NHS Parent Connection

Dear Trojan Families,

As parents, we all have numerous responsibilities and it's only natural that at times the demands of life can be overwhelming. However, amidst our busy schedules, it's crucial that we never neglect our responsibilities towards our children and their education.

I speak from personal experience when I say that it's easy to find ourselves saying, "I'm tired" or "I had a long day, and my kids should know what they need to do." While our children should certainly be agents of their own learning, they equally require our guidance and encouragement along the way.

Education is a collaborative effort, and your involvement plays a pivotal role in your child's academic journey. Consistency is key. Let's make a concerted effort to regularly check in with our children. Ask them about their day, their challenges, and their triumphs. By doing so, we not only stay informed but also provide the support they need.

As we move forward into the semester, I want to emphasize a key factor in student success: consistent attendance. Every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and connect. When students are present, they're building habits that will help them academically and prepare them for life beyond high school. Punctuality and reliability are essential life skills. Showing up on time and ready to engage prepares students for expectations of college, careers, and beyond.

We understand that illnesses and unavoidable circumstances happen. If your student needs to be absent, please send in a parent note within three days of the absence to nwabsencedocumentation@rhmail.org and help them stay on top of missed assignments.

Thank you for your partnership in making Northwestern a place where every Trojan can thrive! Let's make every day count.

In partnership,

Michael Abraham

Principal

It is time for 9th grade students to schedule their IGP meeting with their School Counselor. As we develop our relationship to support your child, we invite all parents to participate in the IGP meeting. As a courtesy to parents and guardians, school counselors request your participation via phone conference while your student is with the school counselor.

Please review the Freshmen IGP video and ensure your student has scheduled their meeting.

Freshman IGP Video (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1chxKifkSViexyuX2FzF8clyy9EkrV1RB/view)

*School Counselor caseloads are divided by student last name*

STUDENT LAST NAME/COUNSELOR/COUNSELOR EMAIL

A – Ch MS. BEDNARZ CBEDNARZ@RHMAIL.ORG

Ci – Gi MS. DEAN ADEAN@RHMAIL.ORG

Gk – K DR. HERRINGTON BHERRINGTON@RHMAIL.ORG

L - N MS. BURKHART CBURKHAR@RHMAIL.ORG

O - Si MR. HERRINGTON MHERRINGTON@RHMAIL.ORG

Sk - Z MS. SCOTT SMSCOTT@RHMAIL.ORG

CAREER COUNSELOR- MS. TUCKER CTUCKER@RHMAIL.ORG

Here are a few things parents can do to help our schools reduce the spread of illness:

• Don’t send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are sick at school will be sent home. Staying home when sick will allow your children to rest and allow you to monitor their health closely.

• Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or upper sleeve when you cough or sneeze.

• Take time to get a flu vaccine. Flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu. SCDPH strongly recommends all South Carolina residents older than 6 months old get the flu vaccine as soon as possible to prevent the flu, unless they have a medical reason not to be vaccinated.

• Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils.

Know the signs and symptoms of the flu and Covid.. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.

Last Names A-G--Mr. Daniel McCallum--dmccallum@rhmail.org

Last Names H-M--Ms. Katrina Moody-Byers--kmoody-byers@rhmail.org

Last Names N-Z--Mr. Tony Lancaster----alancaster@rhmail.org

Curriculum & Instruction--Ms. Rhine Kirkland---rkirkland@rhmail.org

COMPLETE THE FAFSA FORM

College bound students, regardless of income, who want to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs (including grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans) should head on over to fafsa.gov to start your form today.

ENROLL, ENLIST, EMPLOY

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.

Save the date for Spring Graduation--Tuesday, May 27th at 1pm (Winthrop Coliseum)

February 12th

Baseball vs Broome-Varsity-6:00pm-Scrimmage

February 14th

Basketball vs Indian Land-JVG-5pm;JVB-5pm;9thBoys-6:15pm;VG-6:15pm;VB-7:45pm

WR SC 5A Upper State Individual @ Boiling Springs

February 15th

TR @ Dorman Distance Carnival-10:30am

FREE WRITING TUTORING

The Oracle is now open for the semester Tuesday-Thursday during all lunches in A-212!

Please come see us for free writing tutoring during those times!

HALL OF FAME

Do you know a former Trojan who made an incredible impact on Northwestern Athletics? Whether they were a standout athlete, coach, or contributor, now is your chance to help them earn a spot in the prestigious NHS Hall of Fame!

We are currently accepting nominations for the Class of 2025! If you think you or someone you know deserves to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to Northwestern Athletics, we want to hear from you! Submit your nominations today! 📅 Deadline: Monday, February 10th, 2025.

Don’t miss the opportunity to honor the legacy of our past Trojans!

We would love to shine a spotlight on our Trojans who are excelling in our community and beyond. Please complete the form below to highlight our Trojans who are making a difference.

Please be sure to log in to PowerSchool to keep up with students' academic progress and attendance. The system is live, so as teachers are updating grades and attendance, you can see it immediately. You may 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.

FEB 14: No School (Teacher Workday)

FEB 15: School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

FEB 17: District Weather Make-Up Day (E-Learning)

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)

AUG 4: 1st Day of School (25/26 Academic Year)