WHHHS Update
We have made it to Spring Break! It’s hard to believe that we are two weeks into the fourth quarter. Things will go very quickly when we return as we jump into State Testing, followed by AP Testing and end-of-the-year celebrations and recognitions…all while our spring extracurricular activities continue in full swing! There will be a lot of excitement on campus in April and May for sure, so please be sure to stay connected with these weekly emails and our website as well.
Please see below for some important updates and information.
Community Engagement Update
Throughout our town halls, surveys, and our recent building tours, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about our facilities. Specifically, some concern was raised that our newer buildings were built too small for the rapid pace of enrollment in our district.
We will be exploring the impacts of enrollment more in the coming weeks, but we believe it’s important to share the facts about our buildings with the community.
Financing a construction project is complicated, and for better or worse, there are a lot of people outside our district that have a say in the final product. The State of Ohio plays a large role in both financing buildings and impacting what they look like. Prior to beginning a construction project, the State of Ohio employs Future Think (a third party consultant) to predict enrollment. It’s not unusual for the district to disagree with the analysis of the State and their consultants, but they hold the final decision-making power. Then it’s left up to us to make it work in reality.
So, the bad news is we have a limited say in the size of any building we construct. The good news…the State of Ohio, in our most recent projects, paid 32 cents on the dollar toward completion. This means, that by partnering with them, local taxpayers were saved from funding an additional $32 million toward those projects.
SLSD is constantly working to make improvements and adjustments based on increasing enrollment - stay tuned in the next few weeks to learn about how!
Finally, our facility tours continue in April, and we encourage you to sign up to attend! We held our second event this past Tuesday, with one more to come! You can RSVP below:
April 29th at 7:00 PM at Miami Whitewater Elementary
We're listening. We're learning. We're acting.
Prom Tickets on Sale/Prom Information – SALES NOW END MONDAY 3/25
Due to issues with Local Level throughout the day today, prom ticket sales have been extended to end at 11:59 PM on Monday, March 25th. The link to purchase can be found in your student’s “Class of” Teams page. Only Harrison High School juniors and seniors are permitted to purchase tickets. The Access Code is their Student ID number. Prom is Saturday, April 6th at 7:00 PM at the Union Terminal Museum Center. Tickets are $70, and Harrison students wishing to bring a guest need to complete and turn in the guest form found here. After Prom will be at The Place and is included in the ticket price. As we did with our 2023 Prom and with our most recent Coronation, we will have an attendance requirement for Prom in April. To be eligible to attend Prom, a student can have no more than six (6) UNEXCUSED absences from school from 1/8/24 – 4/5/24. Absences with appropriate medical or other third-party documentation do not count as unexcused absences. Please contact the office with any questions. We addressed this with the juniors and seniors in our grade level assemblies in January.
Be Kind Harrison Business Clothing Closet
Be Kind Harrison is partnering with us to launch a Business Clothing Closet to provide Harrison students with clothing to help them “dress their best” for job interviews, presentations and formal occasions like Coronation and Graduation! The collection will be on-going, but our Student Council will be launching a drive during the two weeks after Spring Break to help stock the closet for Graduation and post-graduation hiring. They are also collecting caps and gowns to loan to students as needed as well. If your spring cleaning has turned up some items to donate, please be on the lookout for additional information coming soon!
College Credit Plus
If your student is planning to participate in the College Credit Plus program next year, they must have a Letter of Intent turned into their counselor by April 1st. This is a mandatory step for the program and students will not be allowed to participate in the program if they do not meet this deadline. Please check with your student or their counselor to check that they have turned in the Letter of Intent. Please remember that we will be on Spring Break until April 2nd after this Friday and the deadline is April 1st. Students can pick up copies of the Letter of Intent in the Guidance office or you can print from home here.
State Testing Information
As we are now in the fourth quarter, we are approaching that time of year where we conduct our annual state testing. We will begin state testing the week we return from Spring Break. We will follow last year’s schedule in which any student not taking the test for English/Language Arts or Mathematics will not report to school on that testing day and instead work remotely; the Social Studies and Science tests later in April/May will be on a two-hour testing schedule where all students will report to school at staggered start times.
Here is the testing schedule at a glance:
WEDS 4/3: ENGLISH II (all testers report to school by 8:00 AM, non-testers will work remotely)
WEDS 4/24: ALGEBRA I/GEOMETRY (all testers report to school by 8:00 AM, non-testers will work remotely)
TUES 4/30: US HISTORY/AMER GOVT (all testers report to school by 8:00, non-testers report by 10:05)
THURS 5/2: BIOLOGY (all testers report to school by 8:00, non-testers report by 10:05)
For Wednesday 4/3, sophomore students will report to school by 8:00 to begin testing. All freshmen, juniors, and seniors will work remotely at their own pace (there is no set schedule for classes to meet) unless they are required to re-take the English test. All students should check the testing list posted in their classrooms. Here is the schedule for sophomores & upper class re-takes who are testing on Wednesday 4/3:
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM Breakfast (packaged items will be available)
8:05 AM – 10:30 AM English/Language Arts Part I
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM Lunch
11:20 AM – 1:30 PM English/Language Arts Part II
Students will remain in their testing locations until the end of the testing session and will be dismissed at 1:30 PM. Students needing to wait for transportation may do so in the Commons.
Testing on Wednesday 4/24 (Algebra I/Geometry) will follow the same schedule as above; only students needing to test (current Algebra I or Geometry students, or specific students needing to re-test) will report to school by 8:00 to begin testing. All students not testing will work remotely at their own pace (there is no set schedule for classes to meet).
We will continue to communicate testing information in weekly emails to families.
Please contact the Main Office with any questions.
Wildcats Care Fundraiser – Saturday 4/27
We will be hosting the first annual “Junk in the Trunk” rummage sale/vendor market at Crosby Elementary on Saturday, April 27 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Sellers/vendors keep 100% of their sales and all rental proceeds go to Wildcats Care. Please see the attached flyer for more information; for more information on Wildcats Care, please click here.
New Mental Health Resources for Parents/Guardians
We are pleased to offer a FREE and confidential website for families, ParentGuidance.org. This site was developed by licensed therapists that provides trusted and specialized courses, professional support, and a safe community for parents, to learn how to support your child. Parents can also get answers to mental health questions, including anxiety, depression, self-worth, grief and loss, suicide ideation, family strife and other mental health concerns. Popular courses you may want to explore are: “Parenting with a Purpose” and “Unlocking your Inner Parent Superhero.” The courses within ParentGuidance.org will provide you with tools to form stronger bonds with your children. You and your child’s mental health are important to us! Additionally, you also have access to FREE webinars developed by licensed therapists. These are virtual and anonymous. Please see the flyer linked at the bottom of this email for the dates, times and links of these offerings.
Tutoring is Available
The National Honor Society has started their weekly tutoring sessions. Every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 7:15 AM, the National Honor Society students will be available for free tutoring for anyone who needs help. There’s no need to sign up in advance, just show up to Room 104 (Mrs. Siemer’s room), and let the NHS students help you with any subject you need. Please reach out to Mrs. Siemer if you have any questions.
Spring Art Show Open at The Coffee Peddlar
Be sure to check out the Spring Art Show, hosting by The Coffee Peddlar. Selected artwork from students at HJS and WHHHS will be on display through April 4.
Color Guard Auditions –Tues 4/2
The Harrison Marching Band Color Guard will have auditions for next year on Tuesday, April 2 from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. This is open to any student in Grades 7 – 12. For additional information, please see the flyer linked at the bottom of this email.
Check Out The Paw Print – Harrison’s Online Student News Site
Mrs. Evanson’s Journalism class has been working hard, and they have launched an online news site entitled “The Paw Print.” Please be sure to check it out at https://harrisonpawprint.org/.
School Fees
School fees are posted to our students’ accounts. If you have not done so already, please take care of these obligations right away. Directions for how to log on and pay student fees can be found here. Thank you for your attention to this information!
Junior/Senior College Information
Seniors received instruction on how to complete transcript requests in Naviance on Thursday, August 31st during Advisory. The slide show is available for viewing on both the Guidance page of the school’s website and on the Class of 2024 Teams page. Students at Diamond Oaks/Scarlet Oaks received the same instruction during their individual meetings when their Harrison counselor visited.
Juniors and Seniors interested in visiting a college campus can sign up on that college’s website. We need a parent note stating the day and time of the visit. Please bring this note to the guidance office several days prior to your visit.
Senior Scholarship information
All seniors have access to Naviance. There is a scholarship section where the guidance office frequently uploads scholarship applications. We encourage all seniors to review the scholarships available and apply. If you have any questions, reach out to connie.acra@southwestschools.org
Senior FAFSA Information
There have been recent changes with FAFSA. Your FSA ID can be obtained at FAFSA.gov and registering for an FSA ID if you do not already have one. Every student will need their own FSA ID to apply for FAFSA as well as anyone that is considered a “contributor”. A “contributor” would be a spouse/parent/guardian of the student. In the past only one parent had to get an FSA ID even if the parents were married, now married parents BOTH must have their own FSA ID. (If the parents are not married/living together, then the parent that provides the most financial support must be the contributor) You must have different email addresses and phone numbers to register for the FSA ID, you cannot use the same email address or phone number when registering. By having your FSA ID registered and ready, the student and parent/guardian can immediately fill out and submit the FAFSA.
Seniors will attend a FAFSA Financial Aid package presentation on March 7th, during Advisory. Topics covered will include award letters, types of financial awards, interest rates, and tips on smart borrowing. Please know that with the rollout of the new FAFSA application, the government has announced delays in financial aid award notification. Many schools are pushing back their decision days due to this, check with each school to see if any decisions dates have been moved.
Harrison Night at the Cincinnati Cyclones – Sat 3/23
The Harrison Jr. Sr. High PTO is hosting Harrison Night TOMORROW (Saturday, March 23). The Acapella group and the Sign Language will be singing/signing God Bless America, and the Band Boosters are doing the Split the Pot! A portion of each ticket sold through our link is donated to our PTO! Buy your tickets here: Cincinnati Cyclones
Band Boosters Fundraiser: Egg Your Yard
Did you know that Easter is early this year?? Well, we are EGG-CITED to announce that EGG YOUR YARD is back!!!! Don't stress about Easter this year.... let our High School and Junior High band members do the work for you!!
Our band student volunteers are helping the EASTER BUNNY and will come to your house after dark to hide eggs for your little one(s) to find the next morning! We will also leave a note/sign from the Easter Bunny!
Pick a night: Fri 3/29 or Sat 3/30
25 eggs ~ $20
50 eggs ~ $40
75 eggs ~ $60
100 eggs ~ $75
To place your order, go to: www.harrisonmusicboosters.com
Please message us through Facebook Messenger with any questions. We are happy to include neighborhoods of Hidden Valley, West Harrison, Ross and Cleves in addition to Southwest Local School District.
PTO/Booster Organizations
We would like to invite you to join the Harrison Junior/Senior High PTO as well as our Booster organizations. You can visit https://harrisonjrsrpto.membershiptoolkit.com/home to join the PTO, https://harrisonwildcats.membershiptoolkit.com/Home to join the Athletic Boosters, https://www.harrisonmusicboosters.com/ to join the Music Boosters and the Harrison CAT Boosters’ page to support the Vocal and Drama programs.
UPCOMING DATES
MON 3/25 – MON 4/1: SPRING BREAK
WEDS 4/3: STATE TESTING – ENGLISH II (SEE INFO ABOVE)
SAT 4/6: PROM
MON 4/8: NO SCHOOL/SOLAR ECLIPSE
Please feel free to contact us with questions. Thank you and have a great Spring Break!
Go Wildcats!
Joe Pollitt
Principal
William Henry Harrison High School
Did You Know?
Junk in the Trunk
Business Clothing Closet
Mental Health Resources
Audition Flyer