Welcome Back

Written on 08/29/2023
agillis

DHS Parents/Guardians:

 

A warm welcome back to parents and guardians and a very special welcome to families new to the DHS school community!  We are delighted to be back and are looking forward to an enjoyable and productive year! We trust the following information will assist in preparation for the start of the 2023-2024 academic year.  For some of you, a lot of this information below may not be new, but it helps to have some reminders. 

  • All students report back to school on September 7th.  The start time for students is 8:25 a.m.  The school day ends at 3:05 p.m.
  • Bus students should already have their bus schedule.  If not, please contact Southland Bus Company.  Their phone number is 902-407-4664.
  • Students will not be permitted to enter the building prior to 8:10 a.m.  
  • We are a grade 9-12 high school. Our grade 9’s come to us from DSA, with rare exceptions.
  • Students new to the school may click on the following link to get a virtual tour of the building and feel for the school environment.  This virtual tour was created during Covid times but is still current.   https://youtu.be/GB1sD5pSnm4 
  • A copy of the school’s floor plan for both levels is attached for reference.
  • On September 7, grades 9 and 10 students will proceed directly to Keating Hall where they will meet their homeroom teacher who will accompany them to their first homeroom class. Our student council will be in the halls to greet and direct grade 9 and 10 students to Keating Hall!
  • Students will have 75-mins classes, (4 x 75 minutes alternating classes every other day).
  • Please see the attachment for reference for students’ daily schedule.
  • Grade 9’s follow a semestered high school schedule, though most courses run full year.
  • Grades 11 and 12 students must proceed directly to their scheduled class.
  • Entering and exiting the building:
  • Grade 12’s  Harbour one (back of school facing Zatzman sportsplex)
  • Grade 11’s Thistle doors (Doors by DHS Crest)
  • Grade 10’s  John Regan entrance (by the Gym)
  • Grade 9’s Main entrance (Victoria Road)
  • Students who drive to school may park at their own risk in the student parking lot at the back of the building (facing Zatzman Sportsplex).   
  • Students are not permitted to park in the Victoria Road Parking Lot. These spaces are assigned to DHS and HRCE staff with a limited number of spaces for visitors to the school.
  • Students are reminded to drive with care and to be respectful of the school property and of their school mates’ vehicles.   Students must be mindful of the fire lane and must not park vehicles on the side of the building.
  • Students will be able to access their schedule on Power School.  If you or your child do not have access to Power School, please call 902-464-2457, Ext 400-1000 or 400-1005 to speak with one of our admin assistants.   If you need a reset for your PowerSchool username and/or password, please click on the link below.
  • https://www.ednet.ns.ca/inschool/files_inschool/resetting_your_student_portal_password_quick_reference_sheet.pdf  (students)
  • https://www.ednet.ns.ca/inschool/students_parents   (parents)
  • Please note that grade 10 students are enrolled in 7 or 8 courses from September to June.  The majority of our grade 10 courses are full year, some running back-to-back every other day.  Grade 10 Math Academic runs every day and accounts for 2 credits.  
  • Grade 11s and 12’s have a mix of semestered and full year courses, but the majority of their courses tend to be semestered.
  • During the first week of school, each teacher will let students know what is required by way of school supplies for their respective class. Students may bring a notebook and a pen or pencil on the first day.
  • During the first week of school, teachers will also provide a communication plan to students with expectations for the classroom environment and their respective courses.
  • We are still collecting Chromebooks, library books and textbooks from students who were not able to return them at the end of the school year.  It is imperative that these items be returned to avoid receiving an invoice from the school as we go through our checklist. 
  • To obtain a Chromebook, students will be provided with a contract that must be signed by a parent.  Students who did not return their Chromebook will not be able to sign out a Chromebook this year.
  • HRCE has adopted an online payment system should you wish to pay online for items such as athletic fees, etc.  The URL to that site is:   http//hrce.schoolcashonline.com/  
  • Lockers are available for student’s use for a cost of $10 and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis beginning the second week of school.
  • The school’s cafeteria is under new management and will reopen on September 07.  Stay tuned for daily menus!  Note that our lunch areas are supervised.
  • Extracurricular activities include student council events, assemblies, sports teams and clubs.  We encourage students to get involved and if they have an interest that we do not offer, we encourage a conversation with us to explore possibilities.
  • Football season started mid-August.  It is still not too late to try out.  Listen for announcements for soccer, volleyball, and baseball try-outs.
  • We encourage and welcome grade 9s to try out for all sports teams.
  • We invite students and parents to download our free D-APP under Dartmouth High School from the APP store.  This APP is one of our primary communication tools that many students, families and community members have come to rely on for school related information.
  • For safety reasons, it is preferable that parents do not enter the Victoria Road parking lot to drop off or pick up students, with the exception of students accessing special needs transportation.
  • In the interest of promoting well-being for all, it is recommended that students and staff stay home if they are feeling sick.
  • We would also ask that visitors refrain from entering the building if feeling unwell.

 

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read through, I realize that this is a lot of information.  We invite you to share and discus pertinent information with your child. 

 

As a school, we pride ourselves on building strong relationships between home and school as this is vital to our students’ well-being and their achievement.  We thank you for your support in advance and look forward to a positive and productive school year!

 

Eartha M. Monard

Eartha Maureen Monard, Principal,  B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed.

Dartmouth High School | Ph : 902-464-2457 Ext. 4001001 | emonard@hrce.ca

Tapping into the untapped potential!  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


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