Focus On Education
Friday, March 17, 2023
Luck and hard work are often seen as two sides of the same coin. While luck can provide opportunities, it's hard work that allows individuals to make the most of them. Ultimately, success is a combination of both luck and hard work, with hard work being the key ingredient that turns luck into something meaningful. Our kids definitely know how to work hard, opening the door to plenty of that Brickie "luck!" Check out this week's edition of Focus on Education to see what they've been up to this week and what's to come!
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!
HHS Students Have Triumphant Weekend at IYG Conference!
Our Brickies had a very successful weekend at the Indiana Youth and Government Conference. The students did an outstanding job of debating bills, running for office, and representing Hobart High School. We were able to win two offices, Speaker of the House Shu Jing Zheng and Senate Pro tempore Luke Weinman. Jackson Ray was awarded the prestige Delegate of the Year award for his leadership and performance at the conference. With this award, Jackson will be attending the Conference of National Affairs in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. He will be leading a small delegation of Hoosier students to present and discuss proposals from students around the country. We are SO proud of these Brickies! #BeExcellentOnPurpose
Hobart HS BPA Takes 5th Place at State Competition!
Business Professionals of America traveled to Indianapolis for the 3 day State Leadership Conference. Members Bojana Kolundzija and Annabelle Mauries (10th) competed in the category of Small Business Management. In December, they took 1st place for their event at the Regional level. At the state level the members took 5th place overall! They were to problem solve specific situations in small business and come up with solutions. We are super proud of their efforts and recognition at the state level! Way to #BeExcellentOnPurpose, ladies!
HHS Theatre Closes Beautiful Production of "Roustabout!"
Congratulations and BRAVO to Hobart High Theatre on an amazing run of "Roustabout: The Great Circus Train Wreck!" We are so proud of everyone involved in this emotional and beautiful show!
Cast and crew of "Roustabout: The Great Circus Trainwreck" with playwright Jay Torrence (center)
📷:Thomas Lozanovski
8th Grade CIA Class Comes Together for Community Project
OPERATION "COOKIES BUILD COMMUNITIES" was a resounding success! The HMS "Citizens in Action" class was given the assignment to develop a community project. They planned, resourced, baked, decorated and delivered over 150 cookies to the Hobart Brentwood Senior Living Center. It was an amazing community uplift project and everyone involved had a blast! Great job team and THANK YOU, BRENTWOOD, for having us!
SCOH 5th Graders Visit Healthcare Career Expo!
On Monday, March 13, 5th grade students from Liberty Elementary, Joan Martin Elementary, and Veterans Elementary were bussed to the Dean and Barbara White Community Center in Merrillville for VicTory 4 Kidz' inaugural Youth Healthcare Career Expo. The students were able to interact with healthcare professionals and participate in hands-on simulations as they explored the boundless career opportunities available to them in healthcare! What a great experience for our Brickies!
So, what makes HU so special?
Earlier this week, 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!
HU Energy Tech Program Students Given Incredible Opportunity to Meet First Lady!
On Monday, March 6, Hobart High School students enrolled in Ivy Tech's Energy Technology Program were given the incredible opportunity to meet First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden! Dr. Biden was accompanied by newly appointed Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk, as well as Congressman Frank Mrvan.
What an exciting day for our students! HU is very proud to partner with Ivy Tech as our Brickies participate in this program!
HHS Scholarship and Financial Aid Newsletter - March 10 - March 24, 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,
Last week, 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!
NumberShire is a free online educational game focused on critical whole number concepts and skills for students in kindergarten through grade two. NumberShire Integrated Tutor System is a grant funded by OSEP that includes an adapted version of the intervention, renovated data dashboard depicting student performance; a platform linked to implementation; instructional resources that support teachers to make math instruction more explicit, and a self-regulation activity called Math Toss to support the development of behavioral self-regulation skills. Learn more about the app here. Contact NumberShire with any questions.
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.