HJS Update-January 13, 2025

Jan 13, 2025

at 12:00 am

Dear HJS Families,

Welcome back! We hope you and your families had a restful, rejuvenating break! Even with a short week due to the snow, the start of the year is the perfect time to refocus on our core values of Trust, Respect, Ownership, and Leadership along with our mission: Academic and Social growth for ALL students, every day! Implementing these values helps to shape not only our students' academic success, but also their development as responsible, compassionate individuals. This semester brings exciting opportunities for all of our students! From exploring new electives to getting involved in drama or joining a spring sport, there’s something for everyone to dive into. We look forward to seeing our students continue to grow, thrive, and contribute to our community in meaningful ways! Together, we will make the second semester a great success!

Weekly Calendar

Monday, January 13:

Girls Basketball Games – Pack the House Night!
- 7^th Grade: 4:30PM @ HJS
- 8^th Grade: 5:30PM @ HJS

Tuesday, January 14:

Math MAP Testing
Boys Basketball Games
- 7^th Grade: 4:30PM @ HJS
- 8^th Grade: 5:30PM @ HJS

Wednesday, January 15:

ELA MAP Testing
Girls Basketball Games
- 7^th Grade: 4:30PM @ Pleasant Run Middle School
- 8^th Grade: 5:30PM @ Pleasant Run Middle School
Boys Basketball Games
- 7^th Grade: 4:30PM @ HJS
- 8^th Grade: 5:30PM @ HJS

Thursday, January 16:

MAP make up testing

Friday, January 17:

MAP make up testing
PTO GBA Incentive
Wrestling – Coaches Classic
- 5:00 PM @ Reading High School

Academic Growth

Second semester is the perfect time for a fresh start! This new beginning offers students the opportunity to set exciting academic goals, build upon their strengths, and focus on maintaining or even improving their grades! Whether it’s exploring new electives or diving deeper into core subjects, the second semester is a chance for your students to challenge themselves, stay motivated, and excel! Let’s make this the most successful semester yet!

This week, our students will be taking their MAP assessments, a great opportunity to track their progress and celebrate how far they've come! These assessments are designed to measure their growth and help us understand where they are in their learning journey. Encourage your child to approach the test with a positive mindset—this is their chance to show how much they've learned and to set new goals for the future. Remind them to stay calm, do their best, and know that the results will help guide their next steps in learning. Reminder, this Assessment plays a big role in which classes they will be placed in next year!

Social Growth

At HJS, we believe in nurturing well-rounded individuals. Our winter student athletes continue to work hard both in the classroom and on their respective playing field. We look forward to their continued success and cheering our Wildcats to victory! Looking ahead, second semester provides students the opportunity to get involved whether it’s on stage, in the spelling bee, on the track, or by joining a local sports team!

Wrestling
- Our girls wrestling team earned 1^st Place at Eaton! Congratulations to these ladies for winning the first wrestling tournament championship in HJS history!
Girls Basketball
- 7^th Grade: 6-0
- 8^th Grade: 5-1
Boys Basketball
- 7^th Grade: 5-2
- 8^th Grade: 3-4

Safety

The safety of our students is our top priority. Here are some updates and reminders:

HJS will be partnering with Companions on a Journey (COJ) in 2025!
- COJ offers a School-based K-12 Grief Support program that helps transform schools into grief-informed spaces where students can process complicated feelings of grief and loss, connect with a caring community, and build a toolbox of critical wellness and resiliency skills. COJ collaborates with over 70 public, private, and parochial schools to provide monthly grief support, while also responding to school crisis situations. COJ work alongside administrators and counselors to build a grief-sensitive culture where bereaved students and staff feel loved, accepted, and supported.
- The first group will start on Friday, January 17^th . Students can join at any point in the school year, so if you know a student that could benefit from this kind of support or have any questions, please email Mrs. Spurlock at emily.spurlock@southwestschools.org or call our front office at 513-367-4831.
School Messenger Notifications
- As winter approaches and the chances for winter weather increase, please make sure your contact information is current in Final Forms. If you are already getting emails, texts and phone calls from us via the School Messenger Mass Notification system, you should be all set to receive weather-related information. You can also check the District website (southwestschools.org) and the official District social media accounts for the most up-to-date, accurate information.
Medication Reminder:
- For the safety and well-being of all students, medications must be brought to school by a parent or guardian in their original, labeled container. This ensures that the medication is properly identified and administered according to the prescribed instructions. Please refrain from sending medications with your child or in unmarked containers, as this helps us maintain a secure and effective environment for managing student health.

Please remind your child about the importance of following these safety guidelines both at school and at home.

Parent Tip of the Week: Easing Testing Anxiety

As we approach testing season, it's important to remember that students may experience anxiety around assessments. But with your support, they can tackle it with confidence! Encourage your child to focus on effort rather than perfection, help them establish a healthy routine with plenty of sleep and nutritious meals, and remind them that tests are just one way to measure progress, not a reflection of their worth. A calm, positive mindset can make all the difference in reducing stress and boosting confidence. Let’s work together to make this testing season a successful experience!

Upcoming Events:

PTO Tissue Drive
- Harrison Jr. Sr. High PTO is sponsoring a Tissue Drive and we need your help! We would like to collect boxes of tissues, rolls of paper towels, and/or Chlorox/Lysol wipes to help the teachers stock their rooms. Many teachers have been funding these items from their own money, and we would like to help them out. We will have a drop off location at both the Junior and Senior high schools starting the week of January 13^th in the morning during student drop off. If your student rides the bus, please consider sending your donation with your student. Thanks so much for helping with this much needed collection!
8^th Grade Registration Meeting
- STUDENT registration Meeting
  - 8:30AM on Thursday, January 30^th @ HJS.
- PARENT Registration Meeting
  - 7:30PM on Thursday, January 30^th @ Activity Center. Students are encouraged to join their parents!
  - Students will then meet with their assigned counselor on either February 4^th and 5^th in the HJS library.

We appreciate your continuous support and collaboration.