Focus On Education
Friday, May 19, 2023
Can you believe we're already more than halfway through the month of May? Brickie Nation is powering through as we inch closer and closer to wrapping up the 22-23 school year! Check out this week's edition of Focus on Education to see what we've been up to within the School City of Hobart and what's coming up!
Class of 2023 Ivy Tech Graduation for HU Students!
Last Thursday evening, some of our associate degree, ICC, and certificate earners attended Ivy Tech's graduation ceremony at Valparaiso University. How exciting to see our seniors walk across a college stage with diplomas in hand before they have graduated high school! Thanks to Hobart University for all of the opportunities presented to our students, and a huge congratulations to all of our earners for their hard work and dedication to their education!
Class of 2023 Celebrated at Decision Day Assembly!
On Friday morning, staff and students gathered in the gym at Hobart High School for a "Decision Day" Assembly! (Also known as "College Signing Day!") This event was organized to celebrate our seniors and their post-secondary plans! We are so proud of all of our Brickies from the Class of 2023! Click here to see all of the photos from the celebration!
HMS Celebrates "Hall of Excellence" Students!
On Tuesday evening, Hobart Middle School, hosted a banquet for its top 20 students from the Class of 2027! Honorees and their families were joined by HMS administration, Superintendent Dr. Buffington, and several Brickie educators. We are so proud of these 20 amazing students and their hard work over the last three years! Congratulations on your academic excellence, Brickies!
Congratulations to the 2023 CDA Recipients!
HHS Earns "Champions Together School" Honor!
"WE DID IT! When we started Unified Track & Field 5 years ago, one of the goals has been to become a Champions Together School. Special thanks to Brian Wesley for helping us get this off the ground 5 years ago, and to Jackie Keefe for taking the reins and helping create opportunities to check all the boxes necessary to make this happen!" - Mike Black, Hobart High School Athletic Director
We are so proud of everyone involved for helping HHS become a Unified Champion School. Below are the requirements, with the ways HHS has fulfilled them in bold italics.
The Champions Together partnership will provide an award banner to all IHSAA member schools that meet the following Unified Champion Schools goals in the 2022-23 school year:
1 – All school sponsored activities must be planned, organized and administered by an Inclusive Student Leadership team that strives to do things WITH students with intellectual disabilities NOT FOR them. Inclusive Student Leadership team called Brickie Buddies
2 – The school must participate in at least one activity designed around Whole School Engagement that promotes and encourages awareness, respect and inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities. Multiple Whole School Engagement programs such as Inclusion Prom, Spirit Week and a March Madness 3 vs 3 basketball invite
3 – The school must organize and participate in at least one Unified Sports activity such as IHSAA Unified Track & Field and Flag Football, a Unified practice or clinic, or a Unified competition such as Unified Bocce or Unified Bowling with students with intellectual disabilities OR local Special Olympics athletes. Participation in Unified Fitness Clubs and/or Unified physical education meets the requirements as a Unified sport. Competing in Unified Track & Field for 5 years now - 2023 has seen our kids compete in more meets than any other year
4 – Fundraising—the school must raise a minimum of $1500 (high schools), $750 (middle schools), and $250 (elementary schools) for the Champions Together project. Unified groups raised $1500 for Special Olympics Indiana through our trolly service, March Madness invite, etc.
HHS Seniors Create Groundbreaking Food Translation App!
HHS Band and Orchestra Receives High ISSMA Honor!
A huge congratulations is in order for the Hobart High School Band & Orchestra for being a recipient of the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) All-Music Award for the 2022-2023 school year! We are so proud of you! #BeExcellentOnPurpose #BrickieUp
HHS Business Program Announces "Stock Market" Winners!
Congratulations to the Students of Principles of Business Management at Hobart High School! We are thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of the 118 talented students who recently participated in the stock market simulation as part of their course. Over the course of two weeks, these future stock brokers demonstrated their exceptional skills, strategic thinking, and keen business acumen. With an initial virtual capital of $100,000, these bright minds dived into the captivating world of stock trading, utilizing a simulation that closely mirrored the real-time dynamics of the New York Stock Exchange. Their hard work, dedication, and careful analysis of market trends paid off in a big way. Once again, congratulations to all the participants of the Principles of Business Management course at Hobart High School! Your achievements are inspiring, and we look forward to witnessing your future successes in the world of business and beyond.
HU Receives Second Early College Endorsement!
Click here to read about HU's Early College Endorsement!
HHS Scholarship and Financial Aid Newsletter: May 19- June 2, 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!
Career Pathway and Course Description Guide
View the HHS Career Pathway and Course Description Guide by clicking here!
21st Century Scholars Scholarship Opportunities!
NextGen: The Future of NWI's Workforce!
Seniors: interested in the Nursing Assistant Trainee class this summer?
Click here for more information!
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
Brickie Pride Kids Football Camp!
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 here to register!
Hobart Boys Basketball Youth Summer Camp!
Registration is now open for the Brickie Boys Basketball Booster's Youth Summer Camp! This camp is open to boys in grades 1-8 for the 2023-2024 school year. Session 1 is from June 14-16 and Session 2 is from July 11-13. The cost is $40 for one session or $70 for both. Checks can be made payable to BRICKIE BASKETBALL BOOSTERS and mailed to:
Hobart High School Athletics
c/o BRICKIE BOYS BASKETBALL CAMP
2211 East 10th Street
Hobart, IN 46342
Checks can also be delivered to HHS Door 19 Monday through Friday, 7 AM-Noon or 1-3:30 PM. Click here to register!
Hobart Girls Basketball Camp!
Click here to register for the Girls Basketball Summer Camp! This camp is open to girls in grades 3-8 for the 2023-2024 school year. Register and pay by June 1st for a $10 discount and to be guaranteed a camp t-shirt.Checks can be made payable to HOBART GIRLS BASKETBALL BOOSTERS and mailed to:
Hobart High School Athletics
c/o GIRLS BASKETBALL SUMMER CAMP
2211 East 10th Street
Hobart, IN 46342
Checks can also be delivered to HHS Door 19 Monday through Friday, 7 AM-Noon or 1-3:30 PM. Please contact Coach Alaina Richter with any questions at arichterclass@hobart.k12.in.us.
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/.
Summer Healthcare Exploration Camp!
Join Victory4Kidz for their Summer Healthcare Exploration Camp! Learn more about it by clicking here.
Beacon Camp 2023!
Explore the Indiana Dunes National Park at Beacon Camp, hosted by Valparaiso University! Read about the opportunity here!
CyberPatriots Cyber Camp!
AFA CyberCamps are designed for high school and middle school students who are just getting into cybersecurity or who have cybersecurity knowledge and want to learn more! Learn more about CyberPatriots and their camps at this website!
Civil Air Patrol Open House!
Check out this incredible opportunity for students age 12-18 to check out the CAP Cadet Program!
PNW Innovation Makers Camp: July 17-21
INnovation Makers is a FREE, weeklong program for any rising 10th to 12th grade students who want to learn to be innovative and participate in fun ways to build and think creatively. Click here to register!
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!
Explore the Learning Lab!
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 Prevent Loneliness in Our Homes
As we enter week two of Mental Health Month, let’s address isolation and loneliness that can happen in homes. In this month's blog, Dr. Delaney Ruston talks about how tech is causing disconnection in our homes.
Project AWARE Goes to the Park!
During the month of May, Hoosier students and families can prioritize their mental wellness by participating in Project AWARE Goes to the Park at any local Indiana State Park! Visit your nearest State Park's Visitor Center to pick up a self-led activity guide and complete a short, fun activity. Once completed, participants can enter for a chance to win park swag. Contact info@projectawarein.org with any questions.
Pillars of Wellness - Art Therapy Workshop
Open to high school students, including incoming freshmen and graduating seniors! Click here for more information!
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.
May'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.
Donate to the Brickie Lunchbox Fund!
Click here for details about the Brickie Lunchbox Fund and/or to make a donation!
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.