JH/HS Principal Newsletter

I hope this months newsletter finds you and your family doing well!! It is crazy to think that we are almost ONE MONTH away from the start of the 24-25 school year here at Hershey! Summer S&C as well as camps continue to take place this month and the building project continues to roll along. The days will pass quickly and in no time at all, staff and students will be filling the halls once again at Hershey High School!

As we get closer to the start of the school year, please make note of a couple of items in this months newsletter. First, please check out the IMPORTANT DATES for the months of July and August. These dates are critical to make sure all stakeholders finish the summer months on a strong note and also are aware of start of the school year dates. Second, I have included a section that outlines some POLICY and PROCEDURE changes for the 2024-2025 school year. Please make sure your family is aware of these heading into the new school year. Finally, there are links to resources and sites for families to use as a reference as we start a new school year here at HPS!

Finally, I encourage us all to continue to strive for excellence and make Hershey Public Schools a place where all students can LEARN, THRIVE, and GROW to be the best version of themselves they can be!

Meaningful Engagement

cOmmon Expectations

Joy in Learning

Opportunity to Grow

We are EXCITED to be adding three GREAT PROFESSIONALS and their families to the Hershey family this school year!!! We feel each one of these individuals will bring a great love of students and the teaching profession to the Panther community. When you have the opportunity, please welcome them to Hershey Public Schools!!!

7.8.24 - HS VB Team Camp @ NPCC

7.8.24 - NHS Blood Drive @ Legion Hall

7.8.24 - HS FB @ North Platte 7 v 7

7.9.24 - HS Cheer Camp

7.9.24 - HS VB @ NPCC Team Camp

7.9.24 - Softball Open Field

7.9.24 - HPS School Board Meeting

7.10.24 - HS Cheer Camp

7.10.24 - HS FB Team Camp @ Cozad

7.11.24 - HS Cheer Camp

7.11.24 - HS FB Team Camp @ Cozad

7.12.24 - HS FB Team Camp @ Cozad

7.12.24 - HS VB Team Camp @ UNK

7.13.24 - HS VB Team Camp @ UNK

7.13.24 - Marching Band @ DCI Band Trip

7.14.24 - Marching Band @ DCI Band Trip

7.14.24 - Wrestling Open Mat

7.15.24 - HS VB @ Steve Morgan Volleyball Camp

7.15.24 - HS FB @ North Platte 7 v 7

7.16.24 - HS VB @ Steve Morgan Volleyball Camp

7.16.24 - Cross Country @ Cozad Team Camp

7.16.24 - Softball Open Field

7.17.24 - HS VB @ Steve Morgan Volleyball Camp

7.21.24 - Wrestling Open Mat

7.22.24 - Hershey Youth Football Camp

7.23.24 - Softball Open Field

7.23.24 - Volleyball Open Gym

7.23.24 - Hershey Youth Football Camp

7.24.24 - Hershey Youth Football Camp

7.25.24 - Volleyball Open Gym

7.28.24 - Wrestling Open Mat

7.29.24 - 8.4.24 - HPS Main Gym Closed for Floor Refinishing

7.29.24 - Softball Open Field

7.29.24 - Volleyball Open Gym

7.30.24 - Softball Open Field

7.30.24 - Volleyball Open Gym

7.31.24 - JH Football Camp

8.1.24 - JH Football Camp

8.5.24 - HS Band Camp

8.5.24 - NSAA Fall Sports Conditioning Week

8.6.24 - HS Band Camp

8.7.24 - HS Band Camp

8.8.24 - HS Band Camp

8.12.24 - NSAA Fall Sport Practices Begin

8.12.24 - New Teacher In-Service

8.13.24 - Safety Committee Meeting

8.14.24 - HPS Teacher In-Service

8.15.24 - HPS Teacher In-Service

8.15.24 - PK-12 Parent Kickoff Open House

8.16.24 - HPS Teacher In-Service

8.16.24 - Hershey One Act Sloppy Joe & Bingo Night

8.19.24 - HPS Teacher In-Service

8.20.24 - HPS Students First Day (11:30 Dismissal)

8.21.24 - Fall SPVA Meeting @ Ole's (Paxton)

8.22.24 - Softball vs Cozad (Centennial Park)

8.23.24 - HPS Fall Sports Media Day

8.23.24 - Softball @ Holdrege Triangular

8.23.24 - Community Pep Rally & Football Scrimmage (Summers Field)

8.24.24 - Hershey Fall Festival

8.26.24 - Marching Band @ Nebraska State Fair

8.26.24 - Girls Golf vs Gothenburg High School (Lake Maloney G.C.)

8.27.24 - Softball @ Gering High School

8.27.24 - HS Volleyball vs TBD @ Nebraska HOF Jamboree (HPS Competition Gym)

8.29.24 - Girls Golf @ Bayard Invite (Chimney Rock G.C.)

8.29.24 - Cross Country @ Med Valley Invite (Arrowhead G.C.)

8.29.24 - HPS Junior High Fall Sports Picture Day

8.29.24 - Softball @ Kearney Catholic High School

8.29.24 - R/JV/V Volleyball vs Broken Bow High School (Competition Gym)

8.30.24 - V Football @ Gibbon High School

It has been proposed to the school board to look at the possibility of banning all personal electronic devices (cell phones, smart watches, ear buds, etc...) from school grounds starting the second semester of the 2024-2025 school year. The district is currently in the research phase and there will be information shared out on social media as well as town hall meetings for all stakeholders during the first and second quarter to prepare students, staff, and parents for the potential change.

In order to comply with FDA guidelines as well as promote healthy decisions and lifestyles, we will begin limiting food and drink in the building for students at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Students MAY NOT bring in outside food or drink into the classroom and/or any food or drink brought into the building must be consumed before school starts at the beginning of the day or before classes resume following lunch. More specifics will be shared with students and parents as we get closer to the start of the school year.

In order to get students to class on time and begin lessons, the HPS tardy policy has been updated to the following

• Weekly Tardy List Ran Monday AM from Previous Week
• Detentions / ISS Assigned by Assistant Principal
• All to Be Served by End of Current Week

• Discipline Progression
  • 0-4 Tardies - Grace Period
  • 5-9 Tardies - 30 Minute Detention
  • 10-14 Tardies - 60 Minute Detention
  • 15-19 Tardies - 1 Day ISS
  • 20-24 Tardies - 2 Day ISS
  • 25-29 Tardies - 3 Day ISS
  • 30+ Tardies - TBD

These meetings to be held at Hershey High School are a way for administration to connect and communicate with the stakeholders at HPS. They will be held in a townhall format and will highlight important items parents need to be made aware of heading into a new quarter!

Now ALL students in grades 7-12 will be eligible for Student of the Month honors. Each month there will be individual grade level winners who will then be voted upon by the staff for the overall student of the month for both the junior high and high school. Both monthly grade level winners and overall winners will be recognized on HPS social media.

We will be offering a Zero Hour Strength and Conditioning class for credit starting with the 24-25 school year. The class will begin at 7:00 AM and run until 7:51 AM Monday - Friday. Students will have 24 minutes to prepare for the day and get breakfast prior to the tardy bell ringing at 8:15 AM. If you are interested in your son or daughter taking part in this, please contact HPS 7-12 Guidance Counselor Jolene Pettera.

For the 24-25 school year, we will be expanding our current credit recovery format to a "Panther Power Hour" for all students who need extra work time. This will be a designated time from 4:00-5:00 PM after school 3-4 times per week where students can work under the supervision of a HPS staff member on credit recovery, missing assignments, and/or test makeups. This will provide students a great environment, supervised by a teacher, for them to make improvements in their educational journey!

Once student schedules have been released the SECOND WEEK OF AUGUST on PowerSchool, students may come in at the following times to make adjustments to their 2024-2025 schedules:

• Thursday, August 8th
• 12th GRADE: 9:00 - 12:00 PM
• 11th GRADE - 12:30 - 3:30 PM
• Friday, August 9th
• 10th GRADE - 9:00 - 12:00 PM
• 9th GRADE - 12:30 - 3:30 PM
• Monday, August 12th
• 8TH GRADE - 9:00 - 12:00 PM
• MAKE UP SESSIONS - 12:30 - 3:30 PM
• Tuesday, August 13th
• 7th GRADE - 9:00 - 12:00 PM
• MAKE UP SESSIONS - 12:30 - 3:30 PM

Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, Hershey Public Schools will begin the use of weighted grading for ALL Dual Credit Classes. This list of dual credit classes offered at Hershey that will count towards this include the following:

English 1010

English 1020

College Algebra

College Speech

College Psychology

College Sociology

College Trig

College Stats

College Wealth Build

College Accounting

The grading scale that will be used will be similar to a number of other area schools who use weighted grading for dual credit courses.

Grading Scale
A = 5.0
B = 4.0
C = 3.0
D = 2.0
F = 0.0

Below is the proposed bell schedule for the upcoming school year. We will plan on having ONE LUNCH for all 7-12 students with a staggered release from 5th period as detailed below:

1st Period 8:15-9:03

2nd Period 9:06 - 9:54

3rd Period 9:57 - 10:45

4th Period 10:48 - 11:36

5th Period 11:39 - 12:26

JH Lunch 12:20 - 12:57

1st HS Lunch 12:23 - 12:57

2nd HS Lunch 12:26 - 12:57

6th Period 1:00 - 1:48

7th Period 1:51 - 2:39

8th Period 2:42 - 3:42

On Friday School is let out at the end of 7th Period at 2:39 PM.

As district and breakfast menus are updated, they can be found at the following LINK: https://www.myschoolmenus.com/organizations/300

Students and families are encouraged to communicate concerns related to the mistreatment of others. For students, a trusted adult is the recommended point of contact. This can be an administrator, teacher, coach, or other trusted person. This adult will then work with administration to respond promptly and appropriately. Parents/guardians are encouraged to communicate concerns directly with HPS Administration.