Welcome Back!
Dear South Fayette High School Students and Families,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! We hope you have enjoyed your summer, and we are looking forward to an exciting school year filled with countless opportunities for future-focused and student-centered learning, coupled with innovation. The South Fayette High School administration, faculty and staff value the collaborative partnerships and relationships that we continue to build and sustain and are dedicated to creating a true sense of belonging for our students while offering exciting avenues for you to excel academically, artistically and athletically.
New High School Faculty/Staff Members:
During the 2023-2024 school year, we are welcoming several new staff members to the high school:
- Dr. Patricia Smith, Interim Principal
- Mr. Jesse Gagich, Business Technology Teacher
- Mr. Chad Warner, Business Technology Teacher
- Ms. Chloe Hall, Orchestra Teacher
- Mrs. Stephanie Everhart, Chemistry Teacher
- Mrs. Jessica Shirey, Physics Teacher
- Mrs. Kimberly Springer, ESL Teacher
- Mr. Nicholas Snyder, HS Technology Assistant
- Mrs. Christine Magdich, Paraprofessional
School Counselor Caseloads:
The Counselors will work according to alphabetical caseloads, which include the following:
- Mr. David Houseman (Counselor, Last names A-G)
- Mrs. Angelica Lutzo, (Counselor, Last Names H-O )
- Mrs. Julie Martin (Counselor, Last Names P-Z)
- Mrs. Emily Sharro, College and Career Counselor
Upcoming and Important Dates:
- Senior Parking Permits: August 14, 2023
- Junior and Senior Parking Permits: August 15 and 16, 2023
- 9th Grade and New Student Orientation: August 17, 2023 at 7:00 p.m., HS Theatre (6:30 to 7:00 p.m. 1:1 Laptop Meeting for New Families)
- First Day at Parkway for Parkway Students: August 22, 2023
- First Day for SF Students: August 23, 2023
- Labor Day, No School: September 4, 2023
- High School Open House/Curriculum Night: September 7, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
- High School Senior Parent Night: September 12, 2023, 6:30 p.m. Theater
- High School Financial Aid Night (Virtual): September 27, 2023, 6:30 p.m.
- Last Day for Parkway Seniors: TBD; Last Day for Parkway Underclassmen: May 29, 2024
- Last Day for Seniors: May 24, 2024
- Mandatory Commencement Practice for Seniors: May 30 and 31, 2024
- Underclassmen Last Day: June 4, 2024
- 96th Commencement: June 4, 2024 with Rain Dates on both June 5 and June 6, 2024
Important Reminders
Grade point average will be calculated based off of the year-end Year 1 (Y1) grade. Each nine-week marking period will be worth 25% of the overall grade. Any midterms and finals will take place during regularly scheduled class time and are at the discretion of the teachers. Cumulative grade point averages will not be updated until the end of the school year.
Progress reports and report cards will be available in the PowerSchool portal at the time of interim reports and at the end of each quarterly grading period. Parent(s)/guardian(s) will receive an email notification that grades have been updated and reflect the mid-point of each nine-week grading period and the ending point of each quarterly grading period. A report card will be mailed home at the end of the school year.
Students who elect to attend Parkway West will attend in the afternoons. Periods 1-5 will take place at South Fayette with the remainder of the student day being spent at Parkway. Students will depart the high school at 11:10 a.m. Busses will be available to transport South Fayette students to Parkway at that time. At the conclusion of each day at Parkway, high school students will board the Parkway bus and return to South Fayette Middle School, where they will board a bus to return home. The bell schedule for Parkway students is listed below:
Regular Parkway Bell Schedule:
Period 1 - 7:20 - 8:10
Period 2 - 8:13 - 9:08
Period 3 - 9:11 - 9:59
Period 4 - 10:02 - 10:32 - LUNCH
Period 5 - 10:35 - 11:00 - Parkway Resource
Periods 6 -10 - 11:35 - 2:20 – Parkway
The first day for students attending Parkway is August 22, 2023. Special Parkway buses will be available in the community (various times between 10-11 a.m. and this will be noted on the Bussing Letters) and an additional bus will also be available in the rear of the high school at 11:00 a.m. on both August 22 and will depart at 11:10 a.m.
The first day of school for all South Fayette High School students is August 23, 2024. The high school first day bell schedule is also listed below. We will follow the Day “A” schedule. Students should report to their homeroom upon arrival. School maps and the homeroom lists will be posted throughout the building for the students to reference.
First Day Bell Schedule:
*Homeroom 7:20 - 7:40 – All Students Report to their Homerooms
Period 1 - 7:43 - 8:32
Period 2 - 8:35 - 9:17
Period 3 - 9:20 - 9:59
Period 4 - 10:02 - 10:32 - LUNCH
Period 5 - 10:35 - 10:50
Periods 6 - 10:53 - 11:23 - LUNCH
Period 7 - 11:26 - 11:41
Period 8 - 11:44 - 12:14 - LUNCH
Period 9 - 12:15 - 12:57
Period 10 - 1:00 - 1:58
NOTE: Period 4-8 are combined for lunch (i.e. Period 4/5, Period 5/6, Period 6/7 and Period 7/8)
As the start of the school year rapidly approaches, minor student schedule changes are inevitable. Schedule changes are coordinated through the Counseling Office. Students with the last name of A-G should contact Mr. Houseman (Ext. 252), students with the last name of H-O should contact Mrs. Lutzo (Ext. 317), and students with the last name of P-Z should contact Mrs. Martin (Ext. 251). The Administrative Assistant in the Counseling Office is Mrs. Bloom, who can be contacted at Ext. 250. Students will be provided with a paper copy of their schedule on the first day of school in their homerooms and are also available in PowerSchool. Students should ensure that they are following their most updated schedule received on the first day of school. Homeroom assignments/classrooms will be posted throughout the building.
It is our shared goal to assist and prepare you for the much larger world beyond high school, and we are committed to fostering an environment of academic rigor, personal responsibility and appropriate social interaction in a safe and caring environment. By working together toward the best interest of each student, we will foster an environment of dignity and respect where each individual is valued.
We are looking forward to the 2023-2024 school year!
Sincerely,
Dr. Patricia Smith, Interim Principal
Mr. Robert Butts, Assistant Principal