Principal's Page
August 24, 2023
Dear Harrison High School Families,
Welcome! The 2023-24 school year at Harrison High School promises to be exciting and engaging for your children, and I look forward to partnering with you to support their achievement.
Activity is returning to campus with students participating in Band Camp, fall sports, and academic preparatory classes. The first day of school is Thursday, September 7th. I am excited for your children to bring our school to life and infuse our hallways and classrooms with energy, spirit and enthusiasm. I cannot wait to see the impact they will have on our school community and each other.
I am happy to welcome new faculty and staff and our new Assistant Principal, Mrs. Maria Pace, to our Harrison High School family. After serving many years as an educator in the Yorktown School District, Mrs. Pace is eager to join the Harrison community and get to know our students.
Our teachers have led and participated in professional development opportunities throughout the summer, and new faculty will join us next week for the New Teacher Institute led by Harrison administrators and teacher mentors. It is my privilege to lead a team of professionals who are committed to your children’s success and who live the core values of our District .
Please carefully read ALL the information regarding the opening of school outlined below. This letter includes links to essential documents and information for the upcoming year.
Parent Portal: You should have already received a portal login while in middle school, which will continue to be used throughout your high school experience. Please go to Powerschool and follow the prompts to update or confirm contact and emergency information, as well as read and acknowledge important school documents. This information must be updated every year and is important for effective school to home communication. Please update your information using the online Parent Portal beginning August 30th, but no later than Friday, September 29th. Please note: The Portal will NOT work until August 30th. If you need your portal password reset, you can complete the form here, or email portalhelp@harrisoncsd.org.
Student Schedules: Schedules will be available through the Portal beginning on August 30th after 3:00pm.
Resources & Supplies: The Period by Period Bell Schedule and 2023-2024 Supply List are posted on the HHS website.
We are a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) school district. Students will use devices to access information, research and to write and collaborate with peers. Teachers will provide timely feedback through the Google Classroom and offer new opportunities to access and assess knowledge and skills. A Chromebook is cost efficient and runs the free applications that will be provided to every student including Google drive, docs, sheets, and slides. However, any tablet with a 7” screen or any laptop with internet access will work well.
Students may also sign-out a Calculator and/or Chromebook from the high school library for use for the entirety of the time they are a registered student at Harrison High School by completing the appropriate form:
Hardcopies of the forms are available in the library. Students with completed forms may pick-up their device at Ninth Grade Orientation, New Student Orientation, or at the start of school.
Student Email: Student Email is available for all high school students and is the same email used at LMK. New students will receive their email account information from their school counselor. We utilize student email to communicate important information to students. Students should check their accounts daily.
Arrival/Dismissal: Students who qualify for bus transportation should have already received their bus information. Please contact Ms. Barbagallo for any questions related to transportation at barbagallog@harrisoncsd.org For those not riding on buses, please follow the direction of the parking attendants, security personnel, and our School Resource Officer when you arrive on campus.
-
Arrival: Student drop-offs will occur on both sides of the building and students may enter through the Student Union doors, the doors either side of the Student Union or through the Senior Breezeway Doors on the gymnasium side of the building.
-
Dismissal: Student pick-up will occur on the gymnasium side of the building to the right as you enter the campus. Bus pick-up is on the Main Entrance side of the building.
Food Service Information: You will be receiving information in the mail pertaining to the Harrison school breakfast and lunch programs. This will include how to enroll and use MySchoolBucks, the lunch prepayment system.
During the 2021-22 school year, additional funding from the federal government allowed schools nationwide to offer all students, regardless of their family’s income, free breakfast and lunch while at school. Because that funding was discontinued as of June 2022, school districts must transition back to charging students for school meals and requiring the formal application process for students to participate in the National School Lunch Program, which is the federally assisted program that allows eligible students to receive free or reduced-price school meals.
High School meal pricing is as follows:
-
High School Lunch: $2.75
-
High School Specialty Lunch: $3.75
-
Milk (a la carte only): $.45
-
Breakfast: $1.50
The District encourages parents to complete the free/reduced lunch forms, if applicable, to ensure your student is eligible for any additional support he or she may be entitled to. Inquiries about the free and reduced meal program will be confidential. For information about the free and reduced meal program, including eligibility criteria, click here: English / Español. To apply for the free and reduced meal program, click here: English / Español.
Yearbook Picture Dates: Senior portraits are scheduled by appointment. Seniors and their parents have received this information. Please contact Mrs. Laurie Griffo at 914-630-3336 with any questions.
Yearbook photographs for underclassmen are scheduled for the first two days of school, September 7th and 8th, and will take place during your child’s Physical Education class. The makeup date is Monday, October 16th. There is no sitting fee. Information on purchasing pictures will be sent by Legacy Studios to the parent email address. The school code to be used on Legacy Studio’s website for pre-purchasing is 3526F24.
Lockers: Locker numbers and combinations will be emailed to students at their Harrison Gmail address. Students are encouraged to not share their locker combinations.
School Calendar: School activities and events are listed on the District Calendar. Please note the following important upcoming events:
-
Monday, August 28th - 1PM - 2 PM New Student Orientation (Students entering Grades 10 - 12)
-
Wednesday, August 30th- 10PM - 12PM - Grade 9 Orientation and Luncheon (Students entering Grade 9)
-
Wednesday, August 30th - 3PM - Parent/Student Portal is open
-
Thursday, September 7th - First day of school for students
Transcripts (for seniors only): Transcripts (for seniors only) will be mailed to the address on file. Please review carefully. If there are any questions, please contact your child’s counselor at 914-630-3101 as soon as possible. Parents and students are asked to sign and return transcripts to the Guidance Office. Underclassmen will receive their transcripts at a later date.
Harrison High School PTA: The Harrison High School PTA is a very active and supportive organization for all students and parents. The PTA is extremely helpful in keeping parents informed about current events and activities that occur at HHS. Please consider joining as a member and getting involved: 1) membership form for parents 2) volunteer form for parents
Harrison Educational Foundation: The Harrison Educational Foundation encourages excellence in education by generating and distributing funds for enrichment programs to benefit the students of the Harrison Central School District. Information about programs and opportunities supported by the Foundation will be shared throughout the year.
Parent Resources and Support Services: Our school counselors, school psychologists, and assistant principals are available to partner with you in ensuring your child’s success. Your child’s school counselor is listed at the top of their schedule in the Portal. An additional resource in our building is our Student Assistance Counselor, Mrs. Dana McCarthy. Assistant Principal Mrs. Pace is responsible for students whose last names begin with A-K and Assistant Principal Mr. Mastrota supports students whose last names begin with L-Z. You can reach teachers, school counselors, administrators or me via telephone or email.
All of us at Harrison High School are committed to supporting your child’s success and value your support in making this year rewarding and fulfilling.
Sincerely,
Ms. Kimberly Beukema
Principal