Focus On Education

Hobart High School Business Professionals of America (BPA) traveled to Indianapolis to attend the State Leadership Conference. Some of our members participated in leadership seminars and team activities, while others prepared for competitions against the top BPA students in the state. This year, we had 10 students qualify for the state competition! Additionally, all teams qualified for Nationals!

Our participants were:
- 9th Grade: Liliana Lopez
- 11th Grade: Madeleine Turpa
- 12th Grade: Keito Ishihara, Bojana Kolundzija, Felix Lopez, Annabelle Mauries, Laila Perschau, Taylor Pope, Ladan Weinman, Addison Williams

Our Winners:

Addison Williams: 1st place at state in the competition "Advanced Resume & Interview Skills." Her portfolio was the best the judges had ever seen, and her ability to answer all interview questions made her a state champion.
Bojana Kolundzija, Annabelle Mauries, Laila Perschau, and Ladan Weinman: 3rd place at state in the competition "Visual Design Team." This team re-created an entire summer farmers market and even developed a website to accompany it.
Taylor Pope and Addison Williams: 4th place at state in the competition "Small Business Management Team." The team utilized strategic planning and problem-solving skills to develop solutions for a large e-commerce retail business.

Way to #BEOP, Brickies! We are so proud of all of you!

Last weekend, the Hobart High School Theatre Program delivered an unforgettable performance with their production of "This Murder Was Staged!" The show, a gripping whodunit comedy that kept the audience on the edge of their seats, was a testament to the talent and dedication of the students and staff involved. As the plot unfolds, the audience is drawn into the drama of a murder occurring in the midst of a theatrical production, with the characters scrambling to unravel the truth before the final curtain falls.

The cast of Hobart High School brought this production to life with exceptional skill and enthusiasm. The production's success was not only due to the actors on stage but also the talented individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes. The set design perfectly captured the essence of the production, while the lighting and sound effects enhanced the suspenseful atmosphere. The costumes were meticulously crafted, adding authenticity to the setting.

"This Murder Was Staged" was nothing short of spectacular. It showcased the incredible talent of its young performers and the dedication of the entire theatre program. Bravo to everyone involved for putting on such an amazing show!

Hobart High School’s young entrepreneurs continue to make their mark in regional pitch competitions, showcasing their innovation and problem-solving skills. With recent successes at Trine High School and Purdue Northwest Hammond, and more competitions ahead, these students are proving that business starts early.

On February 19th, several Hobart students took part in Trine High School’s Storm Tank pitch competition, presenting their business ideas in front of a panel of judges. Competing were Mallory Burton, Rose Bianco, Samuel Clady, Maverick Becerra, Michael Klaisch, Pandora Dominguez, Madilyn Martakis, and Abigail Bisig.

Among them, Abigail Bisig impressed the judges with her company, Equi, securing 3rd place and a $750 prize. Equi is a modular storage and retrieval system for horse tack, designed

to help riders efficiently store and transport essential equipment. Abigail, an equestrian herself, created the product based on her own struggles with moving tack during horse shows.

Hobart students also participated in the Society of Innovators High School Pitch Competition at Purdue Northwest Hammond on February 26th. Representing the school were Jurnee Woods, Mallory Burton, Rose Bianco, Cameron Hutson, Nathaniel Meadows, Abigail Rinas, Henry Rada, Vincent Sylvio Villicana, Justin Eck, Stephen Miller, Michael Pence, Pandora Dominguez, and Madilyn Martakis.

One standout was Cameron Hutson, who took home a $200 prize for his company, Filet Twist. His invention is a fusion of a filet knife and fishing pole, designed for safe storage and easy access. As an avid fisherman, Cameron identified a common problem—securely transporting a filet knife while fishing—and developed Filet Twist as a practical solution.

Hobart’s entrepreneurial momentum doesn’t stop here. More students are gearing up to compete in upcoming competitions, eager to showcase their ideas and win funding for their businesses.

March 14th - Purdue Northwest Westville

Hobart students will once again compete in the Society of Innovators High School Pitch Competition at Purdue Northwest Westville. The team includes Brenton Thompson, Ryder Slaton, Riley Owen, Jacoby Moore, Julian Powell, Ryder Goodpaster, London Hacker, Hailey Kroslack, Sam Clady, Maverick Becerra, Michael Klaikelch, Ian Kelly, Zach Felty, Addison Daw, Madilyn Novak, Landyn Reece, Ja'Vayia Bradley, Gabrielle Baldridge, and Mikayla Akins.

April 15th - Innovate WithIN Region 4 Finals

The most high-profile competition ahead is the Innovate WithIN Region 4 Finals, set for April 15th at Purdue Northwest Hammond. Abigail Bisig will once again represent Hobart, bringing Equi to a larger stage with hopes of securing another win and additional funding.

These competitions are more than just opportunities to win prize money; they are real-world experiences that teach students about business development, problem-solving, and public speaking. Each pitch competition serves as a stepping stone for these young entrepreneurs, helping them refine their ideas and build confidence. As the next round of competitions approaches, Hobart’s students are prepared to impress once again. Will there be another big win? Stay tuned to see how these future business leaders continue to innovate and inspire!

On Saturday, March 8, many of our Brickie musicians performed at the ISSMA Jazz Festival at Portage High School. All four of our jazz ensembles received gold ratings. In addition to our Jazz Band and Jazz Orchestra, we also took both a jazz combo and a jazz string combo for the first time. Jazz combos focus heavily on improvisation, and are taught and rehearsed during our new Jazz Ensemble class.

Additionally, the following students received outstanding soloist awards: Alex Espana, Kayden Martin, Nathan Matney, Dan Lahaie, Adan Ruiz, Nailah Hernandez, Dayna Bradshaw, Charles Ganske, Lu Cohen, Alison Hughes, Tommy James, Renee Wietbrock, Andre Puente, Lily Wieland, and Josh Gilbert. Way to go, Brickies!

On Wednesday evening, the Hobart High School Academic Super Bowl teams traveled to Purdue Northwest in Hammond to compete in their first invitational of the year. Despite the busyness that comes during the last week of a grading period, our almost completely new team members studied decades of international art, history, math, literature, and science, AND they did a great job! We'd like to congratulate this amazing group of kids for their accomplishments, stellar behavior, and positive attitudes!

Fine Arts - Lillian Wieland, Tommy James, Emily Cicillian

1st place in our division

3rd place in all of Lake County

Social Studies - Brian Howard

3rd place in our division

Math - Grace Krejci, Danielle Gawrysiak, Isis Fleming, Sofia Rocha, Evelyn Gonzalez

3rd place in our division

English - Charles Ganske

4th place in our division

Science - Lily Ullrich, Alexis Rachau, Lu Cohen

3rd place in our division

Be sure to click "Subscribe" on YouTube here or click "Follow" on Spotify here to follow the podcast series and get notified of new episodes! Please note, to see the video on Spotify, you must be logged in to a Spotify account and make sure your settings have “Download Audio Only” and “Stream Audio Only” disabled.

Khanmigo is an innovative AI-powered tutoring tool that can support your student around the clock. Khanmigo offers personalized assistance, making learning engaging and accessible anytime, anywhere. Click HERE to learn about Khanmigo from our very own Mrs. Higgason.

Khanmigo Writing Coach is designed by teachers with the purpose of producing better writers. Instead of just generating AI feedback or grading essays, Writing Coach supports students during each stage of the writing process without doing any of the writing for them. Click HERE to learn more about Khanmigo Writing Coach.

Registration for the 2025 Brickie Makers & Innovators Showcase is OPEN! Remember, the Showcase is for ALL innovators, whether your creations are scientific, artistic, musical, culinary, or otherwise! We love to celebrate what your Brickie minds dream up!

Don't wait, visit the link below to register! 💜💛
www.hobart.k12.in.us/makerregistration

(IMPORTANT: Students must be logged into their SCOH Google account to register!)

Check out the SEL page for great tips and advice for Social Emotional Learning for students, parents, and families! Lots of great information with what we do in school with students and what you can do at home.

Parents are a model for their children. THINK before posting and sharing information. Be kind and considerate of others and yourself. Click here for an article from All Pro Dad about things to consider before posting to social media.

All feelings are ok. We are human; however, what do we do when, as a parent, we set a boundary for our child and they are mad at us? Do we brush it off? Do we try to fix it? Do we work through the “upset” or “angry” feelings? Here’s advice from Dr. Delaney Ruston, MD. Her advice may resonate with you as well.

How to Cope When Our Teens Are Mad At Us

100 Coping Strategies to Support Adults and Children

THINK Before We Speak and Post

Appreciation Rituals: Reframe thoughts from negative to gratitude

Let’s get our kids back in the habit of screen-free fun. When kids give up tech, they use their brains in other ways. And once they get going, they might not want to quit. Here are 40 screen-free activities to challenge your kids for an hour today.

The Home Depot offers free workshops and classes. Each first Saturday of the month between 9am - 12pm, a free in-person Kids Workshop is available! Sign up here!

Parents, begin with reviewing the podcast below from All Pro Dad about emotions. Then use the resources linked below to talk through what you and your child/ children notice. Talking through what they notice and how to address the emotions is healthy conversation. There are tips below to recharge your mind and body along with 100 coping strategies to choose from!

All Pro Dad Podcast

All Pro Dad Tips

Emotions: Noticing them and talking about what our brain and body senses.

Match the Mood

Recharge Your Mind & Body

100 Coping Strategies

Research challenges idea that vaping could be healthier alternative to smoking, say authors of research. Read more here!

It’s no wonder a person becomes addicted to vaping so quickly with the amount of nicotine being ingested!

Indiana has several FREE resources for adults and students.

Additional information and resources:

*Contact the SRO officer at each school

*Vape Free Indiana
in.gov/vapefreeindiana

*Indiana High School Athletic Association and Indiana Department of Health partnership

https://dontpuffthisstuff.com/

Click here for the latest edition of BricksCenter!

IronWorkz, based in Gary, capped off a few years of accolades with a Community Impact Award during the 2025 Mira Awards gala Feb. 27 at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Read more here!

Click here to check out the HHS Alumni Association website

Click here to hear the definition of a Brickie!