Homer High-Lights

We are excited about our advisory class this year. The main reason for creating this class is to make sure an adult is looking out for every student in the school. We want to make sure no one falls through the cracks. That being said, we feel there are 4 other key needs we want to provide each student. They are as follows:

1. Mental Health and Well-being

• Promoting mental health awareness is crucial. This includes addressing anxiety, depression, and the pressures of academic and social life.

2. Life Skills and Financial Literacy

• Life Skills: Teaching basic life skills, such as time management, decision-making, conflict resolution, and communication, prepares students for real-world situations.
• Financial Literacy: Students should learn about budgeting, saving, investing, taxes, and managing credit, which are essential for adulthood but often overlooked in traditional curricula.

3. Career Exploration and Planning

• High schools should provide guidance on career paths, including both college and vocational training options. Workshops, internships, and mentorships can help students explore various fields and make informed decisions about their futures.

4. Digital Literacy and Media Awareness

• Given the pervasive role of technology, students must understand digital etiquette, online privacy, and how to evaluate the credibility of information. Cybersecurity and responsible social media use should also be covered.

Our advisory class is a work in progress, but we hope to address these and many more items throughout the year. If you have thoughts or suggestions on advisory, please e-mail me at dwaclawski@kpbsd.org .

Douglas Waclawski

Principal

907-235-4600

dwaclawski@kpbsd.org

America Day Selfie

We want every parent to know that Homer High School will be using the Remind App for classroom communications, emergencies and school updates. Make sure that you opt-into allowing HHS to send you text messages.

This seems to be the quickest and most efficient way to communicate. We will do our best to honor and respect your phone and limit the messages we send you.

If you already have a Remind account, make sure you allow us to contact you via text and you are ready to go. You can opt-in to our school using the code: hhs-25.

Many careers require post-secondary education, but most colleges and trade schools are expensive. The goal of this evening is to break down how to bring those costs down and make them manageable. Paul and Sue, along with invited community members, will review the FAFSA and CSS Profile, financial aid calculators, institutional aid, state and local scholarships, different types of grants and loans, education benefits of military service, and more.

Mark your calendars! – Thursday, October 24th - 6:00-7:30pm in the HHS Mariner Theater

And remember, post-secondary planning depends so much on the individual and their family. Anyone, particularly seniors and their families, is welcome and invited to make an appointment to discuss their personal plan and review the steps to make it happen. To set something up, call 235-4685 or email pstory@kpbsd.org .

Mental Teen Wellness

Parents do so much for their kids –provide a warm house, food, love, transportation to activities and then the teen years start. They need us more than ever in this last stage of childhood. When you think about the amazing emotional, brain and physical development that happen with teens, I think of the phrase, “ten thousand joys and ten thousand sorrows.” For teens, this can happen in a day.

It is normal for teens to have emotions all over the board. There are several things that can help a teen reset and anchor themselves. One or more solid adults in a teen’s life are of the upmost importance to help reset--parents, guardians, teachers and other school staff, youth leaders, coaches. We are all the rocks that teens can rely on to see that hard things happen, hard emotions happen, but you make it through them.

Let’s start with the basics by taking care of your body. Anyone can start feeling better by getting a good night sleep, taking a shower, eating foods that include fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins, and moving your body.

Another layer of mental wellness is connecting to other people. There are a lot of ways for your teen to connect to others: being the stage manager for the school musical, being a manager of a sports team, being on a team, volunteering at the animal shelter, getting a job, joining a youth group at your church. We know taking a voluntary break from social media decreases feelings of worry and anxiety, gives you time to do something you really enjoy and hang out in person with someone.

Another aspect of wellness is helping your teen learn to recognize emotions and stressors before they are overwhelmed by them. Maybe your teen is trying to figure out how to break up with someone, improve their grades, ask someone to a dance and having hard emotions about it. By stopping and recognizing what you are feeling (worried/sad/angry), you begin to see that you are human and just experiencing an emotion. You can be aware of the emotion, accept it and see where you are feeling it in your body. With a few minutes of stopping and breathing into the place in your body you feel it, it eases. In a few hours, a day, or week, there is a good chance this feeling will have completely eased.

The last thing that a parent or guardian might do is to find a way to play with your teen. Maybe you snowmachine together, play ping pong, pick out toys for your dog, make pizza together, play card games or board games with them, plan a vacation together, do a puzzle. When we play with people we love, it builds strong attachments and lets a teen know they are important to you.

Teens are in an amazing life stage and mental wellness is essential. Helping them keep their bodies healthy, staying connected to them, and helping them identify and show up for hard emotions can help them thrive, survive, and ease this time.

Nurse Sharon

The Homer High School picture retake day is now October 21, 2024 from 9:00 am.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for October 24th and 25th. The schedule is outlined below, with Thursday featuring a full day of conferences, including an evening session from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Additionally, there will be a presentation on Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Post-Secondary Planning on Thursday evening from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Conferences on Friday will take place in the morning.

A link to sign up for conferences will be sent to parents a week before conferences. Please be looking for this in your e-mail.

Parent Teacher Conference Schedule

Thursday, October 24, 2024

• 9:00 – 11:00 am
• 12:00 – 3:00 pm
• 5:00 – 8:00 pm

Friday, October 25th

• 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Presentations:

Financial Aid / Scholarship Post Secondary Planning Night

• 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Senior Parent Meeting

• 7:30 Ish – After Presentation

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• Oct. 1 - Site Council Meeting - HHS Library - 4:10 pm
• Oct. 4 - Football vs Kenai - HHS Turf - 2:00 & 5:00 pm
• Oct. 4 - Volleyball vs Seward - HHS Gym - 4:00, 5:00 & 6:00 pm
• Oct. 5 - Volleyball vs Redington - HHS Gym - 10:00, 11:00 & 12:00 pm
• Oct. 8 - Volleyball vs Kenai - HHS gym - 4:00, 5:00 & 6:00 pm
• Oct. 11 - No School - End of Quarter
• Oct. 14 - Grade Check
• Oct. 17 - Volleyball vs Nikiski - 4:00, 5:00 & 6:00 pm
• Oct. 18 - Early Release - Students released at 2:20 pm
• Oct. 18 - Volleyball vs Houston - HHS Gym - 4:00, 5:00 & 6:00 pm
• Oct. 21 - Picture Retake Day - HHS Commons - 9:00 am until finished
• Oct. 22 - Fall Concert (Band & Choir) - HHS Theater - 7:00 pm
• Oct. 23 NHS Trivia Night - HHS Commons - 6:00 pm
• Oct. 24 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
• Oct. 25 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
• Oct. 24 - Financial Aid, Scholarship Info & Post Secondary Planning Night - 6:30 pm
• Oct. 29 - Jazz Band Concert with SOHI - HHS Theater - 6:00 pm
• Nov. 5 - Site Council - HHS Library - 4:10 pm

The HHS National Honor Society is hosting its annual battle of wits where teams compete to see who knows more random factoids spanning various trivia categories. Assemble a team of up to 6 or join a team at the event. $10 per person; $5 for students.

• WHO – HHS NHS and YOU!
• WHAT – Triva Night!...with food for sale and a dessert auction, too.
• WHERE – HHS Commons
• WHEN – 6:00pm Wednesday, Oct. 23
• WHY – To have fun supporting NHS and Hospice’s mission to provide free care and support services to anyone in our community who is frail, isolated, or facing end-of-life issues!

Do you need Senior Service hours? If so, I will post service opportunities in the newsletter each month. If you have questions, come see me in B-102.

Senior Service Opportunities

Chapman is looking for volunteers to help setup and run their yearly Halloween carnival on October 17th and 18th. If you are interested in helping you can reach out to Jodi Alexander for more information at alaskacheergirl@aol.com

Fireweed is looking for volunteers to help with childcare, hallway support, and clean up during their fundraiser on November 18th. If you are interested in helping you can reach out to Sharlyn Young at syoung@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Paul Banks is looking for volunteers to help with child care during parents events on the second Tuesday and last Wednesday of each month. If you are interested in helping you can reach out to Angela Head at Angela.a.head@gmail.com

South Peninsula Hospital is hosting their Brake For Breakfast on the morning of October 8th and is looking for volunteers to help run it. If you are interested in helping out you can reach out to Brittany at 970-497-6912.

Jonathan Raymond

HHS School Counselors

Sue Rennolds – Class of 2026 srennolds@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4691

Paul Story – Classes of ’25, ’27, and ‘28 pstory@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4685

Homer Rotary Study Abroad Program FOL

The Homer Rotary helps pay for HHS students to spend a year studying internationally. They will be presenting during FOL Wed., Oct. 16th. Interested 9th and 10th graders, their families, and any family interested in hosting an exchange student while they attend HHS (a vital and rewarding part of the program) are invited and encouraged to attend.

Opportunities for Free Money

The KPBSD Scholarship Database is home to local, state, and national scholarships. As the year progresses, more and more scholarships will be posted. Most scholarship opportunities are for graduating seniors. HOWEVER, there are several contest-style scholarships/awards listed now for which high school students of any grade level are eligible.

ASVAB Career Aptitude Test coming to HHS

The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is designed for 10th -12th graders to help identify the kinds of jobs in which they show promise. While primarily used by and for the military, students without interest in the armed services sometimes take the test because it’s one of the few career assessments that tests aptitude, rather than just interest. Some of the subtests focus on non-academic areas like electronics, automotive, “shop info”, and mechanical comprehension.

The test will be administered at HHS Wed., Oct. 30 at 9am. Students who test will be responsible for making up work they missed in their 2nd and 3rd period classes. To sign up, simply email pstory@kpbsd.k12.ak.us .

Kenai College and Career Fair

Students in grades 12, 11, and honors/AP 10th are invited to this year’s event at Soldotna High School on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Colleges, trade schools, employers, and military will gather to create the largest assembly of post-secondary representatives on the Kenai Peninsula all year. Details of the trip, including organizations represented and itinerary are on this permission form, which is due to the front office Tuesday, Oct. 1st. Guardians are also welcome to attend, but students may not transport themselves.

Seniors! Did you know yearbook wants to celebrate you? Please send us your senior photo, baby photo, throwback picture (before high school and in the Homer/Anchor Point area), and inseparables (this is your BFFs who also attend Homer High).

How do you share pictures with us? Mrs. Bishop sent a Google form to upload your images on September 30. Didn’t get the email? Are you a parent wanting to share images? Email the Managing Editor: Caitlyn.Rogers@g.kpbsd.korg or Advisor sbishop@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

Shop your Mariners Sideline Store

The PSAT will be offered at Homer High School for interested 10th and 11th graders on Friday, October 11th at 8am during the Teacher In-service day. 11th Grade Students who are traveling for sports on that day will have the opportunity to take it with Homer Flex, Tuesday, October 22nd at 9am. Interested students should complete the Google Form indicating their requested date and method of payment: https://forms.gle/mS6Jgz8tXaRkHzMQ6

Two years ago our teachers, students and parents from our Site Council got together and helped write the Mariner Way. This is what we think it means to be a Mariner and what we want to aspire to. We hope that when people think of Homer High School, they will say we are living the Mariner Way.

We are the Mariners, a special blend of toughness, compassion, grit and integrity. We understand we are part of something bigger than ourselves and endeavor to be better every day. We show sportsmanship, help out community and strive for academic excellence. This is the Mariner Way.

At Homer High, we like to reward students for doing the right thing, showing good character or just going the extra mile. Here are a few of the students who have earned a "Mariner Way" positive referral so far this year.

Email: dwaclawski@kpbsd.org
Website: http://homerhighschool.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/
Location: 600 E Fairview Ave, Homer, AK, USA
Phone: 907-235-4600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/homerhs