HCHS Parents and Stakeholders,
The school year is rolling quickly! We are excited for our homecoming activities this week! Students will have dress up days to participate in, treats at lunch, a pep rally, Friday night's football game against Hunters Lane, a 5th Quarter event on the practice field for HCHS students, plus more! Please see below for information that we hope you'll find helpful...
PATRIOT DAY: After emailing this morning, I realized I didn't say anything about today being Patriot Day. If you are like me, I can remember the exact location where I stood when I got the call on September 11, 2001 about the attacks on our country. Today, our Criminal Justice Club (led by Criminal Justice teacher Diane McCord) hosted our Patriot Day program for our student body and our community's first responders. This program hopefully helps our students understand the events of that day a bit more and the importance of remembering. Our speaker, Retired First Sgt. from the Army Reserves Tim Petronico spoke of his experience serving our country in New York City during that time and encouraged students to look for ways to be a positive influence on others. Today is a great day to have a conversation with your student about what they learned and how they can positively affect others around them.
From our HCSS School Nutrition Director, Tiffany Latta...
SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM
Since the Henry County School System does not qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision, we must charge for lunch for those who do not qualify for free or reduced priced meals. If you feel that your student qualifies for free or reduced price lunch, please request an application from your school or apply online at www.schoolcafe.com. We have many students who currently owe a balance in the cafeteria. You can check your students balance by setting up an account online at www.schoolcafe.com. You will use their student permanent ID # which can be found in your Synergy ParentVue. Balances can be paid by sending a check or cash in a sealed envelope with your student's name to the cafeteria or by paying online through the SchoolCafe app. For questions, please contact the School Nutrition office at 731-642-9733.
TOMORROW!...Report Cards go home! Please make sure to take time to review with your student. If you need assistance with ParentVue to keep up with your child regularly between Report Cards, please contact Angela Disney at disneya@henryk12.net and she'll be glad to help! Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, September 25, from 1-7 pm. We hope you'll stop by and visit with your child's teachers during this time.
THIS THURSDAY...HCHS College and Career Fair:
We hope you and your student are planning to attend the HCHS College and Career Fair THIS THURSDAY NIGHT! This event is especially important to seniors, but open for all! A wide variety of colleges, business/career, and military representatives will be here to share information with students. Additionally, information sessions will be held for seniors and their parents. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
Yearbook Orders Now Open!
Yearbooks are on sale! Order yours now for an early bird price (through Halloween)! See the attached information for pricing and ordering information.
Important senior dates…
Senior Banquet: April 29, 2024
Senior Prom: May 4, 2024
Class of 2024 Graduation: May 17, 2024; 7:30 pm
ACT INFORMATION:
This section is longer, but we wanted to send some important ACT information your way. Whether you have a tenth grade student who has never taken the ACT or a senior who has taken it several times, this may have new-to-you information. We know the ACT process can be a challenging one to navigate. If we can help in any way, please don't hesitate to ask as you have questions.
ACT Cheat Sheet:
Several years ago, we put together an ACT Cheat Sheet for parents. The ACT is a required exam for Tennessee high school students and is most known as a college entrance exam. We've updated our ACT Cheat Sheet again this year, and it's attached to this email. Deadlines, cost, prep helps, etc. can be found on the ACT Cheat Sheet. We hope you'll find it helpful!
ACT Prep:
For Sophomores and Juniors...
Currently during Homeroom, Sophomores and Juniors are completing Employability/Study Skills Rotations. During this time, they learn things such as budgeting, time management, note taking, goal setting, resume building, and more. Beginning in January, their homeroom time will switch to ACT Prep, leading up to our spring testing day. On that day (April 9th), juniors will take the real ACT and sophomores the PreACT on April 9th.
For Seniors...
In addition to our Quarter 1 ACT Prep during Homeroom with our seniors, we have contracted with a tutoring company that specializes in ACT Prep. They will provide an ACT Boot Camp during the school day to interested senior students on October 18th and 19th, the week prior to the Senior ACT Retake Day (which is on October 24). Dr. Ben Phillips of Jane Ross Tutoring will conduct the training. I've known Dr. Phillips for years (he's a former professor of mine from Union University), and we are very excited we're able to offer this service to our seniors this year free of charge. I honestly think the ACT Boot Camp--in conjunction with other school preparations--will be a point difference maker for many of our students.
Dr. Phillips will have two groups he works with...Those with around a composite of 24/25 and higher who may need a content-emphasis to push their scores higher and those below a composite of 24/25 who may need more of a strategy session to positively change their scores. We are contracting for approximately 100 students to be involved in the ACT Boot Camps. We will be working to identify students for the sessions. If you know you would like your child to participate, please email Dr. Kelly Paschall, who helps coordinate our ACT efforts, at paschallk@henryk12.net.
A few last notes for parents of Seniors:
Mr. John Norwood is our College Access Counselor who works with our GEAR UP office. GEAR UP is a grant that focuses on preparing students for the next steps after high school. You will receive emails from Mr. Norwood occasionally. He is here to help you and your students navigate the life-after-high-school world. He can help with planning for college (2 year, 4 year, TCAT), military, career, etc.
Through his office, senior students have received a spiral-bound book called a Next Guide. If you've not seen it, ASK THEM for it. It's a FANTASTIC resource! Also, please make sure to follow the GEAR UP Facebook page (HCHS GEAR UP TN) for important information that will be shared throughout the year!
As always, please feel free to let us know of any questions or concerns.
Go Big Red!
Michele Webb, Ed.D.Principal
Henry County High School
315 South Wilson Street
Paris, TN 38242
731-642-5232
Website: http://hchs.henryk12.net/
Facebook: Henry County High School - Paris, Tennessee