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Superintendent’s Update
August 2019
Dear Warren Hills Community,
The Superintendent’s Update will be posted monthly and will provide our community with information on district initiatives and events occurring within the Warren Hills Regional School District. In this edition of the Superintendent’s Update, I want to remind you of important upcoming dates and events and information on school district initiatives.
Important Dates: Reminder
For your planning purposes, please note the following dates leading up to the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. The full 2019-2020 School Calendar is posted on the Home page of the district website, www.warrenhills.org under the District News heading.
- August 1, 2019 - Student schedules and annual required forms released to Genesis Parent Portal.
- August 19, 2019 - Warren Hills Regional Middle School (WHRMS) will hold an 8th grade open house from 8:00-9:00 and orientation for incoming 7th graders beginning at 9:30. Please select the link below for information on the orientation programs. https://www.warrenhills.org/cms/lib/NJ01001092/Centricity/Domain/186/Bagels-Locks%20Letter%202019.pdf
- August 19, 2019 - Warren Hills Regional High School (WHRHS) Incoming 9th Grade Orientation - 3:00 PM at WHRHS - Please select the link below for information on the orientation program. https://www.warrenhills.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=8973&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=28516&PageID=119
- August 28, 2019 - First Day of School for Students - 11:55 AM Dismissal
- August 29, 2019 - Early Dismissal for students - 11:55 AM
- August 30, 2019 - Early Dismissal for students - 11:55 AM
- September 2, 2019 - Labor Day Observed - Schools Closed
- September 3, 2019 - First Full Day for Students
Important Information on District Initiatives:
It is with great pride and excitement that we announce that Warren Hills is expanding its 1:1 Chromebook program to all grades in 2019-2020. After a successful pilot of a take-home 1:1 program with our 10th graders last spring, the district has extended the take home program allowing all students to take home their Chromebooks this coming school year to allow for learning to continue beyond the school day.
Preparations and planning are underway in the district to distribute the Chromebooks as close to the beginning of the school year as possible. Staff members have also been participating in professional development this summer to plan for the integration of technology throughout the curriculum. We have scheduled several pick-up dates prior to the start of the school year (see below). Chromebooks that are not picked up will be distributed at the start of the school year.
We are excited to see the students empowered and provided additional learning opportunities through the expansion of our 1:1 program. Please complete the 1:1 portions of the annual required forms in Genesis prior to picking up a Chromebook. The Chromebooks will be an essential tool in our students’ learning experiences this year and throughout the future.
Pick-up schedule:
- Grade 7 - 8/19/19 - 9:30am-11:30am during Bagels and Locks
- Grade 8 - 8/19/19 - 12pm-2pm
- Grade 9 - 8/23/19 - 11:30am-2:00pm
- Grade 10 - 8/23/19 - 8:00am-10:30am
- Grade 11 - 8/22/19 - 11:30am-2:00pm
- Grade 12 - 8/22/19 - 8:00am-10:30am
Transition of Mass Notification Service Providers:
The Warren Hills Regional School District (WHRSD) is in the process of transitioning our Mass Notification Services. For the past several years, the WHRSD has utilized Honeywell and Remind to inform the school community of school closings, event dates and alerts. Over the next few weeks, we will make a full transition to Blackboard’s Mass Notification system for all notifications. This will be a one-stop location for sharing information to our school community. Additional information regarding the completed transition and steps for you to register with Blackboard will be forwarded to you in the coming weeks.
When inclement weather occurs, school delay and/or closing information will be broadcast through Blackboard, Twitter, Facebook, and posted on the District Webpage. I would encourage you to follow, like and sign up to receive messages from the district.
Please note that we have ceased use of Remind for district notifications at this time. District and school level communication will not be sent through the Remind app as we approach the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. We encourage you to ensure that your contact information is up to date in Genesis Parent Portal so you will receive any Honeywell broadcasts and check our website for other important dates and communication at https://www.warrenhills.org.
We can be found on Twitter at:
@WHRSD
@WHRHighSchool
@WHRMiddleSchool
We can be found on Facebook at:
Warren Hills Regional High School: Facebook.com/WHRHighSchool
Warren Hills Regional Middle School: Facebook.com/WHRMiddleSchool
Very Truly Yours,
Earl C. Clymer, III
Superintendent of Schools