Focus On Education
Friday, April 14, 2023
The sunshine and warmer weather are invigorating our staff and students, renewing their energy and inspiring creativity and motivation in our Brickies! Check out this week's edition of Focus on Education to see what the sunshine has brought along with it and what's coming up at SCOH!
JM Heart Warrior Shows Love for Other Children!
Awesome news from Joan Martin Elementary School: Miss Buckley's heart warrior, Bryce Jackson, raised the most money at JM for the American Heart association. Bryce raised a whopping $500! We are so proud of his dedication to help other children who have heart health complications. Way to go, Bryce!
ILEARN TESTING BEGINS NEXT WEEK FOR 3RD-8TH GRADE!
iReady Assessments for Grades K-8!
i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction. i-Ready replaces the Star Renaissance Assessments that they students took last school year.
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions based on student responses. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.
Thank you for your continued support and for being a partner in your child’s learning! I look forward to sharing i-Ready information with you throughout the year. If you have any questions about i-Ready, please do not hesitate to contact the school. You can also learn more about i-Ready by visiting i-ReadyCentral.com/FamilyCenter.
So, what makes HU so special?
Earlier this month, Dr. Buffington and our College and Career Readiness Team hosted a virtual meeting with SCOH families to share the the exciting opportunities offered to our Brickies through Hobart University. Click here or on the image below to hear the recording from that Zoom meeting!
HHS Scholarship and Financial Aid Newsletter: April 7 - April 23, 2023
The School Counseling Department at HHS has compiled this newsletter which contains scholarship and financial aid opportunities for our Brickie students. Scholarships that are new to the newsletter will be posted at the TOP: after the new scholarships, they will be listed by order of deadline. Check it out here!
HHS 2023 Career Newsletter #6
Check out the latest issue 2022-2023 career newsletter here! The goal is to show our students how many opportunities are available to them to earn transferrable skills and earn money at the same time!
An Important Message from Dr. Buffington
Dear Parents and Community Members,
Earlier this month, Northwest Indiana was invited to hear the National Speaker Jermaine Galloway at Hobart High School on drug trends and the epidemic going on across the country in schools. We need to address the issue of illegal substances with students of all ages.
When students were interviewed as to WHY they choose to vape nicotine, vape THC or use other drugs, the following were responses:
It feels so good!
It is legal almost everywhere.
What’s the big deal?
Basically, students are asking adults everywhere to look the other way and ignore illegal activity and let them do as they please. We cannot scare kids straight with the 80”s message “Just Say No” - they are not afraid of drugs. While the fentanyl crisis is real and drugs are increasingly being laced with this drug, they should be afraid of it! Yet, they are not. Due to the addictive nature with today’s THC content levels being so much more than even a decade ago, our students are forever clients to the drug industry and YES some will progress to harder, more illicit drugs for the same high. Are you ok with this as a parent? As a community? If not, we have to stand-up for what is right with our youth and not condone what we know is harmful and talk openly about it.
Vaping and THC in schools - is this what students come to school for? By choosing to use illegal substances, students are jeopardizing opportunities both in school and in the real world. The number one job in schools is to provide students with learning opportunities for success and their future. We ask that you take a position to talk to your child regularly about this. Encourage them to come learn, take advantage of all we offer, and pave the way for their future.
In the SCOH, we are working hard for all of the opportunities our students have here. They are second to none in our state. Our Brickie Pride runs strong. We count on people to do the right thing.
Please talk with your child about opportunities to learn. Reach out to us if you need help. Please listen to Part 2 of The Dangers of Vaping: THC by Sergeant Monte White, the SRO at the high school. This message is vitally important. Also, if you missed Part 1 of The Dangers of Vaping: Nicotine, the link for that is also provided.
In closing, there are some slides to give you an idea of drug use in the country by our youth. Let’s stand united to help them see that they do not need to choose a substance to be happy in life. Life is filled with opportunities and challenges. Every human being must learn to handle these moments without needing a substance to give instant relief. Let’s teach coping skills and resilience to persevere and lead successful lives.
Dr. Peggy Buffington
Superintendent, School City of Hobart
DID YOU SUBMIT YOUR 'INTENT TO RETURN' FORM?
Elementary students received a paper form to return to their school and HMS and HHS families should have completed a Google Form. Questions? Please call your child's school or the Administration Building at 219-942-8885.
Brickie Pride Kids Camp is taking place Monday, June 5th - Thursday, June 8th and the deadline to sign up is May 26th. $50 per camper; sibling discount is available! This is a co-ed camp, so we encourage all students to participate. It is a skills-based camp with competitive activities. It is a non-contact camp to introduce skills needed to participate in the sport and encourage physical activity in the summer. Click on the image above or the button below to register!
PNW Summer Camp!
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is pleased to announce summer program offerings for students in Northwest Indiana. This year, they are offering a wide range of programs for learners interested in nursing, robotics and STEM fields, to explorations in how to become innovators and creators. For more information about PNW camp offerings please go to: https://www.pnw.edu/camps/.
Here at the School City of Hobart, we take pride in making sure all of our students have the means to succeed. Sometimes this requires extra study time outside of the classroom. Click the button below for a list of some great websites for assistance and tutoring info!
The Indiana Learning Lab is a fantastic tool for parents and families to support their students with literacy, mathematics, digital tools, and more. Click here to check it out!
Social Emotional Learning in the School City of Hobart
Check out the SEL page for great tips and advice for Social Emotional Learning for students, parents, and families! Lots of great information with what we do in school with students and what you can do at home.
7 Easy Ways to Connect with Kids
Click here to learn about creating respectful relationships in homes and schools.
How to Deal With Your Teen's YouTube Addiction
Are you sick of asking your teen what they are doing and constantly hearing "YouTube" in response? This comprehensive guide will help you understand why teens love YouTube with insight from real kids, how and why it becomes addicting.
Screen Time, Fentanyl, And How to Talk With Kids
We must talk with our kids about opioids, fentanyl, and Narcan. In today’s blog, Dr. Delaney Ruston shares three ideas for starting the conversation.
Check Out Our STATE Recognized Building Brickies Program!
The School City of Hobart Building Brickies' goal is to strengthen families by empowering parents as their child’s first and best teachers. Every day, we advocate for families so every child-in every neighborhood-can thrive.
April's Nurse's Corner
Check out this month's Nurse's Corner to learn about the flu, immunizations, and what to do when your student is sick.
Breakfast & Lunch Menus
Our breakfast and lunch menus are posted monthly.
Click here to view the menus for each school.
Calling all SCOH Alumni! In preparation for Early College and Career Week in April, we want to hear from YOU! We'd love to celebrate your post-high school journey! If you'd like to be featured in our upcoming alumni slideshow, please fill out the Google Form* below! Remember, once a Brickie, always a Brickie!
* Please note that you will need to be logged into a Google account to submit this form because of the option to upload a photo file. If you would like to contribute to the slideshow but don't have a Google account, you may send your submission to Becky Williams at bwilliams@hobart.k12.in.us
Do you need assistance with Technology?
Visit www.hobart.k12.in.us/techhelp for information on how to report absences and check grades in Skyward, receive assistance with Canvas, and much more!
To contact our Technology Department, please call (219)942-1388 ext.8963.