School News

Dear Matheson Jr. High Parents and Families,

We want to reiterate the messaging we sent out last week regarding the hoax threats that have been shared on social media. Please read the following:

The district has been made aware of rumors circulating on social media about a possible threat to our schools. This post is believed to be non credible by law enforcement. The same post is being shared and reposted across the entire state and does not appear to be directed at any specific school within our district. Regardless, we take every potential threat very seriously and continue to investigate with the assistance of law enforcement.

PARENTS – WE NEED YOUR HELP. As soon as you are able, please check your student’s smartphone device for any of the following social media platforms: Snapchat, Instagram or TikTok. Please discuss with your child any threats or postings that made them feel unsafe and help them understand that they should not share those posts, but instead report this type of content to a trusted adult. If your child has any specific information that can help us identify perpetrators of threatening content, please contact Granite Police at (801) 481-7122 at any time.

This situation is an unfortunate reminder that some of our students are unable to responsibly use social media. We have seen multiple instances throughout our state and even nationwide: fake threats being posted in similar fashion to what we’re seeing recently. These threats cause needless panic and concern for our students and their families. We respectfully request that if you are unable to monitor your child’s smartphone and social media use, that you restrict access to it. Schools and law enforcement do NOT have the ability to monitor tens of thousands of student’s social media accounts. This is the responsibility of the parent or guardian.

The best security system we have continues to be the eyes and ears of our students who contact trusted adults when they see unsafe behavior or situations. Please remind your students that we need their help to keep our campus and community a safe place. They can anonymously report unsafe behavior using the SafeUT app on a mobile device or web, or anonymously text us at (801) 664-2929. As mentioned previously, you can always contact our police department at (801) 481-7122 to report issues. As always, they can reach out to a teacher or administrator for help with any concerns.

Thanks for your patience and support as we work to keep our students and staff safe.

Sincerely,

Granite School District

Dear Matheson Junior High Families,

As we wrap up our first week of school, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your support and cooperation. It’s been a fantastic start to the year, and we’re excited for the journey ahead. Congratulations to all our teachers, students, and staff members for a fantastic start. A special recognition to our Newest Tigers for entering 7th grade with positivity, and enthusiasm.

Each week we will update our website and send out a Tiger Newsletter with the hopes of providing communication and updates on the happenings at Matheson. 

Upcoming Events:

Extracurricular Activities for our Tigers:

Cross Country for all students begins Monday, August 19th starting at 3pm in the Matheson Fitness Zone Gym.  Please wear athletic clothes and bring a water bottle.  The locker rooms will be available to the athletes. Please see Coach Larkin for any additional information.

Soccer Intramurals for all genders and grade levels begins Monday, August 19-30th  starting at 3pm on the field.  All levels of skills are welcome to attend.  Please wear soccer attire and bring a water bottle.  The locker rooms will be available to the athletes.  Team selection is September 4th.  Please see a Coach Butcher or Coach Brecht for additional information or questions. 

We have a few important reminders to help keep the school year running smoothly:

1. Cell Phones: Thank you for helping us remind students to keep their cellphones put away during school hours. As a reminder, cellphones are not permitted at school.
2. Free and Reduced Lunch Applications: Applications for free and reduced lunch are available for all students and can be completed online at https://paypams.com/OnlineApp.aspx. We encourage all families to apply.
3. Attendance: Regular attendance is crucial for student success. If your student is or will be absent, please call the attendance office at 385-646-3034 to report the absence.
4. Tardy Policy: Timely arrival to class is important to ensure students do not miss key instructional time. Starting Thursday, August 22nd, we will officially begin enforcing our tardy policy:
   • 1st-2nd tardy: Warning
   • 3rd-4th tardy: Lunch Detention
   • 5th-6th tardy: Afterschool Study Hall
   • 7+ tardies: Parent and administrator meeting

Please review the tardy policy with your student to help them understand the importance of being punctual.

5. Tiger Binders: Students are required to bring their Tiger Binders to school every day. We are implementing a tiered consequence system for students who do not come prepared:
   • 1st time: Warning and supplies provided
   • 2nd time: Warning, supplies provided, and an email home
   • 3rd time: Office visit, call home, and supplies provided
   • 4th time: Lunch Detention, call home, and supplies provided
   • 5th time: Office visit for reteaching of expectations and 30 minutes of Afterschool Study Hall
   • 6th time: Office visit for reteaching of expectations and 1 hour of Afterschool Study Hall
   • 7th time: Parent meeting to support student needs

Thank you for your continued support in these areas. Your partnership is invaluable as we work together to ensure a successful and enjoyable school year for all our students.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Warm regards,

Mrs. Madsen-Principal, Matheson Junior High

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Hello Families,

Thank you so much for a wonderful start to our school year. We are working hard to focus on excellence and expectations as we guide our students, teachers, and staff to new levels of achievement.  Our students have done an incredible job bringing their Tiger Binders to school with them everyday. Please continue to help encourage this as it supports our school wide structures and sets them up to be successful.

Parent Teacher Conferences– Can you believe that by the end of this week we will already be at midterm for 1^st quarter? This  year is flying by! Our Parent Teacher Conferences will be held this week, September 20th and 21st from 4-7 pm. Our conferences will be held in person on both nights. If you are unable to attend in person and would like to meet with teachers, please reach out to them via email and they can arrange a call, or meeting to discuss your students progress.

• We welcome you to visit with ALL of your child’s teachers during our open time Conferences.  Teachers welcome you to drop by their tables throughout the evening. Please remember that we do not have scheduled appointment times and conferences are on a drop-in basis. In order to accommodate the large number of families we hope to see, please be mindful of your time as we have asked teachers to keep conference meetings to 10-15 minutes.  We are excited to provide this wonderful opportunity to you and your student(s) and hope your Conference experience will be a positive one.  Thank you for your continued support of both Matheson Junior High School and your student(s). If you have questions or concerns, please call 385-646-5290

In addition to Conferences this week, we have a lot of information that we would like to make you aware of. Please read through this information and let us know any questions you may have: 

• Vision Screening– We will hold vision screenings for all 7th grade students on Thursday, September 28th. Screening will take place during the regular school day. 

• School Community Council– The School community council will meet on Monday, September 25th at 3:00 if you would like to attend please contact the office. We are looking for additional members.. 

• Boo to the Flu Clinics -We will be hosting a flu shot clinic at Matheson from 4-7 pm in the commons area on  Wednesday, September 21st and Thursday, September 22nd. We hope you take advantage of the opportunity to get  a flu shot. 

• School Calendar -Please review the following link for our school calendar. This shows our school days, and scheduled days off. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zfVRD_7NvdYeRjauTLsbPL1vS8c7jODL/view . 

• Bell Schedule -We have been working hard to prevent as much congregating as possible in our hallways  and common areas at Matheson. As a reminder, the doors to our building do not  open until 7:15 am. Students are allowed to go to their classrooms beginning at 7:39 am. The bell rings  for 1^st period to start at 7:45 am. Please encourage your student to be in class on time. Excessive tardiness leads to a great deal of missed learning and further is a distraction to the learning process. 

• Fee Waiver and Student Fees -If you have applied for a fee waiver, and have not received any feedback from us  here at Matheson, then we have not yet received your needed documentation. Please refer to the front page of our school website for the fee waiver application in both English and Spanish.  

o If you are not applying for a fee waiver, and have not yet paid school fees, don’t  forget to get them taken care of.  

▪Fees can be paid online through the Focus app or you can also pay over the phone with a credit card, or come into the office during our business hours. 

• Breakfast and Lunch for Students -Breakfast and lunch are offered to ALL students. We would highly encourage families to apply for free or reduced lunch. The application can  be found on the following website: 

▪ https://www.myschoolapps.com/ 

▪ The application needs to be completed each year. Only one application needs  to be completed for each household. 

•  Matheson Food Pantry -We have a mini mobile food pantry at Matheson. We would love to help anyone in need. Any student in need can come to the Main Office or the Counseling Center to have  access to items available in our pantry. 

•  Parking Lot-Thank you for your efforts as we work to keep our students and staff safe. We have and will continue to adjust and refine our parking practices to do what we can to make drop-off and pick-up as smooth and safe as possible. Please see the link below for a map and detailed modifications we made regarding parking.  https://sway.office.com/BNiH1aDxV4w3kfcI?ref=Link 

A few items that will help us with student and staff safety during busy times:

• The main parking lot is split into two sections, one for staff and one for patrons.
  • If you are coming into the building you may park in the front lot.
  • If you are dropping off a student you can pull into the North half of the lot for drop off. Please do not pull into the staff area as it creates cross traffic and an unsafe crossing pattern for students. 
• The main lot has one entrance and is used for staff parking and those patrons entering our building. The front row is a dead end and when used to drop off students creates a situation in which cars are unable to get out.
• Patrons can park at the church across from Matheson or in the seminary parking lot.
• Patrons looking to drop-off can use the main pull through.
• Do not drop off students on Montclair Street. Please have your student use the crosswalk.
• When using the drop-off lane it is most effective when families drop off immediately and then pull into the left lane. We are seeing many instances where families wait in the drop-off lane until reaching the stop sign at the front of the line before having students exit, this backs up the line.

•  Calendar Reminders-

• Sept. 19th- Cross Country Meet at 3pm
• Sept. 22nd- No school comp day for Parent Teacher Conferences
• Sept, 25th- Boys soccer (Home), Girls soccer (@Westlake)
• Sept.26th- Cross Country meet at 3pm
• Sept.27th- Boys soccer (@Jefferson), Girls soccer (Home)
• Sept.27th- Hale Theatre field trip (choir and theater classes)
• Oct.2nd- Boys soccer (Home), Girls soccer (@Eisenhower)
• Oct.3rd- Cross Country Meet at 3pm
• Oct.4th- Boys soccer (@Jefferson), Girls soccer (Home) 
• Oct.5th- Choir Mini Concert series
• Oct. 12th,13th, 16th- Fall Break and Student Recess Day- NO SCHOOL

Thank you again for trusting us with your student. We love our Tigers and are proud of the many accomplishments our students have already begun to accomplish this year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you might have. 

Megan Madsen- Principal

We will be meeting to discuss your student’s College and Career Readiness Plan. This meeting will go over your student’s strengths and interests as well as show you careers that are available in those areas.

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