We are halfway through February!  Our final conference night is next week and we have only three weeks left in the third quarter, so please be sure that you are checking your students’ grades in ProgressBook; our expectation for staff is that grades are updated weekly and that any phone calls or emails are returned within 24 business hours.  Please see below for some important information and updates.

Community Engagement Update/Building Tour Info - Thurs 2/22
During our Town Halls and Community Survey, we heard a lot from the community about the importance of mental health. While there is still more we can do, we have made a lot of progress as a district to address these growing concerns.

The last four years have been full of improvements. 

We've added school resource officers to improve school safety. We've added nurses in every school to ensure the health of our students. And we've added mental wellness specialists at the secondary level to ensure that students, staff, and families have the resources they need to succeed. 

This has largely been accomplished through smart financial maneuvering to receive federal grants, and through excellent partnerships with our local municipalities.

At Southwest, Your input matters. We're listening. We're learning. We're acting.

As part of our continuing community engagement process, we are inviting everyone to participate in a guided tour of William Henry Harrison High School on our next conference night, Thursday, February 22.  The tour will take place at 6:00 PM and will begin in our Makerspace.  The tour is open to families and community members alike, so please help spread the word!  Please RSVP here.

Conference Night – Thurs 2/22
We will host our final conference night of the 2023-2024 school year on Thursday, February 22 from 3:30 – 8:30 PM.  You may register online here; registration will close at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, February 21.

Scheduling Information
We are almost finished with meeting with students for the scheduling process for the 2024-2025 school year.  For additional information about the scheduling process, including the information that we shared with our students last week, please visit the Guidance Department section of our website by clicking here.  Also, at our next conference night (Thurs 2/22), Mrs. Acra will be available in the Makerspace beginning at 6:30 PM representing the Guidance Department.  She can answer any questions regarding high school graduation requirements and career options and plans.

Important Information for Parents/Guardians of SENIORS
In the coming days, you will receive a mailing via the USPS containing the Parent’s Guide to Graduation, and information on the Senior/Baby Picture feature in both the Yearbook and Senior Video.  The Parent’s Guide to Graduation will be a helpful resource to refer back to for important information as we approach the end of your student’s senior year.  The Senior/Baby picture section is a very popular feature in both the Yearbook and Senior Video, and we want to make sure everyone received the information.  

Both parts of this project can be completed online.  Click here for more information and the links to upload pictures and place orders.

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!

TWO ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS:

1. You have access to FREE webinars developed by licensed therapists.  These are virtual and anonymous.  Please see the attached flyer for the dates, times and links of these offerings. 
    
2. You are all invited to a session of Ask-A-Therapist LIVE! on the evening of February 21st. This is a by invitation only virtual event for staff, parents and caregivers. Registration is first come first serve with 500 available participant slots. 

• Licensed clinical therapists with expertise in youth mental health answer parents’ questions directly.
• Clinicians address concerns of parents during sessions and refer them to additional resources online.
• Convenient evening sessions for busy parents and teachers.
• Parents can ask questions on any topic during 45 minutes of open Q&A.
• Parents in your school community can get the immediate support they need.

• Answers to questions in real time.
• Anonymous participation.
• Access to the replay and highlights.

Erin’s Law/SAVE Students Act – Information Session Now Posted Online
In December of 2022, Ohio’s 134^th General Assembly enacted Erin’s Law (Senate Bill 288) which included requirements for student instruction, parent and legal guardian notification and training for school personnel on sexual abuse prevention and dating violence prevention.  The law went into effect on April 4, 2023.  Students in grades K-6 are required to have one hour of training on sexual abuse prevention annually, and students in grades 7-12 are required to have one hour of training on dating and sexual violence prevention once during their 7-12^th grade years, which we will include in the High School Health curriculum.  We have partnered with the Council on Child Abuse (COCA) for this training.   

Additionally, on March 24, 2021, Ohio’s 133^rd General Assembly enacted House Bill 123, or the SAVE Students Act.  This legislation called for a comprehensive approach to school safety, to meet the physical and emotional safety of students and educators.  The law went into effect July 1, 2023.  The requirements include student and staff training annually in grades 6-12, for one hour in each of the following topics: suicide awareness and prevention, safety training and violence prevention, and social inclusion.  We have partnered with the Hamilton County Education Service Center on this training, and we will be using the Sandy Hook Promise curriculum materials from “Start With Hello” and “Say Something” to cover this content with our students. 

On Monday, February 12^th, we held an informational meeting for families.  The purpose of this meeting was for parents to hear from the presenters about the content that will be included in the student presentations.  We have posted the audio from the presentation as well as the slides here.

If parents feel that the information might cause their child to become very upset or trigger memories from a past or recent trauma, there is an opt-out letter that will be coming out prior to the student presentations.  Parents must indicate their desire to opt their child(ren) out of the presentation in writing by signing and turning in the district opt-out form to their child’s principal.  This letter will be available in next week’s email.

ACT Testing for All Juniors – Tues 2/27
Our annual in-school ACT Test for all juniors will take place on Tuesday, February 27.  All WHHHS juniors (including students attending programs on an Oaks campus or on a college campus) should report to school by 7:45 AM.  All freshmen, sophomores, and seniors will work remotely on this day.  Teachers will post assignments in their classes’ Microsoft Teams pages for students to do on this day.  We will be serving a light breakfast (packaged food only) and a light lunch on this day; students will be dismissed at the end of the testing session; standard time testing should end around 12:00 PM.  Please contact the Guidance Office with any questions.

2024 Prom Attendance Requirement
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 this past Wednesday.

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.

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 now posted to our students’ accounts.  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 31^st 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 and it looks like it should be ready around December 31^st.  You can get ready for the launch of the new FAFSA by going onto 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.

After Prom Fundraiser – Harrison Skyline Thurs 2/22
Our After Prom committee has set up a fundraiser with the Skyline on Harrison Avenue.  By presenting the attached flyer with your purchase on Thursday, February 22, our After Prom committee will receive 10% of your total bill.  This offer is valid from 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM.

Athletic Booster Sport Stag – Thurs 2/22
Harrison Athletic Boosters is excited to announce its annual Sports Stag, featuring Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman and host on Chatterbox Sports, Thom Brennaman. This event will be February 22, 2024 from 6:00 -11:00 PM at Harrison Blue Note.

For tickets or sponsorship information go to harrisonathleticboosters.com or email harrisonathleticstag@gmail.com.

Harrison Night at the Cincinnati Cyclones – Sat 3/23
The Harrison Jr. Sr. High PTO is hosting Harrison Night on 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

UPCOMING DATES
FRI 2/16: NO SCHOOL/CONFERENCE RELEASE DAY
MON 2/19: NO SCHOOL/PRESIDENTS’ DAY
THURS 2/22: CONFERENCE NIGHT 3:30 – 8:30 PM (SIGN-UPS OPEN WEDS 2/14)
THURS 2/22: BUILDING TOUR 6:00 PM (BEGINS IN MAKERSPACE)
TUES 2/27: ACT FOR JUNIORS (9/10/12 REMOTE)

Please feel free to contact us with questions.  Thank you and have a great holiday weekend!

Go Wildcats!

Joe Pollitt
Principal
William Henry Harrison High School

Skyline Flyer 
Ask A Therapist 
Hamilton County Mental Health Info 
SLSD Graphic