Focus On Education

At Thursday evening's School Board meeting, Dr. Buffington welcomed representatives from the Hobart VFW and student winners of their annual Patriot's Pen and Voice of Democracy contests. The Patriot's Pen Essay contest is for middle school students, and the Voice of Democracy Contest is for high school students and those are voice recorded speeches. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) representatives were present to speak about the two contests.

The winners from the middle school for the Patriot's Pen Essay Contest are as follows: First Place: Ryan Granzow, Second Place: Dane Cooper, and Third Place: Ava Osika. In addition, the middle school winners usually read their speeches at the annual Veterans Ceremony held Veterans Memorial Park, but this year due to inclement weather, the ceremony was cancelled. The winners from the high school for the Voice of Democracy Contest are as follows: First Place: Evan Robb, Second Place: Cooper Morgan, and Third Place: Alina Sinclair. Winner from both contests were presented with certificates of recognition. We are so proud of these students and extend our congratulations to them and the VFW!

As a thank you honoring the men and women who have served or are still fighting for our country, all schools held celebrations for Veterans Day on Tuesday, November 11.

On Friday, our Hobart Middle School and Hobart High School "We The People" students competed at the regional competition at IUN. The middle school team took first place and the high school team took second. Both groups will advance to the state competition in Indianapolis next month! Way to BEOP, Brickies!

On Wednesday, Mrs. Neeley and Ms. Koritko took a group of 8th grade girls to the Non-Traditional Employment for Women (N.E.W.) Workshop at the County Line Orchard. The workshop is designed to highlight careers and/or industries that aren’t necessarily conventional for females to enter. By introducing them to the many opportunities they might not have considered, or known were available to them, the goal is to provide them with something to think about when exploring career paths.

Our Hobart Middle School Family & Consumer Science classes and Hobart High school Hobart High School Principles of Teaching and Teaching & Learning classes recently teamed up for a special community project with the kindergartners at the Hobart Early Learning Center.

As part of this project, our middle and high school students hand-sewed Tooth Fairy pillows and personally delivered them to the kindergarten students. During the visit, our mentor students also taught the kinders about the importance of good brushing habits and other healthy ways to care for their smiles. Their leadership, kindness, and creativity truly shined!

A special thank-you to Dr. Leonard Ostrowski III from Ridgewood Dental in Hobart for generously donating toothbrushes for every student in the ELC. Your support helped make this experience even more meaningful! We are so proud of our Brickies for giving back and leading with heart!

Check out "The Brickie Experience" Podcast with Dr. Buffington!

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.

Click here to check out "The Brickie Network," a newsletter where you can find tons of important information for the 25-26 school year!

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

November is National Family Literacy Month—a perfect time to build joyful reading routines at home. Decades of research show that when families read together, children develop stronger vocabulary, comprehension, and long-term reading confidence.

The School City of Hobart has a strong partnership with Khan Academy and we recognize that with the Khan Academy Kids app, it’s easy to make reading part of every day:

- Browse the free Library for storybooks, nonfiction titles, and early readers—right in the app.

- Turn on Read-to-Me narration and word highlighting so kids can follow along and connect print to sound.

- Try phonics and sight-word activities in the Reading and Letters areas to reinforce new skills through play.

- Make it a routine: a short story at breakfast, a bedtime read-aloud, or a weekend “family book club.”

Small moments add up. Even 10 minutes of reading together can spark big growth and a lifelong love of books. Explore Books in Khan Academy Kids today!

Check out the November Nurse's Corner to learn about immunizations, sports physicals, and other important information about keeping your student healthy!

Click here to check out information on meal balances, statements, and food service payment.

Click here for a detailed view of the Skyward Free and Reduced Lunch application process!

Last year's Free/Reduced meal applications have expired, but we can help with that! Click here and choose the "Meal Applications" button to start a new application!

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.

Click here for more resources for students and/or here for help on becoming a smoke-free teen!

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/

Truth Initiative

New study: Text message quit-vaping program can help young people quit both nicotine and cannabis

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.

Findhelp can connect you with local food pantries and meal programs. You can also find resources for housing, financial assistance, health care, and more.

Click here to hear the definition of a Brickie!