Good morning UTHS staff and students. This is Principal Wright and I would like to
welcome you to UT for the start of the year.
I’d like to share a few updates with you regarding the start of the year. Those of you who are returning, you may have noticed the painting in the first floor west hallway. I’d like to thank our painting crew from this summer, as they did an outstanding job getting that ready for students and staff to enjoy. They also did a variety of other projects throughout the building, but I wanted to highlight the first floor west hallway.
You may also know that we started a gym project at the end of last year. There has been a lot of progress over the summer and the plan is to have that space ready for you in early September. The new bleachers are near completion and look fabulous. The floor gets lined and painted after the bleachers are finished.
As we start off this year I want to be sure to highlight a few expectations as well. We willcontinue with our school-wide cell phone policy and teachers are going to be requiring students to place phones in the pouches. We still do not allow wireless headphones or cell phone use during class periods in educational spaces. We appreciate the job everyone did with this last year and look forward to continuing to further engage you in the educational process as your attention returns to your teachers. Cell phones and headphones are still allowed during passing periods and lunch only. Students may not use their phones or headphones in the hallway during the instructional periods.
We made a minor adjustment to our dress code. Students may wear headwear in the hallways, including hoods. However, in classrooms, students may not wear their hoods. We need to be able to see ears so we can make sure of compliance with the no earbuds or headphones in classrooms policy. Religious or cultural headwear may be worn. You will also see an increase in the enforcement of the dress code this year. The dress code can be found on page 18 of the student handbook. Please familiarize yourself with the policy. While we are not requesting staff to send students down today, we will begin asking students to be sent to student services once Deans talks have occurred. Here are some of the highlights of the code that are of particular importance:
● Book bags, purses, and fanny packs are not allowed in classrooms.
● Coats, jackets, and blankets are not allowed in classrooms.
● Excessively revealing clothing is not allowed. This includes shirts that expose the midriff, stomach, or excessive back area. No mesh or see-through shirts are allowed.
Again, students are not being sent to student services today, but will be once Deans talks have occurred.
As we begin this school year I’d just like to say I’m glad to see everyone back. When I spoke with the freshmen yesterday I shared 3 things that will help with your success as a student. They are: show up, get involved, and work hard. We look forward to serving you here in the 24-25 school year. Thank you.