Solon High School

Monthly Update-September 2019

What a GREAT start!

Good Morning High School families,

The start of the school year is often times one of my favorites, and this year did not disappoint. We have an amazing student body who wants to work hard, and give their very best in all that they do. Our message the first day dealt with impact, and how everything we do can affect others. Each interaction, both positive and negative could have a lasting impact. Thank you for your support as parents, and as always please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. I hope to see many of you at events throughout the course of the month.

Enjoy your week ahead, Zach

Feel free to check out our social media outlets at any time for all things Solon High School

Facebook Link

HS Instagram

Activities Instagram: @solonspartan_ad

My Twitter: @wiglezac

Activities Twitter: @Hackman23

The 2018-19 HS yearbooks have arrived. Students started picking them up last week. Remind your son/daughter to stop into Mr. Erickson’s room (205) to get it before school, during seminars, and/or after school if he/she hasn’t already. There are a limited number of extra yearbooks available if you didn't order one last year. Questions can be directed to Mr. Erickson at jerickson@solon.k12.ia.us.

Dates to ADD to your calendar

We all know how calendars can get filled, so please add the following dates to your September calendar!

9.2.19 NO school (Labor Day)

9.4.19 Study Sessions Begin

9.6.19 First PEP assembly (special schedule) and KGYM Tailgate Tour for students

First HOME football game vs. West Liberty (Armed Forces Night)

9.11.19 ICAP activities

9.12.19 Picture Day- You may order online here

9.21.19 Solon Booster Club Golf Outing at Saddleback-Sign up for that can be found here

9.23.19 ONLY home cross country meet at SRNA

9.23-9.27 Homecoming Week

2019-2020 School Calendar

I am sure most of you have this already, but if not here you go!

http://www.solon.k12.ia.us/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/52c5c98465d8a/scsd_calendar_19_20.pdf

From the Counseling office....

Job Shadow - A Career Exploration Opportunity Grades 10 - 12

Solon High School students in grades 10 through 12 are eligible to participate in a job shadow. A Job Shadow is a great way to begin to explore a career! The job shadow is a four to six hour event in which the student gets a chance to get a "snapshot" of a career. The job shadow takes place on a worksite and is under the supervision of an on-site coordinator. The best thing, students get a chance to explore and learn from people in a career interest area. Our students who have participated in a job shadow have reported that the experience helped them with their career and post-secondary planning.

WLC personnel will be in school on Monday, September 9 to share Job Shadow information with all sophomores.

The application portal for Fall Job Shadow Applications is open. Completed Fall Job Shadow applications are due September 20, 2019 @ 3:00 p.m.

For more information and how to apply go to: http://www.kirkwood.edu/site/index.php?p=38531

Internships - A Career Exploration Opportunity Grades 11 & 12

Work-Based Learning Experiences

The Workplace Learning Connection Internship Program

Solon High School Seniors and Juniors have an opportunity to complete a 60 hour work-site internship and earn three elective credits for your experience. The internship is a planned and supervised career experience. Through this experience, “Interns learn new skills, apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting, develop employability behaviors that better prepare them for the workplace, and gain insight that will help them make more informed career choices.” (TWLC)

Students do receive three (3) elective credits for successfully completing an internship.

Winter and Spring 2020 Internships

The application portal for both Winter 2020 (during our 3rd quarter) and Spring 2020 (during our 4th quarter) Internship Applications opens on September 23, 2019. Completed Winter and Spring applications are due November 1, 2019 @ 3:00 p.m.

Here is the link: http://www.kirkwood.edu/site/index.php?p=38531

PSAT/NMSQT for Juniors

Solon HS is offering the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) on Wednesday, October 16 at Solon High School. This test is an optional test for juniors. This exam (a shortened version of the SAT Exam) can provide a snapshot of where a student is in terms of college readiness. PSAT Scores are not shared with colleges/universities. The PSAT is also the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. This year, the test will be given on Wednesday, October 16. The cost to the student for the PSAT/NMSQT is $17.00. Students interested in taking this exam can register with Mr. Thompson.

Solon HS Counseling Website

Mr. Thompson is continuing to update his website. You can access the High School Website here.

Weekly Bell Schedules

Please find all of the schedules we will use here: http://www.solon.k12.ia.us/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/52f461c72ac8a/shs_bell_schedule.pdf

From our Success Coordinator, Mr. Munson

Each week I will be emailing with the weekly Big Board. The Big Board is a snapshot view of all of the major academic happenings for the week at SHS. It will not list daily homework assignments (those are often found on teacher websites) but it will list any assessments, papers, or projects due in your students' classes. It can also be found on the right hand side of the high school homepage. Here is a link to that page.

In addition, I encourage you to talk to your student about attending before or after school study sessions. One of my core beliefs about education is that the less schoolwork a student needs to complete at home, the better. Completing schoolwork at school leads to higher grades, a better school/life balance, and improved parent/child relationships. Attending study sessions can help alleviate the need to complete schoolwork at home for many of our students. We offer study sessions before and after school to accommodate students with busy extracurricular schedules. Study sessions will begin on Wednesday, September 4th. Below is the weekly schedule of study sessions that are held in my classroom, room 208.

Monday: 3:20 - 4:10 pm

Tuesday: 7:20 - 8:10 am

Wednesday: 3:20 - 4:10 pm

Thursday: 7:20 - 8:10 am

Friday: 7:20 - 8:10 am

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns about your student as I am here to help all students at Solon High School.

Food for thought....

If you have a couple of minutes, take some time to read this article. Vaping is so addictive and hard for kids to stop once they start. We will continue to do our best to educate and stop this hurtful habit.

Activities Schedules

For all things activity related, please use this link to find schedules, locations, dates and times. Any questions can be directed to Casey Hack, district Activities Director. chack@solon.k12.ia.us