What is going well?
Homecoming week is always one of the most exhausting, fun filled weeks of the year. Our kids did a great job this past week, and October is officially here. We have three weeks left in out first quarter. There are many things going well, but one I would like to share is how awesome your kids have been. Supporting each other, working hard in the classroom, and bringing their best each day does not go unnoticed. As we approach October 21 (last day of quarter 1) there are a few reminders I would like all of you to take a look at below.
Don’t forget that you can visit our website, www.solon.k12.ia.us/o.shs, for all things Solon High School. Both Dawn and Arran are in the office Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Shout out!
Kayla Young set a school record this past Saturday with a time of 18:41 at our most recent cross country race in Waverly at the Dan Houston Invitational. Way to go!
Dates to add to your calendar
We all know how calendars can get filled, so please add the following dates to your back to school calendar:
Early outs: October 6, 13, 20, and 27
October 15 – Mattress fundraiser for Music Boosters
October 17 – NO school: professional development for our teachers
October 21 – END of First Quarter
October 24 – START of Second Quarter
October 26 – ICAP Day, special schedule will be communicated closer to the date
October 27 – Picture retakes
Lunchroom monthly update
We are so excited to be back in another school year at the Solon Community School District! We have some really exciting events happening in the months to come.
Our nutrition team has been lucky enough to start out the year with our Farm to School program. With this program we are able to work with local farmers to provide produce and dairy products from all over Iowa. This is something we will be continuing every month so be on the look out for these special items on your menu!
October 14-19 will be National School Lunch Week and this year’s theme is “Peace, Love, and School Lunch.” National School Lunch Week was started back in 1962 when President Kennedy established the importance of students eating a mid-day meal. The National School Lunch Program was created to ensure the health of all public school students and to aid in academic success. The National School Lunch Program now reaches over 30 million children every school day. We are proud to be part of a team that reduces childhood hunger and also supports our local farmers and American agriculture.
October 24 is the Great Lakes Apple Crunch Day. Students all over the Midwest are asked to join in the fun by enjoying local apples at their schools and crunching them during lunch. The goal this year is to get 1.2 million apple crunches. Buffalo Ridge Orchard has provided us with apples throughout the year and we are proud to support them on this day!
– Solon Nutrition Team
Monthly menu
For those new to the district, all ages are offered the main menu items as well as a grab and go option. All main lunch items, as well as what is offered in the grab and go’s is listed at https://solon.nutrislice.com/menu.
From the Counseling Office
Mike Thompson, Solon HS Counselor
Phone – 319-624-3401, Ext. 1117
Email – [email protected]
Website – https://sites.google.com/solon.k12.ia.us/solon-hs-counseling/home
To schedule an appointment – https://calendly.com/shscounselor/15min
From Katie Anderson, College and Career Transition Counselor
Phone – 319-624-3401, Ext. 1116
Email – [email protected]
To schedule an appointment – https://calendly.com/katie-anderson-3/30min
Financial Aid planning information
The FAFSA opened on Saturday, October 1. Do you know what the financial aid priority filing deadline is for the school of your choice? You can find information about Iowa college and university deadlines by going to https://iowacollegeaid.gov/AidDeadlines.
If you are nervous about completing the FAFSA or have specific questions I highly encourage you to contact our Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) representative, Lupe Hernandez (Eastern Iowa Student Success Center, 319-423-7702 or [email protected]). She has an office at the Kirkwood Regional Center in Coralville.
ICAN can provide assistance with the FAFSA this fall. Appointments are free and their schedule fills up fast. To schedule a one-on-one appointment with ICAN visit www.icansucceed.org/apt.
FAFSA Completion Assistance Events
There are many options available for seniors and parents who are looking for assistance in completing the FAFSA form.
FAFSA Ready Iowa sites are scheduled and you can view events at www.icansucceed.org/fafsareadyiaevents.
ICAN offers community and school based assistance events both in-person and virtual, when grant funding or a sponsor is available. Contact your student success advisor to learn more about this option.
ICAN will host FAFSA Step-by-Step virtual completion assistance events each month beginning in October. Students and families can register for these free events and follow along, asking questions and getting virtual assistance to complete the form. All events begin at 5:30 p.m. October 12, November 9, December 7, January 18, and February 8. Online registration is required. For more information on how to join this event contact Erick Danielson at [email protected].
More detailed information about Financial Aid can be found on the Financial Aid Information page of the Solon HS Counseling website.
Spring 2023 college course registration
Students can soon begin to register for spring semester college courses. The middle to the end of October is when both Kirkwood Community College and the University of Iowa release their Spring 2023 Course Schedule.
Kirkwood will release its 2023 spring schedule October 10. Now is the time to visit with Katie Anderson (our CCTC) about your spring college credit course plans. In addition to meeting minimum proficiency standards to be eligible to take a college course, students wanting to take a course at the University of Iowa must have a 3.5 GPA to be admissible. See Mr. Thompson for more information.
Post-Secondary exploration
College Representatives visiting Solon HS – go to https://sites.google.com/solon.k12.ia.us/solon-hs-counseling/post-secondary-visit-schedule to see the most up-to-date listing of college representatives visiting the high school.