26-27 HAJHS November Newsletter
Academic Year: 2026-2027
Jace Dodson
7th Grade
Rylan Carnell
8th Grade
Chloe Kennedy
9th Grade
Mrs. Santella as Dolly Parton
Grade Level Winners
9th Grade Teachers
Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on Tuesday, November 24th from 12pm to 7:30pm. Within the next week, you will receive a link via Parent Square with directions on how to sign up for a time slot.
On Thursday, November 12th, the HASD Cafeterias will be having their annual Thanksgiving Meal, which will include:
Roasted Turkey & Filling
Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy
Green Beans
Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Fluff Dessert
A BIG THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ALL THE DONATIONS OF PULL TABS THAT HAVE BEEN DROPPED OFF AT THE JUNIOR HIGH!
Also, thank you to Junior High Room 109! During October, we collected almost 18 pounds! Add that to the late May and summer pull tabs, the JH has collected almost 35 pounds of pull tabs this school year, for the Ronald McDonald's Charities of Pittsburgh.
Our goal is to collect 100 pounds of pull tabs - tabs from soda cans, wet pet food cans, and soup cans, for example.
The Ronald McDonald House takes the tabs to a recycling center and uses the money to offset the expenses of families that stay there, providing a comfortable and safe place to stay while a loved one is hospitalized nearby.
All donations are appreciated! Consider reaching out to families and friends to assist in collecting pull tabs throughout the 2026-2027 school year. The tabs can be dropped off at the main office or the library.
The JH Fall 2026 Scholastic Book Fair begins Monday, November 16 and concludes Tuesday, November 24. Each school day, the Fair will run from 8:00 A.M. - 2:50 P.M in the JH Library/T.I.G.E.R. Den.
Thank you for supporting the Book Fair! The Fair's profits are used to purchase additional books for the library.
Please contact Marcie Erickson with any questions: marcia.erickson@hasdtigers.com
(814) 695-4426 x6165
AEVIDUM
Aevidum meetings will be held from 3pm to 3:45pm in Room 218 on the following dates:
Monday, November 2
Monday, November 9
Monday, November 16
ART CLUB
The Jr. High Art Club will meet the first Thursday of every month in Room 132 from 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm. You need a signed permission slip to attend. See Mrs. Baney or Ms. Settimio for a permission slip.
Meeting Dates: November 5, December 3, January 7, February 4, March 4, April 1, and May 6
BAND
Junior High Music Department Winter Concerts:
Junior High Chorus - Thursday, December 3, at 7PM
Junior High Orchestra and Band - Thursday, December 10. 7th Grade is at 6PM, 8th/9th Grades are at 7PM
9th Grade Jazz and Jazz Too - Thursday, January 7 at 7PM
Band After School Rehearsals:
7th/8th Grade Jazz Band begins on November 4 and will continue on Wednesdays throughout the school year. We will not rehearse on November 11.
Jazz Too meets on Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:30
Drumline meets on Tuesdays from 3-4. We will not rehearse on November 3 or November 24.
We are always accepting donations of new and gently used black and white dress clothes and shoes for our concert closet. Please bring any donations to the Main Office labeled "Concert Closet/Ms. Herb" or bring them to the Junior High Band room. Please reach out to Ms. Herb with any questions (deanna.herb@hasdtigers.com)
MATHCOUNTS TEAM/CLUB
November Meeting Dates - 3:00pm-4:00pm - Room 220:
- Monday, November 2
- Monday, November 9
- Wednesday, November 18
- Monday, November 23
- Tuesday, December 1
We will have our 2027 School Competition in December and January at our school. Then, the top 12 students will qualify for the Blair Region Competition on Saturday, February 6 at Penn State Altoona. Interested students can still join by seeing Mr. Valeria in Room 220.
QUIZ TEAM
Quiz Team tryouts will be held on Wednesday, November 4 from 3:00pm-4:00pm in Room 128.
NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY
The National Junior Honor Society will hold its November meeting on Monday, November 2 during 9th Period in the LGI Room. Students are to check-in with their teachers for attendance.
STUDENT COUNCIL
November 2026
Thursday, November 5 - 3:00 P.M. - tentatively 4:15 P.M., maybe a little later due to hoagie fundraiser sort and pickup
Thursday, November 19 - 3:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.
READING CLUB/READING COMPETITION
November 2026
Wednesday, November 4 -
Reading Club - 3:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.
Reading Competition - 3:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Wednesday, November 18 -
Reading Club - 3:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.
Reading Competition - 3:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Cafeteria Information
Join us for Breakfast and Lunch daily! Lunches are planned to include a meat/meat alternative, bread/grain, vegetables, fruit & milk. Breakfasts include a variety of entrees, fruit, juice, and milk. In addition to full meals, students can purchase a variety of snacks and beverages at ala carte prices.
Cafeteria Account
A computer system is used to track cafeteria transactions including money deposits and meal purchases. It is important to keep a positive balance on the account.
1. PAYMENT WITH CASH OR CHECK:
Students may deposit money into their cafeteria account at breakfast or lunch time when they are going through the serving line. Please make your check payable to “HASD Cafeterias”.
2. PAYMENTS MADE EASY through School Café
You can add money to your child’s account through the School Café App that is available at the Apple App Store or on Google Play or by visiting School Café at https://www.schoolcafe.com/HOLLIDAYSBURGAREASD. A service fee of $2.25 will be applied to each deposit transaction made. If you have several students throughout the district, you can make one transaction, then transfer money to each child’s account.
3. MANAGE BALANCES
In addition to making payments through School Café, you can view purchase history, check the current account balance and sign up to receive low balance alerts. For convenience, you can also set up automatic payments to replenish cafeteria funds.
4. THE CAFETERIA LINE
When a student purchases a meal or ala carte food item, they will need to enter their six-digit Identification Number in the PIN pad when they reach the cashier. The total amount of their purchase is then debited from their cafeteria account.
5. A LA CARTE
Snack items are available for purchase.
6. APPLY FOR FREE & REDUCED MEALS (a new application is required each year)
Apply, submit, and track your application through the School Café App.
Get the App at the Apple App Store or on Google Play
You may also apply on-line at https://www.schoolcafe.com/HOLLIDAYSBURGAREASD
ALLERGY?
Please contact the Food Service Office directly if your child requires any necessary medical accommodations due to a food allergy or intolerance. A medical for special dietary needs form will need to be completed and is available in the main office or the nurse’s office.
Menus are emailed monthly and available in the school office.
If you have questions about your child’s lunch account balance, please contact
Rebecca Kane, Cafeteria Manager at 814-695-4426 or email rebecca.kane@hasdtigers.com
Junior High Fundraiser
End of Year Activity and Fundraiser Information
The following are the scheduled year-end activities for May 2027:
7th Grade: Pittsburgh Pirates Game
8th Grade: Hershey Park
9th Grade: Blue and White Dance
The Junior High holds only one fundraiser per school year for grade-level end of the year activities.
Fair Share:
If students choose not to fundraise, a "Fair Share" program is offered to families who are not interested in fundraising for their students' year-end class trip/activity. Each student will be required to either sell a certain amount of items from the fundraiser OR pay their fair share amount. If fair share is not met, your student CAN NOT go on their field trip or attend the dance.
Fair Share amounts:
7th Grade - $45.00
8th Grade - $65.00
9th Grade - $25.00
Payment for fair share can be made via cash or check. All checks for fair share balance should be made out to HAJHS. Money should be delivered to the main office and will be due at the end of the third marking period.
Eligibility:
Students will be eligible to participate in their end of the year activity if:
1) No more than 5 detentions in the second semester.
2) No more than 2 suspensions in the second semester.
3) No more than 6 unexcused absences for the entire school year.
4) Failing no more than 2 core classes.
The year-end activities are a reward for making good choices in behavior, attendance, and academics. We want every student to have the chance to participate. Let’s work together to make it happen!
Helpful Infinite Campus Information
Updating Contact Information in Infinite Campus
Please follow the steps below to update your contact information in Infinite Campus:
1. Click on the Infinite Campus Parent/Student Portal link.
2. Login with your username and password. Please contact icparentsupport@hasdtigers.com or call (814) 695-4426 ext 6147 to reset your password if forgotten.
3. Once logged into the portal, click on the three horizontal lines ("hamburger") in the upper right and select More from the menu.
You will be able to make the following changes:
- Family Information - Update phone numbers, email addresses, and contact order for people within the household
- Address Information - Update the main household phone number
- Select a student (if you have multiple children in the district) and click on Demographics to add/remove/update any non-household contacts
4. ALL ADDRESS CHANGES must be submitted through Brittany Hoover at the administration office. You must have proof of residency. More information regarding address changes can be found by clicking on Household Information in Infinite Campus. For more information about what constitutes proof of residency, please review this page.
5. Changes are not automatic. Changes are sent to a queue that will require a district employee to approve the changes.
If you have any questions or issues accessing Infinite Campus, please call (814) 695-4426 ext 6147 or email icparentsupport@hasdtigers.com.
Parent Square
The form of school-to-home communication at Hollidaysburg Area School District is called ParentSquare. All notifications and emergencies will be sent via ParentSquare.
This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with HASD. It provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to:
Send and receive district, school, and class information
Share pictures and files
See calendar items
Sign up to volunteer
Schedule parent-teacher conferences
and much more . . . all in one centralized place!
All district and school, grade level and classroom information will be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text (or phone call for certain emergency alerts if a text message fails to be delivered). For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).
By default, parents/guardians will receive texts and emails in a "digest" which means a daily summary of notifications at one time in the evening, usually about 6pm. You can change this to receive instant notifications by either text or email if preferred. ParentSquare app notifications are completely controlled by parents and are set to show instant in-app notifications by default.
ParentSquare Parent/Guardian Training Video
Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)
The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meets monthly during the school year on the third Wednesday of the month at 12:30pm in the Junior High Library. All parents and guardians are members and are invited to come to the meetings. Attending meetings is a good way to meet other parents and learn about what is happening at the Junior High School. PAC organizes many activities at the Junior High.
If you are interested in volunteering, please see the Junior High main office or access the volunteer signup form at https://jh.hasdtigers.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4464172&type=d&pREC_ID=2735916
Tiger Pack Program
If you would like to participate in the Tiger Pack Program by receiving a bag of food weekly for your child(ren), please have your student(s) return the form that was mailed home. Forms are also available in the Main Office and attached below. A new signup form must be submitted every year. If you would like to donate to Tiger Pack or have any other questions, please contact Chris Burkey at christine.burkey@hasdtigers.com for additional information.
Yearbook ordering is now open! Pre-orders are now on sale through December 31st for the price of $28. Prices go up on January 1st.
Order yours today!
https://yearbookordercenter.com/?school=4315
Any questions on yearbooks, please reach out to Yearbook Advisor, Mrs. Lloyd - suzanne.lloyd@hasdtigers.com
From The Nurse
If a student is feeling ill, it is important for the student to visit the nurse's office in order to ensure the student is assessed appropriately and assisted as needed. The nurse will contact the student's parent/guardian if it is determined that the student should be sent home. This will be reflected in the student's attendance records.
Students are not permitted to contact a parent/guardian on their own to be picked up due to illness. This could result in a cell phone violation and the student may be disciplined accordingly. Please encourage your child to visit the nurse when they don't feel well.
Whenever a student is picked up early, a parent/guardian must sign the student out by checking in using the LobbyGuard system in the main entrance vestibule.
From The Attendance Office
All attendance excuses may be emailed to the Attendance Secretary, Amanda Hammel, at amanda.hammel@hasdtigers.com or be submitted through Parent Square.
Early Dismissals:
- Students needing an early dismissal need to bring a written excuse indicating the time of the early dismissal and the reason for the request.
- After checking in with their first period teacher for attendance, students will report to the lobby outside the Main Office for an early dismissal pass.
- Students are responsible to report to the main office at the time of their dismissal, we do not interrupt class to call students.
- Please note the time on the written excuse is the time the student is dismissed from class, please allow enough time for them to meet you in the lobby.
- All students must be signed out by the person picking them up using the Navigate system in the foyer. Additionally, that person must be listed as a contact person in Infinite Campus before the front office staff will release the student to leave the building.
National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week is held each year the week before Thanksgiving. This is a time for us all to start to think about what we are thankful for, a perfect time to share our compassion with our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness, and work toward a world where no one has to experience Hunger and Homelessness. Did you know now that the average age of a homeless person is 11? Many students become homeless for various reasons; fire, flood, domestic violence, loss of income for the family. Students are homeless by living in shelters, cars, campers/tents, and even living with family or friends due to lack of housing.
From November 16th through November 20th , let’s show our support to our friends by collecting
food, hygiene items, and backpacks with school supplies to donate to our homeless students and
the local rescue mission.
HASD is asking students, parents, and staff to bring in non-perishable food items (such as cereal,
mac & cheese, spaghetti, peanut butter, canned meats, canned soups, boxed meals, etc.) hygiene
items (soap, shampoo, deodorant, tooth brushes, tooth paste, etc.), backpacks with school
supplies, or gift cards to be donated to homeless students and the Rescue Mission by November
20, 2026. Donations will be picked up on the morning of November 20, 2026.
Please drop off your donations in the main office for your school building during school hours. You
can also drop off donations at the Fullington Bus Garage at 240 Patchway Road, Duncansville, PA
(call Matt at 693-7630) from November 16 through 19, 2026, for drop off between 10:00 AM and
1:00 PM. Our goal is to fill a small school bus with donations.
Thank you for your support!
Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School
Website: https://jh.hasdtigers.com/
Location: 1000 Hewit Street, Hollidaysburg, PA, USA
Phone: (814) 695-4426
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HollidaysburgAreaSD
Twitter: @Tigerwires