Ready or not, here comes the 2022-23 school year! It’s an exciting time for new beginnings. We are looking forward to a great school year and watching the students arrive back at Chillicothe High School. Communication between parents and the school is vital. We encourage all parents to utilize the SIS Parent Portal found on the district’s website. We also look forward to our second year with the SSICA text program where staff communication with parents is prevalent in an effective way. We have an outstanding faculty and staff that looks forward to the students coming to the first day of school on August 23 and will do their best to provide quality education and promote Hornet Pride. Reminder to all parents, Chillicothe High School offers tutoring after school on Wednesdays in the library for any student that may want or need extra help with a particular course of study throughout the year. Please feel free to contact the high school office with any questions or concerns you may have. We are looking forward to a great school year!
Many improvements and renovations have occurred over the summer at Chillicothe High School. A big Thank You to the Class of 2022 for their class donation toward the new illuminated main front entryway signage. We have also added new signage to the front entryway of the Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center. New turf with an updated design has been installed at Jerry Litton Stadium to ensure that our student- athletes can perform at the highest level on the safest playing surface possible.
I would like to inform parents of and highlight a few updates to our student handbook policies. The first update deals with cell phones and other electronic devices. Students will not be allowed to have their cell phones, earbuds, digital cameras, or similar electronic devices out where they are visible. If the cell phone or electronic device is visible during the school day they will be in violation of our cell phone policy. As always, if student-parent contact is needed you may call the high school office and we will be able to get your son or daughter on the school phone rather quickly. We highly encourage you to use this practice and not rely on text or messaging your son or daughter's cell phone. Everything a student needs to do electronically while at school can be done on their school-issued Chromebook that is provided. Students will be highly encouraged to leave their cell phones in their vehicles in the school parking lot. If they are a student rider, students will be required to keep their devices zipped up in their book bag where they are not visible or partially visible at any time for the entire school day from 7:45 am until 3:02 pm.
This change is due to many factors that have happened at schools around the area, a few of which are listed below:
1. Students taking videos and pictures of other students in the bathroom and posting on social media
2. Students making audio recordings of test reviews and listening to them while taking a test with air pods
3. Students using phones while in locker rooms
4. Pictures being taken of other students in the classroom without permission and posted to social media.
5. Making videos and posting on Tik-Tok
6. Large amounts of classroom distractions using cell phones and other electronic devices.
We thank you in advance for your support in this matter. It is vital that students understand the importance of an education and focus in the classroom to the best of their ability. The disconnect from the cell phone will allow for an optimal learning environment for all during the school day. It will teach our students to invest in their education and get rid of the disconnecting grip that mobile devices play on their lives during the school day.
The second change to our student handbook policies that I would like to make you aware of pertains to students violating our vaping policy. Any student that is in violation of this policy will observe 2 days out of school suspension followed by 3 days of in-school suspension. Students now will be required to complete an educational interactive online prevention program about the harmful effects and dangers of vaping during the period of in-school suspension before being admitted back to the regular classroom.
Fall sports practices begin on August 8. Student-athletes should check with their coaches for practice times and any other information they need. All athletes have met with their particular sports head coach on the last day of school back in May to start the summer. Schedules for contests for all sports can be found on the “CHS Athletics” page on the Chillicothe R-II website (www.chillicotheschools.org). Parents are also invited to download the Chillicothe R-II Schools app and visit the Chillicothe High School site within the app to view the high school calendar of events, sports schedules, the latest news in the live feed, important documents, staff contact information, and breakfast and lunch menu options. We would also like to invite everyone to Meet the Hornets on August 23.
Hornets on Top!
Dan Nagel, Principal
Chillicothe High School
2801 Hornet Road
Chillicothe, MO 64601
dnagel@chillicotheschools.org