Here are the Highlights from the Weekly School Messenger Call for the Week of September 4th!
Welcome to September! We are halfway through the first quarter and progress reports come out this week! Let’s keep #MustangExcellence going and have another great week in #MustangNation!
As a reminder, Monday is Labor Day and we will not have school tomorrow! Also, this Wednesday is Early Release Day. Please review the bell schedule.
Attendance Awareness Month
September is Attendance Awareness Month and we want to remind students and parents that showing up to school each day and every period is the way to be successful. Students who attend school are more likely to earn credits and graduate. Let’s come to school every day and be successful!
Progress Reports
Progress Reports will be available online on Friday, September 9th via myStudent.
Pep Rally and Rivalry Game – Beat the Knights!
We will have our first Pep Rally this Friday, September 9th as this week is our big rivalry game against River Ridge High School. The game will be held at RRHS. Mustangs will need to remain on the visitor side. Please do not go onto the field at any time before, during, or after the game. Please be respectful in your cheering and do not use profane or abusive language. Be clever and not crude. I am confident that we can come up with more clever cheers and signs than the Knights can. Have Mustang PRIDE! Let’s go Mustangs!
Beat the Knights for a Good Cause – Two Good Soles Shoes and Socks Drive
Let’s Go Mustangs and help us Beat the Knights for a good cause!
This week we are collecting new shoes and socks for the Two Good Soles Charity. River Ridge has challenged us on and off the field with a charity drive collection. Let’s collect the most shoes and socks for our community! New items can be turned in to your RANCH teacher or Main Office until September 7th. So while you are off on Monday, stop in and grab some socks and a pair of shoes to donate! Help us #BeatTheKnights in this rivalry for the Two Good Soles Charity.
Find more information here: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/two-good-soles-socks-and-shoes-drive-for-charity/
Parent Dance Expectations Meeting Online Course
We will be sending out invitations to students’ myLearning accounts so that parents and guardians can complete the Parent Dance Meeting Expectations Online Course if it has been requested. This course is found in myLearning. It should take about 30 minutes to complete the class online. Have your student look for the invitation that will be coming this week. Once you have completed it, I will be assigning a Mustang Dance Number. I will be passing out Mustang Dance Numbers in the third week of September so that students can complete Homecoming Dance Forms. If you have forgotten your dance number, we will be sending out all Mustang Dance Numbers in RANCH during the third week of September.
If you still need to request this course, please complete the following link: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSDanceMtg
SAVE THE DATE – The Florida College Fair – September 13th
SAVE THE DATE for the 2022 Florida College Fair being held on September 13th in our GYM from 6:30PM to 8:00PM. It is an “open house style” with over 50 colleges and universities in attendance! All grade levels are welcome! This is an event that will be attended by students from all of the high schools on the West Side.
SAVE THE DATE – The Flu Shot Clinic – October 3rd
If you are interested in having your child receive the flu shot at JWMHS, we will be doing so on October 3rd. Please pick up a consent form in the Clinic or from Nurse Jane. We will also have them available in Student Services. This is not required for students, but is a service that is offered for those interested.
SAVE THE DATE – PSAT – October 25th
The PSAT will be administered on October 25th on our campus. 10th grade students are automatically registered to take the PSAT, and the district pays for their test! 9th and 11th grade students are encouraged to test as the PSAT is great practice for the SAT and provides students with an opportunity to explore their academic strengths for college readiness! It is important for 11th grade students to test as they may use their scores to qualify for Nation Merit Scholarships. 9th and 11th grade students can pay the $20 registration fee on RYCOR by clicking on the PSAT icon!
Parent Bill of Rights Acknowledgements in myStudent
If you have not logged into your Parent Portal of myStudent, we ask that you do so this week. There are consent forms that need to be completed as a result of the Parents Bill of Rights legislation. We would like to partner with you regarding making decisions for your child that are consistent with your wishes as a parent/guardian. Please help us do so by completing this important paperwork. Login here: Login to your Parent Portal and Complete the Forms Required for the New Year: https://pasco.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/index.php?skipSSO
Changes can be made by following the directions that we are providing on our website (https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/how-to-for-parents-and-students/). We would encourage you to review what you have already done if you have said no to anything as there have been changes made to further explain each of the items.
Student Parking
As students come to school each day, they should park in their assigned parking spot. If students do not have a parking spot, they cannot drive to school until you they have a parking space. If a student does not have a spot, please apply on our website, but know that there are not many spots available. Please see Mrs. Baldwin for more information.
Bicycle Parking
If you ride a bike to school, please park them in the middle of campus near the RED Building outside of Room 528. There is an alcove there where you can do so safely. We encourage you to bring a bike lock so that you bike remains safe. Do NOT park or attach your bike to the fences. If you do, we will cut the locks and move them to the assigned parking area. (jwmhs bike parking.png)
Pick Up, Drop Off, and Parking Lots
Please remind your children that in the Red Car Loop that they should remain on the sidewalks and not walk through this active parking lot. Please help us by dropping off and picking up such that students are entering and exiting the car next to the sidewalk in the Red Car Loop only. We are having a problem with students being dropped off on Photonics Blvd. near the bus loop. This is causing traffic to back up and for busses to not be able to get into the bus loop. Please only drop off students in our Red Car Loop. We want to keep children safe and we are very concerned that a student is going to get hit so that people can save a few minutes each morning.
Attached is a picture of the routes that you can use to enter the campus off of Little Road and Jaguar Trail (routes for entering campus.png). All of this information can also be found here: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/parking-driving-bicycles-and-fencing-at-jwmhs/
Gates and Arrival at School
The gates will remain open each day until 8:40AM. If a student arrives after 8:40AM, he or she must go to Student Services and check in there as the gates will close and should remain closed for security. Do not prop open gates or put items in gates so that the gates remain open. If you arrive to campus on time, you should not need to worry about having to use these gates. If you arrive late to campus, please do not ask someone to come and open the gate. Please follow our expectations and report to Student Services. Violations of these expectations will result in disciplinary action. Please arrive in your classes on time each day, as being on time is important now and in and the future.
Breakfast and Lunch and Outside Food
Breakfast is served each morning until 8:20AM when the warning bell will sound.
As a reminder, we are a closed campus and students CANNOT have food delivered to school via services such as Uber Eats, etc. Food from outside vendors such as Chick Fil A, etc. cannot be dropped off by parents and guardians. It is not allowed in our cafeteria. Violations of this will result in the confiscation of the food until the end of the school day. For the school and school district, if we are found in violation of this policy, we can lose our Federal funding for our School Lunch Program. Please follow our rules.
If students are found leaving campus and/or subsequently returning and they drive to school, the first time that this occurs the student will lose parking privileges for two weeks. After the second time, the student will lose parking privileges for the remainder of the semester. There will also be other consequences assigned. If a student does not drive, there will be different consequences assigned. And, as a reminder, if you are found opening gates to let people in, you can also be assigned discipline and lose privileges. Student-Athletes need to be aware that violations such as this can also have consequences assigned by your coaches.
eSchool Placeholders
If you have an eSchool placeholder, on campus or off campus, please sign up for your classes no later than Friday, September 9th. If you do not sign up for classes, we will change your schedule to a class on campus next Monday. Directions can be found on our website here: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/do-you-have-an-eschool-placeholder-here-is-how-to-sign-up-for-classes/
Healthy Student Forms and the Clinic
Last week we sent home a Healthy Student Form. This will allow your child to receive Tylenol or Ibubrofin in the Clinic. Please make sure that you complete this form if you would like for the Clinic, School Nurse, and Clinic Assistant to help in these matters.
Mustang Spirit
BEAT THE KNIGHTS shirts have arrived! We have been distributing them via RANCH. Get them in time for the big game and show your #MustangPRIDE!
You will get free Mustang gear for donating to our Mustang Excellence Fund or to our Staff and Faculty Appreciation Fund. If you have already made this donation, we thank you in advance. These donations will help us throughout this school year as we recognize our Mustangs for their hard work and excellence! There is still time to make these donations and get your free Mustang gear! Here is the link to make a donation: https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/
Here is the link to our online Mustang Spirit Store to purchase Mustang Gear (not the Beat the Knights shirt): https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSSpiritStore
Mustang Athletics
As a reminder, we will be enforcing our Event Security Policies (https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/jwmhs/2019/08/front.USE_.2.pdf) and want to remind you that only bags that are clear plastic, clear vinyl, clear Ziploc bags, small clutch-type purses no larger than 4 inches by 6 inches, diaper bags, and medically necessary items are permitted inside an event venue. No other bags of any kind are permitted except for properly credentialed school and professional photographer’s camera bags. Please go dot our website to review these policies and procedures. If you travel to other schools and other school districts, they will also have policies and procedures that they will enforce. Please adhere to their directions and expectations and be a good representative of JW Mitchell High School!
Best wishes to our athletes as they compete this week! Volleyball, golf, swimming, and cross country are off amazing starts and we are so proud of you! Come out and support the Mustangs!
Any student who wants to play a sport must complete all of their paperwork on www.AthleticClearance.com prior to tryouts. All of this information can be found on the Mitchell website under Athletics and then Forms. Athletic fees must be paid online one week after you are on the team. Please do not pay the athletic participation fees until you have made the team. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Dixon via email at rdixon@pasco.k12.fl.us or at 727-774-9382.
Keeping Campus Clean
Any drink containers or food wrappers need to be disposed of in our commons area garbage cans and not classroom garbage cans or recycle bins. Keep our campus clean, including the cafeteria and patio areas. Please take pride in your school and keep it clean!
Around the RANCH Newsletter
Please read our Around the RANCH newsletter. It has a lot of important information and you can find it here: https://www.smore.com/p2tqr
We hope that this is your best week yet! Have a great evening!
Go Mustangs!
~ Ms. Schultz
Here are some links you will need to make your school year successful:
How To for Students and Parents: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/how-to-for-parents-and-students/
Login to your Parent Portal and Complete the Forms Required for the New Year: https://pasco.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/index.php?skipSSO
Pay Student Fees, Purchase a Yearbook or Locker, or Make a Donation: https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/
Sign Up/Register for a Pasco eSchool Class: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/do-you-have-an-eschool-placeholder-here-is-how-to-sign-up-for-classes/
Complete Athletic Paperwork here: www.athleticclearance.com/
Request the Parent/Guardian Dance Meeting: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSDanceMtg
Purchase Mustang Gear: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSSpiritStore
Apply for a Free/Reduced Lunch: https://connectplus.pasco.k12.fl.us/do/fns/free-or-reduced-price-meal-application/
Apply to be a Volunteer: http://pasco.k12.fl.us/comm/page/volunteer
Purchase a Mustang Legacy Brick: https://tinyurl.com/mustanglegacybrick
Parking, Driving, Pick Up, Drop Off, Bicycles, and Fences at JWMHS Information: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/parking-driving-bicycles-and-fencing-at-jwmhs/
Bell Schedules for the 2022-2023 School Year: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/jwmhs/2022/07/bellschedules.2223.pdf
Security Policies and Procedures and Fan Expectations: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/jwmhs/2019/08/front.USE_.2.pdf
Around the RANCH Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/p2tqr
Highlights from the Weekly School Messenger Call for the Week of September 4th: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/highlights-from-the-weekly-school-messenger-call-for-the-week-of-september-4th/
