Current Families

School Handbook
 

School Handbook

Uniform Guide for 2022-23 School Year

Please see handbook for additional details.

Shirts

All students are required to wear green, black, or white polo shirts featuring our new logo. These are available only through the Rocket Shop. 

shop for polos

Skirts

Female students may wear skirts in black, grey, or khaki purchased through Schoolbelles. Navy skirts are no longer permitted. Skirts should be no higher than two inches above the knee.  

shop schoolbelles for skirts    Use code S2930.

Pants

All students may wear dress pants from any vendor in khaki, grey, or black. Navy pants are no longer permitted. No denim-style, corduroy, or cargo-style pants are permitted. Style and fit should be suitable for employment in a conservative office – neither too tight nor too loose.

Shorts

All students may wear khaki, grey, or black shorts no higher than two inches above the knee. For female students, the shorts must be Bermdua style.

For questions about the Student Handbook or uniform guidelines, please contact

McNicholas students are expected to attend school regularly and to be punctual; however, if a student is late or needs to miss school for some reason, a parent/guardian should report the absence before 8 a.m. Please call 231-3500 x5120 and leave a message with following information: student’s name, grade, reason for tardiness or absence, and a phone number where the parent can be contacted. Absences lasting longer than one day should be reported each day unless a circumstance such as hospitalization has been reported.

Please also note:

• If a student needs to be dismissed early, he or she should bring a note signed by a parent. These notes must be turned in to Mrs. Cheek in the main office before the school day begins. 
•  If a student is missing school due to a doctor's appointment, he or she must bring a note from the doctor upon return so that the absence can be excused for medical reasons.
• If a student is not feeling well, and would like to go home, he or she needs to report to the front office before contacting parents.  The main office will contact parents and help arrange for an early dismissal.  

To report an absence, please contact

Thank you for your attention to the McNicholas parking lot rules and regulations.  Your cooperation will create a safer campus for our students and parents.

Traffic Flow

Parents dropping off students may do so only at the island off of Beechmont Avenue. Please do not drop off students in the lower lot, the visitors lot, or from the Paradise lot. 

When dropping off students in the morning, please enter the parking lot and pull as far forward as possible on either side of the island to prevent back-ups on Beechmont Avenue. Please do not allow students to exit a vehicle on Beechmont Avenue. 

After students exit vehicles, please turn left to exit the parking lot at the Brachman Avenue traffic light. Please do not turn right on Brachman Avenue and exit through the Mt. Washington Presbyterian lot or through the Paradise lot. Brachman Avenue is one-way out to Beechmont Avenue, and traveling against one-way traffic creates dangerous situations for our students and jeopardizes our good neighborhood relations. 

Please drive slowly, especially when entering and exiting Paradise Lane. 

Between 7-8 a.m., Paradise Lane is one-way, enter only. Cars may not exit Paradise Lane to Berkshire during that hour. 

Between 2:30-3 p.m., Paradise is a one-way, exit only. Cars may not enter Paradise Lane off of Berkshire during that half-hour. 

Bus Transportation

Students who live in the Forest Hills, Cincinnati Public, or New Richmond School Districts can utilize a public school bus for transportation.

For service on the first day of school, please complete the appropriate form and send to the address listed on the form by no later than June 30, or to utilize busing from the New Richmond School District, please call 513-553-0266.
 

Forest Hills School District

Cincinnati Public School District

Parking

Students who drive to school must purchase a parking permit.  

Park only in assigned, marked spots.

Open faculty spaces are available for general parking after 3:30 p.m. 


Parking Permit Request

For questions about parking, please contact

McNicholas High School uses FinalForms, an online forms and data management service, to complete and sign mandatory school forms as well as necessary athletic forms.

Back-to-school forms for all students must be complete and electronically signed by parents and students no later than the first day of school each year. 

Parents must complete the forms first. Once the parent portion is complete, then the student receives an email via his/her McNicholas email account prompting him/her to sign the forms.

Please note: Incoming freshmen and transfer students will not be able to sign the forms through their school email until they have set up their McNicholas email accounts at their tablet pick-up in August.

If your student is playing a fall sport, the Athletic Department needs your information sooner than the first day of school. Therefore, forms for fall athletes must be complete and electronically signed by parents by June 30. Student signatures on these forms aren’t required until the first day of school.

Directions

FinalForms

For questions about forms, please contact

Grades and Course Materials

Parents are able view a student’s grades through the Rediker Parent Portal and access course documents and assignments via Schoology. Access to both accounts is given via email at the beginning of the school year.  
 

Rediker Parent Portal

Schoology for Parents

Faculty Directory

If you have questions about a particular class, please email the teacher and he or she will get back to you within 48 hours.
 

Faculty Directory

If you need help accessing the Parent Portal or Schoology, please contact

Christian Service Program

Our Christian Service Program seeks to challenge students to "attain Full Stature in Christ” by living out the Gospel values. All students are required to serve for at least 40 hours prior to graduation, but most far exceed that minimum requirement. A minimum of 20 hours must be completed prior to the end of a student’s sophomore year and an additional 20 hours must be completed in advance of the critical reflection and presentation of learning that students will experience during their senior year Social Justice course.

Students are encouraged to partner with one of the suggested agencies listed below.  For an ongoing list of service opportunities, students should join the Service Opportunities Posting group in Schoology using access code  JQZ6-GGXN-J3WK2.

Suggested Agencies

Christian Service at McNicholas

For the 20 hours of service that students complete during their last two years, they are required to step beyond their comfort zone and to serve the underprivileged by practicing the “works of mercy” in the spirit of Matthew 25.  
 

Recording Service Hours

Students must log their service hours using x2VOL.

x2VOL

Century Club

The vast majority of McNicholas students go far beyond the required hours of community service.  The honorary Century Club has been established to recognize those who do over 100 hours of service during their time at McNicholas.  Membership in the Century Club will be determined by adding all service hours completed helping the underprivileged and no more than 60 hours of other kinds of service.

If you have questions about service hours, please contact

All seniors are required to have a second Meningococcal vaccine (Menactra) by the first day of classes. Please send a copy of your child's immunizations to the School Nurse.

All medication orders expire at the end of each school year. If your child requires medications at school, please get updated physician orders over the summer. There is a form in FinalForms, or your physician can use a universal form.

The Ohio Department of Health has shared these recommendations for the ongoing prevention of COVID-19 spread in schools. These steps will help keep our students, staff, and community safe, while also keeping students learning in the classroom throughout the year.

 
Exposure to COVID

The ODH is no longer recommending the Mask to Stay, Test to Play quarantine alternative for schools. Exposed members of our community are recommended to mask and should test at Day 5. This includes unvaccinated students, which is a change from last year.

 Isolation for positive cases

If students or staff feel sick or suspect they might have COVID-19, they should stay home and take a rapid test. If positive, notify school nurse Jeannie Blatt at 231-3500 x5130.  Students and staff with a positive COVID test should stay home from school for at least 5 days and longer, if necessary, until fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and symptoms are improving. 
 
Additionally, after isolation ends, students and staff should continue to take precautions as they resume normal activities by wearing a mask for 5 days (or after two negative tests 48 hours apart).

 US Department of Education - Disability Rights

All staff and students who choose to mask will be respected and supported. McNicholas reserves the right to ask all students in a classroom with an immunocompromised student or faculty member to wear masks.