Johnson Senior High School- Senior Information and Calendar of Events

  • High School Seniors, 

     

    We know this school year is hard. Can we help support you in graduating on time?

     

    If so, there is in-person support available to you at the Saint Paul Public Schools Academic Support Center, located at Washington Technology Magnet School (1495 Rice Street).

     

    The Academic Support Center is hosting Senior Blitz Workshops "catch up" days on Saturdays in November, December and January, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

     

    To reserve a spot, please call 651-632-3760 or fill out this form.

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpX4czUbTRdXloEU3GB4U2q9ZvJPYv06ombSSI_pgxQHxoIQ/viewform

     

    Metro Transit passes are available for students who need transportation assistance.

     

    Please call 651-325-2494 or email asc@spps.org with any questions or visit Academic Support Center online. 

     

    English: 

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JxpMeifnczI7uZw5UAPD-bpoF4q0RuAYy3EtjDohHUM/edit

     

    Hmong: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s-tVqtkWe9FZpT4zQiULwm1u--Fc9lDC/view?usp=sharing

     

    Karen: 

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ETaMM1_W6Qd1fZLjRA53l7mtIAIxO0yw/view?usp=sharing

     

    Somali: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OwUXh1ogslVYQHtYGGnllZlm79LyWstk/view?usp=sharing

     

    Spanish: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tosgjC610JLGuxsBJ_NEWqAqNF7o3M3Ce1mIlViNZkc/edit?usp=sharing

     

     

    Requesting a Recommendation Letter (see this template)

      

    Find out more infomation about Xello here. This new platform is available to all SPPS students in grades K-12 and allows seniors to request transcripts for colleges, recommendation letters and more.

     
     
    School Year 2020-21 Grading Update for JHS Students:
     
    --Like all other SPPS high schools, JHS will return to its established grading practices for the 2020-21 school year, regardless of whether we are in a distance learning, hybrid, or an on-site scenario.
     
    --All JHS teachers will be using our standard 70/30 scoring split. 70% of a students grade will be determined by summative assessments (what you can show and do); 30% of the grade will be determined by your level of participation and completion of formative work.
     
    --Teachers will use A, B,C, D, and NP grades based on formative and summative assessments.
     
    --Course credits are earned by earning a passing grade.
     
    --Students who receive an NP need to contact their counselor for opportunities to recover lost credits ASAP at the end of each quarter.
     
    --During Distance Learning, all work assigned in a given week is due to be submitted to teachers by 11:59 PM each Friday. Late work will be accepted by teachers and no  late-work penalty will be applied, but teachers cannot guarantee when late work will be scored.  That means that grades for students with late work will likely not be up-to-date. In addition, students anticipating that they will be submitting work after the Friday deadline MUST INFORM TEACHERS THAT SOME WORK MIGHT BE SUBMITTED LATE. It is the students' responsibility to keep track of the status of their weekly assigned work and be in communication with their teachers about it.
     
    --We will be releasing our JHS Distance Learning weekly schedule on Monday, August 24 so students and teachers can begin arranging their daily calendars for the school year beginning on September 8. You will see that both asynchronous and synchronous lessons  included in the schedule, as well as time for teacher office hours, small group synchronous meetings, tutorials, one-on-one meetings and other arrangements designed to help students keep on track with earning credits toward graduation.
     
    --The Minnesota Department of Education and the SPPS Board of Education is requiring JHS and all other SPPS high schools to offer an online program that is as equivalent as possible to our regular day program. This means that students need to plan to be working on school work for approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours daily, just as they would during a regular school day.
     
    --Students can complete asynchronous lessons whenever it is convenient for them to do so during the week before the Friday deadlines.
     
    --Students are REQUIRED to attend all synchronous (live) class sessions scheduled by their teachers. Students can expect to have at least one synchronous class session for each class each week. A coordinated calendar for synchronous classes will be included in the Distance Learning schedule we will send to you on Monday.
     
    --Our junior and senior Govie Leaders will be providing online peer-mentoring and support to all incoming grade 9 students. We will get more information about how this will work to you in the next two or three weeks. It is vital that incoming grade 9 students stay in communication with their Govie Leader mentor, who will be bringing important information, advice, and ideas to the class of 2024.
     
    --Attendance will be taken and recorded every school day. Information on how that will be done and students' individual responsibility for that is forthcoming from SPPS in the next few days.
     
    --Just like in regular school, attendance and effort are keys to success. We will be closely monitoring attendance and class participation of all students and will be contacting students and parents of students who are not attending or not completing work so that we can offer support for changes in those nonproductive behaviors.
     
    --Students need check their SPPS email at least once each day on every school day.
     
    --Students who do not have an iPad,  whose iPad is not functioning correctly, or who do not have access to wifi service, should contact Mr. Norby ASAP. He can help get you connected to what you need.
     
    david.norby@spps.org
     
    --As we move through the 2020-21 school year, JHS will be working on revisions to its overall grading policy with the goal being to establish a more clear standards-based evaluation and grading system in which student work products scored by rubric become the main way for teachers to determine a student's grade. Rather than the current summative/formative points accumulation system, the new system will be based on student work evidence--what the student actually produces and its quality.
    We will keep you up-to-date on this revision process as it proceeds.

     ------------------------------

     
    Daily Update #55 for JHS Families and Students 8-14-20
     
    Dear Johnson High School Families and Students:
     
    Starting today, I will be sending daily updates to you regarding the Johnson High School online program. Please let me know if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer or find you someone who can get you an answer.
     
    First, a huge Governor welcome to all of our incoming grade 9 students in the class of 2024 and their families. Our staff and our student leaders are working on a variety of ways to get you connected with Johnson High School. Even though we are not going to be able to do our normal in-person orientation and welcome-to-high- school activities with you, we will be reaching out to you in several ways to bring you into our fantastic JHS community. You will hear more about these over the next three weeks as we prepare to launch our online school on September 8. 
     
    A few general notes:
     
    1) Johnson High School will be an online program from September 8 until at least October 19. Our state and district will be making decisions regarding the nature of our program for the rest of first semester later in September, based on best health department data and the progress of our state's fight against this pandemic.
     
    2) Student schedules will be available by Wednesday, September 2. We will let you know how to access them well before that time.
     
    2) If you do not have a school-issued iPad or if your iPad is not functioning, please send an email note to Mr. David Norby at david.norby@spps.org. Mr. Norby will not be able to respond immediately, but we need to know who needs help with their iPad before September 1. In addition, please let Mr. Norby know if you do not have wifi service at your house. Information regarding how to get your iPad or get your iPad repaired will be coming in the next couple of weeks.
     
    3) School starts at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, September 8. Johnson High School will be running an online school program that will include "asynchronous" and "scynchronous" lessons each week. "Asynchronous" means lessons that teachers have posted on Schoology that students can complete anytime during the week; "synchronous" means lessons that require students to be online in virtual classrooms with teachers at specific times. Each JHS class will have at least one synchronous session each week. These sessions will take place at regular times and students are required to attend! Built into the schedule for each online week will also be teacher office hours, time for students to work with peers on group projects, peer-tutoring, one-on-one teacher-student sessions, and other ways for students to get the help they need to succeed in online school. English Language Learner and Special Education students will also have increased opportunities for direct virtual contact with teachers, tutors, and teaching assistants to make sure they have the help they need.
     
    4) The online classes will be graded. Students will need to be present and participating each day, completing the work, and keeping up with the lessons in order to earn credit toward graduation.
     
    5) Though football and volleyball have been moved to spring schedules, all other JHS fall sports will be up and running within pandemic guidelines and seasons starting on Monday, August 17.  Contact Sara Dunnett (sara.dunnett@spps.org) for registration information on boys' and girls' soccer, girls' swimming, girls' tennis, and cross country. Practices start on Monday. I encourage football and volleyball players to keep in shape for their eventual spring season by participating in one of these other fall sports this year.
     
    6) I hope your family has had a good summer. Johnson High School staff is looking forward to getting this school year going online and to being back together in person as soon as possible.  We will be there when it is safe for all!
     
    Yours,
     
    Micheal Thompson
    Principal
    micheal.thompson@spps.org