Senator Square: It’s a busy time of year at Carson High

Welcome back to another exciting year at Carson High School! I hope all students had an adventurous summer and are ready to put their thinking caps back on and get back to learning. CHS staff has been busy this past week preparing for the return of the best students in the state.

As we get under way for the year, there are a few changes students and parents should be aware of. First, Monday is the first day of school. It will be an all-period day for students to meet all their teachers. Tuesday will begin our regular A/B schedule and will be an A day. The bell schedule has changed for this year, so be aware that school starts at 7:45 a.m. The school day ends at 2:02 p.m.

Carson High is a closed campus, which means only seniors with off-campus privileges will be allowed to leave at lunch. Seniors will need to carry their off-campus identification card at all times to leave campus. Parents looking for assistance with lunch funds can apply for meal benefits at www.schoollunchapp.com. To pay for your child’s meals online, go to www.myschoolbuck.com. This is a different program than in previous years.

The attendance office will be under construction for the first half of the year, along with some construction outside. There will be fences and signs limiting or changing access to many of the normal offices. Please be patient as we continue these changes to make our students safer.

After many meetings and much discussion last year, the decision was made to not institute uniforms for the school year. However, there have been changes and clarifications made to the current dress code. Please be aware of this policy.

STUDENT DRESS CODE

The purpose of the dress code is to promote a learning environment that is respectful and free from distractions. Clothing must be modest and must not promote or glorify illegal, promiscuous, gang-related or racially biased behaviors. To create a learning atmosphere that is respectful and free from distractions, the following must be adhered to:

Attire associated with gangs, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, violence or discrimination will not be acceptable.

Undergarments should not be visible. Sheer and see-through clothing is not allowed.

Pajamas and slippers are not allowed.

Blouses and shirts should not show cleavage, and skin should not be visible at midriff.

Halter-tops, backless shirts, sleeveless shirts and strapless garments are not allowed. Shirts must have sleeves and cover the shoulders.

Hats, caps, hoods, bandanas, scarves and other head coverings may not be worn in school buildings. This includes bandanas worn as headbands.

Sunglasses and gloves may not be worn in school buildings.

Shorts, skirts and dresses must extend below the fingertips with arms in a relaxed position.

Shoes must be worn at all times.

No face painting concealing identity in any form is allowed, except when part of an approved school activity.

Chains or other heavy apparel may not be worn.

Trench-style coats may not be worn.

Pants must be worn around the waste and properly fitted. Underwear must be covered. Excessively baggy pants as well as excessively tight pants are unacceptable. Rips in pants, shorts and legging must be below fingertip level with arms in relaxed position.

School safety is an important concern; therefore, also prohibited are clothing, jewelry, accessories, notebooks or any other item that, because of the way it is worn, its trademark or any other characteristic (such as color), carries known gang connotations. All such items may be confiscated.

Consequences for violating the student dress code:

First time, two days of lunch detention. Second time, two days of after-school work detail. Third time, two days of suspension.

CELEBRATIONS

Mrs. Thornburg and the math department at CHS would like to congratulate all the advanced-placement calculus students from this past school year. About 90 of them passed the exam and have fulfilled the requirements of college-level Calculus I, and 86 percent scored well enough to test out of college-level Calculus I and Calculus II. All the note-taking, homework and studying truly paid off. Great job!

CLUB NEWS

National Honor Society

All sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a simple grade-point average of 3.45 or higher are invited to join National Honor Society. The letters of invitation and application packet can be picked up from Mrs. Glenn in Room 224. The deadline to apply is Sept. 11. The application process is somewhat involved, so don’t wait until it is too late. For information, see Mrs. Glenn.

Gay-Straight Alliance

All students are welcome to attend the first meeting, set for Sept. 11 in the library at lunch. The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) is a student-run club at our high school that brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students with straight students to support one another, provide a safe place to socialize, and create a platform for activism to fight homophobia and transphobia. For more information about this club, please contact the adviser in Room 243.

FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)

All students are invited to attend the first FBLA meeting at lunch Sept. 10 in Room 243. FBLA is open to all students. Join us and see what the buzz is all about. For more information about this club, please contact the adviser in Room 243.

FBLA is also requesting any donations of used Senator/CHS clothing for a Senator Yard Sale fundraiser they will be hosting Sept. 21 at the high school. If you want to clean out your closets and no longer fit some of your Senator clothing, please contact Mrs. Golik at 283-1737 to arrange pick up of your clothing donation.

Only CHS apparel is requested. Thank you.

SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA and the CHS volleyball team will host the Ford Drive One 4 Your School fundraiser Sept. 21 at the north parking lot of the high school.

This fund­raiser allows 18-year-olds and older participants to test-drive a Ford vehicle.

For each test drive, Ford donates $20 to these clubs. The test drive takes about 15 minutes. For more information, contact either Penny Reynolds or Erin Been at CHS.

SPORTS NEWS

Fall sports are just around the corner. Go to www.nnd1.org or www.carsonhigh.com and look under the Athletics tab to print out schedules. Please remember, schedules are subject to change and do so frequently, therefore the NND1 website is the most current.

For further information, please contact Kathy Taylor in Athletics at CHS.

Angila Golik is a government teacher at Carson High School and a member of Senator Pride.