clothing, hats, and accessories
Gang-related writing, symbols, graffiti, or tagging on any property
Monogrammed or lettered belt buckles (e.g., S, N, M, R, B, X, 13, 14)
Bandanas
Hair nets
These changes reflect our commitment to ensuring that every student feels safe and supported at school.
If a student is found wearing a prohibited item, they will be asked to change into appropriate clothing, and the item will be held securely at the front office. Parents/guardians are welcome to pick it up after school
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Together, we can make this school year our best one yet!
NEW VOLUNTEER CLEARANCE PROCESS
We take the safety of our students and staff seriously, and a part of this is ensuring everyone who is on a school campus is cleared and approved to be present. As a result, there is a new volunteer clearance process with different requirements for different types of school or classroom volunteer commitments.
We have outlined each of these volunteer levels with their requirements, please click here for more information or see the flyer here.
SDCOE "PARENTING THE WHOLE CHILD" PODCAST
Join SDCOE for an exciting new podcast with Janelle Lopez, Parent and Family Liaison, Dr. Belle Tan, TSEL Project Specialist, and Dr. Felicia Singleton, Executive Director of the Whole Child and Community Design Department. Join them as they embark on a journey through parenting together, sharing helpful tips and personal stories. Their goal is to build a friendly and open community where you can learn about social-emotional learning, find useful resources, and share your own experiences. Let’s support each other and explore this parenting adventure together!
Check out the flyer in English and Spanish.
Access the podcast through these QR codes.
WORK PERMIT
You can also stop by and pick up a paper form here at the future center. They are open from 7:30am to 4pm.
SENIOR JUMPSTART CLASS OF 2025
CALSOAP San Diego and Imperial Counties Consortium is announcing their Senior Year Jumpstart for class of 2025.
This FREE event is for high school seniors and their families to find out about careers paths, the college application process (UCs, CSUs, Community Colleges, Privates), scholarships/financial aid, and more. Open to any 12th graders from any school.
This year it'll take place at Oceanside High School on September 7th from 8am to 12pm. Save the date!
CLASS OF 2025 SENIOR PORTRAITS
Dear Class of 2025,
Congratulations! You are now entering your senior year! We wanted to let you know that it is time to book your appointment for senior portraits. Please book your session early to ensure you have enough time to choose the photo you want included in the yearbook. Check out the KEANE Senior Session Guide or their website for more information and to book your appointment! There are limited spots available, so make sure to book your appointment as soon as possible.
Attached is a coupon valid until August 31st.
Yearbook headshot sessions are $29 and will take place on campus on September 10th! The complimentary yearbook portraits will be on campus on December 10th and December 11th! Students will NOT have the ability to choose their yearbook portrait for the complimentary session. Make sure to book your appointment online!
To login: Use your STUDENT ID as the username and your LAST NAME as the password.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Kniseley at heidi.kniseley@smusd.org.
YEARBOOK SENIOR ADS
Attention seniors parents!
Celebrate your student and express your love with a lovely senior ad. There is a back to school sale going on right now and it ends on September 30th! Prices will increase after, so don't miss out on this opportunity.
The current pricing is:
Full page- $380
Half Page- $180
Quarter Page- $ 110
Eighth Page- $60
Go to Yearbookordercenter.com and use our school code: 8120
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Kniseley at heidi.kniseley@smusd.org. If you need help with your online order, call (866) 287-3096 toll free.
PTO MEMBER RECRUITMENT
The 2024/2025 school year is around the corner and Mission Hills PTO is creating an Interest List for people interested in being the part of our Grizzly PTO Team. Responding is not a commitment, but the start of a conversation. We hope to hear from you if you're interested in learning more about what it means to be a part of the team!
Fill out the interest list here.
For more information about Mission Hills PTO, click here.
TRANSCRIPT REQUEST
Seniors! Have you requested your final transcript yet?
You can do so online via Parchment here: https://sites.google.com/smusd.org/mhhs-counseling/transcript-requests
WACAC CAMP COLLEGE 2024
Camp College is Coming!
6-session virtual boot camp
All sessions will be on Wednesday afternoons at 4 pm, beginning on May 15.
Student Registration Link: https://tcu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qRG5N599SQWVw2nxIxePSA#/registration
August 21: Ask the Experts: Q & A for Common App & UC
If you have any additional questions, please contact at wacacia@wacac.org
ADOLESCENT FAMILY LIFE PROGRAM
Eligibility Requirements:
-expecting or current parents 21 years of age or younger
-one or both parents may participate
-Not enrolled in CalLearn
-Living in San Diego County
Click here for more information on their website.
HVAC DUAL ENROLLMENT
The San Marcos Unified School District and Palomar College bring you the "Be Ready to Work Program"! The program includes classes from Palomar's Air conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Program. Upon the completion of these classes, students will get a certificate to begin working in the HVAC field while earning credits toward an Associates degree.
"Be Ready to Work" is open to all SMUSD high school students and allows them to earn a certificate and college credit while in high school during the school day!
For more information, reach out to your student's counselor.
School Counselors
A-Ca | Mrs. Baker: cherryl.baker@smusd.org
Ce-Gal | Mrs. Segal: angela.segal@smusd.org
Gam-Ja | Mr. Cruz: eric.cruz@smusd.org
Je-Men | Ms. Jercinovich: carolyn.jercinovich@smusd.org
Mer-Pg | Mrs. Goldstein: kathleen.goldstein@smusd.org
Ph-Sh | Mrs. Martinez Alejandre: susan.martinezalejandre@smusd.org
Si-Z | Mrs. Rios: adriana.rios@smusd.org
HOW TO CREATE A WEBSTORE ACCOUNT
SMUSD has a new webstore for online purchases. All Mission Hills students and families will need to create an account to purchase items online. Students are able to create their own account with their SMUSD email. If families have multiple students at different schools within SMUSD or even multiple Grizzlies, you can now create one account for all the students in your family! Refer to the how to guides below to create your accounts.
If you have any questions about creating your webstore account email our ASB Director, Mrs. O’Neil, at jocelyn.oneil@smsud.org.
FAMILY GUIDE TO SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Project Cal-Well, a cross-agency mental health initiative led by the California Department of Education, produced this easy-to-use guide with input from families, educators, mental health professionals, and youth. The guide helps parents and other adult family members and caregivers navigate supporting the overall well-being and mental health of school-aged children, including tips for what can be difficult conversations. It offers information about the social and emotional development of young people and explains warning signs that may signal mental health challenges. It equips caregivers with targeted strategies, tools, and resources that help them advocate for their family, address each child’s specific needs, and access professional help.
Key topics and tips include:
- example conversation starters to help open lines of communication with children and teens;
- enjoyable ways to connect, develop wellness routines, and create well-being practices as a family;
- information addressing mental health myths, including the specific needs and increased challenges facing young people who identify as LGBTQ+;
- information on how to recognize signs that a child is bullying or being bullied;
- tools to create a family media plan that sets boundaries around technology and gives children the skills to be online safely using age-appropriate platforms; and
- tips for partnering with schools to access mental health and family wellness resources and supports.
CARE SOLACE
24/7/365 Mental Health Care Coordination Service for San Marcos Unified School District Students, Staff, and their Families: https://www.caresolace.com/site/sanmarcos
COUNSELING
>> View MHHS Counseling Linktree of Resources
>> View Counseling website
MHHS LIBRARY
Library Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (M-F)
>> View The Check-in! Library Newsletter for Students
>> Visit Library Page
MHHS ASB
VIEW ALL 24-25 GROWLERS
Click here to view all Growlers.
These are posted to the ParentSquare App each week. If you're not receiving them, please check your settings on ParentSquare, and verify that your contact information is accurate in ParentVUE.If you have anything you'd like to see added, please reach out to Jillian Ryan.
AP/HONORS TUTORING
>> Visit AP/H Website
>> View AP/HONORS TUTORING CALENDAR
ENGLISH
>> View WRITING DEN FLIER
MATH
>> View MATH TUTORING FLIER
SCIENCE
>> View BIO AND CHEM TUTORING FLIER
BRAINFUSE
TUTORING RESOURCES
In addition to asking your teacher for help, attached is some information about AP/Honors Tutoring and Math Tutoring. Also, all California students have access to BrainFuse free through the public library website linked. They offer online tutoring, writing assistance, and more.
