Focus On Education
Friday, March 24, 2023
Spring is a time of growth and renewal; the season when plants start to bloom, trees grow new leaves, and animals come out of hibernation. Spring also offers a season of growth and rejuvenation for our Brickies! As we pause to rest and recharge over Spring Break, our staff and students look forward to feeling refreshed and prepared to tackle the last grading period with energy and enthusiasm! Check out this week's edition of Focus on Education to see what they've been up to this week and what's coming up after break!
HMS Chess Teams Are Fantastic at State Competition!
The School City of Hobart sent 5 teams, a total of 20 students, downstate to Martinsville, Indiana to represent the Hobart Chess Team in the Scholastic Chess of Indiana Team State Championships. This is a qualifying event, with some of the best of the best in the state playing 5 rounds of chess throughout the day. All teams performed well in their divisions – one high school team in 12 U consisting of Jeffrey, Jacob, and Daniel; two 8th grade teams in 8U; and two 6th grade teams in 6U. As usual, the tournament consisted of 5 rounds lasting about 8 hours. Our Brickies displayed true grit, determination, focus, and talent and showed the state that Hobart came to play and leave their mark.
One of our 8th grade teams consisting of Daveion, Andrew, AJ, Teddy, and Angel, played very well as a team. Out of the 20 teams in their division, they brought home the 9th place trophy – a true accomplishment. A shout out to our other 8th grade team consisting of McCoy, Logan, Trevor, and Cody; and our 6th grade team of Rafael, Alejandro, Noah, and Dante– way to represent Hobart well. You all did very well in a difficult tournament and division. Our school is proud of how you represented Hobart.
Outstandingly, one of our 6th grade teams consisting of Alex, Carson, Ryan, and Nolan took it to the next level. This was by far the largest division with 42 of the best chess teams in the state competing for over 8 hours. This team stayed truly focused and determined, and battled their way to secure 5th place out of the 42 teams! To secure a 5th place spot in this exceptional division is a true testament to the talent and grit of this team. Way to represent Hobart and leave your mark.
Lastly, a shout out to senior Jeffrey Howard who has been with the Hobart Chess Program from its inception. This was Jeffrey’s last tournament as a Brickie. Jeffrey has been an integral part of the Chess program, and one of its top players over the years. He outplays most at club, beats Mr. Reno consistently, and has represented Hobart well over the many years he has played in tournaments. The Hobart Chess program has truly benefited from and will greatly miss Jeffrey. Good luck at Purdue, sir!
HHS Slam Poetry Club Looks Strong at Regionals!
Congratulations to the Hobart High Slam Poetry Club students who competed at Rooted and Radical: Young Chicago Authors’ regional slam competition this weekend. Poets Sofia Melgarejo, Mayzellie Rabadan, Madeleine Burke, Ian Rodriguez, and Emily Cicillian started Hobart’s first visit to the biggest slam competition in the Midwest off RIGHT! Results from the prelim rounds will be released March 25th! Good luck to Mayah Wiggins, Aidan Hopman, Carly Rodrick, and Aubrey Schwader, who will compete this Wednesday!
HMS FACS Class Brings JM 3rd Graders' Drawings to Life!
Students from Mrs. Cizewski's FACS classes did a culminating hand-sewn Monster drawn by the Joan Martin third-grade classes. The middle school FACS students took two-dimensional drawings and made them come to life using different stitches. What an amazing collaborative experience for both groups of Brickies!
HMS Spirit Club Hosts Dodgeball Tournament for Riley's!
Hobart Middle School Spirit Club hosted the first ever HMS Dodgeball Tournament on Wednesday evening! 14 teams participated with players ranging from 6th grade to teachers/staff/admin. It was a great evening full of fun and great sportsmanship! Because of everyone who came to watch, HMS Spirit Club raised almost $400 and that money will be donated to Riley’s Children’s Hospital! We are so proud of our Brickies! Way to #BeExcellentOnPurpose!
Middle School Academic Super Bowl Teams Working Hard!
HMS students competed in the 18th annual Washington Township Academic Super Bowl Invitational this week. The Academic Super Bowl is a competition featuring subject-area rounds of questions students answer as a team. Each year has a different theme, and this year is The Age of Exploration. Students study materials and compete on Math, English, Social Studies, Science, and Interdisciplinary teams. The material is very challenging, and these students and coaches do an amazing job of working hard to learn high school-level material. Students will have one more competetion this year when they compete at the regional competition on April 29 at Clifford Pierce Middle School in Merrillville.
Great work to our students and coaches: Alejandro Gomez, Angel Gomez, Sara Gonzales, Melodie Hitchell, Ella Jones, Camila Nino, Cody Paterson, Abigail Rinas, Jaliyah Rivera-Johnson, Marissa Salamanca, Nolan Sawyer, Isaiah Sutherland, Logan Vickery, Renee Wietbrock, Jurnee Woods, Coach Savannah Croft (English), Coach Jody Gawthrop (Science), Coach Nanelle Hairston (Social Studies), and Coach Laura Weller (Math).
Lady Brickie senior guard Asia Donald has been selected to compete for the IBCA (Indiana Basketball Coaches Association) INDIANA ALL-STAR TEAM this summer! Asia, who has already committed to play basketball next year at Indiana State University, will join 12 other players from around the state to represent Indiana against the Kentucky All-Stars on June 9th in Owensboro, KY and on June 10th at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis! Asia, the leading scorer in Brickie history with 1,736 career points, is just the 2nd player in Hobart High School HISTORY chosen for this honor! We are so proud of you, Asia!
March is Music in Our Schools Month! We celebrate music in our schools as an essential part of education that promotes creativity, self-expression, and teamwork. Music education helps develop critical thinking skills, enhances memory and concentration, and fosters emotional intelligence. We are so grateful for the gift of music and for our amazing teachers who bring music to life for our Brickies!
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: March 24 - April 7, 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 #5
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!
ATTENTION senior students who might be interested in the trades: a GREAT opportunity AND they will be taking applications for the union on the night of the event!
Scan the QR code on the flyer or click here to register!
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.
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
It's that time of year! We are excited to celebrate our students and their talents at the Brickie Makers and Innovators Showcase!
Students can register for the Brickie Makers and Innovators Showcase at www.hobart.k12.in.us/MakerRegistration.
Students must be logged into their SCOH Google account.
Deadline to register is March 29, 2023.
We want as many students as possible to showcase their hobbies, creations, and projects!
If you have a PLTW group in your school, we would love to see those projects here.
It does not have to be limited, though, to PLTW and STEM…..we love seeing art, writing, music, crafts, food….the possibilities are endless! These can be projects that students have completed for school, or designs that they have done outside of school – let’s celebrate the many talents of our students! More information on the Maker Movement and the link to register online can also be found at www.hobart.k12.in.us/maker2023
Questions or concerns? Please contact Becky Williams at bwilliams@hobart.k12.in.us. Please encourage your students to participate – it’s amazing to see their passions!
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.
Helping Teens with Anger Issues & Violent Behavior
Aggressive and violent teen behavior can scare parents. Click here to learn how to help your teen with anger issues.
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.
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.
March'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.