QHS Presidents Bulletin - 9.24
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Quincy High School Students and Families,
Welcome back to another school year! We are already off to a great start at Quincy High School with students and staff are settled in and looking forward to the year ahead.
We look forward to seeing our 12th grade students and families at our College Information Night this Wednesday, September 25th at 6pm in the Lloyd Hill Auditorium and then on Thursday, September 26th we have our annual Back to School Night for all families. Both events begin at 6:00PM and more information on each is below.
We are excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) at QHS. This is a time to honor the history, traditions, and achievements of people with Hispanic or Latino heritage. It is a celebration of diversity, resilience, and the vibrant tapestry of cultures that make up our community.
Our highly anticipated, third annual, Roll Hats Weekend is this Friday and Saturday. We hope you will join us at one of the many exciting events this weekend. Roll Hats Promo Video
There are quite a few opportunities to visit QHS as we encourage you to join us whenever possible. We very much appreciate the entire QHS community and look forward to seeing you at future events!
As we continue our school year together, we want to emphasize the importance of regular attendance. Our attendance policies and information on chronic absenteeism is highlighted below. Your child's presence in class is crucial to their academic success and overall well-being.
Believe it or not, we are already half way through quarter one and teachers will begin posting interim progress reports at the end of this week. Students should be checking with their teachers for any owed work and make sure all assignments have been submitted. Interim reports will be available on Aspen for families to view on Friday, September 4th.
As always, your students are at the center of everything we do at Quincy High School and we appreciate your continued support!
Keith Ford, Principal @qhsprincipalford
Ed Smith, Assistant Principal @qhsapsmith
Dear Families,
On Thursday, September 26th Quincy High School is hosting our annual “Back to School Night.” This evening provides an opportunity for you to follow your student’s schedule, meet their teachers, and learn the expectations for each of their courses.
The building will be open at 5:30 PM and Block A will start promptly at 6:00 PM. You will need a copy of your student’s schedule and we will be following Blocks A- H. For a copy of your student’s schedule you can do either of the following:
Print your students' schedule off of Aspen by clicking the My Info top tab and selecting the Current Schedule side tab OR
Have your student fill out the form linked below.
As we begin a new school year, we want to emphasize the crucial role that regular attendance plays in your student's academic success. Consistent school attendance is essential for students to fully engage in their learning, build strong relationships with their peers and teachers, and develop important life skills.
When students miss school, they may have difficulty following along with lessons, completing assignments, and staying on track with their coursework. Additionally, absences can negatively impact their social and emotional development.
In Massachusetts, chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10% or more of their school days in a year, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. For example, a student enrolled for 180 days would be considered chronically absent if they missed 18 days of school.
Additionally, the Quincy School Committee Policy on attendance states that students who have more than six (6) absences in a term without a medical or professional note will automatically fail all their courses with a grade no higher than 62.
If your child is unable to attend school due to illness or other unavoidable reasons, please notify the school office as soon as possible. Medical or Professional notes should be delivered to the student's dean in order to have the absences excused. We also encourage you to communicate with your child's teachers to ensure they are aware of any absences and can provide appropriate support.
Thank you for your continued support in helping your child achieve their full potential.
To access Aspen please go to https://ma-quincy.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do or go to www.quincypublicschools.com and click on Aspen from the main page.
If you have any questions or encounter any issues, please do not hesitate to contact Quincy Public Schools Aspen support team via email at aspensupport@quincypublicschools.com or contact your student's school main office.
During the 2024-2025 school year, QHS will continue to have an Advisory period in our schedule. On each Wednesday half day, students will return to their homerooms during the second period of the day for Advisory.
The Quincy High School Culture and Climate Committee worked over the summer to create a curriculum for Advisory so that each grade has its own plan during each Advisory block. We are excited to offer this opportunity for teachers and students to connect outside of the academic activities that normally occur during class. For these ten Wednesdays, teachers and students will participate in activities that are designed to engage students in activities to help them prepare for success after high school. We hope that the Advisory period is a rewarding experience for everyone that enhances our spirit of community.
Our first week’s Advisory began with introductions for our new 9th grade students so they could learn a bit more about their classmates, join their first community circle, and get to explore their schedules. Our 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students worked on goal setting and created their own SMART goals for the future.
What is the Parent Advisory Council (PAC)?
The QHS PAC is the high school version of a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Some of the ways the QHS PAC supports the students and staff of Quincy High School are:
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Providing information for parents/guardians of QHS students
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Coordinating concessions and volunteers for the Fall Homecoming dance
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Hosting Teacher Appreciation meals
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Coordinating Senior Stay Out (SSO), the after-prom party for he graduating class, including: booking entertainment, coordinating refreshments, soliciting donations from local business, coordinating volunteers, and running the event the night of!
Who is in the PAC? YOU!
All QHS parents and guardians are part of the QHS PAC and are invited to participate in meetings, events, fundraising, and volunteer opportunities. The PAC Board is a group of volunteers who are elected annually to oversee and manage PAC activities and resources.
Why should I attend PAC meetings and events?
Attend to stay informed, connected, and to support your child’s school. You will hear from the Principal on school issues and events, as well as have the opportunity to ask questions and meet other parents/guardians in a small welcoming setting. As parents and caregivers of QHS students, your input is always welcome and encouraged! Volunteering for is fun, easy, always needed, and is a great way get involved.
Connect with us!
PAC information is included in this school newsletter, shared by email as activities take place, and posted on our social media.
Join our Facebook Group! Search for: “Quincy High Parent Advisory Council (PAC)”
Follow us on Instagram: @QHSPAC
Email us: QHSPAC@gmail.com
We can’t wait to hear from you, and to work together with you to help make this a great year for the QHS community!
The QHS PAC Executive Board
Co-Presidents: Amy Sorensen-Alawad and Joy Lewis
Co-Vice Presidents: Courtney Perdios and Carly Bridden
Treasurer: Ann Ross
Secretary: Meghan Krystyniak
Social Media Chair: Lori Sartre
The QHS PAC Board At Large Members:
Citywide PTO and Equity Diversity and Inclusion Reps: Heather McDuffus and Kristyn Roux
Fundraising Coordination Team: Maren Heise, Kristy Hogan and Sylwia Kloczkowska
Attendance in school for the entire day is extremely important for student success and while parents and guardians always have the right to dismiss students, we strongly encourage all students to remain in school and attend classes until the end of each and every school day.
In order to minimize disruptions and provide a welcoming, safe, and respectful learning environment for all Quincy High School students, call-out dismissals will not be allowed on certain dates listed below. On these dates, students who need to be dismissed for any reason must turn in a valid note prior to that day and or a Parent/Guardian must be present at the school to sign them out.
More information on dismissals can be found here: QHS Student Dismissal Information
Listed below are the dates for the remainder of the year that call out dismissals will not be allowed at Quincy High School. Thank you for your attention to this important, updated, policy.
October 11 - Friday before Columbus Day Weekend
November 22 - Homecoming Dance
November 27 - Day before Thanksgiving
December 20 - Friday before Holiday Break
January 17 - Friday before MLK Jr Weekend
February 14 - Friday before Winter Break
March 25, 26 - ELA MCAS Testing
April 4 - Junior Prom
April 17 - Thursday before Spring Break
May 20, 21 - Math MCAS Testing
May 23 - Friday before Memorial Day Weekend
June 4, 5 - Biology MCAS Testing
The fall sports season is officially underway here at Quincy High School, and the Athletic Department would like to say best of luck to all of our student athletes and our coaches on what we hope will be another successful fall season!
Our Boys Soccer team had a thrilling victory! This past Saturday, the Presidents triumphed over cross-town rival North Quincy with a hard fought 1-0 win, thanks to Junior Khaio Pellegrini’s clutch penalty kick with only 6 minutes left on the clock. A special congratulations to Coach Tom Scott on earning his first victory as our new head coach.
Our athletic programs are off and running here is a rundown of each teams’ records: Football: 1-1, Girls Volleyball: 6-1, Boys Soccer: 1-5, Girls Soccer: 0-6, Boys Golf: 1-8, QNQ Cross Country: 1-0
