We are already at the halfway point of the 1st Quarter and it has gone quickly.  Our students have done a great job, and we are so proud of them.

Just a few items as we close out the week:

Devious Licks Challenge

I am a little embarrassed to have to write about this problem that is occurring in schools across the country.  There is a Tik Tok challenge out that is entitled #licks or #deviouslicks where students are stealing objects from schools and posting it on social media.  This specific challenge has students steal objects from the school and either show off what they stole or to deposit in the toilet at the school.  Over the past couple of days at Harrison Junior School we have noticed some areas specifically within the restrooms that are being vandalized. We have had 3 different incidents where students have been caught, and 2 more that we are currently, investigating.  Parents, we need your help.  Please talk to your children about the consequences your student will face for vandalism or theft. We take this seriously and will provide consequences for any student who damages school property, including legal charges if necessary and requiring the family of the student who caused the damage to financially pay for the repairs. Clearly, we take pride in our new schools and our grateful that our community has supported us in this process.  We want to thank parents for helping us in this process.  If you want to see some of videos for yourself, you can get on Tik Tok (or your child’s account if they have one) and search #licks or #deviouslicks.

We know that keeping up with the latest social media can be a challenge.  Here are some resources which may help you from Common Sense Media:

Parents Ultimate Guide to Tik Tok

13 Viral Challenges Your Child Already Knows About

ProgressBook/MidTerms

A reminder to our families that this would have been our normal week for mid-terms.  With Progress Book, students and families are able to access their grades at anytime.  We encourage families to login to Progress Book and check on how their students are being successful.  If you, or your child is having a hard time logging in, please call our office or email michelle.imsicke@southwestschools.org.

Yearbooks

2021/2022 Yearbook Orders

Yearbooks for the 21/22 school year are now on sale! If you would like to order, please visit the HJS website and visit the Parent Resources tab, or click HERE. Yearbooks are $35 and the price will increase to $40 after December 31st. The books will arrive in May for students to pick up.

Additionally, if your child has not received his or her yearbook from the 20/21 schoolyear, please e-mail haley.tolleson@southwestschools.org to arrange a pick up. 

Things Going Well

Each week, when I send out parent emails, we talk a lot about informational items, but I wanted to include a section this week on some of the incredible things that are happening in our school.  In our new schools, we have had an unreal experience being able to try new things.  Several of our teachers have used their double classrooms to co-teach certain lessons and connect with MAP results.  In addition, we have several students work with us to address concerns and meet as a leadership team in an effort to address their concerns and make recommendations for new policies. 

Several students have started to use the new Makerspace to incorporate new projects, our new course “Destination Innovation” is in full swing, and when you talk to students about this course they say it is the “best part of their day.”  Students have completed their MAP assessments and we have updated data points to help us drive instruction.  We have completed several Social-Emotional Learning projects with our students.  We have expanded our partnership with Children’s Home to support more students and their families.  Our food pantry is open to serve our community and we continue our partnerships with local business and community groups.  All of this, and I have not even mentioned the successes of our athletic programs who are ALL off to a great start.

I know that there are things that have not been mentioned, but truly, it is amazing to have the opportunity to work with so many incredible students and staff members each day.