The Bird Call
March 2023
It's a Learning Experience
March 4th marked the 30th anniversary of Coach Jimmy Valvano's famous speech at the ESPY awards. Every year, I make it a point to rewatch this speech. I believe it is 11 minutes well-spent and would encourage anyone reading this to do the same. I have linked it below.
Watching it earlier this month got me thinking about how life is full of ups and downs. Some days we feel like we can conquer the world, while on other days, we feel like we can't even make it out of bed. But no matter how bad things may seem, one thing is certain and is worth celebrating: you are undefeated when it comes to making it through our worst days.
Think about it for a moment. You've already made it through the toughest days of your life, haven't you? The days when you didn't think you could go on, when everything seemed to be going wrong, and when the weight of the world was crushing you. And yet, here you are, still standing, still fighting, still moving forward.
Life has a way of knocking you down. Maybe it was the day you failed at something you poured yourself into, or a relationship fell apart. Maybe it was the day you received a devastating diagnosis, or you lost someone you loved. Maybe it was the day you hit rock bottom and felt like there was no way out. Whatever it was, you made it through. And that's something to be proud of.
It's easy to forget how resilient we are when we're in the middle of a crisis. We may feel like we're not strong enough to handle what's happening like we're not equipped to deal with the challenges that life has thrown our way. But the truth is, we are stronger than we think. We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to it. We can choose to give up or to keep fighting. We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves or to find the strength to pick ourselves back up. Remember, the night is darkest just before dawn. Don't lose hope and don't give up. And even when we feel like we can't go on, we can take comfort in the fact that we've made it through hard times before and we can do it again. Tough times don't last, tough people, do.
Of course, it's not always easy. Some days, it may feel like it is just too much to bear. But on those days, it's important to remember that we're not alone and to have the maturity to know that no one can take on this world alone. We have friends and family who love us, we have professionals who can help us, and we have ourselves. We have the strength and resilience that comes from making it through tough times before.
So the next time you're having a bad day, remember this: your record when it comes to making it through your worst days is perfect. Again, you are undefeated on your very worst days. You've already proven to yourself that you're stronger than you think. And no matter what comes your way, you have the ability to keep going, to keep fighting, and to come out the other side stronger and wiser than ever before. As Coach V famously said, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."
Go Jays!
Joe Casey
High School Principal
Email: caseyj@cleverbluejays.org
Remind: Text "@clever9-12" to 81010
Twitter: @CleverPrincipal
Hickman's Happenings
Character Education in the HS
Our character word of the month for March is Self-Control. A Clever Bluejay with Self-Control sees the big picture, sets goals and commits to them. They are able to use their technology appropriately and show affection to others appropriately. Above all, they think before they act and have inner strength that can resist peer pressure.
A+ News:
Sophomores and Juniors: To meet your 50 tutoring hours requirement for A+, you need to take the A+ tutoring class, which is a ½ elective credit. This can be taken during summer school or during the school year (fall semester if you are an incoming senior, spring semester if you are an incoming junior). When registration opens for summer school and next school year, please remember to sign up for the A+ tutoring class.
Senior Attendance Appeals: Attendance is still being tracked for seniors and if you are below 95% cumulative attendance, you will be receiving paperwork describing the attendance appeals process. This paperwork will be distributed in about a month. Please be watching for this paperwork and make sure to complete it by the deadline.
Senior Citizenship Appeals: If you have gotten in trouble this year (ISS or OSS), you can fill out a citizenship appeal to verify your character. This paperwork will be distributed to you in about a month. Please be watching for this paperwork and make sure to complete it by the deadline.
Senior Male Students: Just a reminder that one of the requirements for A+ is to sign up for the Selective Service. If you have reached the age of 18 (or 17 years and 3 months), please go to https://www.sss.gov to register.
Seniors: Just a reminder to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This is one of the requirements to be eligible for the A+ scholarship. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hickman or Mrs. Waisner.
Students and parents should first set up a FSA ID: https://fsaid.ed.gov
File the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This is a free website - beware of other sites which may charge a fee!!
School Board Appreciation Month
Our school board is made up of seven dedicated individuals who provide leadership and direction for our school district. These board members give their time and talent to make sure our students are being given the best education possible.
From the CHS staff and students, thank you to each of our board members: Justin Peebles, Sarah Camp, Rachel Simons, Clint Satterlee, Perry Barnes, Shawn Eaton, and Jared Monger.
Counselor's Corner
Student PD Day
On March 30th our students will participate in a Student PD (Professional Development) Day. We are excited to offer these additional learning opportunities in the areas of life skills, academic skills, and social-emotional learning. Students will follow a special schedule and participate in sessions ranging from healthy eating, sewing, and home repair to career exploration and real-world communication.
EOC Dates
Biology - April 13 & 14
Government - April 19
English - April 20 & 21
Algebra I - April 27 & 28
Scholarships are happening now. Local scholarships are due soon.
Social Anxiety
We are seeing a rise in the number of students experiencing social anxiety. Social anxiety is a fear that others are watching and judging a person in a negative way. For many teens, this begins with social media. The following are some tips for starting a conversation about social media use with your teen from the article What Are Some Healthy Ways for Adolescents to Engage with Social Media? by Adria Dunbar.
End Of Course Exams are starting in April. Please see the dates below and help your student be prepared for testing. If you would like to see a question sampler for the EOC, you can see that here.
Nursing News
The Cox Care Mobile will be on campus on April 4th for sports physicals and on April 5th for incoming Senior immunizations. Contact the Health office for an appointment. 417-221-7839.
Absent Work & Re-Do Policy
Absent Work
The number of days allowed for making up/turning in work due to an absence will be equal to the number of days missed. For example, a student who misses two days of school will have until the end of the school day on the second day he/she is back to turn in missing assignments.
Assignments not completed within the allowed timeframe will be recorded as Incomplete ("I") and will then follow the guidelines for missing assignments.
Missing Assignments & Re-Do Procedure
All Formative and Summative activities not turned in on time will be recorded as an Incomplete ("I") in the grade book. This will be calculated as a zero in the student's overall grade. For assignments completed on time, the original grade will be recorded. Turning in incomplete work or re-doing an assignment will be allowed and the new grade will be recorded as long as the following timeframes are met. If the timeframes are not met, the grade will remain an Incomplete or the original grade will be the final grade.
Formative: Due no later than the beginning of class the following Tuesday*.
Summative: Due no later than the end of the school day 7 calendar days* from the original due date (missing) or the day the graded assignment was recorded in Lumen (re-do).
*If the final due date is a day that school is not in session (inclement weather, breaks, etc.), it will extend to the next day school is in session.
It is recognized that unforeseen hardships will arise which might result in the need for flexibility within this policy. In those circumstances, individual exceptions will be considered at the discretion of the teacher or building administration as long as the student or parent/guardian communicates in a proactive manner.
Eligibility Policy
Academic eligibility checks will take place once every three weeks beginning on the fourth Wednesday of each semester. If a student has two or more failing grades at the time of an eligibility check, he/she will be academically ineligible until the following eligibility check at the earliest. Ineligible students will not be permitted to participate in or attend any extracurricular activities. This includes all athletic events, clubs, and activities as well as attending any school-sponsored events outside of the school day, such as Homecoming or Prom.
Eligibility checks will take place on the following days during the school year:
September 14, 2022
October 5, 2022
October 26, 2022
November 16, 2022
December 7, 2022
*Eligibility will be reset on January 3rd**
January 25, 2023
February 15, 2023
March 8, 2023
March 29, 2023
April 19, 2023
May 10, 2023
Clever High School
Email: caseyj@cleverbluejays.org
Website: www.cleverbluejays.org
Phone: 417-743-4830
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Clever-High-School-107961380555502/