Wildcat Pride
November / December, 2023
Happy Holidays!
Jenison High School Families
It's a great time to be a Wildcat. I want to wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season. During the months of November and December, there are many opportunities to witness and celebrate the numerous talents of our Jenison student body. This newsletter includes information on student performances and athletic events you won't want to miss. Another one of our favorite events is the Your Change Can Change Hunger campaign running the week of November 13 -17. Please join us as we fight to end hunger in our community. Another exciting opportunity to celebrate JPS is during the JHS Marching Band's performing at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade live November 23 on NBC and Peacock.
Go Wildcats!
Upcoming Events
November
1 No School for Students, Teachers Report, CTC students still need to report to CTC.*
2-3 DECA State Leadership in East Lansing, MI
3 AP Exam Registration & Ordering Deadline (Spring 2024 Exams)
4 Marching Band State Championships/Ford Fieldhouse
8 Powder Puff Game, 5:00-8:00pm
15-17 Fall Play, 7:00-8:30pm, The Play that Goes Wrong
18 Fall Play, 2:00-3:30pm, The Play that Goes Wrong
18 Marching Band Community Sendoff performance, 3 p.m. at the stadium
19-23 Marching Band - Macy’s Parade
20 NHS Induction Ceremony
22-24 Thanksgiving Recess - No School
30 Choral Christmas Collage, JCA, 1pm-8pm
December
14 Christmas Concert, HS Band & Orchestra - 7:30pm-9:00pm
15 HS Christmas Collage 7:30pm-9:00pm
14 & 15 Zero Hr. Exams, 7:00am-7:55am
18 DECA District Competition location TBD
20 1st & 2nd hr. Exams - ½ Day for Students - dismissal at 11:00 am, Teachers Report All Day
21 3rd & 4th hr. Exams - ½ Day for Students & Teachers - dismissal at 11:00 am
22 5th & 6th hr. Exams - ½ Day for Students & Teachers - dismissal at 11:00 am
22 End of 1st Semester
25-29 Winter Recess - No School
For a complete list of activities for 2023-24 High School Activities Calendar - Click Here
Jenison High School Band heading to Macy's Parade
While there is a great deal of excitement about preparations for the Jenison Marching Band's upcoming trip to New York City to perform in the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the band has also been enjoying another tremendously successful competitive season! Jenison was once again named the Bands of America Regional Champion in Toledo, Ohio on October 7, having achieved that status for the first time in the program's history in 2022. Their 2023 season will culminate in the MCBA State Championships at Ford Field on November 4, where they hope to claim their sixth straight State Championship win.
The marching band will host a Community Sendoff performance on Saturday, November 18 at 3:00 in the stadium before they leave for New York on Sunday. WOOD TV's Teresa Weakley will be traveling with the band and providing "behind the scenes" coverage all week, including broadcasting live from the bus on Monday morning! Be sure to tune in to NBC on Thanksgiving morning to see the band's performance in Herald Square! The parade broadcast begins at 8:30am.
Exam Schedule
JHS First Semester Exams December 20-22, 2023 including schedule for CTC Students
*Important Reminder for Career Tech Center Students:
Here is a reminder that if CTC is in session and JHS is not, CTC students are still required to attend CTC for their normal session. We will notify CTC students and parents when there are exceptions (Semester Exams, Testing Dates, etc.) See First Semester Exam schedule link above.
On November 1, there will be no school for Jenison High School students, however, Career Tech Students still need to report to CTC for their normal session for this day. CTC Students, bring your own lunch. Food Service will be closed.
*Please note: AM tech students provide transportation to JHS. PM & 3rd session tech students provide transportation home from school.
Jenison High School Fall Theatre Presents:
Welcome to opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show—an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, this Olivier Award–winning comedy is a global phenomenon that’s guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter! The fall play, The Play that Goes Wrong, runs from November 15-18. The Wednesday through Friday performances are at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s performance is at 2 p.m. All performances are at the JCA. Purchase tickets @ Jenison Center for the Arts - jpsarts.com.
AP Exam Ordering
The deadline to order and pay for AP exams is Friday, November 3rd. Here's the link to the letter that went home to parents and students at the beginning of October; AP Exam Ordering Information_2023/2024
Cats Corner
Need some Jenison Wildcat Gear for yourself or for gifts for the upcoming holiday season, please visit our website at jenison cats corner.square.site. Finally, help us spread the word that we have a booth at the Jenison Artisan Market ! This is open 6 days a week and we replenish the booth each week.
Yearbooks
High School Yearbook Orders
Yearbooks will be distributed this year during the seniors' last week of school. They are for sale online now with Jostens - to order, click here.
Lastly, if you are interested in advertising in this year's yearbook by purchasing a business advertisement, please contact Mr. George at jgeorge@jpsonline.org.
Class of 2024
Senior Graduation Cap & Gown Information Senior Graduation Cap & Gown Information:
If you still need to place your Class of 2024 Cap & Gown Graduation order, please submit your order online at Jostens.com. Click here for Cap & Gown ordering only.
Note - As we get closer to graduation, the price does increase because of shipping costs, so please get your order placed as soon as possible.
Reminder: Only the base package of a cap, gown, and basic tassel (included with your order) is required to participate in Commencement. If your student is in need of financial assistance, please contact Kristi LeQuia - klequia@jpsonline.org
Senior Pictures for Yearbook
The deadline to submit senior photos for the yearbook is March 1.
Here are the requirements and the process for submitting a photo:
- Photos must be in .jpg format and sent as an attachment.
- All photos must be vertical.
- The photo can be full body or head and shoulder.
- The photos can be in color or black and white.
- Photos should be emailed to Mr. George at jgeorge@jpsonline.org. Please put the name of the student in the subject line.
- Please Note: screenshots or cell-phone pictures of the senior photo will not be high-quality enough to include in the yearbook. Please submit the original photo.
- Seniors & senior parents will be notified if a photo does not meet requirements. A replacement photo must be submitted within a limited time frame or your school ID photo will be used.
- We will reply to all submissions as we receive them. You can expect a confirmation email after you submit a photo and it is placed in the yearbook.
Our page designers are excited to continue the tradition of featuring senior baby photos in this year’s yearbook. Senior baby photos are due on March 1 as well. This is optional, but many participate. Baby photos should also be sent to Mr. George at jgeorge@jpsonline.org - the baby picture is considered anything up to age 4ish. Pretty flexible. Taking a picture of the picture with your phone is one option if you do not have a scanner.
Senior Getaway
Planning for the Class of 2024 Senior Getaway is well underway and it going to be a blast! Registration is now open! Please click on the link below to access how to sign-up online and for additional information from the Senior Getaway Committee.
Click here for the Senior Getaway Newsletter and Fundraiser Flyer
Counselors Corner
Grades
Parents, please help support your student by checking PowerSchool regularly, especially if your student is struggling academically. If you use the PowerSchool app, the "Status" tab, found under your student's classes, is a great place to identify missing work. Please reach out directly to your student's teacher with questions about a specific class!
Semester grades determine passing vs. failing a course. While the quarter grades play a large role in the semester grade (along with the semester exam), it is the final semester grade that determines whether or not a student passes and the grade that will be calculated into your student's cumulative GPA. For a student to pass and receive credit for a class at JHS, the semester grade must be 60% or above. We find that some students' failing grades are due to missing work, so additional support could help your student earn credit required for graduation. Remember, if a student fails a core class, they will need to retake the class or attend summer school to earn the credit for graduation.
Seniors
Counselors have been encouraging ALL seniors to schedule their senior meeting... this is a time to discuss senior year and post-high school ideas. We will wrap up these meetings in early November!
Seniors who are interested in attending college after JHS should be finishing up their applications! While most early action deadlines were November 1, regular decision deadlines are typically February - April. There are many application resources available to students in the Counseling Google Classroom!
The FAFSA is scheduled to open in December (this is a change from previous years, when it opened October 1). Families can get a head start on it by checking out this information. Stay tuned for information about a FAFSA workshop at JHS this winter!
We continue to update scholarship opportunities here!
Mental Health
As we head into winter and the days begin to get shorter, we notice an increase in students feeling down or depressed. For many students, the cold and darkness prevents them from getting outside and from being as active as they might be during the warmer and sunnier months. Please check out this article about some helpful strategies for beating the winter blues. We find that, for many students, getting outside (even in the cold) and regular physical activity can be very helpful!
Miles of Smiles
Our Miles of Smiles (MOS) mobile dental unit is scheduled to be in Ottawa County Schools during the 2023-2024 school year. Our mobile dental unit provides no cost, preventive and restorative dental services for financially-qualifying children. Unfortunately, MOS will not be visiting your school this year. However, we want parents to know that they can schedule their child to be seen on our mobile unit when we locate at another Ottawa County School.
We have provided a letter to the parents that inform them of the availability of our dental services for their students/child (ren). Please include the parent information in any newsletters, mailings, posts on school website, parent portal, E-blast or disseminate via parent e-mail list-serves. Miles of Smiles can be accessed by using the following this link and QR code:
Athletics
Hand 2 Hand
Our Hand 2 Hand weekend food pantry will be available to all students again this year. Please see this form if you're interested in having your student participate. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact JHS Parent Liaison, Beth Morey or JHS Social Worker, Amy Austhof.
Attendance/Appointment Call-In Process
Help us minimize classroom disruption during instructional time
Regular attendance is crucial to success in school. Parents, if your student misses school, please be sure to call our attendance line (616-457-3400, option 1) to excuse the absence prior to the start of the school day. If your student has an appointment during the school day and needs to be dismissed from classes, please call the office before the start of the school day and leave this information on the attendance line. By following this process, it will avoid disruption of staff calling into classrooms during instructional time for students to come to the office to sign out. Calling in prior to the start of the school day, the attendance office can provide your student with a pass to leave at the requested time. We greatly appreciate your help with this process.
Reminder: New Feature - Submit attendance through PowerSchool