Cobra Strike

This week we had a lot of different things going on. We had our big halloween day with the trunk or treat and JCYC putting on a great Red Ribbon Week Rally at the end of the day. Scholars bowl also started its season with a trip to Horton. We even ended the week with two major events. The Diabetes Color run was a huge success as was the FCCLA Haunted Trail. We also ended the week with our November First Friday that was again a huge success.

This upcoming week however, while it is technically KSHSAA buffer week with no winter sports activities at all, we have a ton of activities going on. Construction has officially broken ground in the gym with the company coming in starting this week to remove the old basketball and volleyballs goals. We saw it fit to take advantage of this time and brought down the championship banners for a good cleaning. While the banners are down, we also are going to take advantage and give the gym a thorough once over with a paint brush to brighten up the place. While this is all going on, we will have to be a bit flexible with MS girls Basketball games as well as practice times and places until construction is complete. Your patience will be rewarded. We have a few surprises lined up.

Outside of all of that, buffer week has a tendency to be a slow week. You could think that, but you would be wrong! We have a ton of activities going on this week. There is no rest for any of us here at Jackson Heights. We have adulting day and career fair, plus middle school basketball, and so much more. In addition to all the things we are always up to, this week will be a great week to recuperate and recharge and prepare for the final push to the end of the semester.

Let's go make a difference.

Derek E. Smith

For the past four months, Mrs. Alley has been working tirelessly with the school counselors from both Holton and Royal Valley to put on the Career Fair and Adulting day activities that will be culminating this Tuesday. The event is designed to let students explore careers within the area and help them learn about career fields they may not have known about. The adulting day portion is designed for a broad spectrum learning activity for student to get some of those critical learning pieces. "Not all of us are going to college," I hear some of you saying. Well Adulting day is for you. This is set up to be an all inclusive exploration into what the next steps are for our young adults moving into the big bad world outside of Jackson Heights High School.

When I say tirelessly, you can define that term based on how much effort these counselors have put into this event. I can't wait to see the fruit of their labor.

This Saturday morning, the rain stopped just in time for the Diabetes 5K Race on the Cross Country track. Yes I can talk about the 33 runners from our community that came out to support it and how much money it raised for research and how much of a great time it was for everyone involved, but I want to focus on something else.

This event was cooked up and fully run by our students. Danny Bottom and Emi Fritz put this whole thing together. They came to me early on to ask for support and approval, and that was kind of where I ended. They then coordinated all the moving parts from there on their own. They sought support from Mr. Keehn for the day of the event. they talked to Mr. Alley for insight on running a race. Every piece of this amazing event was done by students that care. They built their own advertisements and their own forms for sign up. They sought sponsors and got helpers to help work the event as well.

Amazing events like this can become tradition and a staple on our schedule because of students like this and the incredible things they can do.

If running a 5K wasn't enough. the FCCLA group put on a haunted trail that evening. This is yet another event that was fully put on, organized, and executed by three Freshmen students. Chesnea Cochran, Madi Lawson, and Alexis Richter wanted to do something different for a fundraiser and the thought came up about putting on a haunted trail event. While our fall schedule was a bit tight this year which meant it wound up falling after halloween, the event was a huge success. If you didn't come out for this one you really missed out.

There was a scary bearded man with a pitchfork, oogie boogie lurking in the trees, a creepy monkey with symbols crashing, even some crazy chainsaw clowns running around the trails.

This was again an event that was proposed to me and then the students ran with it with the support of Mrs. McKenzie and Mr. Keehn to help out.

They are already planning what next years haunted trail will look like so you might want to put that one on your calendars early on. I am already cooking up next years costume.

Great job ladies, this was another item that will get added to the traditions of this great school.

The November First Friday event saw some new activities.

Swing Dance Lessons with Mr. Lierz

Yoga with Mrs. McKenzie

Quiet Reading Room with Mr. Folger

Hunter Safety Training with Mr. Keehn

4 on 4 Volleyball Tournament with Mrs. Massey

Army National Guard career talk with SST Limon

These First Friday events give the students alternative learning environments that allows them to experience different things and it gives them the chance to choose their own adventure. It is also critical shared collaboration time for the staff. They have been able to work together to align their curriculum to build a more encompassing learning environment in their classes.

The upcoming December First Friday will be a touch different, we will have two panel discussions going on.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Women in leadership symposium: a panel of women professionals from both the community and surrounding areas highlighting women in leadership positions and how we can empower each other.

Habits of Success: a panel of male professionals from the area that will highlight what it takes to be successful in the world we live in.

While the two panels are dichotomous, we are not expecting that all girls sign up for one and all boys sign up for the other. There are messages and lessons to be learned from both panel discussions. because of this, the school will be divided into two sections that will allow all students to get to interact with both panels in 45 minute sessions.

Also if any community member has an activity of would like to come be a guest speaker, please contact me and i will gladly get you on our schedule of speakers for the First Friday events moving forward.

Monday:

MS Girls BB Vs. ACCMS @ Home 4:30 Elementary Gym

Nov 7

Tuesday:

9-12 County Career Fair @ Holton and Royal Valley all day

Wednesday:

No Activities Scheduled

Thursday:

MS BB @ Oskaloosa 4:30

Friday:

No Scheduled Activities

Saturday:

No Scheduled Activities

https://www.citylinktv.com/channel/cobra

Say hello to the best "man" at my wedding. This is Dietger (Deeter), a Belgian Malinois. He was Air Force K9. I adopted him when he was 8 months old when he got kicked out of the training program because he didn't like biting people. He was from then on by my side. He got me through my medical retirement from the Air Force. He was my best friend and companion. He became my official service dog and then came with me into classrooms while I was teaching. He made it his personal mission to make everyones day better. I sadly lost him three years ago to stomach torsion, but his kind hearted ways stay with me forever more. He is a big chunk of why I am the way I am. Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind.

Email: derek.smith@jhcobras.net
Website: jhcobras.net
Location: 12692 266th Rd Holton, KS 66436
Phone: (785)248-4386
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jackson.Heights.USD335