Maeser Updates: 26 March 2021

In This Edition

Carpool Alert, Utah School Climate Survey, Volunteer Opportunities (Senior Capstone Project: Backpack Drive Fundraiser, Spring Maeser Appreciation Luncheon, Don’t Forget to Report Your Hours), Sports Announcements (Sports/Academic Eligibility), Counseling Announcements (Miss Krystal’s Counseling Corner Podcast, Ms. Sorenson’s Middle School Podcast), Help Us Stay In Touch + Opt In For School Text Messages

Front Office Hours This Week

>>Procedures for Front Office Visits<<

7:30am-4:00pm Mon-Thurs
8:30am-1:00pm Fri

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

Thursday, March 25
Last Day of Quarter 3

Monday, March 29
**SCHEDULE CHANGE**
First Day of Q4
All students attend in-person Monday-Thursday
Fridays remain Advisory days

Thursday, April 1
Utah School Climate Survey in Socratic 10, 11, 12

April 5-9
Spring Break

April 12-30
RISE Testing: 7th & 8th Grades (in class)

Thursday, April 22
Utah Aspire Plus Testing
9th & 10th grades ONLY on campus

Attention Needed: Carpool Alert

As we come back together as a Maeser community on Monday, March 29th, we need your help with a few housekeeping items:

  • Pull forward to the very north-side of the building all the way to the math buildings. ALL the time!
  • Do NOT stop in front of the building and drop off/pick up your student. There are parents waiting on 1600 North just to get into the parking lot and it’s dangerous!
  • Be KIND to our student leaders who are serving our community by directing carpool traffic. They are doing their best and don’t deserve to be yelled at or worse because someone is running late and frazzled.
  • Be cautious of students in the crosswalk. Talk to your student about appropriate crosswalk etiquette and safety.
  • Do NOT use the south parking lot as your personal valet service or drop off. Our faculty are trying to get here early to prepare for students.
  • Parent suggestions:
    • Arrive by 7:45 am and pick-up after 3:40 pm for an easy commute.
    • Encourage your student to come right out to carpool.
    • If your student needs to talk to a teacher or is slow to arrive in carpool, pick a stall and park.
  • WATCH carefully for student drivers.

Utah School Climate Survey Begins April 1

Beginning next week, Maeser will be participating in the Utah School Climate Survey. We will be collecting survey responses from parents and students, as well as our teachers, administrators, staff, and school resource officers. The data collected from the survey will be used to identify student perceptions of school climate issues within our school.

Information about how to access the parent survey will be sent by email on Thursday, April 1. It contains 33 questions and takes about six minutes to complete.

The student survey will be given to students in grades 10-12 during class time on April 1; it includes 44 questions and should take less than 10 minutes to complete. All survey responses are anonymous and confidential.

Surveys are collected through Qualtrics using anonymized links, and they do not collect information (like names) that could identify individual students. The questions in the student survey center around how safe students feel at school, including topics such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, school discipline, emergency situations, and whether students feel they have access to adults who can help them if they need to report a problem. The questions are primarily phrased in the positive — e.g., “I feel safe at this school” or “students respect one another”.

School staff will use the results of these surveys to help inform our efforts at improving our school climate. Responses are housed securely in an anonymous format with the USBE (Utah State Board of Education). All evaluation research projects are in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, (343 CFR 99.31 (6)) and human subjects regulations (Protection of Human Subjects 45 CFR 46).

Your student’s survey responses will be kept anonymous and confidential, but as a parent or guardian, you have the option to opt your student out if desired using the form at the bottom of this page: Parental Notification/Opt-Out Form – School Climate Survey

Our desire is to involve parents in their children’s education. If you do not wish for your child to participate in this important activity, please sign and return this form to the school by Monday, March 29.

Volunteer Opportunities

Senior Capstone Project: Backpack Drive Fundraiser

The recent war in Armenia has led to a humanitarian crisis as thousands have died and more than 80000 people have been displaced from their homes. Senior Robert Yeritsyan and his family are going to Armenia in May to help with more humanitarian aid projects there. After discussing the current needs of children in rural areas of Armenia, Robert discovered that many children are unable to go to school as they don’t have the basic supplies required by the schools. The number of these children has increased drastically as thousands of fathers/providers have lost their lives in the recent war.

For his senior capstone project, Robert is doing a backpack drive to give these children a chance at education. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated as they’ll save a LOT on the shipping costs to Armenia. Robert and his family will be personally buying and delivering the backpacks and school supplies to the children and will document and share all of them. Seeing the children’s smiles is priceless!

For more information about how you can help, click here: Backpack Drive.

Spring Maeser Appreciation Luncheon

Spring Maeser Appreciation Lunch sign up is now live. Thank you wonderful parents/volunteers who helped with our March lunch. It was DELICIOUS and was fun to actually eat together again! These lunches have been sponsored and provided by our amazing parents. The parents have asked that instead of waiting until May for Maeser appreciation week that we spread this out as a monthly activity. Our team appreciates all the kindness that you have shown.

Don’t Forget to Report Your Hours!

Report your volunteer hours once you’ve dropped off your donation: Report Parent Service Hours. Each $5 spent for donations counts as one hour of volunteer service!

Sports Announcements

Sports/Academic Eligibility

Eligibility for winter sports (basketball, wrestling, swimming) and activities will now be based on 2nd term grades for all grade levels. If you are planning on playing a spring sport (boys soccer, boys tennis, track & field, middle school girls soccer, middle school boys volleyball) your eligibility will also be based on your 2nd term grades.

Students (7th-12th) must earn a 2.7 GPA with no Fs/NGs. In addition, high school students cannot have any Fs/NGs/Incompletes from previous high school terms. If the F/NG/Incomplete is made up by the beginning of the sports season they will be able to participate.

Counseling Announcements

Miss Krystal’s Counseling Corner Podcast

THIS WEEK! Six cool things about Snow College, Hanson Lin’s senior capstone project about the uprise in Asian hate crimes, and the Fram My Future Scholarship. Catch it all in episode #40: Frame My Future And Let It Snow College

Students can listen and email Mrs. Anderson a main point from the podcast to be entered into a weekly drawing. Drawings will take place on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Ms. Sorenson’s Middle School Podcast

THIS WEEK! Don’t miss this week’s episode of In the Lion’s Den with Ms. Sorenson, where we’re talking about thoughts on goals, 4th term, and answers to FAQs — plus the come-find-a-leprechaun challenge for students: New Beginnings!

Also, take on the challenge by Ms. Sorenson as we all get to know each other and get candy in the process!

Help Us Stay In Touch!

Not getting our emails, phone or text messages? Here’s how to make sure you’re getting all of our important announcements and information:

Opt In For School Text Messages

Our school utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts, student fees, and more. We will only use text messaging for urgent and important information.

You can participate in this service by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587. You can also opt out of text messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”.

Thank you for helping us keep in contact with your family!

Update Your Contact Information

If any of your contact information has changed – email address, mailing address, phone number – please let us know so we can stay in touch with your family.