Did you know...

There are a lot of workers who spend five years or less in every job they take on? In January 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the average employee tenure was 4.2 years, down from 4.6 years in January 2014.

So what?

It's more important than ever for you to make sure you have options for what skills you develop and what credentials you earn so that you are marketable.

What will it take for you to be successful?

The successful worker is one who is up-to-date on trends in their industry and who is always learning and refining skills and abilities.

What can you do now to prepare for the future?

By taking dual credit classes while in high school and working to earn a certificate, technical certificate, or associate's degree - you can save a lot of time and money while working towards finding and keeping your dream job. Talk to your counselor and see what HU can do for you!

Did you know????

You’ve heard about Hobart University… but did you know that Hobart University includes vocational trades?

The past few weeks, high school students have been attending presentations by our Ivy Tech and Porter County Career Center partners. During these presentations, they have learned about opportunities to earn college credit AND/OR earn technical certifications that they can use immediately after completing high school.

Did you know about our Energy program? It’s actually Ivy Tech’s Energy program, and it is in partnership with NIPSCO and it begins right here at Hobart High School. Students who start this program in 10th grade will complete it by the end of 12th grade and are guaranteed an interview with NIPSCO. Jobs in this field are moving toward renewable energy, so it’s not “just” about power lines, although if students are interested in that part, we have that too! Ask your kids about the salary. I am certain they will remember it.

We also offer a Medical Assistant program that prepares students to work in the field as a Medical Assistant at the end of the summer after their senior year.

What else do we have through our great partnerships? Diesel, automotive, robotics, cosmetology, just to name a few.

Does your child want to enter the workforce immediately after completing high school? No problem. Interested in the trades? We have direct links to local unions and can assist your child in whichever way he/she wants to go. The possibilities are endless and we talk to your kids about all of them.

Over the past couple of weeks, students in grades 9-11 participated in the Taste of HU, which is a “fair” highlighting all of the dual credit and technical certification opportunities that we have. We are doing this early so that students have time to consider what they want their schedules to look like next year.

Whether students want to start a career immediately after completing high school or attend a post-secondary school, we can help them with a head start.

Here are some tips that can help students set effective goals:

1. Goals are intentional commitments to action, not a wish list.

"I want to get an A" lacks power. "I will work hard (How), to earn an A," is intentional and powerful.

2. Be specific.

“Find help" is too general. "I will find 5 resources that will help me before the end of the month" is better.

3. Share your goals with someone who cares if you reach them.

Sharing your intentions with your parents, your best friend, or your teacher will help ensure success.

4. Write down your goals and put them where you will see them.

The more often you read your list, the more results you get.

5. Review and revise your list.

Experiment with different ways of stating your goals. Goal setting improves with practice!

Help your child succeed by setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals!

You can work with your students by helping them set specific, measurable, achieveable, results-focused, and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.) Goals!
Our students can login into Google and access these forms. You can do this together and have them submit to their teacher. Monitor progress together!

Check out our website for the Google Doc and more information!

Use our Google Goal Setting Form to Get Started in 2019! #BrickieUP

• Start by visiting Indiana Career Explorer
• Compare the estimated net price of attendance at Indiana colleges through Indiana College Costs
• Learn about career interest inventories, education requirements for different careers and more at Learn More Indiana.
• Check out Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs for the most recent in-demand careers and wages in the state!
• O*NET® Career Exploration Tools - Self-directed career exploration/assessment tools to help you consider and plan career options, preparation, and transitions more effectively. The tools are also designed for use by students who are exploring the school-to-work transition.

• Go to My skills. My future looks at the jobs you have held in the past to determine some similar positions for you in the future. It also allows you to learn more about those recommended careers.
• Skills Profiler - Use the Skills Profiler to create a list of your skills and match them to jobs that use those skills

Last year we had 3, this year - a staggering 11! Our Chess team has been on fire and State was no exception. The last weekend in January our students headed down to Indy to take on other very competitive chess players. Prior to this, each of the 11 attended a Regional competition earlier in the month and placed high enough to continue on. Just making it down to State was quite impressive, but then to be competing against the best in the state and with one of the largest turn-outs, you can imagine the excitement, nervousness, and perseverance our Brickies had to overcome. The tournament last 11 hours - yes, 11 hours - with most competitors competing in 6 matches. The results, very impressive.

Dakota had one of his best days battling his way to a 4th place finish out of 42 competitors! Not only was this his personal best, it is a Team history best at State! Dakota has set the bar high for himself and the team!

Our High School Brickies had 42 competitors in their division. Out of that our Brickies did great with Ethan earning 27th, Jeffery earning 20th, and Nathaniel coming in 19th!

Our Middle School Brickies were all first year competitors which makes their achievement even sweeter. Out of 74 competitors, Hunter earned 67th, Jonah earned 62nd, and Jack earning 50th. Adrian competed in the Championship division (players with high ratings) and battled to bring home a 16th place out of 30 tough competitors. Awesome work from these young gentlemen!

Finally are our Liberty Elementary Brickies who competed against 72 others that were in 3rd grade and under. These first year competitors did not shy away from the competition and respectfully earned amazing results with Paige taking 66th and Royce earning 40th!

Having been to a chess competition we know how hard it is to even earn a spot to State let alone earning the places they did. Outstanding job to each of these students! Way to persevere and grind through each competition - your mental toughness and determination is sure to take you far. Best of luck with all future competitions!

These Brickies have been proving themselves for quite some time and this year took the books! The girls bowling team all did an amazing job earning their spot for the team State competition.

Also making his way down to State is a gentlemen who is keeping bowling success in the family, Caleb! His sister is an outstanding bowler, you can read more about her in the Alumni section of this newsletter. He is darn near perfect with hitting those pins and easily advanced on this year. We will keep you posted in this newsletter and on our social medias on how they did - the State Competition is taking place on February 1st, so stay tuned!

Many people do not understand the year round hard work and dedication that these Brickies make on a regular basis. If you have been to any of their performances you would clearly see that they are amazing, but you never realize how hard and long they work to become that amazing. Recently they took their skills to State and came back with some extraordinary results! Check out what our Hobart Performing Arts Department did:

Two scenes and two soloists earn Superior rankings ...the highest ranking possible.

Scene 1 consisted of: Alex Chavez, Maxx Johnson, Davaghn Whiting,Walter Todd, Jack Olson, Kameron Crane, and Adam Barney

Scene 2 consisted of: Iyanna Steele, Maddie Cain, and Noelani Howland

Soloist 1 was the incredible Lia Rodriguez

Soloist 2 was the amazing Adam Barney

Our props team of Manny Soria Negron and Ian Rodriguez earned 3rd place as well as the Tech Oylmpics team consisting of Andy Acosta, Orlanders Haymond, Maddie Cain, and Eve Klawiter

Other participants that were at the event and earned excellent rankings are: Olivia Rosales; tech team, and Bennis Carillo, Lia Rodriguez, Katy Webber, Ian Rodriguez, Billie Fulton, and Ares Marks!

The School City of Hobart could not be prouder of these individuals! They deserve so much recognition for their grit and effort and we cannot wait to see they Spring play. Keep an eye out on the School City of Hobart social media pages for upcoming dates!

It was a humbling night for these gentlemen as they walked out onto the mat under the spotlight one more time since graduating. The bleachers were packed with many Brickie Alumni and parents, and the floor was lined up with our own Brickie wrestlers who were looking at them with pride and respect, hoping that one day they could achieve the goal of Hobart High School Hall of Fame! These 3 men were incredible wrestlers that not only achieved State titles while in high school but also went on to wrestle collegiately. Now they are successful individuals, married, and fathers to their own little ones who may follow in their footsteps one day. Either way they have instilled in them the mental grit and determination of a true Brickie which have not only made them good men, but will also make them great partners and fathers. Together let's congratulate Eric Galka, Frankie Porras, and Brennan Cosgrove! Proud of these Brickies and their incredible work and character both in high school and now in life. #BrickieUp

We have all heard the name Maryssa Carey before. She was an incredible student and an even more amazing bowler while attending Hobart - the best part, she still is! Maryssa has been taking to the lanes and conquering those pins since she graduated and accepted both an academic and athletic scholarship to Indiana Tech. Since then she continues to be unstoppable! Her passion and spirit is contagious and she is a big role model for her collegiate team. So you are probably wondering what her next big accomplishment will be? Well, earlier this month she did what many only dream of - she bowled hard and earned a spot on Team USA Bowling! Seriously, what could be better?!? Only time will tell as Maryssa is showing no signs of stopping in her career as a bowler. We are so excited to see what her future holds and will be cheering her on through it all! Support and follow her bowling accomplishments on Facebook at "Maryssa Carey - Athlete". Proud of you Maryssa! Read more about her on the Indiana Tech Warriors page - https://bit.ly/2GDMhdU

Tyrus took the words "All My Life I Wanna Be A Brickie. Work! Work! Work!" entirely to heart when he graduated in 2014. By day he is an airline pilot for Spirit Airlines and by night he is the CEO of Flight Levelz Entertainment. If that names sounds familiar to you it is because his company is the one behind many talents that are brought here to Hobart! He manages the Hometown Country Jam which is bringing in some killer artists like Lee Brice, Julia Cole, and Dylan Schneider this year, he fills the Art Theatre with talents like Joe Diffie, Jonny James, Jerrod Neimann, and our other featured alum - Omar Apollo! If you ever notice the big travel buses parked downtown it is more than likely because Tyrus brought them here! His vision in life is that there are no limits - you get what you put in and he is definitely rocking it in his own way! We are so proud that not only a Brickie Alum is behind all of these talents, but that he is putting his hometown on the map! Watch out cities, Tyrus is making moves and Hobart, Indiana is about to take over. Read more about his pilot career in this 2017 article - https://bit.ly/36Iuvki and stay up to date on all the upcoming attractions by liking and following Flight Levelz Entertainment on Facebook - https://bit.ly/2OaYD1u

Some of you may not have yet to hear the name Omar Apollo, but that is all changing. Omar was a 2015 Hobart Graduate with the dreams and determination of becoming something big. A first generation American he was brought up with pride in his Spanish heritage and you can feel it through his songs. His parents were big influences with their love and work ethic and endless support for his dreams. He writes his own music, plays the guitar, and has a stellar voice! Oh, and you should see him dance! It was one moment in 2017 that put his life on the fast track to success when he uploaded his own song "UGotMe" on Spotify - one that he wrote and recorded in an attic that he shared with several friends. It took no time for his talent to be discovered and he has been on the go ever since writing his own version of Spanish/English psychedelically soulful music. We were thankful to have the honor of being able to see him perform this past December at the Art Theatre, which was booked by our other Alum, Tyrus, and his company Flight Levelz Entertainment. The concert had been sold out for some time and we quickly understood why! His music was undoubtedly his own and you could not help but move to his beats and feel the emotion in his songs. Out of all the live performances he had done, this one was different for him. His nerves were different, his excitement was different, and he could not help but soak it all in as he watched his fellow alumni and parents back in his hometown of Hobart. This was something every artist dreams of, and he made it all happen in 2 years. So what is he up to now? Oh, you know - touring the WORLD (he is currently touring is Australia), writing and recording his debut album, and getting featured in the Rolling Stones as a, get this, "Artist You Need To Know"! He will be back on tour in the States in May and performing in Chicago at the end of June - get your tickets, you won't want to miss him perform! Click the link below to hear "How Omar Got His Voice" and the path that made him a star and check out his Rolling Stones article here - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/omar-apollo-interview-866248/

Indiana teens are more likely to use vaping devices than cigarettes. The increase in vaping among youth is rising at such an alarming rate that the U.S. Surgeon General is calling it an epidemic that “demands action to protect the lives of young people.” The age for cigarette purchases has risen to 21, but this won't help those that are already addicted. Furthermore, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has been investigating vaping-related severe lung injuries since early August and have already reported 5 deaths caused by vaping. The number of vaping-related lung injuries continues to rise steadily in Indiana and nationwide. Vaping is the only common factor in these injuries to date. Most individuals have reported vaping THC, the ingredient in marijuana, or other substances, but it’s unknown what specific products, brand or substance is causing these injuries. More information is being learned as new cases are investigated and data analyzed.

In Indiana, the use of e-cigarettes and vaping among youth has risen more than 350 percent among high school and middle school students since 2012.

So what to do? Sign up with Truth Initiative's "This Is Quitting" program which is the first-of-its-kind program to help young people quit vaping, This is Quitting gives youth and young adults the motivation and support they need to ditch JUUL and other e-cigarettes. It is a ree mobile program from Truth Initiative designed to help young people quit vaping. The first-of-its-kind text messaging program incorporates messages from other young people like them who have attempted to, or successfully quit, e-cigarettes. Our messages show the real side of quitting, both the good and the bad, to help young people feel motivated, inspired and supported throughout their quitting process. We also send young people evidence-based tips and strategies to quit and stay quit. This is Quitting is tailored based on age (within 13 to 24 years old) and product usage to give teens and young adults appropriate recommendations about quitting.

To enroll in This is Quitting, teens and young adults text DITCHJUUL to 88709. The first messages they receive will ask for their age and product usage so that they are able to receive relevant messages. Users receive one age-appropriate message per day tailored to their enrollment date or quit date, which can be set and reset via text message.

Those who are not ready to quit receive at least four weeks of messages focused on building skills and confidence. Users with a quit date receive one week of messages prior to that date and at least eight weeks of messages after their quit date. Throughout the program, users can text COPE, STRESS, SLIP or MORE to receive instant support. Upon completion of the program, users receive periodic text messages from truth® and may continue to use supportive keywords for as long as they like.

Flu- Roses are Red, Violets are blue, please get your shot so you don’t get the FLU! Its flu season! Please contact your healthcare provider or make an appointment at our Brickie Clinic 219-945-9383.

Handwashing- Handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related sicknesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu. Parents and caretakers play an important role in teaching children to wash their hands. Handwashing can become a lifelong healthy habit if you start teaching it at an early age. You can find ways to make it fun, like making up your own handwashing song or turning it into a game. Building handwashing skills takes time. At first, your child will need regular reminders of how and when to wash hands. It is especially important to remind children to wash their hands after using the bathroom, before eating, after touching pets, after playing outside, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose. But, once handwashing becomes a habit and a regular part of your child’s day, they will practice it throughout their lives.

Vaccinations- NEW 2020-2021 IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS: Indiana State Department of Health Immunization requirements for the 2020-2021 school year - Two (2) Hepatitis A vaccinations are now required for ALL grade levels for the upcoming school year. The Hepatitis A immunization consists of two (2) doses with a minimum interval of 6 calendar months between the first and second dose. Immunization doses given less than 6 months apart are considered invalid, and will require a third dose. The first Hepatitis A dose should be given in the month of February 2020 to ensure that the second dose can be provided in the month of August. Please provide the school nurse with a copy of your student’s updated shot record after receiving any immunizations. Updated immunization information must be submitted during registration for the 2020-2021 school year. If you have any questions regarding immunizations, please feel free to contact your student’s school nurse.

Health Conditions- If your student has a specific health condition or needs special care during the school day such as medication, treatments, or monitoring, please inform your school nurse and provide your nurse with a care plan. Individual health care plans help keep your student safe and healthy.

Sick students- Please keep all sick children home from school- this includes fever greater than 100 degrees, vomiting or diarrhea. If you are unsure, please call your healthcare provider or school nurse for advice. . If you student stays home with these symptoms please make sure you are cleaning shared surfaces to prevent reoccurrence within the household

Head Lice- It’s that time of year where our students break out their coats, scarves and hats. Please encourage your child not to share such items as hats, scarves, brushes or any personal items. Lice is not a danger to your child’s health, it is simply an annoying problem that comes around this time of year, so no need to panic. Please know that anyone and everyone can get lice. Getting lice has nothing to do with you being clean or dirty, it only has to do with the fact that you are human. It is very important to check your family for lice this time of year regularly. If you find any live lice or eggs, it is absolutely necessary to treat each “infected” person, but more importantly, you must notify the school so that we can effectively and confidentially assist you with monitoring. The school nurse can assist you with proper treatment options as well as identify and demonstrate for you what to do.

EXTRA SET OF CLOTHING- Please make sure your student has an extra change of clothing in his/her backpack and nurses office if necessary incase needed for unseen circumstances that may arise during the school day.

If you have any questions, please call your school nurse or visit our school web page at http://www.hobart.k12.in.us for more information on student health, school forms, and other helpful links

Help Hobart High School students who don't always have the means to eat a lunch by donating to the "Brickie Lunch Box"! This new program will help ensure all student's are eating lunch & getting the nutrients & energy needed to be a successful Brickie.

Many of our parents and students take advantage of the Here Comes The Bus App and with it's new improvements, it is better than ever! You can view in real-time the location of your student's bus, when and where your child boards or exits the bus, receive notifications when the bus is near, and be able to do this all on your smartphone, tablet or computer! Visit the link below for the easy step-by-step directions and take the worry away!

Dr. Peggy Buffington and Sarah Ramos

The School City of Hobart does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, or disability, including limited English proficiency.

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