Hemlock High School
12/16/2020
Favorite Holiday Memories
Mr. Slate
Mrs. Lockwood
The reindeer have been a magical part of Christmas ever since I can remember. My parents made these reindeer when I was one. The handcrafted deer have been a Christmas tradition for the past 55 years.
We have many fun memories of setting them up and having families stop by to take pictures.
Mrs. McInerney
Mr. Walton
Mrs. Galbraith
Mr. Clark
Mrs. LeClair
Mr. Green
Mrs. Gerard
My best memory EVER! Christmas 2013
My husband and I were able to meet and begin the adoption process of our Christmas Angel, Grace! It was the best Christmas week EVER!!!!!
Mr. Keyser
Mrs. Whitford
This is my favorite Christmas tradition/memory - I read The Night Before Christmas to my kids every year (yes, they still humor me LOL). The first picture is 2005 when Devyn was almost 1 year old, Abi was 2. The other picture was last Christmas when Devyn was almost 15 years old, Abi was 16.
The Future of Snow Days
It seems like our state and parts of the nation have a love-hate relationship with “Snow Days.” What once was a rare occasion, with one or two days off a year, when going to school would be life-threatening, has turned into school years that involve a dozen or more snow days. It has been highlighted by school principals, office administrators, and teachers that dance, and sing, and exclaiming the joys involving another snow day.
In reality, before 2020, a day away from school was a day of lost education. Considering the costs involved, this is not a wise use of resources dedicated to educating children. Before you choke on your ginger snaps and spit out your hot cocoa, make sure to read through this article.
High School Principal Keith Green said, “I love snow days, but we are a teaching and learning institution. We have a mission of preparing students for life after K-12 and that life rarely involves not going to work because of snow.”
Like anything else, in moderation, snow days are just fine, but after losing more than two weeks of instruction a couple of years ago, Hemlock Public School District planned on doing something very different with snow days, and 2020 has sped that timetable up. The district settled an agreement with the Hemlock Federation of Teachers last fall that allows for remote-learning on snow days. The updated language is simple and yet profound, it says, that on an “Act of God Day,” aka snow day, that teachers will be responsible to work under the direction of their building principal.
Principal Lori Gensch said, “It’s not our intention to completely remove the joys of a snow day for students and parents, but we are here to educate our students every day of the school year, and that includes those that involve bad weather.”
Obviously, this past year has taught us that we can do several things remotely. It would be educational malpractice to not move the needle and plan that our snow days will look different moving forward.
“We, at Hemlock Public School District, believe that there is a balance that can be found in the future when we are not able to have face-to-face instruction due to inclement weather. That balance may involve sleeping in a bit, a big pancake breakfast, sledding in the afternoon, or a family movie, which seem to be the earmarks of a good snow day experience, but it will also involve some level of learning and schoolwork,” said, Superintendent Don Killingbeck.
This has been something we have been working on for some time, with our 1-to-1 technology, our use of Google Classroom, Skyward integration, and so much more. It just happens to be that 2020 has catapulted us forward about 2-3 years ahead of what we thought would be realistic.
Holiday STEM Suggestions
Upcoming Events
Calendar
Important Upcoming Dates:
- December 19th thru January 3rd - Winter Break
- December 24th - Christmas Eve
- December 25th - Christmas Day
- December 31st - New Year's Eve
- January 1st - New Year's Day
- January 4th - Return to school
- January 18th - No School
Sports
Go Beyond the Lights - Regan Finkbeiner
Regan Finkbeiner is entering her sophomore season at Hemlock High School. She also competes in softball, volleyball and track for the Huskies. During her short career, Regan has been named to the Saginaw Dream Team, mlive Saginaw News All-Area Team, BCAM's Best Div 3 Honorable mention, Associated Press D3 All-State, Detroit News D3 All-State, and TVC All Conference! She was also the Freshman Representative for Homecoming Court, is a member of the Student Council, and serves as Sophomore Class Officer-Vice President. Congratulations Regan on being named to the 2020-21 BTL TVC ALLtimate team!
Which TVC gym is the most challenging to play in? Why?
"The gym environment that was the most difficult to play in was Ithaca because their gym is big which made their court seem big. Also compared to other student sections, Ithaca's student section was the loudest. Ithaca is our rival which made the game more intense."
What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming season?
"I look forward to hanging out with some of my closest friends outside of school. Also, I look forward to seeing how much I'm going to improve at the end of the season, along with seeing how much the team is going to improve. "
What do you enjoy most about playing at the varsity level?
"What I enjoy most is how intense some games are and that I have teammates that I can rely on to help contribute to a win. Also hearing the student section, fans, and little kids that look up to you cheer for you."
What are a few things you need to improve on this season individually and as a team?
"As an individual, I need to improve on my strength so I can have more range on my shot and ball-handling. As a team, we're gonna need to improve on rebounding and being physical."
What do you do to get ready for a big game?
"When I get home from school I take around a 30 minute nap, then when I wake up I make butter noodles to eat, and while I'm waiting for my game to start I listen to music to pump me up and to get me relaxed."
Who would you say is your teams biggest rival? What's different about playing against that team?
"Our biggest rival is Nouvel. Playing them is different because they're quicker than any other team we've faced before and we always know it's gonna be a hard game to play."
What is the biggest, or most exciting, game you've been a part of during your career?
"The biggest game I've been apart of during my career is the second time we played Nouvel last season."
What are you listening to before the game?
"I usually listen to One Direction before a game."
Which feels better hitting a big shot, a block or steal on an opponent, or a clutch free-throw? Why?
"A clutch free throw because it's a moment that I've always wanted to come. The gym is so intense at that point and its all on you. I've missed a clutch free throw before during a high school game and it's haunted me since. I want that situation to happen to me again, and when it does I'll make it."
What do you need to do this upcoming season for it to be “successful” by your standards?
"What I need to do for it to be successful by my standards is to have the season be as good or better as it was last year and to play my hardest every game. Also to be a leader on the court."
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a middle school student-athlete? What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
"I would say that high school basketball is gonna be way more fun then middle school so don't lose the love for it and cherish every moment because it's gonna go by fast. What I wish I would've known then that I know now is that don't lose the love for the game because high school is gonna change that."
MHSFCA 1st Team All-State, DB, Dylan LaGrow
Community Info
Christmas Movie Mania
Round 4 of Christmas Movie Mania starts now! Follow the link to vote: https://forms.gle/KB5tDzg2SbpDxAcL8
Voting will last through the end of the day Thursday. Voting for Round 5 will run Friday through Sunday. Round 6 will start next Monday and the winning movie will be announced next Wednesday!
Round 3 Results (21 voters, winning movie listed first):
A Charlie Brown Christmas - 60%, It's a Wonderful Life - 40%
Prancer - 53%, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas - 47%
Home Alone - 75%, Christmas with the Kranks - 25%
The Santa Clause - 100%, The Star - 0%
Elf - 75%, Frosty the Snowman - 25%
Jingle All the Way - 55%, Die Hard - 45%
A Christmas Story - 71%, White Christmas - 29%
A Christmas Carol - 68%, The Nightmare Before Christmas - 32%
Hemlock Sawdust Days Beard Contest 2020
Rauchholz Memorial Library Update
Shop Local this Holiday Season
Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify your community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong— in your community!
Click here for a list of Hemlock Businesses:
Light Recycling Drive
Hollyday Art Mart
Running Nov. 23 to Dec. 23
Andersen Enrichment Center, 120 Ezra Rust in Saginaw
9am to 3pm Mondays through Fridays
Popular artists and craftsmen from years past will bring selected works for display at the Andersen. Shoppers can come in and look on their own for unique gifts for their holiday gift giving.
Expected goodies include home and garden decor, wooden reindeer, painted tote bags, notecards, prints, mugs, toys, scarves, jewelry etc.
The popular hand-painted Saginaw ornaments will also be available for purchase.
Masks are required. Visitors should keep 6 feet of distance between themselves and other people. A limited number of visitors are allowed in the building at one time.
HBA Announces 2020 Festival of Wreaths Results
The Hemlock Business Association is excited to announce the third annual wreath contest results.
The 2020 Festival of Wreaths was a huge success. We nearly doubled our 2019 results, raising $1,763.00 this year! This money goes directly back into our community. This holiday season, the HBA donated funds to provide gift baskets to all residents at Pine Haven and The Roosevelt House. The Committee also voted to sponsor local families for Christmas. Additionally, fundraising supports local food pantries, downtown decorations, ribbon cuttings for new businesses, and much more.
Thank you to all our entrants! The top ten with the most tickets are as follows:
Isabella Bank – 377 tickets
Tom’s Midpoint Party Store – 282 tickets
Custom Style Salon – 217 tickets
Hemlock Public School District – 191 tickets
Rosati’s Fresh Market – 111 tickets
Earley Construction – 107 tickets
Moltus Building Group – 102 tickets
Richland Township – 101 tickets
Farmers Home Tavern – 95 tickets
Farmers Insurance – Karin Keel-Todd & The Maple Grille – tied with 87 tickets
Thank you to all our entrants! Along with those listed above, the following businesses also showed their support: Hemlock Auto Sales, Jodie Bow – The House to HOME Group, Ma Ma Mia’s Pizzeria, Massa Chiropractic, Rick Ford Sales, LLC, St. Peters Church, Splash & Dash, R&R Ready Mix, Hemlock Farmers Market, The Anderson Group, Rauchholz Memorial Library, First Area Credit Union, and Hometown Gym.
Commercial Lender, Isabella Bank, and HBA Vice President Alicia Graebner noted, “I want to thank all the participating businesses for coming together to fundraise for a great cause. I look forward to this event every year and how it brings the community together. I’m so glad we were able to continue this tradition in 2020 with huge success.”
The HBA is always open to new members. For more information, please call (989)642-2097 or email hemlockba@gmail.com.
Hemlock Alumni
Hemlock Alumni - Zachary Puchacz
Hemlock High School
Email: galbraith@hemlockps.com
Website: www.hemlockps.com
Location: 733 North Hemlock Road, Hemlock, MI, USA
Phone: (989) 642-5287
Facebook: facebook.com/HemlockHighSchool
Twitter: @MIHemlock_High