
SCH Weekly
Scott E. Miller, Superintendent
Issue 6 - February 10, 2020
Dear SCH Family,
We are beginning our rollout of our new communication system ParentSquare. ParentSquare easily allows us to send text, e-mail and voice messages to parents, students, and employees through a mobile device app. Parent Square will even automatically translate the message into the receivers preferred language! For teachers and administrators, we will be having training in the near future on how you can use ParentSquare to safely and securely message your parents and families. I encourage all employees to download and install the app as it will be the easiest way to get out important information such as school closings. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Have a great week,
Scott
Area Career Center
Buildings & Grounds
The Buildings and Grounds Department will be focusing on a different aspect of the talented personnel working in this department.
This week, we are featuring Briana Jones who runs the Paint Shop. Briana is currently painting offices in the Human Resource Department. She just finished painting the Superintendent’s office and is pleasing everyone as offices take on a new look. Recently, she painted the main office in the Buildings and Grounds Department and incorporated an ‘SCH’ logo in the reception area. Her talent and hard work is being seen throughout the district.
Listed below are just some of the tasks she accomplishes during the school year:
- Paint/remodeling projects
- Stripe football and soccer fields and cross country
- Stencil playgrounds
- Stripe parking lots and paint curbs
- Repair drywall
Food & Nutrition
Nominate a Food Service Staff Member for State & Local Awards!!!
It is one thing to be nominated by someone within food service – but it always seems extra special when someone notices you outside your department. If you have a food and nutrition employee who you think deserves to be recognized please nominate them!!! Individuals may be nominated by peers, staff, colleagues, or supervisors for these awards. Click on the links below to read more about nominee criteria.
NATIONAL Level Awards
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) celebrates members who work every day to ensure well-nourished students across the country are prepared for success. Nominate an employee, manager, and/or director you know to be recognized for all of their great contributions! SNA has 3 national awards that you can nominate staff members for:
Nominations for these national level awards are now being accepted online for the 2019-2200 awards and are due by March 1, 2020.
STATE Level Awards
The Indiana School Nutrition Association (ISNA) values the opportunity to honor its members who have gone "above and beyond" in different aspects of their career, but may not have met the criteria set forth for the State SNA Awards. Members are encouraged to nominate for the awards summarized below(click the links for a printable nomination form or you may also nominate electronically). Awards will be presented at the Annual Conference in November 2020. Click on the links below to read more about nominee criteria.
- Super Star Service Award
- Star Award
- Assistant Director/Supervisor of the Year
- Office Assistant of the Year
Nominations for ISNA Awards are due to Sheri Shipp or online by April 1, 2020 unless otherwise noted.
If you need additional information (such as trainings attended, years of service, etc) please reach out to Cathy Fisher and she can provide you with any additional information you may need.
Hammond Academy for the Performing Arts
HAPA is currently seeking applicants for the 2020-2021 year. Do you know someone who may be interested? Auditions are February 29th! Apply Today.
Health Services
The Annual CHC Wellness Screening is now available for registration.
This is a great program that will assist you with being healthy and knowing your numbers. The test results are totally confidential. In order to continue this program our participation must increase this year. If you need assistance with the registration process call: 866-373-4242.
Please note that there is no out of pocket cost to employees on School City of Hammond insurance.
Human Resources
Wishing a very Happy Birthday to all the staff members who have birthdays this week!
Shekeel Babar, Melissa Bensley, Stephanie Bondi-Smith, Ariana Bone, Jason Cains, Cassandra Carey, Kristi Carreon, Barbara Carter, Paula Cross, Allison Dunbar-Parkinson, Karen Feliciano, Michele Florence, Tina Franks, Shirley Frazier, Maria Fritz, Thomas Fulk, Timothy Guetzloff, Stacy Harvey, Brianne Heck, Keith Herron Jr.,Shalia Johnson, Allison Langer, Bridget Lemmons, Zhengrui Lu, Anna Mamala, Elizabeth Marino McElmurry, Michael Massey, Christopher Matonovich, Michael Mendoza, Malachi Mishler, Carolyn Mojica, Kelly Morton, Ariana Ortiz, Samuel Payan, Susan Regnier, Melissa Rivera, Denise Shawver, Jennifer Smith, Andrea Spencer, Shannon Stanley, Josheh Stasko, Norine Tessmann, Kania Thompson, William Wartman, Jacqueline Webb, Triano Williams, Tavia Wilson, Terry Wise, and Jacob Zellon.
Special Education
Eggers Middle School Applied Skills classes are selling T-shirts for Disability Awareness Month. Shirts will be kelly green colored with white print and have the saying/design pictured to the right.
T-Shirt order and money are due Friday, February 14, 2020.
Students in the Applied Skills classes will be able to buy the shirts at cost price which is $7. Shirts for adults, friends or family are $10 up to XL and $12 for 2X and up. Please list the number of T-shirts you need in each size. Please return orders to Judy Morales or Lisa Korba Owens at Eggers Middle School. Checks can be written payable to Eggers Middle School.
Technology
Google’s suite of applications (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) are excellent collaborative productivity tools. The ability to instantly share data with anyone is extremely powerful. Knowing this, we need to be good stewards of everything we save and share. Personal information should never be shared outside of the district. Remember that unless you change some advanced sharing settings, your collaborators have the ability to further share your documents, potentially violating someone’s privacy. Remember: When sharing documents, you have little to no control over the data after it’s been shared.
SCH Events
Monday, February 10th
- Clark HS Boys Basketball vs. Hobart - 6 p.m.
- Clark MS Girls Basketball @ Scott MS - 5:30 p.m.
- Gavit MS Girls Basketball vs. Eggers - 5 p.m.
- Lincoln ES - CogAT Testing Begins
- Morton HS - ISTEP Practice Tests
- O'Bannon ES - Cardinal Coffee - 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- O'Bannon ES - Peace Ambassadors - 3:25 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.
Tuesday, February 11th
- Administration Center - Public Work Session - 6 p.m.
- Gavit HS Boys Basketball vs. Whiting - 5:30 p.m. & 7 p.m.
- Lincoln ES - PTSA Meeting - 3:30 p.m.
- Lincoln ES - Parent Volunteer Orientation - 4 p.m.
- Morton HS - ISTEP Practice Tests
- Morton HS Boys Basketball @ Griffith - 5:30 p.m.
- Morton HS Boyw Swimming vs. Kankakee Valley - 6 p.m.
Wednesday, February 12th
- Gavit MS Girls Basketball Finals - 5 p.m.
- Lincoln ES - Preschool Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Lincoln ES - Survive Alive (1st)
- Lincoln ES - PTSA Gym Night - 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Morton HS - Black History Month Program (3rd & 5th hours)
- Morton HS Boys Basketball @ Lowell - 6 p.m.
- O'Bannon ES - Chess - 7:40 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.
Thursday, February 13th
- Clark MS/HS Boys Basketball vs. Highland - 5:30 p.m. (Homecoming)
- Franklin ES - PTA Valentine's Dance - 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Lincoln ES - Preschool Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Lincoln ES - Survive Alive (1st)
- Lincoln ES - Classroom Parties - 2:45 p.m.
- Morton HS - Report Card Conferences - 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- O'Bannon ES - Girls Basketball - 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
- O'Bannon ES - Chess - 3:25 p.m. to 4:25 p.m.
- Wallace ES - Valentine's Day Dance - 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, February 14th
- Valentine's Day
- eLearning Day & Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Clark MS/HS Boys Basketball vs. Marquette - 5:30 p.m.
- Lincoln ES - Book Fair Opens
- Morton HS - Report Card Conferences - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Morton HS Boys Basketball vs. River Forest - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 15th
- Semi-State Wrestling Tournament @ E.C. Central - 8 a.m.
- Gavit HS Boys Basketball @ Argos HS - 5 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
SCH Highlights of the Week
Clark MS/HS
Eggers MS
This year Mayor Thomas M. McDermott, Jr., the City of Hammond, and the Black History Coalition Committee celebrated the contributions of the African American Law Enforcement Heroes of Hammond during their "Black History Month Celebration." The E-Girls of Eggers Middle School were proud to be their guests and perform the "Black National Anthem." They ended this experience by attending lunch with the celebrated Heroes, Trustee Carlotta Blake-King, Superintendent Scott Miller, and Mrs. Esther Goodes (Executive Director of Secondary Academic Services).
Gavit MS/HS
The fantastic four are:
Juan Simpson - #132 - 2nd place
Will Earls - #138 - 4th place
Kenneth Tabor - #195 - 4th place
Hayden Lewter - #220 - 4th place
We are so proud of our Gladiators!
The new Co-Directors of Computer Science Institutes of Hammond, Josh and Blake, put on an event for students of Gavit High School to not only teach computer assembly but to also have a good time. All the students brought their computers the night of February 7th and were taught how to game and perform certain tasks while all being connected through the same LAN. Before they could do this though, they had to re-assemble their computers from the ground up!
Hammond HS
Members of the Hammond High School Band performed in Indiana State University's All-Star Band and the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest.
On January 24-26, 2020, Hammond High School senior percussionists Jamari Sanders and Bernard Weathersby rehearsed and performed at Indiana State University in the 2020 All-Star Band. They joined talented musicians from Indiana and the surrounding states to rehearse and perform a concert with repertoire that they received that weekend. Jamari and Bernard each had prominent solo roles in the concert on bass drum and crash cymbals.
On Saturday, February 8, eleven members of the Hammond High School Band performed at the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest at Munster High School. Bernard Weathersby, senior, earned a gold medal for his group 1 snare drum solo and is advancing to the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble State Contest in Indianapolis on Feb. 29. Ariana Smith, freshman, earned a gold medal for her trumpet solo. Paul Okoli, senior, earned a gold medal for his tenor saxophone solo. Joshua Coggins, freshman, earned a gold medal for his group 2 piccolo solo and a silver medal for his group 1 flute solo. Silver medals were also earned by Justin Cook, junior, snare drum solo; Damian Daily, sophomore, alto saxophone solo; Mikel Patton, freshman, snare drum solo; Jamari Sanders, senior, xylophone solo; and our percussion trio. Our brass quartet was awarded a bronze medal. Please join us in congratulating all of our ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest participants!
Lincoln ES
Mrs. Kaminsky’s students were inspired by Junior Achievement. Students created backpacks for specific groups and presented to their parents. They talked about prototypes, camouflage, their targeted audiences, predators, replicas, nutrition, thermal pockets, reflective stars, and original designs. They provided evidence as to why the backpacks were needed. Some of the backpacks were sewn together. The students modeled the effective uses of their backpacks. The most important aspect was they worked as a team to accomplish one goal.
O'Bannon ES
The O’Bannon Teachers and Staff were surprised with a Valentines/Jeans Spirit Week this week! Happy Valentine’s Day to our SCH family!
Stay Informed
An update from the Superintendent is distributed at the beginning of the week.
View previous weekly updates from Mr. Miller here.
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Email: schadmin@hammond.k12.in.us
Website: www.hammond.k12.in.us
Location: 41 Williams Street, Hammond, IN, USA
Phone: (219) 933-2400
Facebook: facebook.com/SchoolCityofHammond/
Twitter: @SCHK12