Principal's Message

Welcome Back to the 2023-2024 school year. The summer is a time to rest, relax and reconnect with families and friends. I hope everyone had a wonderful break and are looking forward to the start of the school year. We are busy preparing and will be ready on Wednesday September 6th to greet students as they enter the building.

Below you will find information essential for a successful return to school. As always, there is a lot of information included in this back-to-school email so please don't hesitate to reach out to the main office or school counseling (guidance) office if you have any questions.

9th Grade and new student Orientation is on Wednesday, August 30. There are two sessions:

• 10am until 12pm
• 1pm until 3pm.

Incoming 9th graders and new students can use the link below to register. Please be sure to use your student’s name in the registration. If you have any questions or concerns please email Mrs. Snead at sneadb@kingphilip.org

Tuesday, August 29th KPHS will host an Open Door Day! Bring your schedule, bring a friend or family member and explore our building. We will host this event from 8:00am until 4:00pm. Doors close at 4:00. We look forward to saying "HELLO"

Within the next week we will be sharing out the Student & Parent/Guardian Handbook for 2023-2024. We ask that you take some time to review our KPRSD Handbook. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions regarding the policies in the handbook! Once you review the handbook with your student, we ask that you click the acknowledgment link to sign off on our District Handbook. All families must complete the acknowledgment form before participating in any KPHS events. Stay tuned for a separate email soon with the updated handbook.

Hello KP Student Drivers-

Please know that student Parking Registration for the 2023-2024 school year will open on Monday, August 7, 2023.

In order to be eligible for a parking space, you MUST have:

1. a valid Driver's License (Learner's permits are not acceptable).

2. A copy of your license will need to be uploaded during registration in order to submit.

Parking Stickers will be available for pick up on the following days:
Monday, August 28th from 8:30am to 12:30pm
Tuesday, August 29th from 8:30am to 12:30pm

You can always find the registration link on our website or click on the following link. Click here to Register for Parking

Please read the following information BEFORE viewing your schedule. Schedules are available via Infinite Campus

When reviewing your schedule be sure to look for the following:

• Academic courses/levels and electives are correct for all 4 terms.
• Students should not have more than one study hall per term. This can lead to insufficient credits and delay graduation.
• Any holes/blank spaces in a schedule will be filled in by a study hall over the next week or so. Lunches, homerooms and classroom numbers are still a work in progress
• Schedules are subject to change--meaning you may see shifts in the periods of your classes between now and the start of school
• If you notice any issues, you may schedule an appointment with the links below over the next two weeks:

Seniors and Juniors ONLY:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B054BAAAE23A6FF2-august12

All grade levels 9-12:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B054BAAAE23A6FF2-august13

Students receiving special education services can reach out to Heather Lutfy at lutfyh@kingphilip.org with any specific course questions OR they can book an appointment with the counselors.

The high school counselors are in the office during a limited number of days to handle schedule concerns. Appointments at this time are for schedule concerns only. If you wish to schedule an appointment to discuss post-secondary planning, please reach out to your assigned counselor mid-September.

Please be aware per administrative policy the counselors can not take scheduling requests to have or change specific teachers.

Register online only for an appointment--please do not call the school counseling office for an appointment. All appointments are in person in the KPRHS Counseling Office. If you would prefer a phone appointment, please leave a contact number when scheduling an appointment.

Be sure to complete your summer work for English, Math, AP and MCC courses by the start of the school year. Summer assignments can be found here (scroll down the page until you see 2023 Summer Work).

Thank you,

Jess Nutter

School Counseling Department Head

Lockers: For any student who wishes to have a locker assigned for the 2023-2024, please see Mrs. Shore in the main office and a locker in the vicinity of their homeroom will be assigned to them along with a lock. Homeroom teachers will be notified of all students using lockers. All locks must be turned into the office by the last week of school each school year. A fee of $10 will be charged for any missing/unreturned locks. Graduating seniors will need to pay any lock fee prior to receiving their graduation tickets.

Supply List: There is no school supply list for KP High School. Students should arrive on the first day with their Chromebook charged, a notebook and a pen/pencil. Individual teachers may have specific requirements for their courses and will go over those with their students.

The District is providing an optional Chromebook Protection Plan. For Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00) per Chromebook per year.

The plan covers:

• First and second repair: 100%
• Third repair: 50%
• Fourth and subsequent: 0%

Chromebook is covered for the following issues:

• Broken glass screen, Charger port failure, Theft, Broken LED/LCD displays, Accidental damage, Power surge, fire and flood, Water damage, Loss, Vandalism, Electrical failures

The District strongly encourages families to purchase the protection plan for each student’s Chromebook each school year. The $35.00 Chromebook One2One Protection Plan is less expensive than a Chromebook repair for an unprotected device. Further, in the event a Chromebook is lost, the cost without a protection plan in place is $350. Instead, with a protection plan in place, lost Chromebook's are fully covered by paying for the $35.00 Chromebook Protection Plan. If you do not purchase the protection plan, any damage or loss to the Chromebook will be YOUR responsibility.

Universal Free School Meals for All Students

Governor Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature have made Massachusetts the 8th state to make School Meals for All permanent, beginning immediately for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year! School meals will be offered at no cost to all students.

Free and Reduced Cost Meals Application

Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it is very important for families in need to still complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2023-2024 school year. This allows districts to establish eligibility for other federal benefits and school programs. Families who have been eligible for Free and Reduced Meals in the past must apply again for 2023-2024. Please know that the application is confidential with only the Director of Food Services and administrators having access. All students receive the same meals.

King Philip Free and Reduced Meals Application

For more information on the School Meals Program, please visit the food services page on the district's website, King Philip Schools Food Services Department.

If you are interested in serving as a King Philip's MIAA Student Ambassador representative, please contact Athletic Director Mr. Brown at browng@kingphilip.org. For more information regarding this program please see the following link or contact Mr. Brown directly: https://miaa.net/student-ambassador-program/

Please see the athletic section of the school website for the Fall Athletic Tryout Schedule.

Follow us on Twitter @kphsathletics and Instagram at kphsathletics

Students are only allowed to attend school if they have the proper immunizations.

The Massachusetts Immunization Requirements for Secondary School Students states:

No student shall attend a preschool, elementary school, or secondary school program without a certificate of immunization documenting that the child has been successfully immunized in accordance with current Department required immunization schedules developed in accordance with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or any successor committee serving a comparable function. 220.500:

All students in grades 9-10 must have the Tdap vaccine and their first dose of MenACWY (formerly MCV4).

Grades 11-12 require 2 doses; the second dose of MenACWY (formerly MCV4) must be given on or after the 16th birthday and ≥ 8 weeks after the previous dose. 1 dose is acceptable if given on or after the 16th birthday.

Annual Physical Examinations: Physicals are mandated by Massachusetts for students entering grades 7 and 10. The physical must be on file at the Health Office within 2 weeks of starting school in September.

Athletics: All students participating in interscholastic sports must have a physical every 12 months. A copy of this physical must be on file in the Health Office before the first practice.

Medications: - All medication orders must be renewed at the beginning of each academic year and/or as necessary during the academic year from a licensed prescriber and written parent/guardian permission to administer the medication. All prescription medications to be administered by the school nurse must be in their original pharmacy or manufacturer-labeled container. A maximum of a thirty (30) school day supply of the student's medication is stored at a time at school. For short-term prescription medications, i.e., those requiring administration for ten school days or fewer, the pharmacy-labeled container may be used in place of a licensed prescriber's order.

Please fax, scan, or drop off a copy of your child’s immunizations and physicals as soon as possible.

High School

Email Tara Espsoito espositot@kingphilip.org or Kathy Puzas at puzask@kingphilip.org

Fax 508-384-1075

Healthy KP Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is proud to host this year's Back to School Social. This is a great opportunity for both parents and students!

Wednesday, August 30th, 2023: 6:00pm - 8:00pm KP High School Field House

Incoming and existing students can connect and build community while enjoying the many activities in the field house. There will be door prizes as well as prizes for students who compete in the Mario Kart tournament and obstacle course tournament.

Parents will have the opportunity to engage in the Hidden In Plain Sight exhibit, learn about social host laws, local wellness resources, and connect with the district's new Superintendent, Dr. Richard Drolet, and the new KPHS Principal Ms. Nicole Bottomley.

We will close this event by coming together to enjoy a meal, kicking off Family Meals Matter month. We hope to see you there!

Schools make every effort to maintain confidentiality when it comes to student information.

Directory Information: However, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) allows for the release of Directory Information: "A student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, weight and height of members of athletic teams, class, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, degrees, honors and awards, and post-high school plans" unless a parent/guardian writes to the Principal to restrict this release of information.

11th & 12th Grade Only: In addition, "please note that federal law — ESEA Section 8528 and 10 USC 503 — requires local educational agencies receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to provide military recruiters, upon request for military recruiting purposes, access to secondary school students' names, addresses, and telephone numbers unless the student's parent or the eligible student has requested in writing to opt out of such a disclosure." Please use the google form to opt out of sharing student information with military recruiters.

Photos: Student pictures or work samples may be displayed on our website or in our district/school newsletters. Should you wish to have no photos, videos, or work samples of your child appear in any school newspaper, video, TV show, newsletter, or on the website, please send a letter to the principal to opt out.

Upcoming important dates:

• August 21st (18th for Football), Athletic Tryouts Begin
• August 30th, 9th Grade Orientation
• September 6th, First Day for Students
• September 20th, First Early Release Day at 11:00am
• October 5th, School Picture/ID Day
• October 5th, 6pm-8pm (Times may be adjusted): Back-to-School Open House for Parents/Guardians
• October 10th, No School - Staff Professional Development Day
• October 21st, 7pm-10pm: Homecoming

We establish high academic standards and expectations for personal responsibility. Students are encouraged to become lifelong learners, to be productive contributors to society, to set ambitious goals, and to use all available resources.

Principal: Nicole Bottomley

Assistant Principal: Kip Lewis

Assistant Principal: Karen Archambault

Dean of Students: Jill Poirier

Athletic Director: Gary Brown

Website: https://www.kingphilip.org/high-school/
Twitter: @KingPhilipHS

Instagram: KPHighSchool

Location: 201 Franklin St, Wrentham MA 02093
Phone: 508-384-1000