UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER
GHS Open House
September 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Senior College Night
September 22 at 6:00
School Photos
September 27 & 28
Open House Parent Letter.pdf
Opening Letter From Dan McKeone, Interim Principal
August 19, 2010
Hello everyone,
I hope you are all enjoying the final days of summer as we move toward the start of the 2010/2011 school year. It has been an enjoyable and busy time for my family and me. I have spent much of the summer working on my house and traveling with my family. We also had the opportunity to spend time with extended family members and connect with old friends as well as spend a quiet week of vacation in Lemoine.
The summer months have brought a number of changes at Greely. We have a few staffing changes at Greely and I am very excited about our new faculty members. Sandra Francis joins us as a new mathematics teacher. Dawn Lane will be joining our guidance department. Our new physical education teacher is Becki Belmore. Mary Beth Bachman will be our new school nurse and Carol Robinson will move into the high school as our new special education teacher. All of these new employees bring with them a rich and diverse background and I look forward to working with all of them.
Please join me in welcoming Mar-E Trebilcock back to the high school. Mar-E will be serving as the Interim Assistant Principal. Iím sure you remember that she previously worked with us in the high school during the 2008/2009 school year as the Dean of Students. We have already begun planning for the year ahead focusing on how we can better meet the needs of the GHS students and staff.
The maintenance crew has been working hard over the summer as they prepare our facility for the upcoming school year. Their efforts are greatly appreciated. This is the first summer in several years that the high school has not been working through a major facility upgrade. Thanks again to the community for providing us with a structure that will meet our needs for several years to come.
In the year ahead, the high school will continue to meet the many challenges associated with being an outstanding secondary institution. We will be in our second year of implementation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and have already far exceeded our expectations for growth with approximately one third of our juniors and seniors registered for at least one IB class. In March, we will also be submitting our five-year NEASC accreditation report. Our teachers will also be working with technology upgrades as well as continuing their curriculum work.
It is also important to note a few of the many recent accomplishments of our school and community. Our graduates continue to exceed 90% placement in postsecondary institutions, certificate programs and military enrollment. For the third year in a row, Greely has been awarded the Silver Medal from US News and World Report. These outstanding accomplishments are due to a dedicated faculty and an extremely supportive community.
Freshmen Orientation will be on the morning of Thursday, August 26th and our first day of school will be Wednesday, September 1st. We will also host an opening assembly with the student body during advisory time on the first day of school. Our Parent Open House will be on Wednesday, September 15th. It is also important to note that our school calendar has changed slightly this year. This year, students will be in class on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. In years past, these had been teacher flex days and in-service days.
Finally, I want to join the community in thanking Chris Mosca for eight years of leadership as the Principal of Greely High School. I wish him well in his new position in Henniker, New Hampshire. He has been a great mentor and friend and will be greatly missed.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. Iím looking forward to a serving the MSAD 51 community in my new role as Interim Principal. Please be sure to contact me with any questions, suggestions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Dan McKeone
Interim Principal
Opening Letter From Mar-E, Interim Assistant Principal
August 19, 2010
Hello Everyone,
I hope that you have had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. As we approach the start of school, I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with your students again at GHS. As you are aware, maintaining a safe learning community is a critical component of a positive educational experience, and at GHS we are committed to providing this for every student. With that in mind, I would like to make all of you aware of a few expectations we have of students as we start the new school year.
First, within twenty-four hours of returning to school after an absence, a student must provide a note with a parent or guardian signature stating the reason for the absence. The State of Maine allows six excusable reasons for student absences or dismissals (see pages 32 and 33 of the Student Handbook), including:
- An appointment with a health professional that must be made during the regular school day
- Observance of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required during the school day
- A family emergency
- A planned absence for a personal or educational purpose that has been approved in advance
- Personal illness
- An education disruption resulting from homelessness, unplanned psychiatric hospitalization, unplanned hospitalization for a medical emergency, foster care placement, youth development center placement, or some other out-of-district placement that is not authorized by either an individualized education plan or other education plan or a superintendentís agreement
Upon receiving the note, the attendance secretary will provide your student with a pass stating that the absence is excused. This pass must be presented to each of your studentís teachers. In addition, unless the office has dismissed a student, he or she is expected to attend every class period including study halls and advisory. Students are not permitted to miss class time to attend driverís education training.
In the event of absences resulting from a family or educational trip, students are required to complete the following steps:
- Obtain a Planned Absence Application from the main office.
- A parent or guardian should complete section one of the form.
- Teachers should fill out and sign the Faculty Comments section.
- Parents need to review and sign the application.
- Return the completed form to the office prior to departure on the trip.
August 19, 2010
Page 2
Failure to follow these procedures will result in consequences that are consistent with the Code of Conduct listed in the Student Handbook (page 37). Students are afforded two
school days for each day of an excused absence to complete any makeup work. Students with unexcused absences forfeit any rights to make up work.
Second, student parking continues to be a challenge at GHS. Seniors are the only students afforded parking privileges on the GHS campus, and they may park only in the parking lot at the pool/gymnasium end of campus. Underclassmen are permitted to park in the Greely Middle School parking lot. Parking passes for Seniors can be obtained from the main office after completing the Vehicle Registration Application, showing a valid Maine driverís license, and submitting $10 cash or check (made payable to GHS). Any unauthorized parking at GHS may result in removal of the vehicle. Please review the Discipline Continuum on page 38 of the Student Handbook with your student as it relates to unauthorized parking.
Lastly, in an effort to maintain a safe, secure facility there is limited access to the school building between 7:35 am and 2:12 pm. During this time, the only exterior access to the building is through the north and south entrances of the new addition. All students and visitors to the school must enter the building through these entrances and report immediately to the main office located in the lobby of the new addition.
Thank you for taking the time to review each of these items with your child as we work to keep GHS a safe learning environment for all of our students. The Student Handbook is now accessible through the Greely High School website http://greely.msad51.org for your reference.
Sincerely,
Mar-E Trebilcock
Interim Assistant Principal
Our main source of communication to families is the website and the community e-mail. Your childís Powerschool information and their blue emergency forms will be mailed home during the first week of September. It is very important that the emergency forms be returned to us so we can have accurate information. If you do not have an e-mail address, please make sure we know so we can mail important documents home.
SMCC classes @ GHS for '10-'11 Seniors - inquire in Guidance
SMCC classes fall 10.pdf
The Greely High School Mission
Greely High School is committed to high academic expectations for each student. We value teaching and learning in a safe and supportive environment which fosters respect for all. We work together so that students learn to communicate clearly and think critically. We promote lifelong learning and encourage students to take responsibility for themselves as individuals and as members of their community.
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