Parent/Student Information Update
We are excited to announce
online Information Update for the upcoming school year! This process replaces the paper forms sent home at the beginning of each school year. You must enter your student’s snapcode that you received in the mail with their schedule.
General questions about the form or the Information Update process may be directed
to Grace Bliley at
814.824.2313 or email her at
gbliley@mpslakers.com.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
The student handbook explains school policies regarding all aspects of student life. Its purpose is to help us to maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning, allow a positive school culture to flourish, and foster the growth of self-discipline. All MPS students will have access to the student handbook on their iPads. It is also available at
mpslakers.com/handbook. We encourage all parents and students to read it together, familiarizing themselves with its contents.
HEALTH INFORMATION
IMMUNIZATIONS: The Pennsylvania Department of Health regulations include the following
properly spaced vaccines: 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis, 4 doses of polio, 3 doses of hepatitis B, 2 doses of MMR, and 2 doses of varicella.
Required for entry into 7th grade are 1 dose of Tdap and 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV).
Required for entry into 12th grade is an additional dose of MCV. If the child has not received a previous dose on or after the child's 16th birthday, a dose of MCV received at 16 years of age or older shall count as the 12th grade dose.
Student(s) who do not have their immunizations upon school entry risk exclusion on the fifth day of school. Exemptions for medical or religious/philosophical reasons are allowed by law.
HEALTH SCREENINGS: Health screenings are scheduled throughout the year. Each student’s height, weight, and vision are screened annually. Students in eleventh grade also have a hearing screen. Screening results are mailed home for each student. As part of the school health program, we are required to record the outcome of any referral sent during the screening process.
If you receive a screening referral for your son/daughter, please return the completed referral form to the school nurse.
PHYSICAL EXAMS: Pennsylvania school code requires a physical exam in eleventh grade. This exam is best completed by your child’s own health care provider. Eleventh grade students who have not returned a physical exam report by October 15
th will be scheduled for an exam by the school doctor. An exam completed
during tenth grade (not the summer before tenth grade) satisfies the exam requirement for eleventh grade. If your son/daughter has a physical exam done for any reason during the tenth grade school year (routine exam, sports physical, driver’s permit), please provide a copy to the school nurse; your child will not need another exam in eleventh grade.
MEDICATION POLICY: For the safety of all students, students are not permitted to carry any medication in school, either on their person or stored in their locker.
Both prescription and over-the-counter medications must be accompanied by a written health care provider’s order (see Parent Downloads). If you would like to have an over-the-counter medication available to your son/daughter during the school day (pain reliever, antacid, allergy medication, etc.) you need to provide the medication, in its original container, to the school nurse’s office. Prescription medications are to be kept in a correctly labeled pharmacy container. Prescription medications are also secured in, and dispensed from, the office of the school nurse.
EXCEPTION: With a health care provider’s written order, students
may carry an asthma inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector (see Parent Downloads).
SPECIAL HEALTH CONDITIONS: If your child has been diagnosed with a health condition (asthma, seizures, diabetes, heart problems, etc.), please keep the nurse/school updated on your child’s care and treatment. This information is held confidential in your child’s health record, but it is important for providing appropriate care for your child if a medical event occurs in school, which can happen unexpectedly. Parents are asked to complete an updated care plan each year. Your child’s teachers are notified of health conditions that may create an emergency situation in school so that they can recognize early symptoms of a potentially serious problem and initiate early intervention.
CAFETERIA
The cafeteria will begin serving lunch on
Thursday, August 29. If you would like to add money to your student’s account, you can do so in person or online. You will need your student’s ID number, which can be found on his or her schedule. For the online option, go to:
https://myschoolbucks.com. Mercyhurst Prep is the school district. The parent help number is 1.800.479.3531.
If you prefer, you can bring in a check or cash to the cafeteria manager, and it can be put directly into your student’s account. Checks should be made payable to Metz/MPS. If you need assistance, please call
Mrs. Diane McCullough, food service director, at 814.824.2645.
BUSING
MILLCREEK:
An e-mail was sent to parents in regards to busing information. If you have not received any of this information, which includes the website that parents need to go to fill out the busing form, please contact
Mrs. Paula Dworakowski (814.824.2210) and she will get the information to you. Millcreek should be contacting you with the times and bus numbers that you will need. Again, it is very important that you
fill out the form at MTSD website under the forms menu. If need be, you can call the transportation office at transportation@mtsd.org.
ERIE SCHOOL DISTRICT: Parents are to watch for an e-mail coming out shortly regarding busing. EMTA will be handling the transportation for MPS again this school year. Please remember that students must live 2.0 miles or more from MPS. You can fill out a Transportation Request Card, which you can obtain at the MPS front office. If your son/daughter filled out a card last year or had a bus pass, they will automatically be renewed. If you are a transfer student or incoming 9
th grader, please make sure you stop by and fill a card out. Again, please make sure you watch for an e-mail that will be coming out in regard to the bus routes, times, and bus numbers.
PARKING AND TRAFFIC FLOW REMINDER
On the first day of school you may notice that we utilize four staff members each afternoon from 3:00 to 3:20 in the front of the building to help direct traffic. This time of day can be hectic so here are a few reminders.
A.M. Drop off—each day the students need to be in homeroom by 8:20 a.m. There are two lanes in front of the building. The lane closest to the school is for buses to drop off students. Car drop-off should use the outside lane. As long as there are no buses in the inside lane, you can use both lanes, but please use caution when crossing a lane of traffic to get to the building, and if you see buses, stay in the outside lane.
Early Dismissal—on early dismissal days the students are dismissed at 12:06, and many more students get rides in cars than on normal dismissal days. Please plan to pick students up at 12:10 to give students time to go to their locker and get outside.
P.M. Dismissal—on a normal 3:00 dismissal day, the lane closest to the building is reserved for school buses. The buses come from many different districts and arrive at various times from 2:45 until 3:30, so please keep that lane clear. In the outside lane there is a yellow “yield to pedestrians” sign in front of the gym doors. The first car in that lane should pull up to that sign but not beyond until they have loaded their student and are ready to exit. This works well from 3:00 to 3:30 as it allows newly arriving vehicles to pass stationary cars and exit in a timely fashion. If traffic flow is impeded, you might be asked to move your vehicle.
The faculty parking lot has two lanes. The one closest to East Grandview is used for exiting cars; no one should ever park there. The lane next to that can be used to stop and wait for students. Please pull forward when you are able so that cars behind you can pull forward as well.
General Information—the south side of East Grandview Boulevard is a no parking zone, and Millcreek police have indicated that they will ticket cars that park there. The Sisters of Mercy parking lot begins at the yellow double lines between their parking lot and our student parking lot. Please do not park in the Sisters of Mercy parking lot.
We have three staff members on East Grandview Boulevard directing cars and buses in and out of our pick-up area. Please use caution on the street and in our pick-up area since over 500 people will use that area to exit school property between 3:00 and 3:20.
ORDERING OR RETURNING UNIFORMS
Representatives from Schoolbelles will be in the gym foyer of Mercyhurst Prep School on
Friday, September 13, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You will be able to return uniform pieces in need of exchange and place orders for replacement or new items, although you will most likely not be able to obtain new uniform items to take with you on that day. Orders can also be placed by calling
1.888.637.3037 or
online. Convenient links for ordering can be found at
www.mpslakers.com.
Please be sure that your female students try on their skorts to ensure that the length is no shorter than 4 inches above the knee, front and back. Necessary alterations should be made or new skirts purchased prior to the start of school. In addition, please check the condition of the hems of trousers; if seams are split or hems are frayed, new trousers should be purchased. Please note also that the optional uniform shorts must be purchased through Schoolbelles to ensure compliance with MPS dress code. If your child does not own an optional uniform sweater or approved MPS crew neck or quarter zip sweatshirt, consider purchasing one before the cold winter months arrive. Remember, however, that the uniform
sweater is the only one that can be worn on a dress uniform day. The school spirit store has sweatshirts in stock, and sweaters can be purchased from Schoolbelles.
If you placed a uniform order this summer and the items have not arrived by the start of school, please send a note to that effect to your student’s homeroom teacher and have your child wear dress clothing as close in design to the uniform as possible. Black, navy, or gray dress pants and a dress shirt or polo would be appropriate for boys, and ladies could wear the same or a uniform length skirt and dress blouse.
If you have uniforms that are in good condition that your student can no longer wear, they can be donated to Campus Ministry. Any questions may be addressed to
Ms. Brenda Karlinchak at 824.2405.
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