HTHS Newsletter

October is a big testing month at HTHS! Students who are not involved in testing will have e-learning days plus there is an e-learning day for all students on October 15th. Please see the testing and e-learning dates below.

• October 3 - PSAT for 10th and 11th Graders who signed up - 10th and 11th graders who did not sign up have an e-learning day; e-learning day for all 9th and 12 Graders
• October 14 - School Holiday
• October 15 - E-Learning Day for all students
• October 22 - Pre-ACT Test for all sophomores; WorkKeys Test for notified seniors; E-Learning Day for all other students

Juniors and Sophomores who signed up to take the PSAT will take that test on Thursday, October 3. This year the PSAT is being administered electronically nation-wide. There is no make-up for the PSAT. Today before school, students taking the PSAT received a website and login code to access preparation materials, to include a practice test. The PSAT is a much different format than our students are accustomed to seeing. It is important for students wishing to perform well on the PSAT to take at least one practice test under similar testing conditions.

For at least two days before the PSAT students should:

• Get a good night’s sleep – 8 to 10 hours is recommended
• Eat well and drink plenty of water

The morning of the test, students should:

• Eat a breakfast with plenty of protein
• Arrive to HTHS by 8:00 am to find your testing room
• Be sure to bring two sharpened No. 2 pencils, an approved calculator, a bottle of water, and a snack

PSAT Strategies: How to Approach the Digital PSAT

The PSAT is different from the tests you are used to taking in school. The PSAT is going digital as of fall 2023, and while the content of the exam is staying the same, its structure and scoring system will be slightly different than its predecessor. The good news is that you can use the new PSAT’s particular structure to your advantage.

For example, on a test given in school, you probably go through the questions in order. You spend more time on the harder questions than on the easier ones because harder questions are usually worth more points. You probably often show your work because your teacher tells you that how you approach a question is as important as getting the correct answer.

This approach is not optimal for the PSAT. On the PSAT, you benefit from moving around within a section if you come across tough questions, because the harder questions are worth the same number of points as the easier questions. It doesn’t matter how you arrive at the correct answer—only that you select the correct answer choice.

Below, we list three expert PSAT tips to help you increase your PSAT score – and test with confidence.

PSAT Strategy #1: Triage the Test

You do not need to complete questions on the PSAT in order. Every student has different strengths and should attack the test with those strengths in mind. Your main objective on the PSAT should be to score as many points as you can. While approaching questions out of order may seem counter-intuitive, it is a surefire way to achieve your best score.

Just remember, you can skip around within each section, but you cannot work on a section other than the one you’ve been instructed to work on. To triage the PSAT effectively, do the following:

First, work through all the easy questions that you can do quickly. Skip questions that are hard or time-consuming. For the Reading and Writing & Language Tests, start with the passage you find most manageable and work toward the one you find most challenging. You do not need to go in order!

Next, work through the questions that are doable but time-consuming. Then, work through the hard questions. If you run out of time, pick a Letter of the Day for remaining questions. A Letter of the Day is an answer choice letter (A, B, C, or D) that you choose before Test Day to select for questions you guess on.

PSAT Strategy #2: Use Elimination

Even though there is no wrong-answer penalty on the exam, Elimination is still a crucial PSAT strategy. If you can determine that one or more answer choices are definitely incorrect, you can increase your chances of getting the right answer by paring the selection down.

To eliminate answer choices, do the following:

• Read each answer choice
• Cross out the answer choices that are incorrect
• Take your best guess

PSAT Strategy #3: Take a Guess

Each question on the PSAT has four answer choices and no wrong-answer penalty. That means if you have no idea how to approach a question, you have a 25 percent chance of randomly choosing the correct answer. Even though there’s a 75 percent chance of selecting the incorrect answer, you won’t lose any points for doing so. The worst that can happen on the PSAT is that you’ll earn zero points on a question, which means you should always at least take a guess, even when you have no idea what to do. When guessing on a question, do the following:

• Always try to strategically eliminate answer choices before guessing
• If you run out of time, or have no idea what a question is asking, pick a Letter of the Day EXCEPT “C.” Test makers have figured out students are guessing “C” more often than the other letters so for the hardest questions they are avoiding “C” for the correct answer. Pick “A, B, or D” and stick to that letter for ALL guesses. This will statistically improve your guess odds.

Students who need to check out during the day for doctor's visits should bring a parent note to the attedance office upon arrival to school the morning of the appointment.

All doctor's excuses must be submitted to the attendance office. Please do not send doctor's excuses via email.

Students will continue to complete the brain games (aptitude testing) during morning activity schedules as follows:

10/2

• Brain game #2- Numerical Reasoning (15 minutes)
• Brain game #3- Spatial Visualization (7 minutes)

10/9

• Brain game #4- Inductive Reasoning (9 minutes)
• Brain game #5- Sequential Reasoning (11 minutes)
• Brain game #6- Idea Generation (5 minutes)
• Brain game #7- Work Approach (4 minutes)

10/16

• Brain game #8- Timeframe Orientation (12 minutes)
• Brain game #9- Vocabulary (8 minutes)

10/23

• Interpersonal style (4 minutes), Interest profiler (7 minutes)

Homecoming Powderpuff Game

Wednesday, October 9

Husky Stadium

6 PM

Homecoming Parade

Parkway Drive | Highway 11 | North Chalkville Road

Thursday, October 10

4 PM

Homecoming Dance

Trussville Civic Center

Friday, October 11

9 - 11:30 PM

Tickets will be sold the week of Homecoming (October 7-11)

Extra Homecoming Shirts

$25

Extras will be sold closer to Homecoming Week

Stay tuned for an exact date

We are looking forward to two more very special home football games this year - Senior Night and Homecoming! Per the Hewitt Trussville Stadium Rules listed below, all students are expected to enjoy the game and festivities from the home side stands. Loitering under the home side or visitor side stands and around the concession areas is prohibited.

• All persons in the stadium are expected to use appropriate language and good sportsmanship.
• All children age-14 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
• No one is permitted on the grassy areas in the North End of the stadium.
• Firearms, knives, pyrotechnic devices, air horns, balloons, drones, live animal mascots, cannons, fireworks, etc. are prohibited at the stadium. Releasing balloons is prohibited.
• Items such as confetti, skateboards, hoverboards, scooters, Frisbees, roller blades, balls of any kind and bicycles are not permitted in the stadium. The district also has the right to prohibit any other object being brought or worn into the stadium.
• Signs are permitted only on the fence in front of the home or visitor stands at ground level. Signs in poor taste shall be removed. Flags on poles or signs larger than a hand towel are not allowed in the bleachers. No metal or tin signs or metal noise makers will be allowed in the stadium.
• Outside food, drinks, gum, seeds, snacks, coolers, and thermos shall not be brought into the stadium. Performers and players may bring drinks into their specific seating area. Glass bottles are prohibited.
• The use of tobacco, electronic cigarettes, vaping products and alcoholic products are prohibited on all school property.
• Pointed objects, including umbrellas, tents or canopies, or objects with sharp and uneven edges are not allowed on the field or sidelines. This includes any props used by the cheerleaders, band or drill team.
• No spectators will be allowed on the field before, during or after the game.
• Anyone on the sideline not in uniform must have a sideline pass or district ID badge. Any one without a proper pass or ID will be asked to leave the area. No one is allowed to stand, photograph or film from the end zone.
• No Loitering permitted.
• Due to security concerns, backpacks and handbags may be searched or prohibited.
• Only emergency vehicles may be parked inside the stadium. No vehicle of any kind will
• be allowed on the track or stadium surface. Drones must be registered and pre-approved by the Stadium Administrator.

Please take a few moments to fill out the Parent Survey. Your feedback will help us better meet the needs of all students and set school goals for the future.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DigAFHiOkv9eEHI4W43x2nxoTaAwgcu87wuagfR-CmM/edit

Please complete the form linked below if your student has an immediate family member who is a veteran i.e. mother, father, brother, sister, step parent or step sibling. The deadline to respond is October 18th. The information will be used for a Veteran's Day slide show! Thank you!

HTHS Veterans Day Survey

The Trussville Public Library will be hosting a two-part ACT Prep class on October 12th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and October 13th from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The class will be conducted in person in the library auditorium. Saturday will be an extensive review session, test taking tips, and a practice essay, and the Sunday will feature a practice test. When you sign up for this event you are signing up for both days. Students will need to bring a notebook, pencil and calculator. Lunch will be provided on Saturday.

The fee for BOTH days of the class is $43.50.

More information: trussvillelibrary.com Teens Section

Great news! Students enrolled in AP Computer Science Principles, AP PreCalculus, and AP Seminar will not be charged an exam fee for the 2024-25 school year. The Alabama State Department of Education is covering exam fees for these 3 courses. We have removed these fee items from the online payment portal and will begin issuing refunds to all students who have previously paid for these exams. Please allow 2-3 weeks for the refund process to be completed.

Please remember to pay your student’s course fees. These fees help teachers purchase instructional supplies used to enhance classroom curriculum, projects, and labs.

Compare your student’s schedule to the 2024-25 HTHS Fee Sheet to determine which fees are due. Link for 2024-25 HTHS Fee Sheet: https://al50000063.schoolwires.net/Page/6066. This link includes a Google form to complete for any questions regarding fees. Fees are payable via check, cash, or credit/debit card. Click the online payment link or scan the QR code below for card payments. Please include your student’s State ID Number on all payments. This ID number is located in PowerSchool and begins with “19”.

Online School Fee Payment Link: https://trussvilleal.csiepay.com/.

Advanced Placement Students

Advanced Placement exams will be administered in May 2025. AP students must complete 2 steps to ensure AP exams are ordered and accurate. Please note the deadlines listed below to avoid late fees.

Step 1:

Join AP classroom for each exam no later than Friday, August 23, 2024. See your AP teacher for the class-specific join code.

• Refer to the AP class syllabus for the exam(s) you should register and pay for.
• Physics I students should consult their teachers for information regarding the Physics C exam option.

Step 2:

AP students must pay a $40.00 fee per exam. See the School and Class Fee Payments section above for payment links and information.

• Refer to the AP class syllabus for the exam(s) you should register and pay for.
• The AP exam payment option in the online payment portal will be available from July 29th until 3:00 pm on November 7th and will reopen November 16th.
• Only cash or check payments will be accepted from November 8th – November 15th.
• All payments received after 2:00 pm on November 15th will be assessed a $40.00 late fee per exam. THE EXAM FEE WILL BE $80.00 PER EXAM AFTER THIS TIME.
• Enter the student’s State ID located in PowerSchool on all payments: Student Id field online, memo line of check, or note included with any cash payments.
• Select the individual exam(s) you are paying for in the online payment portal. Please indicate which exams you are paying for when sending cash or check.

IMPORTANT NOTE: STUDENTS IN AN AP COURSE WHO DO NOT TAKE THE AP EXAM WILL NOT RECEIVE THE ADDITIONAL 1.0 QUALITY POINT ADDED TO THEIR GPA. (Example: A “B” will receive a 3.0 instead of a 4.0.)

Congratulations to HTHS Director of Bands, Mark Knauss, for being awarded the 2024 American Prize in Conducting for Band/Wind Ensemble in the Schools Division. The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts.

October

• 3 - PSAT for 10th and 11th Graders who signed up; E-Learning Day for 9th and 12 Graders and 10th and 11th graders not taking the PSAT
• 7 - Homecoming Week Begins
• 9 - Homecoming Powderpuff Game
• 10 - Homecoming Parade
• 11 - Homecoming Game and Dance
• 14 - School Holiday
• 15 - E Learning Day for all students
• 22 - Pre-ACT for all sophomores; Work Keys for notified seniors; E-Learning Day for all other students

November

• 11 Veteran's Day
• 25-29 Thanksgiving Holidays

December

• 16-20 Fall Semester Exams
• 23 - Jan. 3 Winter Holidays

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