Focus On Education
Friday, March 10, 2023
As usual here in Northwest Indiana, the weather is unpredictable. It's hard to know from one day to the next what season we're in. Although cloudy skies, rain, and even some lingering snow is continuing to plague us, our students are still finding ways to bring sunshine and positivity into the atmosphere. They are staying motivated and continuing to work hard, and it's inspiring to see them persevere and remain positive! Check out this week's edition of Focus on Education to see what our Brickies have been up to and what's to come!
HHS Sophomores Honored at "Women on the Rise" Reception
On Tuesday evening, Hobart High School and Patchables' own Kayla Davis and Isis Fleming were honored at 2023 Women on the Rise Reception, hosted by The Leadership Institute and Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest (PNW). Accompanied by their teacher/advisor, Mr. Schultz and Superintendent, Dr. Buffington, these amazing girls were among an esteemed group of female leaders and innovators. We are SO proud of them!
The annual Women on the Rise list includes leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs who are making an impact across Northwest Indiana. These are the women shaping business, guiding communities, and encouraging economic growth in our region’s communities. They achieved success in 2022 and are bringing that dynamic momentum with them into the new year.
“Bright, innovative women leaders who live in Northwest Indiana are contributing amazing energy and talent to our communities,” said Sheila Matias, executive director of the Society of Innovators and Leadership Institute. “Celebrating their contributions honors them and shows exemplary models of innovative leadership to other young women who can be inspired by their experiences.”
3V3 Charity Basketball Tournament at HHS is a Slam Dunk!
On Tuesday, March 7, Business Professionals of America and members of the National Honor Society hosted the 1st ever 3v3 March Madness Basketball tournament. They had a total of 16 teams who competed. The Charity event raised a total of $618 dollars for our Brickie Buddies and the members of Unified Track and Field. Additionally, food items were collected for the Hobart Food Pantry. The 3v3 Championship team was the West Side Wildcats, Junior Anthony Hnilo, and Seniors Gabe Dickerson and Asia Donald. Thanks to everyone who helped put the event together! #BrickieUp #BeExcellentOnPurpose #BrickiesHelpingBrickies
HHS Theatre Excited for Opening Weekend of "Roustabout!"
The Hobart High School Theatre program is excited to open their production of "Roustabout: The Great Circus Trainwreck" this Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 3pm. This show is incredibly special as the cast and crew have been working with the playwright and HHS is the only high school to be granted rights to perform this show! Come out and support our Brickies this weekend by catching this amazing show!
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
The Hobart Chamber of Commerce and the School City of Hobart are proud to sponsor the Outstanding Educator Awards. These awards will recognize educators from elementary, middle, and high school levels who have made exceptional contributions and exemplary commitment to their profession and students! Nominate an educator for this honor today! Our teachers go above and beyond both in and out of the classroom; let's recognize their hard work! Click the link below to submit a nomination! Simply click the graphic above or fill out the Google Form below to submit a nomination! The deadline to nominate is March 15, 2023.
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.
This week we celebrated National SEL Week! The School City of Hobart celebrated #SELday 2023 by showcasing the skills each class has learned and how they use those skills daily. We received several examples of the skills our Brickies are learning each week in their classrooms, check out some of them below!
March Random Acts of Kindness Calendar
Kindness at Home Newsletter
Check out this week's edition of the Kindness at Home newsletter from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, where the focus is on COURAGE. In this edition, you’ll find their definition of courage, a deeper look at how to show courage in different situations, discussion and journal prompts about courage, and a calendar marked with different things you and your family can do all month to show courage at home or out in your community.
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!
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.
Canvas and Skyward
Learn About Remind
The School City of Hobart uses Remind to communicate with families via text messages and/or phone calls.
What are some ways that we use Remind?
- District News- Weekly newsletter, emergency closings, and other important information
- Class Reminders from Teachers - Events, tests, homework, due dates
- Announcements and Celebrations
- One-on-One Help
If you have not been receiving our messages and would like to, please reach out to your student's teacher for their Remind class code, which you will then text to 81010. For example, if you wanted to join a class with the class code @math, you would text @math to 81010.