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July 21, 2023

Good afternoon, this is Steve Mares, Principal of Athens Drive Magnet High School, with a message for Friday, July 21st. A copy of this message will be posted on our school website (www.wcpss.net/athensdrivehs), emailed to our students, and emailed and texted to our school families.

 

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

STUDENTS/FAMILIES WALK THEIR SCHEDULE: Please know that to support our students’ comfort level in knowing where they need to go on the first day of school, we will be providing two opportunities for our students and their families to Walk Their Schedule. The first opportunity will happen on Wednesday, August 23rd from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. We will have Administrators and students present to help provide directions to students and families. Students and their families will also have the opportunity to Walk Their Schedule on Thursday, August 24th from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Staff members will be involved in trainings and will also be preparing for the first day of school, but many teachers and staff members should be in their classrooms. Please know that these opportunities are only for students to get familiar with our building and campus and reduce any stress a student might have about the first day of school and knowing where their classrooms are located. Please also know that we will have staff and student leaders around campus the first few days of school to ensure that students know where to go and find where they need to be each Period. Students do not need to stress about finding their way around The Drive on the first day of school or first few days of school!

 

JAGFEST WISHLIST: If you would like to help support our JAGFEST Orientations in tangible ways, we have created a JAGFEST Wishlist of items we could use to make our Orientation sessions a big success. Here is the link to the Amazon JAGFEST Wishlist we have created. Thank you for considering donating one of these items and thank you for your support of JAGFEST!

 

ATHENS DRIVE JAGFEST—STUDENT ORIENTATIONS FOR THE 2023 – 2024 SCHOOL YEAR: We are excited to offer our JAGFEST student orientation sessions once again for all students prior to the start of the 2023 – 2024 school year! We have scheduled an Orientation for each Grade Level to help our students reunite and prepare for an amazing 2023 – 2024 school year! Our Senior JAGFEST will be held on Wednesday, August 16th, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Our Junior and Sophomore JAGFEST will be held on Wednesday, August 16th, from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. And, our Freshmen JAGFEST will be held on Thursday, August 17th, from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Here is what you can expect at JAGFEST: Seniors: Get plugged into all things Senior year, participate in the Senior rites of passage—painting the rock, receiving important information about your Senior Year, planning post-Graduate plans, and getting excited about Graduating with the Class of 2024! Juniors/Sophomores: Learn what is expected in the upcoming year, explore ways you can get involved at school, and hang out with your friends! Freshmen: Meet your classmates, become familiar with the school, learn about High School Graduation requirements, and learn about all things Athens Drive! In addition, all Seniors and Freshmen will be provided Lunch. I am excited to bring our students back on campus to prepare for a great start to our year! To better plan for these Orientation session, please let us know you are coming by registering at this link: bit.ly/jagfest2023. We will also be sharing additional details as these dates approach, but please put your JAGFEST Orientation Day on your calendar!

 

FRESHMAN/NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION SESSION: Please know that we will also be hosting a Freshman/New Family Orientation on Thursday, August 17th, from 8:15 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. in the Auditorium. This Session will be targeted to our Freshmen families and new student families, as it will be held while our Freshmen are engaged in our Freshmen JAGFEST Orientation. Please know that the format for these Sessions will be receiving general information about our school and then staff members will be answering questions that our school families have as we prepare to open our school for the 2023 – 2024 school year.

 

BAND PRE-CAMP NEXT WEEK: Our Band will be holding its Pre-Camp next week. If you are interested in participating and have not communicated with Dr. Markoch, our Band Director, please feel free to reach out to him at jmarkoch@wcpss.net. Our Band’s Pre-Camp will run Monday through Thursday, from 6:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Next week there will also be a Marching Band Parent meeting on Tuesday, July 25th, at 6:45 p.m.

 

NOT RETURNING OR BEGINNING SCHOOL AT ATHENS DRIVE MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL: If you have moved or for some other reason will not be attending Athens Drive Magnet High School for the 2023 – 2024 school year, I would ask that you please contact our Registrar, Ms. Sidney (psidney@wcpss.net) to inform us of this change. Thank you for helping us accurately account for all our students!

 

STUDENT SCHEDULES FOR THE 2023 – 2024 SCHOOL YEAR: Please understand that we are continuing to finalize our Master Schedule for the 2023 – 2024 school year. As new students continue to enroll, as we work to ensure students are on course for Graduation, as we enter Summer School credits earned, and as we review academic data from last year to ensure students are placed appropriately in courses that move them towards their post-secondary goals, schedules continue to change and are updated. Our plan is to have our student schedules finalized and available to students in time for our JAGFEST Orientation sessions beginning on Wednesday, August 16th, by 9:00 a.m., and we will open them for students to see in PowerSchool.

 

SENIORS—MID-YEAR GRADUATION: Any Senior who wants to Graduate Mid-Year (February 1, 2024 is the day of our Mid-Year Graduation Ceremony), or Junior who wants to Graduate a year early, needs to complete the Mid-Year Graduation Request Form. Paper forms can be picked up in our Student Services office and forms are due no later than Wednesday, September 6th. Completed forms can be submitted to our Dean of Students, Ms. Pearson (jnpearson@wcpss.net).

 

SENIORS—LATE ARRIVAL OR EARLY DISMISSAL ON SCHEDULE: Any Senior who wants to request a Late Arrival (No First Period) or Early Dismissal (No Fourth Period) for the 2023 – 2024 school year needs to complete the Early Dismissal/Late Arrival Request Form found in Student Services or on-line by September 8th. Paper forms can be picked up in Student Services office and the Google Form can be found here: Late Arrival/Early Dismissal Form. Completed forms can be submitted to our Dean of Students, Ms. Pearson (jnpearson@wcpss.net).

 

RISING SENIOR INFORMATION TO BE CONSIDERING OVER THE SUMMER: The Summer is a great time to get ahead, plan, and even finalize many required application processes for post-secondary opportunities. As a Senior, you can get a head start regarding Senior year post-secondary applications. The purpose of this information is to provide you with the necessary resources and instruction to complete tasks helping make the Fall term less stressful when applying for College, Community College, Internships, Jobs and/or Military opportunities. Below is a list of the websites and steps you can take over the Summer to get ahead and minimize the amount of time spent on clerical tasks during your Senior year. Many of these steps will require you to work with your parent or guardian, but the majority should be completed by you the student.

 

  • Setting Up and Completing Scholarship Searches: Below are two scholarship sites to help you get started. Remember, many scholarship applications are open now and some are even due in August and early September.

 

 

  • Completing Residency Determination for In-State Tuition: This is extremely important if you plan on attending College or Community College in North Carolina. This will allow you to pay In-State Tuition costs when you complete and show proof of your residency. You will pay Out-Of-State Tuition if not completed. Hint: This process should be completed with a parent or guardian.

 

  • Setting Up and Learning How to Use Common App and CFNC for Transcripts and Applications: Almost all post-secondary institutions will require their applications be completed on the Common App or CFNC. Hint: You can begin the applications starting this Summer. The first stage of the Common App is lengthy and requires a lot of information to be entered. Best to complete this stage as early possible.

 

RISING SENIORS—TIME TO SCHEDULE YOUR SENIOR PORTRAIT: Congratulations to our Class of 2024! Our Seniors have the opportunity to have their picture taken for our Yearbook and for purchase. Seniors need 2 portraits for our Yearbook, both of which will be taken in a single complementary, free photo session. Seniors will have the option to change once during the photo session, but it's not mandatory to have a second outfit. Please make sure that the clothes that are selected for the Senior photo session are appropriate (e.g., nothing strapless, no shirts with inappropriate messages, etc.) for printing in our Yearbook. Please note that due to the timing of some of the photo sessions, the school may not be open, so if a Senior brings a second outfit, they may need to change in their car. Please use THIS SITE to book your complimentary session and please add "mail@evanpike.com" and "gallery@photoday.io" to your email client's safe list or check your spam folder if you don't see a confirmation email after booking. The second email is where your proofs will come from. All Senior portraits will be taken outside. In the case of inclement weather, you will receive a notice if your appointment needs to be rescheduled. Sessions are only 10 minutes long, please arrive a few minutes early and in the outfit you'd like to be photographed in. Please meet the photographers outside the entrance of the upper gym (up the stairs from Senior Parking Lot). Here is a google map link. After your session, you will have the option to purchase set collections or build your own collection. By default, your proofing gallery will be set to set collections, if you want to build your own collection, please contact Evan Pike to switch your gallery to custom collection pricing. Please find the price menu, contact information, and frequently asked questions at THIS LINK. Thank you for your help in ensuring that every Senior gets a picture taken to be included in our Yearbook next year! 

 

SENIORS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE MENINGOCOCCAL BOOSTER VACCINATION: North Carolina law requires all rising 12th Grade students to receive a Meningococcal Vaccine Booster before starting 12th Grade. Please know that the vaccination must be done before the 2023 – 2024 school year begins. Families will need to provide a copy of their student’s immunization record showing proof that the Meningococcal Vaccine has been completed prior to the first day of school. This is a 2-dose immunization; the 1st dose was required in the 7th Grade in the WCPSS. Please click here for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Carrillo, our Data Manager, at acarrillo@wcpss.net, contact our Student Services Department at 919-233-4050, or fax your immunization updates to 919-670-4457. Thank you for taking care of this required vaccine!

 

MR. REMALEY’S REMIND MESSAGE GROUP FOR THE CLASS OF 2024: Mr. Remaley, our Senior Class Advisor, shares important information with our Senior Class and Senior Class families throughout the school year. It is imperative that all Seniors and their families join this Remind Message Group! Students and their families certainly do not want to miss any announcements during your Senior Year! Here are the two ways sign-up for this Message Group: 

 

  1. If you are using the Remind App, then enter class code:  @theremaley 
  2. If you prefer an SMS text message, then text the message:  @theremaley   to the number:  81010 

 

Seniors and your families, thank you for taking care of this important step for your Senior Year! It will be awesome!

 

PARKING PASS: The Parking Pass application process for Juniors and Seniors in good standing for the 2023 – 2024 school year will be online again this year with links to have students download the required documents and read and accept the Parking Rules and Regulations. Students interested in securing a Parking pass for the 2023 – 2024 school year should carefully read and follow the guidelines on the application. Parking passes cost $200.00 for the 2023 – 2024 school year. There will also be a link to process payment on the Online School Payment Portal. Parking Tags should be ready for pick-up in the Main Office beginning Monday, August 7th. Please remember that Parking Passes and Off Campus Lunch Passes are two separate applications.

 

OFF-CAMPUS LUNCH PASS: Off-Campus Lunch Pass applications for Juniors and Seniors in good standing for the 2023 – 2024 school year will also be available online again this year. A Junior or Senior student cannot leave campus during Lunch without having an authorized Off-Campus Lunch Pass. Freshmen and Sophomores are NEVER allowed to leave campus during the school day, unless on an approved school trip. We will be announcing Off-Campus Lunch Pass distribution dates soon, as we are still working with our school photographer to finalize our Off-Campus Lunch Passes. Please know that a completed application and $10.00 fee must be provided before we can create an Off-Campus Lunch Pass for a student. Please remember that Parking Passes and Off Campus Lunch Passes are two separate applications.

 

BUS TRANSPORTATION: Parents/Guardians, if your student will require Bus Transportation, please make sure you have registered for Bus Transportation on the WCPSS Bus Rider Transportation Registration website. Bus Transportation will not occur unless your student has been registered! Please know that WCPSS student Bus Transportation information will be available in PowerSchool. We are told that Bus Transportation information will be updated and visible for students and families in PowerSchool prior to the start of the school year. When it becomes active, on your PowerSchool account, look for the transportation tab to see your student’s transportation status and type. If your student is a bus rider, stop and route information will also be provided. I hope this information makes for a smooth transition to start the year with regards to Bus Transportation.

 

APPLYING FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS FOR THE 2023 – 2024 SCHOOL YEAR: Please know that students who qualify for Free and Reduced Price Meals need to apply to obtain these benefits. Parents can complete a meal benefits application online at https://www.myschoolapps.com/. Paper applications will also be available at all schools. More information can be found at WCPSS Free & Reduced Meals. Thank you for taking care of this important responsibility so that we can ensure that our eligible students can take advantage of this benefit.

 

ATHLETIC REGISTRATION: All registration for all Athletic teams/sports this year will take place via the DragonFly platform. Please get your student athlete's medical paperwork and permission slips loaded on the platform as soon as possible. The approval process does take up to a week, so please do not wait until the last minute to get registered. You can find the registration link here and directions on how to complete the process here. Thank you for your help in ensuring the safety and well-being of our student athletes!

 

FALL TRYOUTS FOR ATHLETICS: Tryouts for the 2023 Fall Season will begin on Monday, July 31st. Sports that will compete in the Fall season include Football, Cheerleading, Men's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Cross Country, Women's Golf, Volleyball, and Gymnastics. The details for all Fall tryouts can be found here. If you have a student athlete interested in any of these sports, please contact the Head Coach so you can get added to their communication group. Please visit our Head Coach Information Page to find the email contact for all our coaches.

 

ATHLETIC SPORTS PASSES: Athens Drive Athletics Sports Passes are now on sale for the 2023 – 2024 Athletic year! All passes this year will be Digital, via the GoFAN platform. We offer four levels of sports passes; Student Pass, Individual Pass, Family Pass, and Go Jags Family Pass. If you purchase a Go Jags Family Pass, a customized Paw Print on the sidewalk outside Jag Stadium is included with your package. To get the Paw Print painted prior to the Fall Season, please make sure you purchase your Athletic Sport Pass by Saturday, July 31st. If you have any questions regarding Athletic Sports Passes for the 2023 – 2024 Athletic year, please reach out to our Athletic Director, Coach Seese (tseese@wcpss.net). We are looking forward to a great athletic year!

 

ATHLETIC SPONSORSHIP: One of the ways we raise funds to support our Athletic Department at Athens Drive is by selling Sponsorships to local businesses. If you own a company or work at a company that would be interested in sponsoring Athens Drive Athletics, please contact Coach Seese, our Athletic Director, at tseese@wcpss.net. Our Sponsorship Levels link provides information on Sponsorships. Thank you for your help in finding ways to continue to fund our Athletic Department programs! 

 

JAGUAR PAW PRINTS: Jaguar Paw Prints are on sale again this year for the athlete recognition paws that lead up to Jaguar Stadium. If you purchase a Go Jags Family Pass, it is included with your Pass membership fee. However, if you would like to order a Paw Print separately, please fill out this Paw Print form and we will send more information to you on how to purchase the Paw Print for the 2023 – 2024 school year.    

 

GAME SCHEDULES: We will be releasing the Game Schedules for all Fall Sports at the end of July via our Twitter page (@athensjags), Instagram page (@athensjags), and our Facebook Pages (@athensjags). Please be on the look-out for the announcements of these athletic events.

 

LIVE STREAMING OF EVENTS IN OUR GYMNASIUM AND JAGUAR STADIUM: We will be offering Live Streaming again this school year through the NFHS Network. You can purchase the Live Streaming package by visiting the WCPSS Live Streaming Website and clicking on Athens Drive. 

 

JAG CLUB VOLUNTEERS: We are looking for volunteers for our Athletic Booster Club that provides support for our Athletic Teams at Athens Drive.  If you are interested in volunteering with the Jag Club, please contact Coach Seese at tseese@wcpss.net.

 

JAGUAR GEAR: When the school year begins, at our beginning of the year Athletic events, and through our JAG Junction store during school, we will have opportunities to purchase Jaguar shirts, etc. However, if you would like to get a head start on getting Athens gear, please feel free to visit our Athens Drive Team Shop at the following link: https://adath23.itemorder.com/shop/home/. Thank you!

 

DRIVER EDUCATION AT ATHENS DRIVE: Currently, Driver Education registration is closed. Fall registration is slated to start in late August. Please visit www.jordandriving.com/athens-drive-high-school for registration information, registration link, and course details. Please know that students and parents can still seek private driving school instruction for either or both portions of the Driver Education course (30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours behind the wheel instruction). If your student has completed the classroom portion and wishes to seek a private driving school for the in-car instruction portion, please click the following link https://jordandriving.com/in-and-out-transfers/ for the transfer process. For the Behind the Wheel Training, Jordan Driving School is currently contacting and driving students from the March 2023 course section with the oldest students in the section receiving priority. The current wait time for Behind the Wheel instruction at Athens Drive Magnet High School is 12 to 14 weeks once a student completes the classroom portion of the course. Please contact Coach Ray (athensdrive@jordandriving.com), our Athens Drive Driver Education Coordinator, with any questions or concerns.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: Athens Drive Magnet High School has a variety of Social Media Accounts that students, staff, school families, and the community can follow to stay abreast of what is happening at The Drive. Here is an updated list: 

  • Instagram: 
    • School Instagram: @AthensHSMagnet 
    • Student Services: @athensdrive_studentservices 
    • The Torch (Yearbook): @athens_torch 
    • The Oracle (Newspaper): @athensoracle 
    • ATV (Morning News Program): @atvjagnews 
    • Athens Athletics: @athensjags 
  • Twitter: 
    • School Twitter: @AthensHSMagnet 
    • Student Services: @ADHSStudentSvcs 
    • PTSA: @AthensDrivePTSA 
    • The Torch (Yearbook): @athenstorch 
    • The Oracle (Newspaper): @athensoracle 
    • ATV (Morning News Program): @atvjagnews 
    • Athens Athletics: @athensjags 
    • Athens Drive Student Government: @ADHSExecBoard 
    • STEM Academy: @AthensSTEM 
    • Health Science Career Academy: @ADHS_HSA 
    • Athens Career Corner: @ADHCareercorner

CLOSING THOUGHTS AND TAKE CARE: Please know that even though I will not be here to celebrate our students on their return to The Drive, I am getting more and more fired up for our JAGFEST Orientations and the opening of school! We hope these experiences help reunite our school family and have our students be excited and motivated to start the 2023 – 2024 school year in a positive way! Thank you, as always, for your incredible support of our students, staff, and school! I continue to be inspired and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of and serve our amazing school family! Please continue to check the Athens Drive website (www.wcpss.net/athensdrivehs) for general information and to help you stay informed. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer prior to the first day of school on Monday, August 28th! As always, please continue to be safe, and take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and each other. GO JAGS!

 

 

 

REMINDER ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM PREVIOUS WEEKLY MESSAGES:

 

MS. BOSHOFF BEGINS AS PRINCIPAL ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 1ST: Please know that this is my last month as Principal of Athens Drive Magnet High School. What a privilege and honor it has been to serve our school family for the past seven years! While I will certainly miss The Drive, I am fired up that Ms. Boshoff will be our new Principal! She is already a Jaguar, having her own students attend Athens Drive and living in our base attendance zone, and she is passionate about building on our tradition of excellence! My last day as Principal will be Monday, July 31st, and her first day will be Tuesday, August 1st. We are working jointly already to ensure a smooth transition and a fantastic start to the 2023 – 2024 school year!

 

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS EXPLANATION: Throughout the month of July, I will be providing weekly announcements on Friday afternoons through text and email messages to our school family members, posting the message on our website under the Principal Message icon, and the PTSA will provide a link to my message on their Athens Alert newsletter. Ms. Boshoff will begin her weekly messages when she starts as Principal. I hope you find this an informative weekly update. If you hear about these messages but are not getting them through email and/or text, please contact our Student Services office (919-233-2050 then press 1) to update your contact information in PowerSchool. Please do not forget to check the Athens Drive website for continual updates and information regarding our school family.

 

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Please remember that the First Day of School for all students is Monday, August 28th. Once again, our school day will begin at 7:25 a.m. and end at 2:18 p.m. Students are expected to be in class and ready to learn at 7:25 a.m. I am excited for our students and staff to begin another great year of teaching and learning!

 

WCPSS TRADITIONAL CALENDAR FOR THE 2023 – 2024 SCHOOL YEAR: Families can find the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) Traditional Calendar for the year.