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COMMUNITY RIGHTS & RESOURCES

• Non-Discrimination / Harassment / Intimidation / Bullying Statement and Policy
• Bullying and Cyberbullying Statement and Policy
• CDE Bullying Prevention Resources
• Definition of Sexual Harassment 
• Sexual Harassment Policy
• Uniform Complaint Procedure
• Suicide Prevention
• Complaints Concerning District Employees
  
• Immigration and Citizenship Resources

The West Contra Costa Unified School District prohibits discrimination, intimidation, harassment (including sexual harassment), or bullying based on a person’s actual or perceived ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, immigration status, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

For questions or complaints, contact Equity Compliance Officer/Title IX Coordinator: Jose Espinoza, 1108 Bissell Avenue Richmond, CA 94801, (510) 231-1118, jespinoza2@wccusd.net and Section 504: Executive Directors' Office by school area. Area 1: Dr. DiShawn Givens (dishawn.givens@wccusd.net), Area 2: Jawan Eldridge (jeldridge@wccusd.net), Area 3: Jose De Leon (jdeleon@wccusd.net), 1108 Bissell Ave., Richmond, CA 94801, (510) 231-1483.

A big thank you to all the veterans in our community, who served our country, risked their lives - and perhaps lost them - defending the American ideals of freedom and democracy. Veterans who have passed and those who are living should be remembered with respect, honor and pride.

Our academic conversation of the week pertains to the sustainment of academic excellence. Being an academic scholar is not something that just happens on its own. Being an academic scholar means that you have developed academic habits that include studying for quizzes, completing all classwork on time, preparing for exams weeks before the exam date and making sure that you double check your assignments prior to turning them in. Progress report for the 2^nd quarter is November 30^th.   

Honor Roll certificates will be distribute this Thursday during 3^rd period! For the 1^st quarter, we had a total of 493 students who earned a 3.0 or above. The 9^th grade class had 111, 10^th grade had 109, 11^th grade had 134 and the 12^th grade class had 139 individuals who earned academic honors for the 1^st quarter. Congratulations to all of our Titan Scholars.

It is unfortunate that we have to be so protective of all of our personal belongings, but the truth of the matter is that any item of value that is brought to school cannot be completely protected. This is a special reminder to keep watch over your personal belongings or items of value that you may bring to school. It is important not to carry large amounts of cash, not tell individuals that you have money on you, not visibly count money in front of friends or classmates, not allow other people to use or borrow each other’s electronic devices, and to always be cognizant of how you carry or store your personal items of value.  As a rule, it is best to leave any item of value at home and not bring it to school. 

Yearbooks are currently on sale for $85. Prices will be going up so don’t miss out on reserving yours through the cashier’s window. Dedication pages are still available. A dedication form can be picked up through Ms. Schrampf or from room H105. Full page dedications are $150 and half page dedications are $80. Quarter page dedications are also available for $40. Senior quotes need to be turned into Ms. Schrampf by November 16^th.

All students need to be on campus by 8:10am so you are not late to your 1^st period class. Thanks for having your son or daughter on campus by 8:10am. We look forward to seeing all student on campus bright and early Tuesday morning!

Our academic conversation of the week pertains to Interpersonal Communication. Students need to communicate with their peers with a vocabulary that reflects respect, dignity, and their intelligence. Expressed vocabulary is a learned behavior and if students choose to use poor expressive vocabulary, they will be limited on the depth of knowledge they are able to convey. Too many times we here kids speaking, arguing, roasting, using profanity, and carrying on with little or no awareness of the vocabulary they use. Too many times the tone can be harsh, combative and derogatory in nature.  Intelligence should not be something we turn on or off, it should be something we actively develop throughout our entire life. The words we choose to use in every day conversations need to represent the intelligent individuals that we are with sensitivity and tolerance to the personal differences of everyone around us.

 Here we are in the 2^nd quarter already. Do you use PowerSchool to review all completed assignments, review all the grades that have been earned, and double check to make sure that you are doing everything that is required of you to get a C or better in each course. If you find your son or daughter is receiving a sub-par grade, please refer to each course syllabus to make sure that all expectations presented by the teacher are being met. If you find that you have concerns regarding the course syllabus or need further clarification on specifics courses, please reach out to individual teachers

 Yearbooks are currently on sale for $85. Prices will be going up so don’t miss out on reserving yours through the cashier’s window. Dedication pages are still available. A dedication form can be picked up through Ms. Schrampf in room H105. Full page dedications are $150 and half page dedications are $80. Quarter page dedications are also available for $40. Senior quotes need to be turned into Ms. Schrampf by November 16^th

 Next Monday, the 12^th is Veterans Day Holiday, there will not be school on that day.

Academic habits continue to be a focus for us. We want all students to be responsible citizens of our school community. That means we expect all students to come to school dressed appropriately with their ID’s visibly hanging around their neck. If a student does not have a photo ID, they will not be allowed into their assigned classroom. Before a student receives a duplicate photo ID, they will need your permission. Each ID costs $3.00 and a lanyard costs $2.00. We do not want your son/daughter to build up excessive fines without your consent. We expect all students to be on time to all their classes, including 1^st period class. 1^st period starts at 8:20 am and we would like all students to be on campus by 8:10am so they are not late to 1^st period class. We will see all of you on campus by 8:10am.

How quickly the weeks come and go, here we are with two weeks till the end of the 1^st grading period.  What does that mean? In titan terms, it is our 1^st academic paycheck. Academic paychecks, 1^st quarter report cards, demonstrate the level of academic excellence each student has achieved. In the next two weeks, make sure you log on to PowerSchool and check your child’s grades, attendance and tardies. If you see unexcused absences, you will need to call in to our attendance office to verify the reason they were absent. If you see a high # of tardies, please have a discussion on why your child cannot make it to class on time with a 6 minute passing period. If you see a grade of a D or an F, it is time to look into homework completion, classwork participation and performance on tests and quizzes. Thanks for having an academic conversation with your child to make sure they are earning the high marks that will propel them into the college or trade of their choice. Academic habits are built with continuous repetition of hard work, dedication, and preparedness which is a formula for success.

 Thank you for all who participated in our Homecoming Week!  A special shout out to all of our parent volunteers who worked with our classes and leadership students to make the Homecoming week a great success.

October 17^th is our fall concert  which will feature the Orchestra, Band and Choir starting at 7pm. It will be a fantastic performance, so don’t miss out.  The music performance will be in the high school gym and tickets will be $5.00 at the door.

Attention parents of 12^th grade students. CA$H for College Night at Hercules High School will be on October 18th  @ 6:00pm in the HS Library. Please plan to attend this free Cash for College workshop that will provide support as you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act applications.

The end of the 1^st quarter is October 25^th and October 26^th is a minimum day with 6^th period being released at 1:55pm.

Our 1^st School Site Council is October 25^th at 4:00pm. These meetings are open to the public and we invite your participation. We are looking for parents to participate as a school site member for these meetings.

There will be a general meeting for the Parent Teacher Organization on October 16^th at 6:30pm in the cafeteria. The PTO is looking for new members as well as parents who would like to serve on the PTO board. The general meeting on the 16^th will include a potluck dinner, a raffle and voting for the new PTO board.

This week we will be performing dress code sweeps, tardy sweeps and ID checks.  Our # 1 goal is to make sure students are on time to all classes and show themselves as academically prepared so they can learn and earn in each class they are assigned to.  1^st period starts at 8:20 am, we would like all students on campus by 8:10am.  We appreciate all you do to get students on campus by 8:10am. 

College Day is Wednesday, October 10^th.  All students will be taking some form of the SAT. All 12^th grade students will be taking the SAT w/essay. 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grade will be given the PSAT. The PSAT is also a National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The PSAT will provide baseline scores to our 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grade students and can help students and parents get a sense of the level of preparation needed for students to achieve the scores that will make them competitive candidates at the schools they wish to attend after high school. It is very important that all students perform at their very best on these exams. Any student entering a testing room will be asked to turn in their electronic device during the testing period.

We will be on a special bell schedule, which can be found on the school website. All 12^th grade students will need to report their assigned testing classrooms by 8:20am, so they will be organized for the test.  There will not be an “A” period class due to the testing schedule. 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th grade students will be on a later start and will need to be in their testing room by 9:20am. We will be on a minimum day bell schedule with lunch beginning at 1:15pm. Please have all students on campus 10 minutes prior to the start of their testing period. Testing room assignments are posted throughout campus.

Our 1^st School Site Council is October 25^th at 4:00pm. We are still seeking parents who would like to serve on the school site council. If you are interested, please leave your contact information through the main office. These meetings are open to the public and we invite your participation.

Homecoming week is this week and the theme is Disney Villians. Each day students are encouraged to dress accordingly: Monday – Pajama Day, Tuesday – Sunglasses, Wednesday – College Gear, Thursday – Camouflage, and Friday – Class Colors. Our parade and rally will be on Friday. The homecoming dance will be on the 13^th. The floats and homecoming royalty will be presented at the halftime of the varsity football game on Friday.

Winter sports is right around the corner. If you plan on participating, you will need to complete the athletic participation forms. All forms are submitted electronically and the links can be found on the school website.

All students need to be on campus by 8:10am so you are not late to your 1^st period class. Thanks for having your son or daughter on campus by 8:10am. We look forward to seeing all student on campus bright and early Monday morning!

The end of 1^st quarter is October 25^th. I hope that you were able to take some time to review your child’s progress report and had an academic conversation with them. How do we respond to our child’s academic performance? Do we only pay attention when they are failing? Do we only communicate with them when they are successful? Or do we respond and acknowledge to their performance no matter their level of achievement.  It is important to let your son or daughter know that whether they succeed or fail, we are here to support them.  Support may come in appreciation and praise, but support also comes in motivation, encouragement and tips on how to be successful.  If your son or daughter is receiving a D or an F, we encourage you to review each course syllabi with your child and inquire what they believe they can do to perform better. If you need further clarification, please reach out to individual teacher for information on how your son or daughter can achieve C’s or better. Many teachers post assignments through PowerSchool. If you have not signed up for PowerSchool, you can get the login information through the main office.

Attention seniors, college applications are officially open and those who wish to be considered for early acceptance need to complete their applications by November 30^th.  We have posted a link to multiple resources to help you along the process on our school website.

Lunch applications – Any student who has received free lunches or lunches at a reduced price will revert to full price if a renewed lunch application is not received by October 2^nd . We encourage you to complete a lunch application online; it is secure, applications do not become lost and approval, if eligible, is made within 24 hours. Lunch Applications are available on our school website.  

College Day is October 10^th  – All students will be participating in the SAT or some form of the SAT. 10^th and 11^th grade will have the PSAT, and 12^th grade will get the SAT.  It is very important that we focus on preparing for this day, so all students will perform at their very best.  PSAT/SAT review books are on sale through the cashier’s office for $15.00.  The review books contain 10 practice exams with answers and explanations on how to solve each answer.

Homecoming week starts next week on October 8^th. This years theme is Disney Villain’s. On October 12^th, we will have our homecoming parade on Refugio Valley Road starting at 10:47am, our Homecoming Rally after 6^th period and the homecoming football game will be that evening with all floats, and homecoming royalty presented at halftime of the varsity football game. The homecoming dance is on the 13^th, tickets are on sale at the cashier’s window, $10 with ASB and $12 for non ASB cardholders. There will be a dinner included in this years homecoming dance.

There will be a general meeting for the Parent Teacher Organization on October 16^th at 6:30pm in the cafeteria. The PTO is looking for new members as well as parents who are wising to serve on the PTO board. The general meeting on the 16^th will include a potluck dinner, a raffle and voting for the new PTO board.

This week we will be performing dress code sweeps and tardy sweeps.  Our # 1 goal is to make sure students are on time to all classes and show themselves as academically prepared for success. 1^st period starts at 8:20 am, we would like all students on campus by 8:10am.  We appreciate all you do to get students on campus by 8:10am. 

Academic Habits that create an academic environment: Each day students are expected to have their school issued photo ID on a current Hercules High School lanyard. Students are not allowed in their classes or on campus without their Photo ID. If a student forgot their ID, they have the choice to call home to retrieve their ID or to purchase a replacement one. This is a special reminder that each time your son or daughter requests a replacement ID, it is a $3.00 cost for the ID and a $2.00 cost for the lanyard.  Students are expected to be on time to every class throughout the school day. 

All students need to be on campus by 8:10am so you are not late to your 1^st period class. Thanks for having your son or daughter on campus by 8:10am. We look forward to seeing all student on campus bright and early Monday morning!