Dear HCS Families,
Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed a fun and restful summer with family and friends, and we look forward to a great year of learning ahead! To ensure that everyone is ready for the new year, please read the important information below.
Contact Information
Please make sure your contact information on file at the school is up to date. We may send messages through email, text, automated phone call, or paper mail.
School-Wide Announcements
- HCS uses ParentSquare for school-wide announcements. If you have an account, you will receive the morning announcements (Daily Bulletin) and other information.
- Please check your notification settings on parentsquare.com and make sure they're set to your preference. For each of the three groups — JSHS (Jr/Sr High School), District, and ES (Elem. School) — you can choose to get messages instantly or in an evening digest.
Google Classroom and Guardian Summary Emails
- Many parents find that the best way of keeping up to date with Google Classroom is going to Google Classroom on a laptop (or downloading the app on their phone) and having their child(ren) sign in with their username and password. Passwords are saved, so you only need to enter them once. After that, you can go to Classroom any time and toggle between your children's accounts. Each child's account will display a number of different classes. By clicking on each class, you can check upcoming assignments, missing work, grades, etc.
- Google Classroom also offers an email update called a Guardian Summary. This allows you to receive a weekly email containing upcoming assignments and missing work. Or, if you have any concerns about your child falling behind, you can choose to get a daily email instead. To change the frequency, scroll to the bottom of any summary email and click Settings. Please note that summary emails do not contain grades. To check grades, you can use the method described in the bullet above.
SchoolTool
SchoolTool houses schedules, progress reports, and report cards. Parents/guardians and students each have their own account. If you have trouble logging in, reach out to our tech director, Mr. Rogers, at crogers@hamiltoncentral.org. Link: https://st4.schooltool.com/Hamilton
Curriculum Resource
Using this resource, you'll find a school supply list, course overviews, graduation requirements, our bell schedule, and more: https://tinyurl.com/HCSSecondaryCurriculumPage. To find this in the future, click “Departments” and then “Curriculum” at the top of the HCS website.
Extracurricular Activities
I encourage all of our students to join one or more clubs or sports. Our students make HCS a great place to learn, and their involvement in activities is one of the contributing factors. By engaging in extracurriculars, students build better connections with their peers, adults, and the school as a whole. Parents and guardians, please encourage your children to get involved. A list of activities can be found here: https://www.hamiltoncentral.org/mshs/extra-curricular-activities
Reminder of Cell Phone Procedures
- In accordance with state law, students are not to use smartphones or other internet-connected devices, except for school-issued devices, during the school day.
- 6th Grade: Students will place their phones in a secure locker inside their homeroom teacher's classroom each morning. They will be able to get their phones at 2:45.
- 7th–12th Grade: Students have been issued a clear, lockable case (NuKase) by the district. Before entering school, students should place their phone in the case and show staff that it's locked. The locked phone should then be stored in their backpack or locker (not in their pocket). At the end of the day, students will unlock their cases at exit stations.
- Forgotten Cases: If a student forgets their case at home, they should store their phone in the main office.
- Late Arrivals & Early Dismissals: Students arriving late will secure their phone in their case at the attendance office. If leaving early, they can unlock it at the attendance office during sign-out.
- Visit our FAQ page for more details: www.hamiltoncentral.org/district/no-cell-phone-policy
Reaching Students During the School Day
- In an emergency, please contact the main office at (315) 824-6320. Students will also have access to office phones if they need to reach you.
- For non-urgent messages (like changes to pick-up plans), please call the attendance office at (315) 824-6301. If there's no answer, please call the main office. We'll make sure your child receives the message promptly while minimizing classroom disruptions.
As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns as the school year progresses. I look forward to a wonderful year for everyone in our HCS community!
Sincerely,
Mark Arquiett
MS/HS Principal
marquiett@hamiltoncentral.org
(315) 824-6320