H-F FYI - 1.16.23
Week of Jan. 16, 2023
H-F will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You can honor his legacy of social justice and equity by dedicating part of your day to serving others. This special day — designated a National Day of Service — has helped individuals take an active role in improving their community.
Close to home, the Flossmoor Community Relations Commission will feature more than 12 service projects on this day, varying from park clean ups and food drives to making lunches for shelters or donating blood. Click here for some options...
In Homewood, all three SD153 schools have “adopted” non-profit organizations — Willow School (South Suburban Humane Society), Churchill School (Anew) & James Hart School (Respond Now) — and will be collecting donations on their behalf through Tuesday, Jan. 17. See all details by clicking here...
Here on the H-F campus our Wrestling teams and coaches will be hosting Leaders are Readers in the Fieldhouse from 10 a.m.-Noon. Elementary students are invited to come read with a wrestler, and the community is invited to donate new and gently used children's books for Chicagoland youth organizations.
Find a volunteer opportunity that fits your interests, time and abilities at VolunteerMatch, or find a DIY service project at the Points of Light website here. You can make a difference, Vikings!
Course Selection for 2023-24 Begins Soon
Our current freshmen, sophomores and juniors will receive course selection information for the 2023-24 school year this month. As parents/guardians and students work together to make course selections, please first review the school's recommendations, which students will be able to view in the Info Dynamics program starting in mid-January. The 2023-24 course catalog is now available on the website (click here); the catalog outlines course descriptions, H-F’s graduation requirements, course prerequisites and college/career entrance requirements. Also included in the course catalog is information about the course-level rigors (CP - College Prep; H - Honors; AP/IB) and information on post-secondary and career planning. When choosing courses, please select the highest course level in which the student can be most successful, earning an A or B.
From Jan. 23-Feb. 24, students will have the opportunity to meet with their school counselor in order to finalize course requests for next year’s schedule and to discuss post-high-school planning. Course selection will close on Friday, Feb. 24.
Questions? Please contact Guidance Department Chair Jim Schmidt at james.schmidt@hf233.org or 708-335-5650.
H-F Library's Winter Reading
Did you finish reading a good book this Winter Break? There's still time! Click here for a curated Winter Reading Book List, or here for a link to the library's eBook and audiobook collection. When you finish a book (or two), click here to enter the library's prize drawing by Jan. 31!
Wellness Wednesdays resume this week
H-F students, the Guidance Office invites you to participate in Wellness Wednesdays, social-emotional intervention time used to proactively teach healthy life skills. At these sessions offered on Wednesdays during Period 4 (1:55-3 p.m.) in South Room G5, you will learn, practice and process a specific topic. You may attend up to one session per quarter. Upcoming January sessions are:
- Jan. 18 — Pound! with Rose Haynes, Fitness with Rose
- Jan. 25 — Rich vs. Wealthy with Mr. Suarez, school counselor
Click here to register for a session! Questions? Contact Mrs. White, social worker, at 708-335-5554, lauren.white@hf233.org.
Upcoming Online Presentations
- JAN. 18 — Families of students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) are invited to an online presentation from our Special Education Department on the Illinois Department of Human Services' Division of Rehabilitation Services and how to get connected. The presentation will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, on Zoom — click here to join the presentation (Passcode 919923). For more information, contact the Special Education Department at 708-335-5691 or angela.taylor@hf233.org.
- JAN. 24 — Class of 2027 incoming freshmen and their families are invited to join in the online Viking Academic Challenge presentation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Students will learn how to pursue rigorous learning when they are H-F through AP, IB and Dual Credit courses. To join the presentation on Zoom, click here (Passcode: 741741). For more information, contact the Curriculum Department at 708-335-5331 or jhester@hf233.org.
- JAN. 26 — Class of 2024 juniors and their families are invited to the College Planning for Juniors online presentation at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26. The college-search process may feel like a giant puzzle to you and your student. Join our Post-Secondary Consultants Mr. Coy & Mr. Kain and Julie Nelson from Xavier U. in Cincinnati for a look at how to break down the process into manageable pieces and how to find your post-secondary fit. For more information, contact 708-335-5615 or kevin.coy@hf233.org. (link coming soon)
- JAN. 26 — One more online program for our incoming freshmen! Class of 2027 families, join Guidance Department Chair Mr. Schmidt on Zoom for our Incoming Freshman Parent Registration Orientation at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, when you will learn all about the registration and course-selection process for the 23/24 school year. For more information, contact the Guidance Department at 708-335-5612 or james.schmidt@hf233.org. (link coming soon)
Summer School Sign Up Starts Jan. 28
Registration for Summer School will be offered on a first-come,
first-served basis, beginning on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 8 a.m.-
Noon in the North Building Cafeteria.
Summer School classes will run 8 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Mondays through Fridays from June 12 - July 21 in the school's South Building. Please note: Students enrolled in Summer School are required to be on campus regardless if the course is in a traditional classroom setting or on Acellus.
CREDIT RECOVERY COURSES: The courses listed below will be available for Credit Recovery for those students who have failed first semester courses. Please register for these classes with your counselor (you do not need to attend Registration Day on Jan. 28).
- ENGLISH — English 1, English 2 & English 3 (all on Acellus)
- MATH — Algebra 1 (traditional classroom), Geometry (Acellus) & Algebra 2/Trigonometry (Acellus)
- SCIENCE — Biology, Chemistry & Physics (all in traditional classrooms)
SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSES: The course listed below will be available for those students who are interested in opening their schedule up for more electives during the school year. All Social Science courses will be in a traditional classroom setting. Please register for these classes on Jan. 28.
- World History (Principles*, CP, Honors)
- U.S. History (Principles*, CP, Honors)
- Economics (CP, Honors)
- U.S. Government & Politics (CP, Honors).
*Placement in Principles of World History and Principles of U.S. History is based on the recommendation of the specialized service team.
Fees for all Summer School courses listed above, as well as transportation, will be covered again by the grant awarded to H-F during Covid.
Questions? Please contact the H-F Summer School Office at 708-335-5605 or chayes@hf233.org.
Congratulations to Ron Bowden, Class of 2008, for being the newest H-F alum to make history: he became the first Black Technical Director for the Illinois High School Theatre Festival in its 47 years as the TD for this year's All-State production of Shrek the Musical, held this week at the U. of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign! Two current H-F students performed in the cast of the production: Gabe McKinney (Donkey understudy/ensemble) and Stella Hoyt (ensemble). Ron is pictured here when he was the Technical Director and Theatre Manager at H-F in the late 2010s. He is currently the Technical Director at Grayslake North H.S. Congratulations to all three of our Vikings!
COVID Reporting Form
Please remember to stay at home if you are not feeling well, especially if you are having COVID-19 symptoms or suspect you have COVID-19. If a student is COVID-19 positive, parents/guardians, please complete the District 233 COVID-19 Reporting Form (click here) for the Nurse's Office.
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