HF FYI

Please note that HF will be closed Wednesday, November 27-Friday, November 29 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Monday and Tuesday will follow Viking Day schedules (periods 1-7).

Up next on The Voyage, we visit HF Culinary Teacher Chef Jontil Grubbs and her students as they use our newly renovated commercial kitchen to prepare the Golden Card Club's Senior Citizen Breakfast.

"The commercial kitchen helps us to execute everything flawlessly; it has all the equipment that we need, it has all the space for prep that we need," she says. "You have to eat everyday--having the skills to make your own meal is very important." Check it out here!

This week's 11th Annual Lip Sync Battle was a huge success! Our students truly brought Viking energy to the stage, competing for the $400 cash prize. In the end, the "United Nations" group took home first place!

Big shout out to VTV for putting this together, Mrs. Alexander and Ms. Kelley for hosting and all the teachers who made their own music videos.

If you missed Lip Sync or just want to experience the fun again, we've got you covered: Check out the full show here.

Each December, HF's Music Department fills the stage with more than 100 poinsettias, creating a beautiful performance environment for our concerts throughout the holiday season--but they can’t set the stage for these festive experiences without your help!

When you buy poinsettias through us, you not only help us create magical musical experiences and support our student musicians, but after the choir concert on December 15, you can take your plants home and enjoy them into the New Year!

Poinsettia plants can be purchased for $20 through SNAP here. Simply log in, click "Begin Registration," and select "MUSIC DEPARTMENT (POINSETTIAS)" under “EVENT". Thank you for supporting our talented student musicians at HF!

Last week, Bring Change 2 Mind welcomed guest speaker Dr. Mahmoud Khedr to talk to students about mental health. Mahmoud is an Egyptian-American innovator and holistic mental health leader, blending 15+ years of lived experience with a visionary systems approach to transform youth mental health. He co-leads the Hidden Healers movement, focused on centering culturally-grounded and ancestral healing for BIPOC youth. This includes the MTV Hidden Healers Campaign, which reached 10M+ people, and a $1M partnership with Pinterest, Lululemon, and MTV to invest in organizations doing the work.

As the founder of FloraMind, Mahmoud pioneered one of the first culturally relevant youth mental health programs. Through collaborations with corporations, governments, and communities, he has reached 15M+ youth and families.

Mahmoud has been honored at the White House by President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, MTV, and the Surgeon General as a top youth mental health advocate. He is a TED Speaker, MHA board member, and sits on the 988 National Committee for suicide prevention.

Thank you again to Dr. Mahmoud for encouraging our Vikings, and shout out to Carmella Wallace and her Live Free 999 Team for continuing to support Bring Change 2 Mind.

Early this week, the Education Department opened the 2025-26 FAFSA to all students, after its final testing phase. HF Post-Secondary Counselor Mr. Coy said he was able to login for himself and complete the FAFSA for his two sons. "It went pretty smoothly, and it took me about 10 minutes to complete," he said.

Via Forbes: Senior contributor Robert Farrington notes that December 1 remains the official opening date, but the Education Department wants “more families to start the process while it ensures there are no issues. So, while all families can start the FAFSA process as of today, it’s important to remember that this is still the end of beta testing, and some issues may arise.” Karissa Peckham, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Quinnipiac University, “says that students and their parents should also visit Studentaid.gov to create an account to receive their Federal Student Aid IDs.”

If you have questions about post-secondary planning, email Post-Secondary Counselors Mr. Coy (kcoy@hf233.org) or Mr. Kain (bkain@hf233.org).

Senior Yearbook Portraits and Premier Sessions are quickly coming. There are limited dates for the premier sessions at HF. Make sure to schedule your appointment today to take advantage of this opportunity at HF instead of traveling to a VIP studio. In order to appear in the yearbook, all seniors must have their photo taken by VIP. Photographs submitted from other studios will NOT be accepted into the yearbook.

From yard signs to cut-outs and more, don't forget to shop our online store with Crossmark to show off your support of the Viking in your life! Shop the store today.

Congratulations to HF's Varsity History Bowl Team for qualifying for Nationals with their semi-finalist performance at the Chicagoland Fall Regional last Saturday. The Varsity team beat Sandburg and one of the Stevenson teams.

In the History Bee, both Senior Everett Van Til and Junior Paul Cavalieri qualified for Varsity Nationals by being a finalist. Sophomore Eliot Wheat also qualified for JV Nationals as a finalist. In the Geography Nationals qualification exams, HF had 3 national qualifiers: Everett Van Til, Junior Luke DeBruin, and Eliot Wheat.

The History Bowl team competes next at Chicagoland Winter Regional at Sandburg on December 7.

It's time for our 2nd Quarter school-wide incentive! This will be another way to thank our Vikings for performing well academically, maintaining a low level of tardies, and receiving zero referrals this quarter. Last quarter's incentive was a silent party--stay tuned for this reward happening January 9!

Know an 8th Grader who's on their way to becoming a Viking? Be sure to save the date for this year's Voyage to Excellence Open House, happening Thursday, December 5, 2024:

• 5:30-6:30 p.m. is Session 1: 8th Graders from Hart & Brookwood
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. is Session 2: 8th Graders from Parker & IJP

We can't wait to see our future Vikings and show them the best of HF as they prepare for their Viking Voyage!

Get your tickets in the James Hart Office to see their Fall Musical, Moana Jr., on tomorrow, November 21 and Saturday, November 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 (kids under 3 are free!)

The holiday season kicks off in the Village of Flossmoor on November 30 with Small Business Saturday throughout the Village’s shopping districts and Celebrate the Season in downtown Flossmoor. Shoppers can look for specials and great deals all day long for shopping and dining in Flossmoor’s downtown retail area, as well as at Flossmoor Commons (located at Vollmer Road & Governors Highway).

HF Alumni, sisters Mara ('19) and Kayla ('18) Winfrey, have been hosting their hot chocolate stand since they were toddlers. Some 20 years later, they're keeping the tradition going: Their efforts have grown, and they've donated over $45,000 worth of toys to bring joy to boys and girls who need it most during the holiday season. Mara and Kayla have even received local and national recognition. You can stop by the Winfrey House on Friday, December 13 to get your cup of holiday cheer. Learn more about their story here.

Are you an alum looking to stay connected with your Viking roots? Email Director of Alumni Engagement & Development, Victoria Koblick at vkoblick@hf233.org today to get involved!

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