Looking ahead to the start of the second semester!
Congratulations to all of our fall sports athletes and coaches for their successful sports seasons. Thank you to all the parents, managers, players, and coaches who provide and participate in those extra-curricular opportunities for our students. To participate in any extra-curricular activity takes discipline, hard work, and sacrifice. Last year over 87% of our students were involved in extra curricular activities over the course of the year. It takes work! And we appreciate the support of families as students gain so much from that extra-curricular participation.
We continue to fight the good fight against vaping and juuling on campus. Use and possession of vapes or e-cigarettes on campus is a violation of the law and school policy. Students in possession on campus will be cited by law enforcement and face school discipline including a major violation of the activity code of conduct if the student is involved in athletics or activities, even if the student is 18.
Juuls and some vape pens are so small that they are practically undetectable without a student being caught red-handed. Some students see vaping as a safer path for using tobacco without understanding all the dangers associated with vaping and nicotine addiction. Most students who vape are actually using more nicotine than if they were to smoke cigarettes. You may have seen on the news that black market vapes with THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) are a major problem for younger users of vapes. Visit with your child about the dangers juuling and get their perspective on how much of a problem vaping is at MVHS.
As we reflect on our own next steps as a school for the coming year, I invite everyone to read the article linked below. The article is a reminder that vaping and e-cigarettes are an issue in every high school in America. We need to work together as a school and community to both limit underage access to the equipment often used when vaping and to also make it clear to our young people that we care about them too much to allow them to vape or smoke.
https://www.masslive.com/boston/2019/06/vaping-is-ruining-student-athletes-its-heartbreaking-massachusetts-parents-school-officials-say.html
(You may need to right-click and "open link in a new tab.")
Unfortunately, we've had a few issues with students vaping on campus in the past couple years - especially in this most recent school year - and we will be taking steps to communicate our expectations to all students including reminding them that for anyone to be in possession of an e-cigarette, vape, or juul is a violation of school rules and possibly a violation of the law. The next link offers more general information about vaping and juuling and also provides some talking points for parents. It is definitely worth a look.
https://childmind.org/article/teen-vaping-what-you-need-to-know/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=READ%20MORE&utm_campaign=Weekly-06-18-19
(Again, try a right-click and "open link in a new tab.")
I hope each of you has a great summer and you have an opportunity to get outside and enjoy what Wyoming and Uinta County have to offer. See you in August! A link to the June newsletter is below and it offers important information about high school registration, freshman orientation, the first day of sports, and the first day of school.
As a building, district, and community we also need to be proud of our93.2% graduation rate for the class of 2018. Great job to all the teachers, staff, and parents in this district who help us reach such an important milestone for our grads!
During the 2017 Legislative session, changes were signed into law related to high school students taking college level coursework and how that coursework would be calculated into students’ Hathaway GPA. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year all districts are required to use a weighted Hathaway GPA for all +1000 level and above dual and concurrent courses. A student receiving an A in a +1000 level college course will receive a 5.0 for their Hathaway GPA for that course; A B in a +1000 level course will count as a 4.0 for that course, and so on. This weighted GPA will be used to determine a student’s Hathaway scholarship eligibility only, and will NOT be used to determine valedictorian or salutatorian status, or other end of year honors, including class rank.
Thanks for having your child be a part of what we are doing here at MVHS. I am excited looking forward to our incoming students for the coming school year as we continue on our path to be Second to None.
Ben Carr, Principal
PS Click the printed link below to follow the high school principal on Twitter!
Follow @MVHS_Buffs
Click this link to see very important school closure information.