Dear Ichabod Crane High School Parents/Guardians & Students:
We hope you are enjoying your summer and have been able to find time to get much-deserved rest and relaxation, while also having many opportunities to have fun. We hope you were able to enjoy time with friends and family and are ready for a new school year!
As we get closer to September we are looking forward to a better year ahead. We have been working with our Reopening Task Force Teams in order to develop a plan to return to school as safely as possible, while making learning and our students’ and staff experiences fun! District-wide, our theme for the year is Unity and we have planned a variety of activities to bring our students, teachers, and the school community closer together.
As you prepare for the school year, we want to share some updates and reminders for this year:
School Day:
We are very excited to be returning back to a full in-person model. At the High School our students will follow a typical alternating Day 1 / Day 2 block schedule and our teachers are excited to be back with our students!
As we plan for our school year, we are following guidance from the CDC, NYS Education Department, and our local Department of Health to make decisions that will ensure that our students are as safe as possible. Safety measures for our students include: physical distancing throughout the building, mask wearing while in the building, regular cleaning and disinfecting, and sanitization measures. As has become the norm, we will be closely monitoring COVID-19 rates within our community and are well prepared to shift to the hybrid or remote learning model as needed/directed. For more information on our Reopening Plan, please visit the following page on our district website: https://www.ichabodcrane.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-2022-Ichabod-Crane-Fall-Opening-Plan.pdf
Staffing:
This summer, we have had a number of changes in staffing:
– Mrs. Matacchiero retired from her position as secretary to the principal. Although we are very sad to see her leave, we are happy for her. Mrs. Kilcer has now transitioned to the position of secretary to the principal. We are currently searching for a greeter/attendance clerk and hope to fill that position very soon.
– For the upcoming school year, Ms. DeAloe has transitioned to the Middle School. We would like to welcome Ms. Iorio to the High School. Ms. Iorio will be working closely with Ms. DeAloe and making sure that all of her students are set and cared for all year.
– We would also like to welcome Mr. Coffey as a member of the Technology Department. Mr. Coffey finished the school year with us and will continue to keep our Technology program running strong.
– This year, we have been fortunate to hire some teachers to help provide academic intervention services to our students in both the Middle School and High School. We recognize that our challenging learning environment the past two years has provided a number of obstacles to learning for our students. These teachers will be instrumental in helping our students find success. We welcome Ms. Orecki, Ms. Gazda, and Ms. Harrington to the MS and HS.
– We are also fortunate to have hired a full time Social Worker for the district. We would like to welcome Ms. Cucura to the district.
– We would like to say goodbye and good luck to Teaching Assistant Ms. Cole and World Languages Teacher Ms. Ortiz who have relocated and are no longer at Ichabod Crane. We appreciate their dedication to our students.
– Many of our students will recognize a familiar face who is with us this upcoming school year. One of our Teaching Assistants, Ms. Dick, has transitioned to the high school from the middle school.
– We would like to welcome Ms. Warner to the High School. She will be teaching Spanish courses in our World Languages Department.
Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures:
Morning Drop-Off – School Buses: School buses will drop students off at the back of the High School beginning at 7:30 a.m. and then proceed to the Middle School for drop-off. Students will enter via the cafeteria doors. Rider Pass (the road located directly behind the High School) will be closed to through traffic from the tennis courts to the JV softball field during morning drop-off.
Afternoon Pick-Up – School Buses: Students will be picked up by buses in the back of the High School. The buses will be lined up in a specific order each day and students will load their buses according to their assigned route. Bus maps and route numbers will be provided to each student. Rider Pass will be closed to through traffic during afternoon pick-up.
Morning Drop-Off – Parents/Guardians
Due to supervision, students will not be allowed in the building prior to 7:30. Students who are being dropped off by parents/guardians will be dropped at the front of the building along the front sidewalk in between the main office and the music suite.
When dropping off, please pull your car up between the music suite doors and the corner of the main office in order to allow several vehicles to form a line at the curb for drop-off. Students will walk along the sidewalk and enter through the main office doors. Cars can then proceed to exit through the parking lot.
Afternoon Pick-Up – Parents/Guardians:
Student pick-up will be in the same location at the front of the building as morning drop-off. Please pull along the sidewalk for students to easily see your car and load quickly and safely.
SchoolTool Parent Portal:
Now, more than ever, we encourage all parents/guardians to sign up for the online SchoolTool Parent Portal. The portal is a web-based program which allows parents/guardians access to their child’s schedule, attendance and grades. More information can be found online at: https://www.ichabodcrane.org/parent-portal/
To sign up, please contact either Mrs. Kilcer (x4002) or Mrs. Hill (x4003) in the main office.
Start of the Year Information:
-First Day of School for high school students is Tuesday, September 7, 2021.
Students in grades 10 through 12 will come into school on a two hour delay schedule. Students will be picked up two hours later than their normal morning bus run time.
Students in grade 9 will come to school at the standard start time. All students will be dismissed at 2:12pm.
-Freshman Orientation: Freshman Orientation will run differently this year. As noted above, Freshman will be the only students in the school building for two hours on the first day of school. We have many activities planned to allow our incoming 9th graders to become familiar with the school, their teachers, their schedule, etc. before the rest of the high school students arrive. We are excited to give the incoming 9th graders a unique and more personalized experience on their first day of school!
-CTE classes at Questar begin on Wednesday, September 8.
-High School Open House will be held on September 23. Please stay tuned for more information.
-Lunches: In order to maintain appropriate physical distancing, we will be having multiple locations for lunches this year. Please make sure that your child checks their schedule for their lunch location.
Capital Project Update:
Over the summer the boiler system was updated which included the installation of a large propane tank in front of the building.
Finishing touches are being made to the new sound booth in the auditorium.
We are happy to announce that the renovation of the Science classrooms is complete and students will be able to participate in their new rooms right away.
Construction and renovation has moved on to the math and technology classrooms (100-wing). We anticipate that the math rooms will be completed midway through the school year, and the full technology addition will be completed by September 2022. Our technology and math classes have been relocated during this time.
Additional Information:
CODE OF CONDUCT:
Please review and be familiar with our district and building code of conduct. The code of conduct can be found on the district website. For paper copies, please contact the main office.
STUDENTS SIGNING OUT / CLOSED CAMPUS:
Ichabod Crane High School is a closed campus. Accordingly, students may not be excused on a regular basis during lunch and study hall periods. In order to leave school grounds for appointments, students must present an original note signed and dated by a parent upon arrival at school.
Note: In the case of an emergency please call the school and ask for an administrator.
COURSE CREDIT:
In order to graduate, all students are required to complete 22 units of credit during their high school career. In order to progress to the next grade level, students must earn a minimum number of credits.
Students must earn a minimum of 5 credits in order to progress to Grade 10.
Students must earn a minimum of 10 credits in order to progress to Grade 11.
Students must earn a minimum of 15 credits in order to progress to Grade 12.
BACKPACKS/BAGS:
Because we will not be able to use lockers this fall, students WILL be allowed to carry backpacks/bags from class to class when in school. Please encourage students to keep the materials they carry with them to a minimum and instead utilize their Chromebooks to the fullest extent possible. Students should charge their Chromebook before coming to school each day.
STUDENT PARKING:
Parking privileges are available only to juniors and seniors who have agreed to adhere to the stipulations of our student parking agreement and who attend the district’s mandatory driving seminar which will be offered virtually this year. Students can pick up parking permit applications from the main office. After the parking seminar is made available, parking permits will be required in order for students to park on school grounds.
We are looking forward to seeing everybody in school for a great year, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.
Sincerely,
Craig T. Shull
Principal
Marcella Sanchez
Assistant Principal