Principal’s Message

Dear Churchill Families,

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! We are excited for the upcoming school year. There aren’t as many changes in store for us this year as there were last, but we are anxious to get to know our sixth graders and new seventh and eighth graders. We will also be welcoming two new teachers and a new assistant principal this year. Our construction load was much less this summer, but we are excited to be getting an elevator that we are hopeful will be operational by early September. Due to this construction, if you need anyone in the main office prior to the first day of school, you will find us down in Room 206. The building is open during the summer from 8am-2pm.

Registration will once again be an on-line process. All forms that need to be filled out will be available on the school’s website at schools.graniteschools.org/churchilljr/. The window for on-line registration is currently open. The forms will be fillable and electronically signed. On the website’s homepage, select the “Registration” tab from the menu at the top and follow the instructions. Every student needs to submit the following forms: Student Internet Agreement, Head Injury Agreement, and the Parent School Safety Form. An optional form that will also be available here is the Fee Waiver Application. Families interested in the Free/Reduced Lunch Application will need to get that form in the main office at the school. The website will also have the Basic Fees List with a link to the Webstore so the basic fee can be paid. Class fees will not be charged until a week or two after school starts. This allows the counselors to get through class changes prior to charging class fees.

The Registration tab will also have information available to walk parents through how to set up a Parent Portal. We encourage all parents to create a portal. The portal allows you to log in and see your student’s grades and attendance. It will allow you to see what assignments are missing and what scores your student is earning on homework, tests, and quizzes. The portal is also where the district downloads SAGE results for your student each year.

We encourage everyone to use the website for registration. If you have questions, though, we are here to help. The office will be open from 8am-2pm daily.

Important information for students will be provided on the first day of school. We found that holding Jump Start on the first day of school was beneficial because we are able to ensure that all students are getting the information they need. We will have a session first thing in the morning for the sixth graders and any new students, and then we will bring the seventh and eighth graders down for a second session to help refresh their memories regarding important school information. This process works better from a functional stand point, but I know it doesn’t work as well when it comes to calming new students’ nerves about starting school. Please remember that the building is open every day from 8am-2pm, so feel free to swing by and take a look around. Class schedules will be available prior to school starting, so you can print it off and come find your classes prior to the first day of school. We will also have a bank of lockers in the hall by the main office with combinations posted on them so students can practice using the lockers. The lockers are one of the biggest adjustments and contributor to anxiety about starting junior high.

Important information to help you get ready for school:

Student Schedules

Because we are using quarter length electives as well as semester and yearlong classes, student schedules will have many classes listed. To know when and where to go, students will need to look at the “Term” and “Quarter” listed by the class. Term 1 is first semester and Term 2 is second semester. Each semester has a Quarter 1 and a Quarter 2; therefore, Term 1, Quarter 2 is second quarter and Term 2, Quarter 1 is third quarter.

We work diligently to put together a master schedule that allows students the flexibility to take as many classes as they can that interest them. However, it is inevitable that conflicts between classes arise and students will end up in a class or two they may not have had listed as one of their top choices. We encourage students to look at these as opportunities to try something new; they may find a new interest they were unaware of.

Lunch Pin Numbers

If you are coming to Churchill from another Granite School District school, your lunch pin number will remain the same. Remember that your pin number and your student ID number are different. If you are new to Granite School District, the lunchroom manager will give you your pin number on the first day of school. You will need to enter this pin every day you choose to get school lunch, so once you have it make sure you memorize it or program it into your cell phone.

School Policies including Dress Code

Every student at Churchill receives a student planner. The planner contains all important school policies. The policies are also posted to the school’s website. We will cover many of the policies during Jump Start on the first day of school.

Immunizations

Salt Lake County requires all students to be in compliance with the State Immunization Requirements. Students must be vaccinated in order to register and attend school. If you have questions about vaccinations, please contact our Registrar, Deb Despain, at 385-646-5145.

School Pictures

Every student needs to have a school picture taken so they can receive a Churchill Activity Card and be in the Yearbook. Picture Day will be September 18 and picture make-up will be October 30. Please make sure you are at school on one of these days so your picture can be taken.

School Day Information

The first day of school is August 20, and school will start at 7:45am. The first bell of the school day rings at 7:40am and the tardy bell rings at 7:45am. Plan on being in your scheduled class when the tardy bell rings. We have been working on reducing tardiness as a school for the last two years and we will continue to work on it this year. Historically, the vast majority of Churchill’s tardies occur in first period. School ends at 2:45pm.

Be advised that the east parking lot is not a drop-off zone for students. Student drop off is in the west parking lot. There should be no parents driving through the east parking lot before school begins. This will be a heightened issue this year as it is possible, if not probable, that the east parking lot will be closed to begin the school year so it can be used as a staging area for construction of the elevator.

We are excited for the school year, and we are looking forward to getting to know all of you!

Sincerely,

Josh LeRoy, Principal

Charlie Peterson, Assistant Principal

May 22, 2018

End of School Year Information:

We are reaching the end of what has been a great school year. There were a lot of changes this year with bringing in the sixth graders and changing our school schedule to a seven period day. For the most part things have gone very well. We have the students to thank for that; they have been great to work with this year. Parents also need a thank you because you have supported your students and the school as we’ve changed things up.

With the last week upon us, there is some information everyone needs to have.

TODAY is the COW (Churchill Office Winners). The COW is an assembly put together by this year’s SBOs to announce the winners of the elections and who will be next year’s SBOs. The assembly is a mix of video and live action acting, and the students do a great job of putting it together. This year’s theme, which is always kept secret until the day of the COW, is Star Wars: A Moo Hope. The assembly will begin at 1:45pm.

TOMORROW, May 23, is Yearbook Day. Yearbooks are distributed according to a schedule created by the office wherein the teachers bring their classes down and students sign that they are picking their book up. The first class to pick-up books will be Mrs. Wagner’s at 9:40am. The last class will be Ms. Gedge at 10:45am. We will not hand any books out early, and students who owe fees will have their books held until fees are paid. Students needs to come with their class to get their book. The school does order a limited amount of extra yearbooks. These will become available on a first-come, first-served basis once all pre-ordered books have been handed out. The office will make an announcement over the intercom for any students who would like to purchase a book and those students can them come to the office with $20 ready to purchase a yearbook. We will sell them until we run out of them, which we usually do.

The 8th Grade Promotion Party is also tomorrow. The party is from 6-8pm here at the school. We have a great group of parents who have been working on planning activities and food. Please encourage your student to attend the party and come have fun with their friends to celebrate the end of eighth grade.

THURSDAY, May 24, is a regularly scheduled day. Students will follow their normal school day schedule for classes. Eighth grade refunds will be given beginning at 2pm. Refunds are $10 and are the refundable portion of the basic fee that was paid at the beginning of the school year. The refund is given directly to the student in cash. Students will need to sign a sheet verifying that they have received their refund. Only students who paid the basic fee at the beginning of the school year will receive a refund. Students with outstanding fees or incomplete check-out cards will also not receive their refund.

FRIDAY, May 25, is a half-day and school lunch will not be served. Sixth and 7^th graders will only have four classes officially scheduled on Friday: 1^st, 2^nd, 6^th, and 7^th. Students will have Field Time from 9am-10am and the PTSA will bring a treat for the kids during that time. Refunds for 6^th and 7^th grade students will be done after field time. Sixth graders will begin at 10:05am and 7^th graders at 10:45am. The same guidelines for receiving a refund that were outlined for 8^th graders apply to 6^th and 7^th graders. We anticipate being finished with distributing refunds by 11:05am. Once all refunds have been given, students are free to be released from school.

Fees:

Please check your student’s account for unpaid fees. Mrs. Cluff has posted unpaid fees in the main office for the last week and a half, so students should be aware if they have an outstanding balance or not; however, I also know that junior high students may not be great at relaying that information to parents. Unpaid fees will hinder your student’s ability to pick-up their yearbook for Yearbook Day and make it so the $10 refund is withheld.

Summer Construction:

We seem to be on track to have an elevator installed in the school this summer. The elevator will be in the lobby in front of the auditorium, up into the main office waiting area, and then up into what is currently the math storage room just west of Mrs. Niemann’s classroom. Due to the construction zone that will be created while they install the elevator, the main office will need to be relocated for the summer. We will be taking over Room 206, which is down the hall from the current office. We will make that classroom our main hub and put me, Mr. Murray/Mr. Petersen, Mrs. Cluff, and Ms. Brimley all in there for the summer. So, if you need to see any of us during the summer, the easiest way would be to park in the east parking lot and come in the door that is accessed directly from that lot. Once inside the building, hang a left and we will be in the first classroom on the left.

Important Dates:

May 22 COW Assembly, 1:45pm

May 23 Yearbook Day

May 23 8^th Grade Promotion Party, 6pm

May 24 8^th Grade Refunds

May 24 Last School Day for 8^th Grade

May 25 6^th and 7^th Grade Refunds

May 25 School out before lunch; lunch WILL NOT BE SERVED

Sincerely,

Josh LeRoy

Principal