Wolverine Wire
9-22-23
As your students are feeling the feels of the first few weeks, please take the time to talk as a family about the routines and habits that will help your student be successful. Do they have a quiet space at home to study? How do they manage social media and other devices while they're studying? Have you talked about supports in classes they're starting to feel nervous about? Many parents don't remember exactly how to do PreCalc from days of yore, but we all can help set the stage for productive study at home, organization, time management, and planning. For some great suggestions, see this article from kidshealth.org.
Your students attend Advisory once a week on Wednesdays, also, and our focus in these classes continue to be helping students build the skills they need to be productive, responsible, high-achieving students and citizens. Freshmen have had some lessons on organization and considerations for how they manage their electronic and paper-based commitments in school. Sophomore and juniors have talked about grade checks and goal-setting. And seniors have already had a presentation on the college application process and planning for their successful futures.
We do have our library open every day after school, including Wednesdays. Please encourage your student to stay after school if you start to see them struggling. Soon we will also have our National Honor Society members staffing the library as well as peer tutors. We want every student to succeed!
We are elated to share FHHS has been named #31 in ranked high schools in the state of Washington for 23-24 by US News & World Report. This puts us in the top 4% in the state, and top 11% in the country. We are continually grateful for the incredible families and community organizations that support FHHS academics and activities. You can find more out about them at the links below.
Please contact me if you have any questions or need any support.
In partnership,
Andrea
Andrea Hillman
Principal | Friday Harbor High School
(w) 360-370-7109
(c) 360-298-8488
she/her
Photo Credit: Aiden Haines
On 9/11, our school participated in Patriot Day with a moment of silence, remembering the indelible mark the acts of those days made on our society. None of our students were alive when that occurred, but their lives have been impacted in so many ways.
We recognized Constitution Day on 9/19 with a visit from the League of Women's Voters to our classrooms for lessons in Civics and with voter registration information for our students. As heard in our US History classroom on Back-to-School Night, our dream is to have all our students knowing all the states, all the amendments, and the main principles of our Declaration of Independence.
September is also Suicide Prevention Month. We have all heard about the incredible impact the pandemic has had on our teens' mental health. Students at FHHS have a full unit of study on signs of suicide and prevention when they take their Health class. In addition, students have access to crisis hotlines in their planners and on their IDs. They also have access to our team in the CCC at any time. If you're concerned about your student, please reach out to our school counselor, Hailey Henderson-Paul. Finally, and most importantly, is the work we do to create homes and schools where students feel like their cared for and belong. For us, we strive to do that every day through our Advisory lessons and classes that are cohorted all the way through HS; through the schoolwide celebrations, recognitions, and events we offer our students; and through the activities we offer our students beyond the school day that keep them involved in prosocial activities.
Six FHHS Scholars Earn the National Rural and Small Town Award from College Board
Six FHHS scholars earned NRSTA academic honors from the College Board. The recognition is an avenue for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.
Students who earned this award this year at FHHS are:
- Alden Carli
- Elliott Deshon
- Kira Clark
- McKenna Clark
- Megan Mellinger
- Dylan Mughal
The criteria for eligible students include:
- GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award program or earned a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade.
- Attend school in a rural area or small town.
Please congratulate these students and their families!
Attendance Counts!
Please call the attendance office at 360-370-7110 or email katydoran@sjisd.org to excuse your student's absence.
Substitutes Needed!
Paraeducators, teachers, custodians, bus drivers, lunch servers, office support; we need backup from the community in all areas! Take a look at the district website for more information on becoming a substitute for the San Juan Island School District.
