NHS Parent Connection

Dear Trojan Families,

It's hard to believe we are nearing the end of the fall semester. In the midst of exams, we have a lot of great things happening on our campus and we hope you are finding time to support our Trojans. Please refer to the schedule below for important dates.

TUE, 12/10-ORCHESTRA WINTER CONCERT AT 7:30PM (AUDITORIUM)

WED, 12/11-OPEN MIC NIGHT AT 6PM (AUDITORIUM)

THU, 12/12-BAND CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT 7PM (AUDITORIUM)

SAT, 12/14-FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP @ SC STATE (6PM)

THU, 12/19-CHOIR CONCERT AT 7PM (AUDITORIUM)

NOTE: Friday, December 20th is a half day and dismissal is at 12:15pm. This is also the last day of school for the second semester. Students will return to school on Monday, January 6th.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment and support. Together, we can make these last few weeks of the semester rewarding for our students.

In partnership,

Michael Abraham

Principal

Students enrolled in an online Virtual SC course in the Fall Semester will take final exams on 12/9, 12/10, or 12/11. Students may choose either testing date to report to the A113 (located on the guidance hallway in A building) at 3:50 to begin exam(s). Please bring your laptop and your charger as they will not be provided. Please contact your school counselor if you plan to take more than one exam on the testing day or if you have any questions!

It is essential for students to be present and on time on their scheduled testing days. Please refer to the schedule below. Let's work together to ensure a smooth and successful testing period for our Trojans!

• Promote regular attendance as attendance is vital for academic progress and overall success.
• Weekly monitoring of PowerSchool-Ex: Set a reminder to check the account on a consistent day each week.
• Engage in academic discussions: dedicate time to discuss your child's academics, including assignments, tests, and projects.
• Encourage your child to take advantage of WIN time: during win time, students should be using PowerSchool to check their grades, communicate with their teachers about their progress, and completing assignments.
• Reach out: check in with your child's teachers and guidance counselor for support.
• Celebrate every achievement: Studies show when children are praised for doing well, it makes them feel good and encourages them to do well.
• Prep for EOC (End of Course) & Final Exams: familiarize yourself with the EOC (End of Course) testing & final exam schedule. Ensure that your child is studying and also getting proper rest

Congratulations to Trojan AFJROTC for showcasing their exceptional capabilities during a recent assessment as they achieved an impressive rating of "Exceeds Expectations." The commitment and teamwork demonstrated by the cadets, as well as the leadership demonstrated by their instructors is truly remarkable as this rating is no small feat. Continue carrying the torch!

Congratulations to Trojan Football as they'll be heading to Orangeburg, SC (SC State University) this Saturday to face off against Irmo in the State Championship title game at 6pm. The Trojans are UNDEFEATED and we need our fans to show up loud and proud to help cheer us on to victory.

Please use the link below to purchase tickets. The school will receive credit until Wednesday at midnight if you use this link. For general information regarding parking, spectator entrances, stadium policies, CLICK HERE.

Please join Trojan Council in Winter Spirit Week Activities!

Don't forget to purchase your yearbook! We have about 250 yearbooks left and we are not ordering more. All yearbooks are pre-order only. Place your yearbook order at yearbookforever.com today.

Hope of Rock Hill https://www.hopeofrockhill.com/ needs our help! If every student provides one item, we can provide over 1,500 goods to families in need. Students are welcome to bring the items to the school by Wednesday, December 11.

ENROLL, ENLIST, EMPLOY

The fall semester seems to go by quickly with all of the deadlines, activities, and school breaks. Seniors should be considering what they are planning to do after graduation in just a few short months. It's ok to not have a definitive plan right now, but they should be thinking about all of the available options-tech or trade school, college, military, or career opportunities. Students may speak with their school counselor or our career counselor for assistance.

Visit School Counseling / Career Planning for career counseling opportunities.

Visit School Counseling / SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES to access opportunities.

Visit School Counseling / Transcript/Records Request to request your transcript.

Senior yearbook ads are on sale until 12/21. Full Page $275; Half Page $175; Quarter Page $100

All ads are ordered, and info is submitted online at yearbookforever.com. Please contact Ms. Silva with questions at mlsilva@rhmail.org. There are only a few spaces left!

GRADUATION

Spring Graduation (Tuesday, May 27 at 1pm-Winthrop Coliseum)

Who should complete the FAFSA form?

Any college bound student, regardless of income, who wants to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs. This includes grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.

Head on over to fafsa.gov to start your form today as the form is now live.

What do I need?

• Verified account username and password (FSA ID)
• Parent or spouse contributor name, date of birth, Social Security number, and email address
• Income and asset information (if required)

How long will it take?

It takes most people less than one hour to fill out the FAFSA form, including gathering any personal documents and financial information needed to complete it.

Do you need help?

Please join our School Counseling Department for FAFSA Night on Monday, December 9, at 6pm in the Media Center. Please CLICK HERE to register.

We are in need of donations for monthly recognition efforts to reward our students for behavior, academics, attendance, and more. If you are willing and able to donate, we can use full size candy bars, gift cards ($5-$10), individually wrapped treats (debbie cakes, chips, cookies, granola bars), or send items directly from Amazon. Stay tuned for our online wish list of items selected by students that can be shipped directly to the school. Please label items (NHS SIC) and have your student deliver to "A office" or the "Welcome Center." Thank you in advance for your support!

Also, we would love to spotlight students in our weekly newsletter who are excelling in arts, athletics, or in our community. Parents, you are welcome to submit awards and recognitions via the form below.

Each month, we celebrate and honor a "Teacher of the Month" & a "Difference Maker." Please consider donating gift cards ($5-$10) to help us provide our teachers with a small token of appreciation. Please label the cards Teacher Appreciation and send them with your student to "A Office" or the "Welcome Center."

Each month, Friends of Northwestern offers students the opportunity to nominate a Teacher of the Month and the student and the teacher in turn receive a special treat from FON. See below for the winners for October, November, & December.

Tue, December 10th

WR @ Chester HS-6:00pm-Girls

BB vs South Pointe-GJV-5:00pm-Fgym,BJV-5:00pm-Bgym,9th-6:15pm-Bgym, GV-6:15pm-Fgym,BV-7:45pm-Fgym

Wed, December 11th

WR @ South Pointe-6:00pm-Boys/Girls

BB vs AC Flora-GJV-5:00pm-Bgym,BJV-5:00pm-Fgym,9th-6:15pm-Bgym, GV-6:15pm-Fgym,BV-7:45pm-Fgym

Sat, December 14th

WR @ Clover-JV

WR @ Dutch Fork-Boys Varsity

FB STATE CHAMPIONSHIP @ South Carolina State University-6:00pm

NHS recognized 5 student athletes on National Signing Day. We are elated and we can't wait to see how well our Trojans do inside and outside of the classroom at the next level.

CJ Broughton signed to play football at UNC Pembroke.

Finley Polk signed to play football at Gardner Webb University.

Cole Smith signed to play baseball at Southern Wesleyan University.

Madison Harvey signed to run track at USC Upstate.

Ben Notarangelo signed to run cross country at Converse College.

Club/Organization opportunities for your students to attend during WIN Time Tuesday-Friday.

MENTAL HEALTH

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Visit NAMI Piedmont Tri-County - Support for Mental Health for more information.

COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE

Rock Hill Schools has compiled a resource guide listing a variety of community resources for our families. Please visit https://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/Page/3383 for more information.

IDENTIFICATION CARDS

For the purpose of campus safety, students are required to have their ID card at all times. Replacement cards are $5; however, students may purchase a temporary card for $1 before the first bell in the attendance office.

NO PHONE ZONE

Cell phones are not to be used during the school day. If your student texts you during the day, please remind them of the rules. We appreciate your support in this matter. By having cell phones away, our students can focus on learning and interacting with others.

ATHLETICS

All students MUST go home afterschool and return for athletic events as they are not allowed to wait after school for an athletic event to start. The only exception to this rule applies to students who have after school practices/games and are supervised by their coach. Students in violation of this rule may face disciplinary action.

COLD/FLU SEASON

Students must be fever free for 24 hours without the aid of medication before they return to school after illness. This helps decrease the spread of germs to the general school population. Remind your child that good/frequent hand washing is our best defense against germs.

Parents and guardians should be sure to log in to PowerSchool to keep up with students' academic progress and attendance. PowerSchool is the system used to keep up with students' grades and attendance. The system is live, so as teachers are updating grades and attendance, you can see it immediately. As a parent or guardian, you can also set up notifications for Parent Portal to contact you about your child's progress on a weekly basis, daily basis, or anytime a new grade or attendance code has been entered.

• Students must be present for at least 60 minutes to get credit for attending class.
• Parents may submit up to three parent notes per semester or a total of 6 per school year. If your student is absent, please submit an excuse to nwabsencedocumentation@rhmail.org within three days of the absence.

Students have been notified via their canvas messages and have also been provided a sign-up link for makeup school if they owe hours due to excessive absences. For questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Gravley at sgravley@rhmail.org or (803) 981-1928 to check on their make-up status.

DEC 20: Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm (Last day of the semester)

DEC 23: Winter Break (December 23-January 3)

JAN 6: Students return to school

JAN 9: Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

JAN 20: No School (MLK Day)

JAN 30: Winter Graduation @ 6pm (South Pointe High School)

JAN 31: Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm

FEB 3-7: National School Counseling Week

FEB 14: No School (Teacher Workday)

FEB 17: No School (President's Day)

FEB 28: Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm

MAR 7: Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day

MAR 12: End of Quarter 3

MAR 14: No School (Staff Holiday)

MAR 17: No School (Teacher Workday)

MAR 28: Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm

APR 4: School Librarian Appreciation Day

APR 7-11: National Asst. Principal Appreciation Week

APR 21-25: Spring Break

MAY 1: School Principal Day

MAY 2: School Lunch Hero Day

MAY 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week

MAY 7: School Nurse Day

MAY 18: Speech Language Pathologist Day

MAY 22: Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm

MAY 23: Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm (Last Day of School)

MAY 26: Potential Weather Make Up Day

MAY 27: Graduation @ 1pm (Winthrop Coliseum)