Good Evening Caregivers & Students,
It has been another good week at Essex Tech as we made the switch from CTE to Academics for grades 10 and 12, and grade 11 students spent time in their CTE areas. It was an exciting week for our new grade 9 students as they began their Career Discovery rotations.
Yom Kippur
For those students who observe Yom Kippur, Monday, September 28th, will be an excused absence. Please have your child reach out to their instructor for any missed assignments as additional time will be provided for these assignments to be completed.
This Wednesday, September 30th will be our first 10:20 am Late Start. We will have periods C, A, and B. Students should arrive at school no earlier than 10:05 am. Students who take the bus should follow the Late-Start Pick Up time on the bus route. As always, please report to the bus stop at least ten minutes early.
Here is a quick preview of the schedule for this coming week.
| Monday, September 28 | Day 9: Green | On-Campus: Grade 11 CTE & Grade 10 Academics
Remote: Grade 9 CTE & Grade 12 Academics |
| Tuesday, September 29 | Day 10: Green | On-Campus: Grade 9 CTE & Grade 12 Academics
Remote: Grade 11 CTE & Grade 10 Academics |
| Wednesday, September 30
10:20 am Late Start |
Day 1: Blue | On-Campus: Grade 9 Academics & Grade 12 CTE
Remote: Grade 11 CTE & Grade 10 Academics |
| Thursday, October 1 | Day 2: Blue | On-Campus: Grade 11 Academics & Grade 10 CTE
Remote: Grade 9 Academics & Grade 12 CTE |
| Friday, October 2 | Day 3: Blue | On-Campus: Grade 9 Academics & Grade 12 CTE
Remote: Grade 11 CTE & Grade 10 Academics |
Student Drop Off and Pick Up
As a reminder, students should be dropped off and picked up in the back of the building by the gymnasium. When leaving campus, if you plan to turn right and travel Route 62 west, please turn left out of the gym lot and proceed to the exit at the west end of campus. This is a right turn only at dismissal.
If you need to travel eastbound on Route 62, please turn right when you leave the bus lot and follow the roadway by the front of the school to the light. This will safely allow you to turn left onto Route 62. Please note: drivers should not pass the school buses at any time. This week, we have seen some parents passing busses as students are being dropped off at the front of the building. Please be patient to ensure that our students arrive safely.
Students Check Their Emails
We recommend that students check their email frequently for updates related to their coursework. Email is our primary means of communication.
**GRADE 9** Career Discovery
Career Discovery is off to a great start! We thought it would be helpful to provide a few reminders for students and parents. This is a non-graded opportunity for students to see every CTE area before choosing what areas they would like to explore in greater detail. Some tips for success for Career Discovery when learning remotely would be to make sure you are logged into your school Google account prior to logging on the Google classroom or you may get an error message that the code is not valid. Please be careful to enter the code correctly. It may be helpful to cut and paste it from the electronic document shared to the student’s email. Additionally, please read the directions for each class carefully. Some classes provide links to “meet” teachers and some provide work to complete on your own. If you have any questions or challenges during the day please reach out to guidance counselors, Ms. Fajardo (wfajardo@essextech.net) or Ms. Montague (jmontague@essextech.net) or Assistant Principals, Ms. Skane (jskane@essextech.net) or Mr. Spruance (jspruance@essextech.net).
Hats, Hoods, and IDs
As a reminder hats and hoods are not permitted in the building. Students should promptly remove their hats and hood when they enter the building. In addition, student IDs should be worn and visible at all times while in the school building, unless a student is working with equipment and the ID will pose a safety hazard.
Social Distancing Reminder
Our students are doing a great job with wearing masks. However, we are asking our students to be more aware of proper social distancing, particularly during mask breaks and hallway pass times. Next week, we will be working on moving students to different entrance and exit points to reduce student traffic. It is imperative that all students adhere to social distancing during these times.
Lost and Found
There are several items in our lost and found that were left behind when school closed last March. Students who are missing items should check the lost and found located in the Main Office. Any items or clothing left by October 8th will be donated.
State Police
The State Police will be conducting training exercises in Gallant Hall on Tuesday, September 29th. There will be an increased police presence on South campus that day. This training will not interfere with any classes or student arrival and dismissal.
PSATs
For Sophomores and Juniors interested in taking the PSATs on Saturday, October 17th. Please review the following PSAT information regarding registration, cost, and requirements.
Schoology Parent Accounts
We are pleased to announce that this year we have adopted the use of Schoology, which is an online course management system. The implementation of Schoology will be a year-long rollout, which means some teachers may still opt to use either Google classroom or Aspen this school year. Schoology will allow you to track your student’s course materials, grades, and progress. Caregivers can now access Schoology by creating their own accounts. Before getting started, you will need to log into Aspen to locate your student’s “Schoology Access Code.” This access code can be found in Aspen under the Families top-tab, Details side-tab, Technology tab. Once you have that code, please follow these directions to create your Schoology account. If you have any questions, please email aspenhelp@essextech.net.
Attendance
As a reminder, when students are tardy to school on in-person school days they should stop at the tardy desk in the Main Lobby to get checked in between 7:50 and 9:00 am. Students who are tardy after 9:00 am should report to the Assistant Principal’s office to be checked in. Students should be prepared with their school ID and know which class they are heading to in order to expedite the check-in process.
Students who are tardy on remote school days during first period should have their first period teacher mark them as tardy upon their arrival. Students who are tardy after first period on remote days should complete this form (also located on the Families page of the website) so that the office can mark you as tardy rather than absent.
Students that need to be dismissed during the school day can now inform the school via email. We ask that caregivers email the school at attendance@essextech.net with their full name, the student’s full name, student’s grade level, reason, dismissal time, and reentry time (if applicable).
News from the Media Center
Please view the Between the Lines e-newsletter from our Media Center.
Social Media Presence
Please like us on our social media pages using the links below to stay up-to-date on everything happening at Essex North Shore!
Sincerely,
Heidi T. Riccio, Ed.D., Superintendent-Director
Shannon Donnelly, M.A.T., Principal
Thomas O’Toole, Ed.D., Assistant
