Welcome Back Newsletter 24-25

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our community to the 2024-2025 school year! We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer. Our staff is eager to get back in the classroom and continue the Shawnee tradition of excellence. We look forward to a year of new and exciting opportunities together. As a guidance department, we will share important information through monthly newsletters throughout the year. Thank you for your support and we look forward to the return to school on Thursday, August 22nd, at 7:35 AM. Go Indians!

Shawnee Local Schools Final Forms Online Registration is now open for all students. Students and parents; please review your data at this time to verify it is current, and electronically sign the new forms for the 2024-25 school year. You are required to sign your forms once per year and after any updates. Please complete this process as quickly as possible so we can create our bus routes. Please also sign off on the Student Handbook and Acceptable Use Policy so that we can distribute your district owned chromebook. Visit the Final Forms website under the Quick Links in the District webpage menu or click here.

Students can access their schedules on ProgressBook starting Monday, August 12. You are encouraged to print a copy of your schedule or take a screenshot of it to save on your phone.

Seniors & Juniors - The East Office will be open on Monday, August 12 (and daily for the remainder of the week) from 8:00 – 11:00 AM and 1:00 – 2:30 PM if you need us to provide you with a paper copy of your schedule.

Sophomores - The East Office will be open on Tuesday, August 13 (and daily for the remainder of the week) from 8:00 –11:00 AM and 1:00 – 2:30 PM if you need us to provide you with a paper copy of your schedule.

Freshmen - The East Office will be open on Wednesday, August 14 (and daily for the remainder of the week) from 8:00 – 11:00 AM and 1:00 – 2:30 PM if you need us to provide you with a paper copy of your schedule.

In order to be included in the yearbook, pictures must be taken by Lange Photography, which will be the official photographer for Shawnee High School this year.

Pictures will be taken in the EAST Cafeteria from 8:00 – 11:30 AM and 12:30 – 2:30 PM on:

• Monday, August 12 for SENIORS and JUNIORS
• Tuesday, August 13 for SOPHOMORES
• Wednesday, August 14 for FRESHMEN

Students who have conflicts with the assigned picture day may have their pictures taken on either of the other two days, or on “make-up” day, which will be Tuesday, October 8.

Appropriate dress for your photo is required. Seniors, please note that these photographs go on a class composite and are displayed in the hallway at the high school for years to come. Please refer to the following dress code rules from the Student Handbook:

• Appropriate undergarments must be worn and may not show.

• Low cut tops/shirts are not permitted. Backs and stomachs should be covered at all times.

• Backless tops or blouses that reveal a large percentage of the back, strapless tops, tube tops, spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, halters, garments made of see-through material and bare midriffs are not permitted.

• Skirts, dresses, split skirts, and skorts must be at least mid thigh or longer in length.

• Shorts must be mid thigh or longer in length.

• Pajamas are not permitted.

• Ragged clothes and/or offensive language on clothing are prohibited.

• Hats shall not be worn.

• Bandanas, hoods and other head coverings shall not be worn at any time in the buildings.

State mandated vision and hearing screenings for 9th grade and 11th grade students will take place during schedule pick-up. Please plan to report to the Consumer Science Classrooms (Foods/Baking & Pastry Arts Rooms 110, 112, and 114) after picking up your schedules.

Locker information is included on your schedule - please print a copy of your schedule from ProgressBook or take a screenshot of it to save on your phone. The combination to your locker is displayed on your schedule, so it is important to guard the security of that combination. Your combination will consist of three numbers and you must follow these directions in order to open your lock:

a. Turn right two or more whole turns and stop at the first number (of your combination).

b. Then turn left one whole turn past your first number and stop at your second number.

c. Turn right (directly) to your third number and open.

When you pick up your schedule it would be good to locate your locker and practice opening it.

Lockers are located in the following areas:

9th grade - West wing of the building on both the first and second floors

10th grade - Math hallway on the second floor

11th grade - Social studies hallway and in the hallway next to Hugh Downs auditorium

12th grade - Main hallway east of Hugh Downs auditorium

Band Students - Regardless of grade level, band students are assigned to lockers in the band hallway

There will be Student Government members available on Wednesday, August 14 from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM to conduct tours of the building for those of you who are interested. Student Government members will meet interested students in the lobby area outside of the West Office.

Fees and chromebook insurance must be paid in order to pick up schedules and school-issued chromebooks. Each schedule will have an itemized list of fees (based upon the courses taken), and chromebook insurance.

Please pay student fees and chromebook insurance online by credit card through PaySchools Central, which is our preferred method of payment. PaySchools Central will be open for credit card payments as of Thursday, August 8. Please find PaySchools Central under the Quick Links in the District webpage menu or click here. Cash and checks are also still accepted in the East Office on Monday, August 12 (and daily for the remainder of the week) from 8:00 – 11:30 AM and 12:30 – 2:30 PM. Make checks payable to SHAWNEE HIGH SCHOOL.

Please see the student handbook for the full description of the Chromebook procedures. Shawnee Students in grades 5-12 will be issued a district owned Chromebook, charger and case that will be taken home nightly to complete homework and work on school projects. Chromebooks will be distributed just like textbooks. The Chromebook remains the property of Shawnee Local School District, and the students borrow it for the school year. To receive the district owned Chromebook, parents and students must log onto Final Forms to sign the Student Handbook and Acceptable Use Policy and pay an Insurance cost of $30.00 that is non-refundable. Free/reduced fee waivers do not apply to the Chromebook insurance cost. These Chromebooks are to be used for educational purposes only, to enrich learning for the student.

PARENT/STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Parents/students will be responsible for paying $30.00 Technology Insurance for every year that their student is enrolled in the 1:1 program.

• The $30.00 Technology Insurance will cover one accidental replacement to be provided for the first occurrence. The replacement may take up to two weeks to be provided. The second occurrence for any damage or loss will result in a $50.00 administrative fee (deductible). Any additional occurrences for any damage or loss will result in students/parents being billed for the total cost of the repairs.

CHROMEBOOK SUPPORT: Payment for Chromebook Repairs and Replacements

Replacement part costs vary by model and over time. The replacement cost of a Chromebook is $200. Payments for repair or replacement must be made in the form of cash or a personal check made out to Shawnee Local Schools and turned in to your child’s school office. Students and parents cannot bring in a replacement Chromebook in lieu of payment.

We are excited to continue this program for all students attending Shawnee High School. This program pairs a cohort of students with a faculty member to meet weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 25 minutes between period 4 and period 5A. Students will remain with the same cohort throughout their four years in high school. Research has shown that students who have a connection with peers and a trusting relationship with at least one adult are more likely to thrive in school. The goal of Connections is to develop positive relationships through activities that promote academic, career and social/emotional growth that will enrich the lives of students and promote inclusiveness and positivity within our Shawnee family.

Shawnee Local Schools are continually discussing safety measures to make our schools a safe environment for our students and staff. As such, bookbags will be allowed to be carried from home to school, however, must be kept in the locker for the entire school day. Book bags will not be allowed in the hallways or classrooms during the school day. All athletic gym bags must be placed in their specific locker room location immediately upon arrival when student athletes enter school. Students are encouraged to plan ahead for this building policy by familiarizing themselves with their locker location and combination, as well as their daily schedule and classroom locations, so that trips to their locker can be accommodated throughout the day.

A regular lunch is $3.50. As usual, you may also select from a number of a la carte items. Breakfast price is $2.00 served every day from 7:05 am –7:25 am in the East Cafeteria.

Mid-term Progress Reports will be available on ProgessBook for parents to view. We encourage you to access your student’s account on a regular basis to follow their progress over the course of the school year. Paper copies of mid-term reports will not be mailed out to parents unless you formally request that we do so. Please call or email Mrs. Jennifer Minnick in the Guidance Office at (419) 998-8004 or minnickj@limashawnee.com to request the mailing of a paper mid-term.

Most letters and reminders being sent from the high school will now be sent by email. Please make sure you have provided an updated email address in Final Forms, and be sure to check your email for informational letters from the high school over the course of the year. Paper mailings will not be mailed out to students and/or parents unless you formally request that we do so. Please call or email Mrs. Tina Hershberger in the West Office at (419) 998-8001 or hershbergert@limashawnee.com to request paper mailings.

Please be sure to check our webpage regularly for the latest news and updates regarding events and information for this school year. We also encourage you to sign up for the Shawnee Local School District app on Google Play or the App Store.

A new scholarship was created to benefit our seniors, starting with the Class of 2022: The Lima Shawnee Alumni-Legacy Scholarship Fund. If you are interested in donating to the fund, please click here and follow them on Facebook at Lima Shawnee Scholarship Fund for updates and more information. We appreciate all efforts to pay it forward to our seniors. Thank you for leaving your legacy on our community.

Click here to view a catalog of resources in Allen County, Auglaize County, & Hardin County.

Click here to view a list of community resources in Lima.

Ohio CareLine: 1-800-720-9616

Crisis Text Line: Text "4hope" to 741741

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Hopeline: 1-800-567-HOPE

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE

Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-448-4663

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Our job as a guidance department is to support, advocate, and care for the needs of the whole student. We assist students with academic concerns, friendship troubles, study skills, personal problems, college/career planning, etc.