Science Hill High School Newsletter

Parents and Students,

I hope everyone had a great Fall Break! It was good to see everyone back this week rested and ready for the 2nd quarter.

Service is an essential part of our vision at SHHS. We want to continue to give students an opportunity to serve throughout the year. Here are a couple of ways you can help over the next two months:

• The SHHS Staff Social Committee is sponsoring a spirit wear sale with all proceeds benefiting local flood relief. You can place an order in the online store at Scarlet & Gold.
• The SHHS Trick or Treat is Tuesday, October 29. The event will take place between 5 and 7 pm. Enter through Grand Topper Hall. Over 40 student groups have signed up to host a table. If you would like to participate, see your club sponsor or coach. If you would like to donate candy for the event, please drop off all donations at the SHHS front office.
• During the month of November, SHHS will collect items for Thanksgiving Food Boxes. These boxes go directly to SHHS students who need extra assistance over the Holidays. Please be on the lookout for items that will be collected.

Grades

The first quarter has officially ended and final grades are in PowerSchool. Parents, please look at your student’s grades and reach out to teachers if you have concerns.

SHHS teachers offer a wide range of tutoring opportunities. Again, please reach out to your student’s teacher or counselor for more information about tutoring.

Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 are averaged together to determine the final grade for each class. For those classes that have an EOC exam, the EOC exam will count as 15% of the final grade. Final grades are used in the GPA calculation.

Senior ACT, PSAT, Asynchronous Day

Wednesday, October 23 is the Senior ACT and PSAT day. All seniors and students taking the PSAT will report to SHHS at regular time for testing. All other students will be asynchronous (not attend school in person) and complete classwork at home.

Go Toppers!

Josh Carter

SHHS Principal

ACT/PSAT Testing - RESCHEDULED

Senior ACT and PSAT testing has been rescheduled to October 23. The day will be an asynchronous day for students in grades 9-11.

Spooky STEM Night - RESCHEDULED

Spooky STEM Night, hosted by the Women in STEM club, will be October 23 from 5 to 7 pm in Grand Topper Hall. All 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students from Cherokee, South Side and Woodland elementary schools are welcome. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.

A Family Life Curriculum Forum for students enrolled in Lifetime Wellness this semester will be held at 6 pm on October 28 in Science Hill's library.

Topper Trick or Treat

Topper Trick or Treat will be held October 29 from 5 to 7 pm in Grand Topper Hall. Members of Science Hill teams and clubs will hand out candy to costumed trick-or-treaters, and games and demonstrations will entertain attendees. The event is open to any child through the 5th grade and their parent or guardian.

Take a look at our online calendars to stay up to date with what's going on at Science Hill:

Thanks to all the student clubs and organizations who came out to make Thursday's Fall Festival such a great time! The pizza and popcorn were delicious, and the games and activities were a blast!

Talented Toppers constantly impress us with their skills. Check out Trea'zur Cassidy's HillTalk podcast and watch the Topper Report for all the News and Sports you need!

Have you heard of pickleball? Over the last few years, it's been one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. There aren't any pickles involved, but it's becoming kind of a big dill! It's an easy sport to learn and a good way to get a little exercise.

The SHHS Pickleball Club meets Mondays and Fridays from 3 to 4:30 pm at the upper tennis courts. Friendly pickup games and league play are available! Stop by and see what all the fuss is about.

Students can join any of the dozens of active clubs at Science Hill. Participation in an extracurricular activity can help a student's well-being, improve academic performance and create relationships that last a lifetime! Find the right club for you on the list of clubs on Science Hill's website and get involved.

The PTSA is excited to be part of the third annual Topper Trick or Treat on October 29! We will have a booth and will be handing out candy. We know that many people have been donating a lot lately, but we are hoping to make this a fun event for local students, so we need your help providing candy to each excited participant! We're expecting at least 2,500 kids at this event, so any donations are appreciated!!

Please sign up online. You can drop off candy donations at the main office any time between 7 am and 4 pm. If you would like to help through monetary donation, please visit our givebacks store.

Everyone needs a little advice and support at times. Our dedicated counselors are always ready to help! Check out the SHHS Counseling page, or email a counselor directly below:

• Joe McPherson (last names A-Carp) mcphersonj@jcschools.org
• Kim Thompson (Carr-E) thompsonk@jcschools.org
• Dr. Stacey Philbrick (F-Hon) philbricks@jcschools.org
• Ryan Goines (Hoo-Maq) goinesr@jcschools.org
• Suzanne Reaves (Mar-Pa) reavess@jcschools.org
• Seth Douglas (Pe-Sti) douglass@jcschools.org
• Eva Price (Sto-Z) pricee@jcschools.org
• Josh Jarnigan (Career Counseling) jarniganj@jcschools.org
• Chad Plaisted (Topper Academy) plaistedc@jcschools.org

• The new ACT date is October 23.

• Seniors should be finished or almost finished with their college applications and should now be looking for scholarships. There are several scholarships listed on the Financial Aid/Scholarships page. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your counselor.

• FAFSA opens on December 1. If you have not scheduled a meeting with Holly Frye to help you with this, email her at hfrye@niswongerfoundation.org.
  

• The TN Promise deadline has been postponed to January 15 because of the impacts of Hurricane Helene.

• Make sure that you have an updated resume ready to go, whether you are going to school, military or straight to the workforce. You WILL need one.

Daily Announcements
Check out our announcements page that are updated daily on the website! This is where you can find more information about detailed events, student opportunities, club meetings and more! Follow the link above or press the button on the website's main page that can be found by scrolling halfway down.

Social Media

Social Media can be a great communication tool to push out important events and information in a fun and entertaining way. Both our official Instagram (handle: sciencehill_jcs) and Facebook (ScienceHillJCS) are used to showcase what's going on at the hill both academically and athletically while keeping both families and students informed with the most updated information

All student and parent forms can be found in our Main Office in two main places: on a grid on the wall by the main entrance or on our counters.

On Wall in the Main Office

PTA Forms - How to sign up and be informed with PTA events and news.

JCS Communication Tools - Information on how to stay connected with Johnson City Schools.

Gradebook Portal Request Form - To request access to PowerSchool parent account.

DMV Form - Needed to obtain their learner's permit. It must be filled out and signed before taking it to the DMV.

Community Service Hours Form - Log form for students' community service hours. Must be signed by a the volunteer supervisor.

Transit Request Forms - Must be filled out, approved, and on file before students can use the school bus system.

Medicine Administration Permission Form - Must be filled out and turned into the nurse if students have medicine that needs to be taken during the school day.

Parent Observer Request Form - To request access to Canvas parent account.

On the counter in the Main Office

Lunch Form - For more information about our lunch program. There is a QR code that will direct on how to fill out forms regarding free and reduced lunch.

School Map - For a layout of the school so that students are able to locate their classes.

Drop-Off/Pick Up Map - For car drop off and pick up locations.