Welcome to the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year! I am delighted to be working with the parents, staff, and students this year as the high school principal. The staff and administration have been working together this summer to ensure that everyone has a safe, healthy, and successful upcoming year. Please feel free to contact the high school office with any questions or concerns you may have as the school year progresses. I am happy to help clarify any questions and would enjoy meeting with you.
Four new high school teachers join us this year. They are Amanda Fiorentino, 10th and 12th grade English teacher; Parker Haug, 5th through 12th grade band teacher; Lynette Vogelsang, 7th through 12th grade special education teacher; and Gianni Alm, grade K - 12 reading intervention teacher. Please welcome our new teachers.
High School Open House will be held on Wednesday, August 28 from 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM. All students and parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. Teachers will be available in their classrooms, chromebooks will be distributed, and informational tables will be in the Commons. Our tech support people will have computers available to use and will be available to help with online registration as well. Students may also access their lockers, so they are encouraged to bring a lock. A master key or combination can be left in the office to be used if necessary.
7th Grade and 9th Grade Orientations will be held in the Auditorium on Wednesday, August 28. All 7th graders and their parents/guardians are invited to the orientation session beginning at 5:00 PM. All 9th graders and their parents/guardians are invited to attend the orientation session beginning at 6:00 PM. Each orientation session will last approximately 45 minutes. If anyone is unable to attend, a recording of the sessions will be made available on our website afterward.
Student Orientation for all students will be held on the first day of school on Tuesday, September 3rd, which is a full day for all high school students. Students will report to the auditorium at 8:20 AM where information necessary for the start of the school year will be presented.
Class Schedules will be available for viewing on JMC for students in grades 9-12 on Monday, August 26 and for students in grades 7-8 on Wednesday, August 28. If you have a scheduling question, please address it as soon as possible. Schedule changes for grades 9-12 are only allowed through the first 4 days of each semester. The schedules for students in grades 7-8 are finalized and not subject to change. Each individual teacher will provide a syllabus and school supply list during the first week of school. Some recommended items that your student may want to bring on the first day of school include a notebook for each class, pens, pencils and a calculator with the Sin, Cos, and Tan function buttons if they are in a math class.
Free and Reduced Lunch: The legislature has provided funding for all students to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch again this year. We still encourage every family to fill out USC’s free and reduced application. This will help provide assistance if your student would like additional lunch items or a second serving during lunch. This application not only impacts USC’s lunch program, but also impacts other sources of grant funding for our school.
The student handbook is available on the USC website at http://www.unitedsouthcentral.org. Everyone is encouraged to review the handbook before school begins. Parents and students should definitely take time to review the USC dress code policy in the handbook before the first day of school.
Attendance is essential to the success of each student. Please review the USC attendance policy found in the student handbook and encourage students to attend and engage with school everyday. Minnesota State Law provides that children enrolled in school after 1988 shall attend a public or private school, for a period of not less than nine months during any school year until age 18 or until they graduate. Both parents and students have responsibility for school attendance. If you need to report your student as absent or tardy, you may call the high school office at 507-553-5819 after 6:00 A.M. and leave a message or talk to someone directly. If we do not hear from the parent/guardian and their student is absent, you will receive an automated phone call.
Back-to-School Forms - In order to efficiently send and receive information with all families, we are in the process of transitioning to a limited mailing while posting most of the information on the USC website or in JMC. We have shared informational documents on the USC website and have asked that parents/guardians answer questions and enter registration data in JMC. Note: Computers and assistance will be available during Open House to complete this. If you require a paper copy of any document, contact the school at 507-553-5819 to request a packet.
To access the forms go to the USC district website and click on the Registration tab (far right on the menu bar) and select the Back-to-School Registration from the drop-down menu to access and complete all of the back-to-school forms.
Homecoming: Homecoming is scheduled for the week of September 22 - 27, 2023 with our Homecoming Coronation on Sunday, September 22nd at 6:30 PM. Homecoming is an exciting week for our staff and students. There are many school sponsored activities throughout the week that promote student and staff participation. All school sponsored homecoming events will be listed on the school website and district facebook page.
Transportation will be addressed on an individual family basis. A bus driver should be contacting you regarding your routes and times.
The faculty and staff at USC High School look forward to working with you to provide the best education possible for your child. As I prepare for my third year as your principal, I plan to provide the level of excellence you have grown to expect from USC High School.
Please contact the high school office or me if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to seeing everyone and am excited to begin the school year with you at USC High School. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Sincerely,
Jen Bye
USC High School Principal