Bengal Happenings

Bell Schedules

Year-at-a-Glance

11/20 - Shakespeare in the Schools Day - Alternate Bell Schedule

Attendance - hhsattendance@helenaschools.org; (406) 324-2211

Main Office - (406) 324-2200

Website - hhs.helenaschools.org

Facebook - Helena High School

Instagram - helenahighschoolbengals

As we head further into November, it is important for all of us to be thinking about the aspects of our lives that we are thankful for. I know I am thankful for the chance to connect and work with our amazing staff and students each day. I am also thankful for my family and our amazing community that continues to support our schools. Spreading words of thanks and letting people know that you appreciate what they do is something we can all do with a little more of these days. I challenge everyone to try and connect with at least two people throughout the remaining weeks this month and send a message of thanks to them.

Thank you, parents, for allowing us the opportunity to teach and help your children grow. We are lucky to have such an awesome student body that works hard and challenges themselves. We are excited to see where this future generation takes us!

Next week is Rock Your Mocs Week, part of Native American Heritage Month. As we celebrate the contributions Native Americans have made to our society, and stay aware of the challenges they have faced, we encourage students and staff to participate in this recognition week.

We also celebrate Veteran's Day on Wednesday, November 11. Many in our community have made the choice to serve in our armed forces, with some paying the ultimate sacrifice. At HHS, we recognize many families have a dad, brother, sister, mom, uncle, aunt, friend, or other family member serve, or are currently serving. We are thankful for these individuals and for the work they do to protect our freedom. We are especially thankful for our two staff members - Mr. Schulte and Mr. Spencer - for the time they gave.

Additionally, students will be asked to participate in our district's yearly survey next week. If you would like to opt your child out of the survey, please let us know ASAP.

As a way to give thanks, our clubs, organized by Student Council, are working together to host a food drive from November 9-20. Students, and families, can bring in needed food resources. Some of the donated food will go to HHS families in need, with another portion given to the Helena Food Share. If you are able, please consider donating. This is a class wars event, so each grade level has a box by the counseling center where food can be dropped off.

We will have our next Booster Club and Parent Council meeting on Monday, November 9 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will take place in the HHS Cafeteria. The Booster Club will go through their agenda, which includes a time for a school update and a question/answer session. We hope to see you there!

Make plans to come and see our Fall Production of Charlotte's Web. Shows will be Thursday-Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with a matinee on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. You do not want to miss this awesome show!

One of the best events of the year is Helena Education Foundation's Great Conversations. This awesome night connects the community with great conversations at your table, while also celebrating great educators in our district. This year, we are excited to honor Mrs. Ingrid Jaynes from HHS for the amazing work she does every day! If you are interested in attending, visit the HEF website or scan the QR code in the graphic below.

The winter sports season is almost upon us. For those that are interested in participating in basketball, swimming, wrestling, dance, or cheer for the winter season need to pay attention to the information below. Students wishing to participate in these activities need to have an updated sports physical or signed interim form on file before they can participate. Please reach out to our respective coaches with questions.

Helena High School will offer the option for students to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) on Monday, November 16 at 8:30 AM in the HHS library computer lab. The exam will be taken online, although scratch paper and pencils are provided for each participant.

Over the last five years, more than 3 million participants in 13,000+ high schools have taken the exam. Since its founding, the ASVAB has been credited with inspiring young people to explore careers that align with their skills and interests through military service.

To enlist in the U.S. military, students must take the ASVAB and achieve a minimum Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score, which is derived from four subtests: Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, Word Knowledge, and Paragraph Comprehension.

• Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy: Minimum 31 for high school diploma holders; 50 for GED holders.
• Coast Guard: Minimum 36–40 for high school diploma holders; 47–50 for GED holders (often requiring college credits).
• Space Force: Minimum 36 for high school diploma holders; 65 for GED holders.

The sign-up sheet for the exam is in the Counseling Center. If you have questions, please speak with the Helena High Career Resource Assistant, Jake Troyer. He can be reached via email at Jtroyer@helenaschools.org or at (406) 324-2225.

On the HHS/PAL site, work continues with foundational work, with more concrete being poured each week. Prep work is also being completed for the first big slab pour in the coming weeks as they get closer to having the rough-ins for utilities completed soon. Before we know it, we will start to see more vertical work happening on this part of the project - we can't wait!

HHS will host our big Speech and Debate Tournament on December 4 and 5. This tournament is one of the top events of the year, and we are looking for judges to help ensure this tournament can continue to take place. Debate events will take place at HHS with Speech events happening at CRA. There is no experience necessary to judge and it is rewarding to see the students compete at a high level. The meet will start at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4 and 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 5. If you are interested in judging, please use the link below to sign up for your slot(s).

https://tinyurl.com/2026VOGJudges

11/7 - SD @ Great Falls Tournament

11/9-10 - AA Choir Festival

11/12-14 - Fall Play - Charlotte's Web - 6:30 pm each night, 2:30 pm matinee on Saturday

November 2026

• 9-13 – Rock Your Mocs Week

• 20 – Shakespeare in the Schools

• 23 – 1st Day Basketball, Swimming, Wrestling

• 24 - School Board Meeting @ HHS

• 25-27 – No School – Thanksgiving Break

As the first quarter comes to an end, I want to express my sincere gratitude to our student body. Everyone has been working incredibly hard in the classroom, people are showing up for events, and it is exciting each day to see students making positive decisions to help prepare themselves for the next steps in life. I continue to be proud of the work our students are doing in the community to give back and support those who graciously support their growth. It is truly a great time to be a Bengal - I look forward to seeing where the rest of this year, and beyond, takes us!

After celebrating Halloween on Saturday, don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

A quick update on the Senior STARBASE Survey. We will now take the survey on Wednesday, November 4 during their English class.

November is Native American Heritage Month. In Montana, we are fortunate to have a strong Native American culture and an understanding, thanks to the Indian Education for All provision through our State Constitution, of the tribes and their history in our state. Throughout the month of November, we will be celebrating the many contributions Native Americans have made, while also being aware of their sacrifices. The week of November 9 is Rock Your Mocs Week. We encourage students to participate in the dress up days during that time!

Go Bengals!

Congratulations to our State Champions!

It was a great Saturday in Billings for our Cross Country Teams. For the first time since 1973, our girl's team won the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP! After a strong season that saw them win almost every competition, they sealed the deal with a strong finish at the State Meet. We are very proud of these girls, and their coaches!

The State Champions will have their Fire Truck ride on Thursday, November 4, starting from HHS at 4:00 p.m.

Our boys were close to bringing home the gold as well, narrowly losing to Bozeman High. The boys finished their season in second place for the third straight season! Congratulations to both teams!

Additional Tutoring-Repeated

In an effort to provide additional support for students, we will have the Academic Support Center open on Tuesdays and Thursdays during 7th period leading into after school time. Students are encouraged to utilize this time to get support with reading and writing, have a quiet place to work, or receive support with organization and other life skills. There is no need to sign up, students are welcome to attend when they need.

Construction Updates

Things are moving along nicely on the new building. This week, contractors continued to work on the rough-ins for plumbing, electrical and other utilities as we prepare to get our first big slab pour readied. This work will continue over the next couple of weeks.

On the district kitchen site, the steel is going up and the building is starting to take shape. it is very exciting to see this all coming together!

Attendance Reminders

When a student will be out for an appointment, a doctors note alone does not excuse them. A parent/guardian still needs to call or e-mail with the excusal.

Please also remember to call or email to excuse your child well in advance, when able. It helps us be able to get them a pass and ensure they are ready to leave when they need to.

Counseling Corner

Angel Fund Applications Available Now

Angel Fund applications are available in the Counseling Office through November 12th. Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch and maintain good attendance may be eligible for assistance through the program. If you think your student may qualify, please encourage them to stop by the Counseling Office and pick up an application as soon as possible. We don't want anyone to miss the opportunity!

Bengal Closet Seeking Formal Wear Donations

The Bengal Closet is currently accepting donations of formal wear only. If your student has a dress, suit, shirt, tie, shoes, or other formal attire that was worn just once and is no longer being used, please consider donating it. Donations help ensure that all students have access to attire for important events such as Homecoming, Winter Formal, Prom, and other special occasions. Thank you for helping support our Bengal community!

Scholarship Night

We will host a Scholarship Information Night on November 19 starting at 6:00 p.m. in the HHS Library. During this time, our counseling team will provide information on how to search for scholarships, the timelines typically associated with them, and answer questions you might have. There will also be workshopping time to look at resumes, personal narratives, and how to approach people to write a letter of recommendation.