TCS HS Highlights February 2025 💘

February 2025, Volume 7

Crafted for Cottonwood Homestudy High School Students

"How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time."

-Morgan Freeman

♥💕💗Welcome to February... the month of kindness!💗💕♥

Hello Cottonwood High School Students,

February is an exciting month full of opportunities to celebrate and connect! Just a few of this month's celebrations are:

• Valentine’s Day on 2/14
• Random Acts of Kindness Day on 2/17
• World Day of Social Justice on 2/20

For a comprehensive list of all the big and little observances during the month of February, go here.

But that’s not all! This month also highlights important causes:

• Black History Month: Honoring the achievements and contributions of Black leaders, past and present.
• National Cancer Prevention Month: Raising awareness for healthy living and prevention.
• National CTE Month: Celebrating career and technical education and its role in shaping futures.

Although February is the shortest month, it’s packed with meaning and marks the start of the journey toward Spring. Let’s make the most of it by celebrating kindness, love, and the causes that inspire us!

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s inside:

• School events ✨ to mark on your calendar
• HS Counseling Corner
• Academic opportunities 🎓to help you succeed
• CTE Month Highlight
• CVHS
• SELF: Attitude of Gratitude
• Gratitude in Action: Teacher Appreciation Survey
• 9th Grade PFT
• National Honor Society/National Junior Honor Society
• Student Voices at Cottonwood
• Spring 2025 Academic Calendar

Stay connected, practice gratitude, and don’t miss out on everything happening this month!

All My Best,

Mrs. Sweiven

Associate Director of Instruction, High School

Save the date for teen focused and teen friendly events:

Check out these upcoming TCS Events—we can't wait to see you there!

• 2/6 Cottonwood Ski Day #3 (registration closed)🏂🏼
• 2/21 Snowshoeing Adventure at Chickadee Ridge (closed-full)❄
• 2/28 Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge for Teens (closed-full)🎨
• 3/21 Glowetry! 2nd Annual Glow Poetry Slam (@ the CCC) -registration opens 2/6 🎉
• 3/21 Horseback Riding for Teens at Shadow Glenn Riding Stables (registration opens 2/13)🏇🏼
• 3/27 Sacramento Kings Game (registration opens 2/13)🏀
• 4/4 High School PROM 2025!💃🏼🕺🏼
• 4/11 Maker's Market🧁
• 5/1 Innovation Day (@ the CCC)💡⚡
• 5/8 Virtual Holocaust Museum Tour & Survivor Talk (registration opens 3/13)🌏
• 5/9 Paintball for Teens (registration opens 3/13) 🎯
• 5/22 TCS Graduation Ceremony🎓

For details on these and MORE Cottonwood events go here:

Cottonwood Field Trips and Events link

Plan ahead! Registration is required for all events. Some events fill up quickly. Registration closes 2 weeks prior to each event.

The El Dorado Union High School District invites you to the district-wide Career Expo on Thursday, March 6, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Union Mine High School. El Dorado County students in all grades and the community are invited to attend this FREE event.

The Career Expo is a free, dynamic Career Awareness Event that features a Job and Volunteer Fair. Attendees will have the chance to:

• Explore a wide variety of career paths.

• Discover local volunteer opportunities.

• Connect with employers offering job openings for high school students and graduating seniors.

This event is designed to help students:

• Build their resumes.

• Network with community members.

• Gain valuable insights for future planning.

Save the date! Visit the website to preview past exhibitors and learn more.

The Sacramento Region Community Foundation offers dozens of scholarships to help students reach their educational goals after high school! Most of the scholarships offered are funded by local people and businesses in the Sacramento area. Check out this link for more information on the scholarships available and to see if you meet the requirements needed to apply: https://www.sacregcf.org/students/

Just a quick reminder that Los Rios Community College applications for Fall 2025 open on February 1st! If you are planning to apply for the Fall Semester, now’s the time to get started. Make sure you mark your calendar! Click here for more information on application steps!

Jonas Heppner, School Counselor

https://calendly.com/jonas-heppner/counseling-appointment

Kiyoshi Mizutani, School Counselor

https://calendly.com/kiyoshi-mizutani/counseling-appointment

Lindsey Romero, School Counselor

https://calendly.com/lindsey-romero-cottonwoodk12/30min

“'How do you spell love?’ asked Piglet.

‘You don’t spell it, you feel it,’ said Pooh.”

— A.A. Milne

💕💗💕❤💗💕

"How do you spell CTE?" asked Mrs. Sweiven.

"We don't spell it, we design it, build it, create it, craft it, and live it!" said Ms. Balliet.

• Cottonwood Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways provide students with essential career, academic, and employability skills/soft skills that are needed for the modern workplace.

• CTE Pathways are taught by teachers who have experience and credentials in the Industry Sectors they teach!

We hope you’ll consider taking a CTE class next year! There are many CTE pathways for you to explore:

• Finance Careers (Personal Finance, Real Estate, & Financial Strategy)
• Health Careers (Patient Care, Complimentary, & Supportive Services)
• Hospitality Careers (Events, Travel, & Leisure)
• Agriculture Careers (Agriscience, Animal Science, & Ornamental Horticulture)
• Business Careers (Entrepreneurship, Managing Business, & Marketing)
• Community Service Careers (Child Development, Education, & Human Services)

CTE Students have been busy working on their Vision Board slide decks and choosing their Capstone Projects. Please click the picture of the Vision Board slide deck below to see the beautiful project Daniella V. created.

CVHS is thrilled to invite you to 2 incredible teen school events that will spark your creativity and inspire your imagination! First, join us for the 2nd Annual Glowetry: Glow Poetry Slam—an unforgettable event filled with glow-in-the-dark art projects, glowing poetry lanterns, blackout poetry, and more. Enjoy delicious snacks, great music, and an electrifying black-light atmosphere at the CCC. Then, don’t miss Innovation Day, where you can team up with friends to brainstorm groundbreaking ideas, tackle real-world challenges, learn from the innovative ideas of other students, and unleash your creativity and problem-solving skills. Both events are packed with fun, inspiration, and opportunities to connect with your peers.

As soon as registration is available, you will receive a separate email with an invitation to register.

We hope you come!

Big shoutout to our newest National Honor Society members—congrats! 🎉 We can’t wait to celebrate you at the NHS Induction Ceremony on February 6th. NHS and NJHS are all about stepping up in scholarship, service, leadership, and character. With the support and guidance of their advisors, Mr. Clark and Mr. Lutkemuller, NHS and NJHS members are committed to creating a positive impact in both our school and the community!

An attitude of gratitude is all about noticing the good stuff in your life and appreciating it. When you focus on what you have instead of what you’re missing, life feels way better—your mood improves, your relationships grow, and everything seems brighter.

Make a Gratitude Jar: Write down things you’re grateful for on small pieces of paper and drop them into a jar. Whenever you’re feeling down or need a pick-me-up, pull one out and remind yourself of something awesome in your life. This is a great way to reset your mindset!

Visit Kelly McIntosh our SELF Coordinator at Mindset Mondays on ZOOM at 11:30am. This month's focus is ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!

At The Cottonwood School, PFT is also known as PARTY FITNESS TIME! When you arrive for PFT you will notice a Field Day type atmosphere, with fun music, snacks, and prizes. Some of our students say it's their favorite event of the year. We can't wait to enjoy some fun at a local park with you soon!

Fitness testing includes:

1. ​One-Mile Run

2. Curl-Ups

3. Push-Ups

4. Trunk Lift Video

5. Shoulder Stretch

*Talk to your HST for more information on Physical Fitness Testing.

Each year, we ask parents and students (3-12) to share their thoughts about what’s working and what could be better at The Cottonwood School. Your input really matters—it helps us make the school even better and improve programs just for you. The survey is quick, totally voluntary, and a great way to make your voice count. Ready to make an impact? Let’s do this!