Amazing Falcon Families,

“Never make choices that will make you hurt others. If you will not help them, don’t hurt them!” ~Israelmore Ayivor

Last week, we did not have a great week because some of you decided to make choices that hurt your classmates and hurt the school. Each choice that you make, you decide whether or not the impact will be a positive one or a negative one. Choosing to fight, be it real or fake, is not a great choice. There are real consequences with making bad choices. In the next section below, I have explained what has happened this last week. Families, please go over that section with your children. I hope that this week, you will choose to be the kind of students that we and your parents are proud of. Let's choose to make each day a great and safe day.

Celebrating Our Counselors This Week

This week is National School Counselor Week. Falcons, let's take time this week to say thank you to your counselor. They work really hard to ensure that you are successful.

Future Lancer Information Night and Events

Eighth graders, Hilltop High has invited you to attend the Lady Falcons Basketball game on Tuesday. Bring your ID and experience high school athletics. On Thursday, HTH will host a parent informational night. Please see flyers below.

Chronic Absenteeism Issue

As you know attendance in all schools nationwide since the pandemic has been dismal; this includes HTM. Currently, we have 20% of our students with a tag of chronic absenteeism; that is, students have 8 absences or more. Ideally, all schools should be at 95% attendance rate. We are working on a rigorous attendance review process of all these students to get them back to school. Please review the section below on Chronic Absentees.

Progress Report is Around the Corner

Students, you will receive your first progress report of Semester 2 next week on February 16, 2023. Please do not wait to try and make up work. Do the work now. Also, talk to your teachers if you are not doing so well. Eighth graders, you need to pass all your classes in order to promote. Seventh graders, you will be going to summer school if you fail your classes. Let's be proactive and seek help now.

Falcon Flight and Spring Sports

Students, we are in the process of adding new activities to our Falcon Flight for before and after school. Additionally, spring sports tryouts will start next week. In order to tryout, you must be signed up to participate in Falcon Flight. Please read the information below regarding Falcon Flight and/or Spring Sports. For more information, please email our to coordinators, Ms. Pulido at jessica.pulido@sweetwaterschools.org or Mr. Horton at joshua.horton@sweetwaterschools.org. Also, Spring Break field trips will occur this year and you must be signed up in Falcon Flight to participate.

FLAGS Parent Information Night

Falcon families, if you have incoming 7th graders and are interested in the FLAGS program, please join us for an informational meeting on February 7 or March 8 at 6pm in the cafeteria. Please read the information below.

SBCS Mental Health Workshop

Parents, SBCS is hosting a 2-day mental health worshop for you this week. Please read the flyer below for more information.

Free Community Services

Also made available by SBCS are monthly free food distribtution, tax assistance and Cal Fresh Support. Please see all flyers below.

Finally, the rest of the newsletter contains reminders of our cell phone policy, dress code policy and bullying/harrassment policy. Please read it again especially with your parents so that there are no surprises.

Falcons, let's have an amazing and safe week.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Finley

Additionally, on Friday we discovered that there is a challenge out there to see how many days HTM could go with at least one fight a day. This challenge is BAD and will be dealt with accordingly. There is no other way to put it. If you or a group of you decided to issue this challenge, know that when we find out who you are, you will be given the most serious consequences available as you are purposefully encouraging other students to participate in inappropriate activities and making the school unsafe and putting it in a bad light. Consequences will include expulsion from the school and the district, and potential police arrest. Know that we have already informed the district of this challenge and they are fully aware of this challenge.

Furthermore, two Instagram accounts: @notthefalconway and @notthefalconway2 have been associated with some of you posting these fights, whether they are real or not. From these accounts, we have downloaded recordings of these fights already. This week, some of you will be getting a real dose of the consequences associated for being in a fight found in these videos and posting these videos. If you are making comments or liking or following these accounts, there will be consequences as well.

Falcons, the safety of this campus does not only fall on me or the staff. You have a role in making this campus safe. If you insist on giving unsafe challenges, then you need to be prepared to accept the severe consequences. We will not tolerate these bad behaviors.

Parents, I am asking you to partner with me in educating our students about these challenges and participating in unsafe behavior. Please take time to discus this topic with your children.

Finally, if you see or know something, say something to a trusted adult. Violence is not acceptable and should not be tolerated.

This semester, we are being more persistent about your child attending school in-person, especially if they have been absent for eight (8) days or more. This is what is referred to as chronic absenteeism. Ms. Garcia and Mr. Toms are collaborating on how to get your child or children back in school. Please read the flyer below as to the attendance review process. Ultimately, if we cannot find you or convince you to return to campus, we will have no choice but to drop you from HTM.

These absences can be made up and corrected in your child's records by attending Saturday Academy for four hours. Below is the information for Saturday Academy. The last thing we want is to drop your child from our system; however, if Mr. Toms and Ms. Garcia have done all they can by following the process below, then we are left with no other option but to drop your child from the school.

Any questions, please email Ms. Garcia at claudia.garcia2@sweetwaterschools.org.

Falcons,

As we start Semester 2, this is a reminding that all students are required to follow our cell phone policy at HTM.

1. Upon entry, all cell phones must be turned off and placed in the backpack.
2. If your a staff member directs you to put it away, please listen and put it in your backpack.
3. Cell phones are not allowed in the bathroom. If you are caught with it in the bathroom, your phone will be taken immediately and must be picked up by the parents. NO EXCEPTIONS.
4. If a staff member takes a cell phone away, they will give it back to you at the end of each period UNLESS it warrants being taken to the main office.