By DR. DEREK ARROWOOD
Hamilton Heights Superintendent
Update No. 97
It’s hard to believe that we are less than a week away from wrapping up the first semester of the 2022-2023 school year! Our first semester ends on Tuesday, Dec. 20 with our Christmas break taking place Wednesday, Dec. 21 through Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. I commend our students, staff, and families for their work and focus this semester to finish this first half of the year strong.
* * *
Our Synchronous E-Learning Day pilot run went extremely well a couple of weeks ago. Thank you for your part in making this day successful for your student. Going forward, if school is canceled for inclement weather, we will inform you via our School Messenger program as well as via our social media outlets. We will also inform our families of what kind of learning day it will be. For example, “Hamilton Heights Schools will be on a synchronous e-learning schedule today, December 9.” Please follow your child’s building schedule. As a reminder, if any updates are needed to your child’s information on school messenger, those can be made by contacting the registrar at your student’s building. Registrar contact information can be found here.
* * *
Congratulations to all eight HHMS Robotics Teams on an outstanding start to the season. This past weekend, in a field of 52 teams, four of the HHMS teams placed in the top five in the Teamwork Challenge. Team 214D brought home first place and secured their place to compete at the state level this spring. Team 214A won the skills competition. In a tournament earlier this season, 214A and 214B also secured their state championship spots. In January, five teams will travel to the Kalahari Classic Signature Event to try and secure a spot at the VEX World Championship.
* * *
I want to give a shout out to several of our student groups for their work in making the holidays and our community a little better and brighter.
Under the leadership of Emily Beechler, HHMS Media Center Specialist and Husky Readers Club advisor, members collected almost 30 new pajamas for babies through teens as part of their second annual “Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive.” Each set of pajamas is paired with a book from Scholastic and donated to a local shelter. Children who come to the shelter are given the book and pjs upon arrival.
Tracy Zachary, HHES Special Education Teacher and K-Kids Club advisor, along with 17 other adults and some 40 members of the K-Kids Club, went shopping for Christmas gifts as part of the Angel Tree program at Heights. Not only did the students raise money for the presents, they kicked it up a notch by shopping and wrapping the presents.
HHHS Student Government members, under the direction of HHHS Media Center Specialist and club advisor, Lori Hippensteel, have been working to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital. This Saturday they have partnered with the BoatHouse where 20 percent of all purchases between 6 and 9 p.m. will be donated to Riley. Their next fundraiser is the Riley Dance Marathon on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, as part of this year’s Winter Homecoming activities. Check out students Anna Jozsa and Kaylee Rhoton’s video tutorial on how to donate to the marathon here.
* * *
Thank you for supporting our children, teachers, and staff and helping to make Hamilton Heights an amazing place to teach, learn, and belong. Have a wonderful holiday break. We look forward to the start of the second semester on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023!
From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!
#WeAreHuskies