The Viking Insider
Helping You Stay Connected To Your Howell Family
Thanksgiving Message From Activities Director Sean Erwin
Dear Viking Family:
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday and prepare to spend time with family and friends, I wanted to share a few thoughts with our Howell family and wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
The Howell Activities Department has many things to be grateful for this holiday season. We are more than thankful for the support that our programs receive. Representing Howell in the classroom, in our community, and in activity/club/sport is a responsibility that our student-participants take seriously. We are thankful for the young men and women we have the pleasure of working with each day that represent Howell, FHSD, and the community so well. We are also thankful for the staff that continues to lead & drive those in our programs to reach new levels of success and the support that our parents and community provide our programs.
As we reflect on what we are thankful for this holiday, it is important that we do not lose sight of who we are, what we represent, and where we are trying to go as an Activities Department and Howell Family. While having success in our programs is a high priority, learning life lessons and developing leadership capacity is of utmost importance. I strongly believe that participation in Howell activities and sports will provide opportunities for the young men and women in our programs to grow and mature while providing valuable skills that will help them be successful in life. Teamwork, servant leadership, commitment, discipline, time management, sacrifice, sportsmanship, pursuit of excellence and hard work are just a few of the lessons and traits that can be acquired from involvement in our programs. Building young men and women of high character and preparing them for life is the ultimate goal of our programs. Through this development we build the success we have within our activities and sports that have been recognized at the State and National level.
We are very thankful for our on field and in program success. This fall the Howell Activities Department was recognized as the #2 public school sports program in the State. This fall our programs also won 7 of a possible 9 conference championships. In the past two seasons our fall sports programs have won a remarkable 15 of 18 conference championships. Our fall programs also brought home three district championships while setting a new school record of 27 student-athletes and 32 student-participants in band and choir to become State Qualifiers. Our programs were also actively involved in our community serving over 12 different organizations. As fall postseason awards continue to come in we look forward to our student-participants continuing to be recognized for their efforts.
The success of our programs would not be possible without the support of students, parents, staff, passionate fans and community members. The Howell Family has inspired a high level of leadership and support within our programs and we hope to continue to build on this support into 2020. I’m confident that we will continue to improve and grow our programs as we head into the new year.
Finally, as I get ready for Thanksgiving Day, I am more than thankful for the opportunity to be the Activities Director at Howell and for being able to work alongside such a great group of students, parents, staff, and community members that have come together to make the experiences and outcomes for our student-participants the best they can be. It’s truly a great time to be a Viking and I am thankful for each of you that play an integral role in making everything we do possible.
Sean Erwin Ed.S., CAA
Activities Director
Youth & Government Has Great Experience At State Convention
The Howell Youth and Government program recently sent 46 delegates to the Missouri Youth and Government Convention. Youth and Government is a national program of the YMCA that involves thousands of teens nationwide in state-organized, model-government programs. Howell students at the convention had the opportunity to immerse themselves in experiential civic engagement by serving as delegates at the state conference, debating bills on the floor of the legislature.
Several Vikings took on leadership roles at the State Convention. Ali Schultz served as the elected Speaker of the House and Rebecca Amos served as the Media Director. In the Senate, Isabella Reed served as the Floor Leader, Nicole Sanders served as the Reading Clerk, and both Emily Scott and Riley Weber served as Chairperson in the Senate. Mackenzie Richardson served as Chairperson of the House. Taylor Flemons, Anna Shuler, Lena Steins, and Priyanka Thomas were chosen to serve as judges in the Judicial Branch.
Below is a brief recap of several highlights from the convention for our Vikings!
- Mackenzie Richardson received the Outstanding Bill for the House.
- Ethan Simpkins and Alex Fellows received the Outstanding Bill for the Senate.
- Riley Weber and Evan Simpkins received the Outstanding Statesman for the Senate.
- Senators Kaylee Kapeller, Emily Scott, Colin Spies, Ethan Simpkins, and Evan Simpkins all had bills signed into law with the help of their sponsors in the House- Representatives Mackenzie Richardson, Adam Nolle, and Megan Stoutenboroughm from Francis Howell High School, and Reed Easterling from Francis Howell Central.
- Judicial teams, consisting of four teams, won 5 out of 9 cases tried in court.
- 8 students participated in the Media.
Howell Choir Amazes Crowds With Singers Choice "Puttin on the Ritz"
The Howell Choir held their annual "Singers Choice" this past Friday and Saturday night and the performances on stage by our Vikings did not disappoint. The two hour concert included many great performances, silent auction items, raffles and dessert. The event not only showcases our talented Howell students but also serves as a fundraiser for the choir. Thank you to Mrs. Fitzpatrick for another great event and a special thank you to the many parents that made the event possible. You can clink on the links below to view short pieces of the performances as well as a promotional video showcasing our talented singers.
Performance Video Links
Kyleigh Holman & Christopher Mosher - Anything You Can Do
Courtney Crow - My Funny Valentine
Women’s Chamber - Summertime w/ Juliana Reihms solo
Half & Half - Tee-idle-dum-dum
Destyni Holmes & Andi Petersen - Over the Rainbow
Kaylah Janssen- I’d Rather Go Blind
Sydney Koehler, Lauren Potts & Katelyn Traluch - Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun
Elliot Burchett - Love Is Just Around The Corner
Elise Martinez & Patrick Baue - Isn’t It Romantic
Michael Haley & Riley Kem - Me & My Shadow
Shannon Callanan & Chris Mosher - It’s been a Long, Long Time
Concert Choir Men - There Is Nothing Like A Dame
Kayla Elmore & Chloee Rudolph - Sisters
Concert Choir Ladies - The Trolley Song
Students Compete In FHSD Iron Chef Challenge
Howell Students Earn Metro 8 Honor Orchestra Honors
Howell Artist Spotlight - Reanna Irizarry
As the Viking Insider continues to recognize students across all activities, clubs and sports at Howell, we bring you our "Howell Artist Spotlight." Howell is full of many talented students and we have several very gifted artists that we will highlight over the course of the school year in the Viking Insider. This week we take a look at the work of Reanna Irizarry and learn more about her and her work. Thank you to Reanna for sharing some of the amazing pieces she has been working on.
Artist Name: Reanna Irizarry
Grade: 12
Favorite Howell Art Class: Digital Arts &Design
Favorite Medium: Photoshop
Sustained Theme: Video game characters
Favorite Personal Work: Digital Arts and Design Project
Howell Artists Make Their Mark In Lower Level B Hall
Kimmie Browne Signs For Shooting Sports With Missouri Valley College
STUCO Collects Nearly 3,000 Cans During Drive To Benefit OASIS Food Pantry
FHHS To Host JustLivIt Benefit Race For Howell Family Member
Howell is very excited to honor future Viking, Olivia Leigh at the JustLIVIt Benefit Races on Saturday December 14th. Olivia and her family have found a way to turn an extremely terrifying diagnosis into an opportunity to inspire others to keep LIVing and keep moving! Olivia, a John Weldon student, created a movement with her fight against Anaplastic Ependymoma that brought her to Children’s Hospital for 40 minutes every day for 6 weeks this summer. Her dad asked everyone through social media to do something for 40 minutes every day for 6 weeks as well to motivate Olivia and the family during the difficult time and so many people rose to the occasion!
In honor of Olivia a benefit race will be held in December. Additional information can be found below to support this great event as well as a link to register.
JustLIVIt Benefit Races DETAILS
WHEN Saturday December 14th and the stadium will open at 7:00am. Races and festivities will start at 830am.
WHERE Francis Howell High School Track/Stadium 7001 Hwy 94 S, St. Charles, MO 63304
WHAT We will have 3 different racing events and depending on number of participants we will have to decide if we will do more than one heat of each race. The planned events are as follows and there will be prizes for 1st and 2nd Place in the 1 Mile Race and 3200 Meter Team Relay:
- 8:30am Male and Female 1 Mile Race
- 9:15am 3200 Meter Team Relay Race
- 10:00am Kids 400m Fun Run w/Olivia *All kids will receive a small prize for finishing the run.
Registrations/Orders/Donations due by 12/1 & can be accessed by clicking here: - https://belivingbenefitforolivialeigh.itemorder.com/sale?read_message=true
Boys Basketball Collects Donations For Helping Hands
Howell Band Alums Face Off At College Level
Viking Insider - Post Season Awards Edition
Stay Connected With The Activities Department
There are many ways for Viking fans to stay informed and aware of everything going on at Howell. Below you can find several platforms to find information specific to the Howell Activities Department. Finding information and content on our activities, clubs and sports has never been easier!
Twitter- @FHVikings
Website & App – www.howellvikings.com
Instagram - FHVikings
TikTok - FHVikings
Viking Insider (Weekly E-Magazine) Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/vikinginsider
Youtube Channel - https://tinyurl.com/VikingTube
Camp Website – www.fhvikingscamps.com
Activities Hotline- 636-851-4700 (Option 1)
2019-20 Start Dates & Dead Periods For MSHSAA Activities & Sports
The summer, fall, winter, and spring dead periods and starting dates for MSHSAA sponsored activities has been released for the 2019-20 school year. These dates can be found below. We hope that this information helps all Vikings and their families coordinate and prepare for the summer and sports seasons ahead during the 2019-20 school year.
Summer Dead Period (All MSHSAA Sponsored Activities) - June 29 - July 7, 2019
Fall Sports Dead Period (Fall Sports) - August 5 - August 11, 2019
Fall Sports Begin August 12, 2019
Winter Sports Dead Period (excluding girls swim) - October 27 - November 3, 2019
Winter Sports (excluding girls swim) begins November 4, 2019
Winter Sports Dead Period (Girls Swim) - November 3 - November 10, 2019
Girls Swim Begins November 11, 2019
Spring Sports Dead Period - February 23 - March 1, 2020
Spring Sports Begin March 2, 2020
UPCOMING EVENTS
Francis Howell Activities Department
261 GAC Championships
163 District Championships
79 Final Four Appearances
28 State Championships
Email: sean.erwin@fhsdschools.org
Website: www.howellvikings.com
Location: 7001 Missouri 94, Saint Charles, MO, United States
Phone: 636-851-4700
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fhhsvikings
Twitter: @fhvikings