JH/HS Principal Newsletter

The first quarter is officially in the books and we are now two weeks into the second quarter here at Hershey Jr/Sr High School! First, I want to thank all the parents and guardians who made it a priority to come and take part in the Fall 2023 Parent Teacher Conferences. I hope this was a positive experience that helped highlight the great things each student is doing and provide some growth areas as well for each student moving forward. The parent/guardian role in the educational process is critical and your time in coming by is greatly appreciated!

Second, the past month has flown by and in no time we will be at Thanksgiving Break and staring down the end of the first semester. I want to encourage all students and parents to continue to work diligently on classwork so that at the end of the semester we can have a high number of students successfully complete all of their courses!

Finally, please know that all stakeholders are here for ALL students to be successful. If there are any questions or concerns you have, please feel free to reach out to the staff and administration here at Hershey Jr/Sr High School and we will more than happy to help make sure ALL students are successful and have a great experience here at Hershey!

We are continuing to be intentional on making sure that each week we are touching base with our initiative for the 23-24 school year, PANTHER MOJO. MOJO stands for the following:

Meaningful Engagement

cOmmon Expectations

Joy in Learning

Opportunities for Growth

As a staff this past month we have talked about the cOmmon Expectations we have set for ourselves as a K-12 staff. These included the following: Classroom = 1) Greeting students at the doorway 2) Staff and students prepared for class 3) Active engagement of students in the classroom. Hallways = 1) Passing on the correct side 2) Appropriate voice levels 3) Older students model for younger students.

In the coming month we will talk collectively about Joy in Learning and practical steps we can take as a staff to build that in our classrooms and in our district!

Congratulations to HPS Senior, Gracie Seamann, on being selected as the HPSEF September Student of the Month! Gracie is a very active member of the Panther student body. She participates in volleyball, cheerleading, NHS, HOSA, FBLA, and the Teammates program, all the while maintaining a 4.0 cumulative GPA.

Hershey teachers commented that Gracie "Is always smiling and willing to help others. She is a great role model and mentor not only in the classroom but also on the volleyball court. Another staff member commented " She always has a smile and goes over the top to help out ANYONE in need. She is an amazing young woman with such a great work ethic! She is someone that always makes you feel special no matter who you are." A final staff member commented about Gracie that "She is always willing to learn and doesn't give up. She is always looking for ways to improve and has a strong growth mindset. Gracie is a role model to her fellow classmates and the younger students in our school. She treats everyone she encounters with respect and honors all differences." .

Again, congratulations to Panther Senior, Gracie Seamann, on being selected as the HPSEF September Student of the Month!

11.1.23 - NO SCHOOL (Staff Professional Development)

11.2.23 - JH Wrestling @ Sutherland Invitational (Sutherland H.S.) @ 2:00 PM

11.6.23 - JH Girls Basketball Practice Begins

11.7.23 - JH Wrestling @ Hershey Invitational (Hershey H.S.) @ 3:00 PM

11.8.23 - Junior Class Parents Meeting (Collaboration Space) @ 5:30 PM

11.9.23 - Play Production @ Cozad Festival (Cozad H.S.) @ TBD

11.9.23 - JH Wrestling @ South Loup Invitational (Arnold H.S.) @ 2:00 PM

11.10.23 - Veteran’s Day Program (Main Gym) @ 9:30 AM

11.11.23 - Play Production @ Gothenburg Festival (Gothenburg H.S.) @ TBD

11.13.23 - Start of NSAA Winter Sport Practices

11.13.23 - JH Wrestling @ NPSP Invitational (NPSP H.S.) @ 4:00 PM

11.13.23 - HPS Board Meeting (Collaboration Space) @ 7:00 PM

11.14.23 - Play Production @ Gothenburg Festival (Gothenburg H.S.) @ TBD

11.15.23 - Sophomore Pre-ACT @ 7:45 AM

11.17.23 - JH Wrestling @ Mullen Invitational (Mullen H.S.) @ 11:00 AM

11.20.23 - Play Production @ SPVA Championships (Bridgeport H.S.) @ TBD

11.21.23 - JH Wrestling @ Perkins County Invitational (Grant H.S.) @ 2:30 PM

11.21.23 - V GBB/BBB vs Sidney High School (HOF Jamboree Game) @ 5:30 PM

11.22.23 - Start of Thanksgiving Break

11.27.23 - Play Production @ NSAA District Competition @ TBD

11.28.23 - JH GBB vs Broken Bow Junior High (Main Gym) @ 4:30 PM

11.30.23 - JV/V GBB & BBB @ Perkins County High School @ 5:00/6:30/8:00 PM

11.30.23 - JV/V Wrestling vs Gothenburg High School (Main Gym) @ 6:00 PM

Below are some GREAT tips and reminders shared by our 7-12 guidance counselor, Jolene Pettera!

• Make an appointment with Mrs. Pettera to review credits, career goals, and college plans.

• Tell Mrs. Pettera where you have applied so transcripts can be sent.

• Fill out college applications. If you have any questions be sure to consult Mrs. Pettera. Submit your application now, along with all necessary forms and application fee.

• Hershey Public Schools will host a FAFSA night in partnership with EducationQuest out of Kearney. We will post a date/time/location once the FAFSA window opens in late December.

• If you have not purchased your cap, and gown online through Josten's please do that ASAP.

• Continuing working on scholarships that are posted in the senior room. New scholarships are posted as they become available.

• Make college campus visits!

Below is the link to the 2023-2024 Student Handbook. This outlines the rules and expectations for students here at Hershey Public Schools! We have covered the following items with the 7-12 student body in a school wide assembly as well as in grade level meetings. Your support and encouragement of our school policies at home goes a long ways in creating a great environment for learning here at HPS!

• Safe/Secure School
• Chromebook Usage
• Cell Phone/Personal Electronic Device Policy
• Academic Eligibility & Good Standing
• Lunch/Open Campus
• Grading: Make-up Work / Late Work
• Dress Code

Here is the link to the complete 2023-2024 Student Handbook: https://www.hpspanthers.org/page/handbooks

We will be administering the Pre-ACT to the sophomore class on Wednesday, November 15th. The Pre-ACT provides a window into how the student will do on the ACT test that all students take during the junior year. Many colleges use the ACT score as a way to give out scholarships, so preparation and being comfortable with the test is critical! We will test in the Spanish classroom and the test will span periods 1-4 on that day. Please make every effort to have your son or daughter get a great night of sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and come ready to test at a high level on that day!

We will be holding our annual Veterans Day program on Friday, November 10th at 9:30 AM in the HPS Main Gym. There will be performances by the band and choir programs, as well as performances by the elementary students. Additionally, we are honored to have SFC Richard Futaro III and David Berean serving as our keynote speakers for the program. The community is welcome to attend and join in honoring our veterans on this day!

The Hershey Chapter of the National Honor Society is partnering with Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. This project entails gathering gifts and toys to put into shoeboxes that are then sent to low-income families and children. This helps to ensure these children get gifts at the time around Christmas. The previous year we filled up over 300 boxes and our goal for this year is to raise $3,100 and to fill at least 250 shoeboxes. Flyers will be distributed to students during the week of October 30th with the drive concluding on November 16th. Thank you in advance for your support of this project!

The Hershey STUCO is currently in the planning stages of the 2023 Canned Food Drive. We are tentatively planning on running the drive from December 6th to December 18th. This year the student council has set a goal of 4,000 points, which is an even larger goal than in years past. If the student body collectively reaches the goal, there will be an early out for all students on Friday, December 22nd. Information will be shared out as we get closer to the date as it relates to items needed and point values for each one.

At the end of the first semester, finals will be held for all 9-12 Hershey students. Finals will be required per board policy in all classes except music and physical education. As we get closer to the date a finals schedule will be released to all students and parents.

The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) and Currency are proud to sponsor Believers & Achievers, a state-wide awards program that recognizes Nebraska’s future leaders. Believers & Achievers was designed to reward high school students in Nebraska for their excellence in academics and participation in NSAA activities. Those students who show a commitment to citizenship, school involvement and community projects will be honored in the Believers & Achievers program. Seniors to be, who have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 (on an unweighted 4.0 scale) and participate in NSAA sponsored activities are eligible for nomination.​This year, Hershey Public Schools is proud to announce the three local recipients for this award. They are seniors Haily Miller, Kaden Thompson, and Gracie Seamann. These three Panthers represent what it means to be a student-athlete and lead the way for other students here at Hershey! Congratulations to these three Panthers on this great award and wish them the best as they compete at the state level! #PANTHERMOJO

Below is the bell schedule for the upcoming school year:

1st Period 8:15-9:03

2nd Period 9:06 - 9:54

3rd Period 9:57 - 10:45

4th Period 10:48 - 11:36

5th Period 11:39 - 12:26

JH Lunch 11:35 - 12:05

JH 5th Period 12:07 - 12:57

SH Lunch 12:26 - 12:55

6th Period 1:00 - 1:48

7th Period 1:51 - 2:39

8th Period 2:42 - 3:42

On Friday School is let out at the end of 7th Period at 2:39 PM.

As district and breakfast menus are updated, they can be found at the following LINK: https://www.myschoolmenus.com/organizations/300

Below are the dates school will not be in session during Q2:

• November 1st - Professional Development Day
  

• November 22nd - 24th - Thanksgiving Break

• December 25th - January 3rd - Christmas Break

Students and families are encouraged to communicate concerns related to the mistreatment of others. For students, a trusted adult is the recommended point of contact. This can be an administrator, teacher, coach, or other trusted person. This adult will then work with administration to respond promptly and appropriately. Parents/guardians are encouraged to communicate concerns directly with HPS Administration.

The most important part of any school is the safety and well being of the students and staff! Several items exist within schools to support school safety. These include:

• Secured access during the school day. Visitors to school must check-in at the main office after they are allowed access through the office doors. All other doors are to be closed and locked during the course of the school day.

• Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is established. This provides a consistent student and staff response to potential emergencies. More information about SRP can be found at this LINK.

• Minimizing deliveries during the school day. We understand that a parent may wish to deliver food to students for special occasions, and we appreciate this. We discourage this from being a regular occurrence.

• Minimizing student visits to vehicles during the school day. Students that forget a school-related item in their vehicles may check-in at the main office before they are allowed to visit their vehicles.

We appreciate the important part our students, staff, and families play in keeping our school safe. In the quarter of the school year, we have successfully completed one of our two district wide tornado drills, two fire drills, one of our two bus evacuation drills, and one of our SRP drills for the school year! We believe that we want to continue to prepare our students in the case of an emergency so that we are prepared in the case of a true emergency!