The Paw Print
Newsletter for Jackson County High School: October 2018
The importance of finding balance
As October begins, our students and teachers have a week to enjoy some well-earned break time. The district’s calendar includes both fall and winter breaks, in addition to the holiday breaks we typically have had in the past. This break in October comes at a great time because our students and teachers have been working hard in their classes and participating in many different activities. We care about all of our students and want them to be physically and mentally healthy. As outlined in last month’s Paw Print, JCHS has many opportunities for students to get involved in after school. Adding these practices, performances, games, and other activities to our students’ academic obligations can create stress and exhaustion. It is important that we help our students learn to balance their lives to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to prevent chronic fatigue. Thankfully, there are some small things that we all can do to help them. Learning to manage their time will not only help students navigate high school, but will also help them to be more prepared for the stresses that life can bring after school. Likewise, spending time with our students and helping them to plan for the future can help them get better at balancing their lives and at building habits that will keep them happy, rested, and prepared.
This is the first of a multi-part look at how we can all help our students find balance in their lives. We encourage you to read these suggestions and come up with your own to help our students be successful!
Helping students to be organized
One way to help students stay on top of all their responsibilities is to help them organize their time and their school materials. Many high school teachers ask their students to keep notebooks, which can be a good way for students to organize their materials. Even if notebooks are not required by their teachers, by keeping notes, assignments, and other papers organized, students should always know where their materials are for each class. Not being able to find their notes or an important assignment can cause stress for students. We realize that having to carry a binder for each class might become a physical burden. If so, the school rents lockers to students, and lockers could be places they keep their notebooks when not being used. If students are particularly technologically savvy, they could also use their JCHS Google drives to keep their materials in digital notebooks.
Encouraging students to have some way of organizing their time is also a great way to teach students how to manage their academic and non-academic activities. There are many physical planners available in stores that can help students keep track of their daily, weekly, and monthly obligations. While some studies indicate that physical planners might help students remember information better, there are also some digital planners available. In either case, it is important that the students feel comfortable with whatever they plan to use. While using a planner might seem intuitive, it is also a good idea for parents or other adults to help students learn what and how to write in their planners (for example, does the student need to color-code certain events and/or due dates different colors? Should they put all the games or practices on their calendars all in one sitting?). If purchasing planners is a financial burden, let the school know so we can help find ways to assist families to make sure their students get what they need.
While planners help us keep everything in one place, sometimes everyone needs a reminder about an upcoming deadline or event. Many students have cell phones, most of which have some sort of reminding capability. Setting such a reminder could be a good way for students to have a backup to prevent them from missing deadlines or from waiting until the last minute to finish an assignment. Encouraging students to set reminders for them to relax and take time for themselves also might serve them by structuring and planning for much-needed "down time."
Next month we will continue our examination of how we can help our students to find balance in their lives. We hope that you will continue to read along. Likewise, if you have other ways that you have found that help students stay organized, let us know! Finally, make sure to find balance in your life. Not only do we care about our students, but we want all of our parents and community members to find happiness and balance as well!
We hope that you have a great break and a fantastic start to the fall season!
Panthers in Action
Mountain Bike Team
Academic Team
ESP Club and Cheerleading
Student and Teacher Spotlight
JCHS Teacher of the Year
Elias Gomez-Del Rio wins WBL award
Coach Powers Climbs Mountains... Literally!
Wester scores 5 TDs in a game
FFA Members Win Awards
- Peyton Puckett placed 1st in 12th grade showmanship, placed 2nd in class 3, 1st in class 4 with her percent Simmental and 1st in class 7 with her pure bred Simmental, placed 1st with her pure bred Simmental and won Grand Champion Pure Bred Simmental.
- Madyson McDaniel placed 1st in 10th grade Showmanship with her beef cattle project.
- Josh Franklin won in showmanship, placed 1st in class 3 and won reserve champion honors with his commercial heifer project.
- The Livestock Evaluation Team won the livestock judging contest hosted by the Gwinnett County Fair. Team members were Hannah White, Peyton Puckett, Savannah Page.
- Savannah Page placed 1st in class 6 steers, placed 2nd in 9th grade swine showmanship, won class 13th with her purebred Yorkshire swine project and won Grand Champion honors at the show. She also earned Supreme Overall honors in the commercial breeding gilt show.
Congratulations to these students and all of our FFA competitors! We're proud of you all!
Band Continues Its Tradition of Excellence
A Look Ahead ...
October 1-5, 8: Student Holidays
October 10: PSAT (all 10th grade students, 9th and 11th who sign up)
October 15: Balfour Senior Class Meetings during lunch
October 17: HOSA / American Red Cross Blood Drive
October 18: College & Career Fair @ JCHS
October 30: Balfour on Campus (graduation orders, rings, jackets)
November 19-23: Thanksgiving Break, no school
Jackson County Comprehensive High School
Website: https://jcchs.jacksonschoolsga.org/
Location: 1668 Winder Highway Jefferson, GA 30549
Phone: 706-367-5003
Facebook: facebook.com/jacksoncountyhighschool
Twitter: @JCCHSPanthers