Due to the increase in school shootings over the past few years, SHS JROTC cadets Ethan Swartz and Kadence Distefano decided to do something to make a difference to protect our students and faculty. After 15 months of hard work and dedication, Ethan and Distefano have completed Phase II of their Stop the Bleed project. Phase I, the Stop the bleed training for all JROTC cadets, and teachers who chose to attend, was completed in April of this year.

The completion of Phase II, which was to obtain 88 stop the bleed kits to outfit every classroom and office space at SHS, was completed on November 2nd, with the last kit being delivered to Ms. Judy Carter, the Certified Nurse Assistant Instructor. Ethan Swartz said, “Every classroom and office now has a Stop the Bleed kit, and with our continued STB training, a trained JROTC cadet or teacher should be close by.” Ethan and Kadence both stated, ”We could not have done this without the help of our many donors: the Smithfield Lions Club, The Carrollton Ruritans, Windsor Ruritans, Patty Croaker who helped us set up a go fund me, John Collick, Eclipse Pets, PALLADIUM, and David and Judy Bowden, along with many other individual donors; from the bottom of our hearts, thank you Isle of Wight County your donations and support can do nothing but save lives.” We also wanted to thank School Board members, Mark Wooster and Mike Cunningham, for volunteering to conduct the initial STB instruction and training.

Phase III of this project is working with Isle of Wight Central Office Safety and Security Officer, Mr. Jason Brinkley, and the IOWC School Board to obtain funding or donations, so all schools have the ability to save lives in the event of a catastrophy. “I applaud Ethan and Kadence for making a difference. LTC Peter Badoian, the JROTC Senior Army Instructor said, “These two, with the assistance of their parents, have made a difference for every teacher and student at SHS. Hopefully, these kits will never have to be used, but if something does happen lives can now be saved that would not have and the skills these cadets have learned can be used anywhere to save lives.”

Below: Ethan Swartz and Kadence DiStefano deliver the last STB kit to Ms Judy Carter to complete Phase II of their project.

Congratulations to this amazing team from IWCS, which included SHS senior Graham Rountree (center). They presented at the VSBA conference in Williamsburg on the success of the IWCS Agricultural Land Lab. Thank you for sharing the good work taking place in IWCS with board members and school administrators from across Virginia.

Congratulations to the two IWCS School Board Liaisons -- including Samantha Conyers, a senior at SHS -- for taking FIRST PLACE in School Board Governance Jeopardy during the workshop for student school board representatives at the VSBA Convention in Williamsburg!

Congratulations to the SHS Jazz Band for sharing their gifts and talents with board members, superintendents and administrators from across the Commonwealth!

Prepped and ready to go! SHS Culinary Arts students have prepped over 100 meals to go to families in our community this Thanksgiving. Our young chefs have churned out pumpkin pies, biscuits, collards and more!

The JROTC Rifle Team hosted its 2nd annual side-by-side Hog Tie Rifle Match and for the second straight time placed first as a team. The four-man SHS Packer team consisting of Team Captain Nymiar Towns, Summer Fruchey, Dalton Fesser and Jaidyn Pettaway shot an 1853 of a possible 2000 points.

Notable performances were:

Best score in Prone: Mikayla Moses from Prince George High School

Best score in Standing: Nymiar Towns

Best score in Kneeling: Nymiar Towns

And best overall score (505) and the match Top Gun: Nymiar Towns

Also receiving a silver second place medal in the kneeling position from SHS was Summer Fruchey. She along with Jaidyn Pettaway and Tamia Roots (Prince George) also received their bronze CMP pin for shooting between 440 and 479 in a 3 x 20 3PAR Rifle match and Mikayla Moses (Prince George) and Nymiar Towns received their silver pin for shooting between a 480 and 509.

This score has qualified the Packer rifle team for its 5th straight entry to the Brigade Best of best competition held in Hickory, NC, on December 10th. Congratulations and continue to Shoot Sharp!

Below, from left to right: Jaidyn Pettaway, Coach LTC Peter Badoian, Nymiar Towns, Summer Fruchey and Dalton Fesser

Report cards will be issued November 20.

All IWCS Schools and Offices will be Closed November 22-24.

Friday, December 1, is a student holiday/parent conference day.

The 2024 Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions will be administered

starting in January to all students in grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve and all classroom
instructors and licensed staff in your building, regardless of the grades served by the
individual. To opt out, please read through the attached letter and contact Danielle Hewitt.

Parent Letter

Any senior who still needs the CPR credential: That course will be offered December 1st, a teacher workday, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the SHS auditorium. It is extremely important that you attend because the CPR credential is a graduation requirement. Please contact Coach Riddick at criddick@iwcs.k12.va.us with any questions.

Now meets every Monday *AND* Thursday after school

from 3pm to 4pm

in the library.

Students must have a ride home.

Contact Mr. Pape apape@iwcs.k12.va.us

The Spanish Honor Society Club went to the Dia de los Muertos HarvestFest on October 28th. They got to watch a live performance from the Latin Ballet of Virginia who dedicated their performance in honoring Mexican Heritage and the holiday itself, Dia de los Muertos. After the performance, they explored the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens and looked at all the different tents full of goods and treats. Before they left, they made sure to grab some delicious food from the festival. The festival had food trucks provided by E-Lotería, Latin Quarter Kitchen and My Empanada. In the end, the club got to hang out, learn new things, and eat delicious food.

Some memories from the club's trip:

November 28 - 6 pm - Winter Athletic Awards Night

Boys Soccer Conditioning will Start Monday November 27th and will run every Monday and Thursday from 2:45 to 5:15.

Congrats to Coach Nero and Packers Volleyball -- 2023 Class 4 Region A Girls Volleyball Runner up!!!

Please come to support the SHS Chorus at our bake sale booth in Smithfield’s annual Mistletoe Marketplace on November 18 from 3 - 8pm on Main Street in Smithfield! We will be selling home baked goods, SHS Chorus hoodies, SHS lanyards, and more! Tickets to the Suffolk Cultural Arts Center concert will also be available. If you stop by around 6pm, then you will hear the Choraliers sing on the gazebo right next to our booth! Happy holidays!

More SHS Chorus news! Tickets to the “Choraliers Carol by Candlelight” concerts at St. Luke’s Historic Church are sold out! Thank you to all who have reserved their seat at a concert to support the Choraliers as we raise funds to travel to Washington, D.C. and Maryland for a competition in May of 2024! If you missed your opportunity to get a ticket to St. Luke’s, then come support us performing the same program at the Suffolk Cultural Arts Center on December 9 at 5:30pm. Tickets are $10 if purchased in advance, and $15 at the door. Please contact Mrs. West at kwest@iwcs.k12.va.us to buy your ticket in person at SHS. Online ticket purchasing: https://suffolkcenter.org/performances_events/smithfield-choraliers-holiday-concert/

Click the link below to view a video spot for the Choraliers' holiday performance in Suffolk.

Seniors: Share a little bit about your personality by including a quote under your senior portrait in the yearbook! The deadline to submit your quote is Friday, Dec. 1. Submit via this Google Form: https://forms.gle/P6h6P1dHSjr5jX4P7

All quotes must be school appropriate and should be no more than 150 characters. Please use quotation marks and include the author of your quote in your submission. Yearbook staff and SHS administration reserve the right to reject your quote if it doesn't meet guidelines.

Examples of what is NOT acceptable:

• References to alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gangs

• Foul language

• Quotes that are sexual or contain vulgar innuendo

• Nonsense or inside jokes

• Anything that belittles another person's ethnicity, religious/political beliefs, sexuality, gender, physical/mental ability

Good questions to ask yourself: Does this quote stand the test of time? How will I feel when my parents and the community see this?

Tell Prestige Photography what your senior photos mean to you for a chance to receive one of three $1,000 scholarships* toward your academic or career goals. Simply submit your application and a one-page essay by January 31, 2024 to qualify.

APPLY NOW

Website: https://shs.iwcs.k12.va.us/
Location: 14171 Turner Drive, Smithfield, VA, USA
Phone: 757-357-3108
Twitter: @OfficialSHSPack