By Dr. Derek Arrowood
Hamilton Heights Superintendent
Update No. 77
Wednesday morning, the weather was unseasonably warm. Not a snowflake in sight. We call off school for a snow day. Wait! What!? When we receive reports that severe weather is coming our way, we follow an intricate process to help us make the best decision we can on whether to delay, dismiss early, or close all together.
Still, calling a snow day can often be a catch-22 for school superintendents. Let’s say we keep school in session and the weather takes a turn for the worse or shows up earlier than predicted. Now we’re sending buses and kids home in potentially dangerous conditions – that’s not good. On the other hand, if we make decisions to have a two-hour delay or close too quickly, this can have a rough impact on families, especially those who may not have childcare. We understand this and carefully review all the information we have prior to making any adjustments to our school day with safety as the top priority.
School is closed Thursday, and it will be an E-Learning Day. I’m holding off on making any decision on what school will look like on Friday until we see what today brings. Meanwhile, you can read more about our Inclement Weather Delay or Closing Process at Hamilton Heights School Corporation here.
While this snowy and icy blast from Mother Nature isn’t necessarily giving us much to cheer about, we do have a lot to celebrate including our Hamilton Heights wrestling team, who under the leadership of Head Coach Gary ‘Iron Bear’ Myers, brought home their first sectional championship since 2009. Congratulations!
In other exciting accomplishments, our middle and high school robotics teams have performed very well this season. Five HHMS Robotics Teams have qualified to compete at the state level. Their 214C team’s first place win at a recent competition was the first signature event win in the history of HHMS Robotics. The HHMS 214C and 214D teams have officially qualified for the VEX World Competition. Last weekend, HHHS Robotics Teams took first and second place at the Purdue Vex High School Competition. Team B won a seat at the State Championships and Team A brought home the Design Award. Hamilton Heights will be among the best of the best at the 2022 Vex State Competition at Lucas Oil Stadium next month.
I also want to give a shout out to Eric Fisher, HS PLTW Teacher, and some 60 CTE students who put their energy, enthusiasm, and skills to good use by building 10 outdoor food pantries. This hands-on, real-time project helps the Feeding Team Hamilton County volunteers deliver 2,500 meals a month to hungry neighbors. This community project was a collaborative effort between Heights, FeedingTeam.org, and TalentLogistix.
Mark your calendars to step into a world of pure imagination as Hamilton Heights Drama Department presents Roald Dahl’s children’s classic Charlie & the Chocolate Factory on Feb. 25, 26 and 27. This play, directed by HS English Teacher and Drama Sponsor Brooks Myers, is filled with color, magical fun, and some of our most talented student performers. Tickets can be purchased online starting Feb. 21.
On another note of community interest, our Food Pantry will be open from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14 at the high school. Enter through Door A.
As we celebrate all things love and appreciation this month, let’s make a conscious effort to choose kindness, respect, compassion, empathy, generosity, and patience. Think of the impact this can have in making our part of the world a better place.
#WeAreHuskies