Hilltop Herald Parent Edition
Be Respectful ~ Be Responsible ~ Be Resilient
Volume 2 ~ Issue 18~ December 4, 2023
“Champions understand that finishing strong in practice, leads to finishing strong in application. You play the way you practice.” ~Atlas Rowe~
Families, we are almost done with Semester 1! The message that I want to end this semester is the concept of FINISHING STRONG. Whatever the reason you may have for experiencing a challenging semester, finishing the semester strong is the message that you need to cling to. Yes, you may still fail the semester but quitting is never the option. Quitting or giving up is worse that finishing strong and experiencing a glorious failure. Why? Because from failure you can learn and bounce back and do better. If you quit, then you do not learn anything at all. Students, we have one more week for you to raise your grades if you are failing one or more. Go to the Falcon Scholar and the final Saturday Academy of the semester and finish strong. Then you will be able to look forward to a three-week break, get refreshed and start Semester 2 stronger. But before we go into the break, below are important events that will be occurring in the next couple of weeks.
GRATITUDE NOMINATIONS FOR STAFF
Falcons, you have the opportunity to honor a staff member or more by completing a gratitude nomination form. Click on this LINK to access the form. If you are nominating one staff member, you only need to complete the form once. However, if you want to recognize more than one, you will need to complete the form by the number of staff members you wish to recognize. You also have to use your district gmail/Google account NOT your personal one. We will close this form on December 8. Our goal is to have all staff members recognized.
END-OF-COURSE EXAMS INFORMATION
It is only one week away from end-of-course exams or finals week, which will be given on December 12 (Periods 1 & 2), 13 (Periods 3 & 4) & 14 (Periods 5 & 6). These dates are all minimum days with a release time of 12:56pm. Please continue to encourage your children to work hard, catch up on any missing assignments and talk to their teachers if they are not passing at this time. If your children are in danger of failing a class at this time, you should have received a written report(s) from the teacher of the class(es).
Promotion Requirements for 2024 and 2025 Have Been Announced
Families, please carefully read the section on Promotion Requirements for Eighth Grade and Seventh Graders. I have been announcing in my newsletter the return to regular promotion requirements. This is the final year where 8th graders will have a different promotion requirement from normal promotion requirements. Eighth grade promotion requirement is simple: they must pass all their classes this year. This year's 7th graders will be the first promoting class to be held to the 21 promotion credit requirements. Students and Parents, please check your Jupiter Email for the letter from the district.
Holiday Spirit Week is December 4-8
December 4th will start our final Spirit Week of Semester 1 and it is a holiday theme. We will end spirit week with a Winter Formal Dance right after school on Friday, December 8, 2023. Sales of dance tickets will continue this week: on Monday and Wednesday, sales will occur during 8th grade lunch; on Tuesday and Thursday, sales will occur during 7th grade lunch. Read the ASB Activities Section below for the spirit gear each day.
Winter Sports Team Are Complete
Congratulations to all who made the winter sports team. Check the Falcon Flight Section below to see who made the team! Below are the dates for winter sports. All games are scheduled to be at Southwest High School. More details to follow and all coaches will email you all the details. Please mark on your calendar. Note: schedules might change at the last minute.
- December 9, 2023
- December 16, 2023
- January 20, 2023
- January 27, 2023
- February 3, 2024
- February 10, 2024 (Playoffs)
- February 12, 2024 (Finals)
Students, the FLAGS Club will be selling holiday candy grams starting on Monday. If you want to send someone a candy gram, purchase them and surprise a friend on Monday, December 11, when they are distributed. Sales will take place during lunch at the stage area.
2023 HTM Book Fair is Here!
Students, are you shopping for holiday presents already? You may shop at the Book Fair, which will be held in the library all week! Have fun shopping!
Calming Crochet Lunch Group is a Success
Families, last Tuesday, Ms. Santana and Ms. Chihwaro held their first lunch session for crocheting. It was a success with 12 8th graders attending during their lunch and approximately 20 7th graders attending during their lunch. We only purchase 10 crotchet hooks and enough yarn, but it was not enough. We are expecting more this Tuesday. If you are able to donate hooks and yarn, we would love to have enough for each student who shows up. Please read the section below on their needs. This is such an important safe space for students to belong. Thank you for your support.
Please read the entire newsletter and let's have an amazing week.
Sincerely,
Ms. Finley
Eighth Grade Promotion Requirements for 2024
Eighth Graders, below is the email I sent you via Jupiter Grades on Saturday.
Attached (Click HERE) is the email from the Office of Curriculum and Instruction regarding the 8th grade promotion requirements for participating in the ceremony and receiving a certificate of promotion. Additionally, I have been communicating with all of you via my newsletter since the start of Quarter 2 that there will be a return to the requirements at some point. There is one requirement for you: you must pass all your classes this year for both semesters, if you want to participate in the promotion ceremony on June 4 and receive a certificate of promotion.
Integrated Math 1
English 7/ELD Hour 1
English 8/ELD Hour 1
World Cultures
US History
PE 7
PE 8
A - Gi: Ms. Santana
Go - Mo: Ms. Haug
Morn - Z: Ms. Orozco
Seventh Grade Promotion Requirements for 2025
Easter Finley, Principal
Email: easter.finley@sweetwaterschools.org
Website: htm.sweetwaterschools.org
Location: 44 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA, USA
Phone: 619.498.2700
Twitter: @erfinleysd