What’s going well?
With some of the challenges that have been presented the last few weeks at the high school it can be difficult to focus on what is going well. That being said, we have many things to highlight. Your sons and daughters continue to work hard in the classroom. We have had great success with ZERO block, and students are using that time even when they aren’t being requested by a teacher. Winter activities are also off to a great start! Be sure to check out the WaMaC website at www.wamacconference.org for all things Solon activities.
Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the Holiday Season with your family and friends! – Zach Wigle, HS Principal
Dates to add to your calendar
Early Outs – Dec. 15, Dec. 22 (last day of 1st semester)
Vocal Winter Concert – Sunday, Dec. 18, 6:30 p.m.
Winter Band Concert – Tuesday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.
NO SCHOOL – Dec. 23-Jan. 2 (Winter Break)
ICAP conferences
Thursday, Jan. 26
Thursday, Feb. 2
NHS project
Happy Holidays Solon community!
If you’re looking for a way to say, “Merry Christmas!” and “Happy Holidays!” to Solon schools, a great way is to give the gift of reading! For a student’s National Honors Society project, a book drive has been organized for Solon Media Centers and Makerspace. An Amazon wish list can be found at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1KUl7Jl1QU2BD. Please, only purchase gifts off of this list. There will be bins in each school’s media center hoping to be filled by Thursday, Dec. 22.
For more information contact Mrs. Sutton ([email protected]) or Sydney Swierczewski ([email protected]).
Solon Optimist essay contest
New this year: three local winner prizes!
Gold Medallion (1st Place) — $500
Silver Medallion (2nd Place) — $300
Bronze Medallion (3rd Place) — $200
Enter your 700-800 word essay on “Who is an everyday hero that brings out the optimism in you?” and you could win a $2,500 scholarship. Entries are due to Ms. Nielsen or Mrs. Stahle by Jan. 27, 2023. Instructions, rules, and applications are outside Ms. Nielsen’s room. Anyone under 19 can enter. If you have questions, contact [email protected].
2022/2023 Yearbook
Please help us create the best yearbook possible! Anyone can upload photos at any time all year long to https://plicbooks.com/go/XJ2X41. Right now we are specifically looking for volleyball, football, cross country, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys wrestling, choir, club, and fall musical candid’s. We encourage adding a tag to the photo uploads before uploading, so that pictures get categorized correctly in your yearbook (examples: Musical, 2nd block algebra, lunch outside).
Also…
Hey seniors! We need your senior picture for the yearbook (and for the Solon Economist newspaper’s annual graduation special in May). Please email your photo to [email protected].
Just in case we need the two-hour delay schedule:
10:00 – 10:30 – ZERO block
10:30 – 11:25 – 1st block
11:25 – 12:10 – Lunch
12:10 – 1:05 – 2nd block
1:05 – 1:10 – Passing time
1:10 – 2:05 – 3rd block
2:05 – 2:10 – Passing time
2:10 – 3:10 – 4th block
From the Counseling Office
Mike Thompson, Solon HS Counselor
Phone – 319-624-3401, extension 1117
Email – [email protected]
Website – https://site.google.com/solon.k12.ia.us/solon-hs-counseling/home
To schedule an appointment – https://calendly.com/shscounselor/meeting-with-mr-thompson
Katie Anderson, College and Career Transition Counselor
Phone – 319-624-3401, extension 1116
Email – [email protected]
To schedule an appointment – https://calendly.com/katie-anderson-3/30min
Social/emotional learning: student stress/anxiety
At Solon HS, we have three weeks until Winter Break. Besides the focus on academics, our Winter Sports season is now in full swing. And we are fully into the holiday season. On top of this, each of us – students, staff, parents, etc. are in the midst of a pandemic. This time of year can be stressful for students as they try to balance and prioritize each of these things.
For many students, when they experience either stressful situations or anxiety, their thoughts become muddled. They might be less clear in their thinking. My primary role is to assist students with their social and emotional development. And within that role, my number one job is to listen and help students manage stressful and anxious situations (i.e.: see things more clearly). Parents if you sense your student is a bit more stressed, I want you to know that I can help. You can reach me either by phone (319-624-3401 Ext. 1117) or email ([email protected]).
Financial aid planning information
Summer 2023 internship opportunity for current juniors and seniors
The PORTAL for Summer 2023 internships opens Monday, Dec. 12. The due date for the application is Friday, Feb. 10 at 3:00 p.m. You have an opportunity to complete a 60-hour work site internship and earn three elective credits for your experience. For more information, visit the Career Planning page of the school counseling website.
Future planning: Spring 2023 Job Shadow opportunity – The application portal for Spring 2023 will open Monday, Jan. 2 and close Friday, Jan. 27 at 3:00 p.m. Job shadow opportunities are available for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. To view individual and group job shadow opportunities, and application information, go to https://kirkwood.edu/workplace-learning-connection/job-shadows/index.
Postsecondary planning information
Planning for your future: ICAN resources – links to grade level checklists can be found at https://www.icansucceed.org. in addition to these great tips, visit the ICAN YouTube channel and check out our video Tip of the Week. Each week, ICAN releases a video tip for students preparing for life after high school. To receive the video tip each week, subscribe to the ICAN E-Alerts at https://www.icansucceed.org.
Financial aid planning information
FAFSA – If you need it, you can get help completing the FAFSA and you can get assistance through Iowa College Access Network (ICAN).
The Financial Aid page on my School Counseling website has information about completing the FAFSA. The page also contains FAFSA Priority Deadlines for colleges/universities in Iowa.
Scholarships
I have a Scholarship Page on my School Counseling website dedicated to sharing scholarship information. The scholarships listed on my website are those that come across my desk. Solon Dollars for Scholars and Local Solon Scholarships are not listed on my page. On my page, you will find general information about types of scholarships, how to search for scholarships, and a comprehensive list of scholarships we have received for 2022-23. You can click on the links to view scholarship information with deadlines in the designated month.
Student planning pointers for parents
Iowa Student Loan is offering a free service to parents of students in grades eight through twelve.
Receive two emails per month designed to:
• Provide you with timely content, plus tips and tools relevant to your student’s grade level
• Involve you in your high school student’s four-year academic plan.
• Help you and your student plan for education and training beyond high school.
Parents who participate are entered into quarterly drawings for college savings plans and deposits.
For more information visit www.SP3.org.
Scholarship opportunities for juniors
Go to my Scholarship Page, scroll down a bit, and you will find a box titled “2022-2023 Scholarship Opportunities for Juniors.” In that box is a scholarship called the “Hills Bank Leadership Grant.” Applications must be submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m. March 1, 2023, for consideration.
College credit opportunities in high school
Spring 2023 college credit opportunities for current juniors and seniors – Parents of seniors and juniors, there is still time for your student to enroll in a college credit course(s) for the spring 2023 semester. I want to have these registrations completed by Friday, Dec. 16. Please see me for assistance in registering for a SP2023 college credit course. More information about college credit courses can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uzC_r5U2Rn5eosv1iPqGkZpKl3dGVzRp6wpi_-8hL0A/edit (for Kirkwood Community College) and https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p9d9wnJcTqs-gBPCAk93rZ35Jdw-2m99/view (University of Iowa).
Parents of sophomores
I have shared information with our sophomores about the 2023 Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership Seminar.
Founded in 1958 by actor Hugh O’Brian, HOBY is a leading international leadership program for high school sophomores that is packed with fun, innovative leadership activities focusing on the social change model, including personal leadership, group leadership, and leadership for society. The purpose of the HOBY Seminar is to prepare our country’s high school sophomores to become effective, ethical leaders in their home, schools, workplace and community. Each state has a HOBY seminar and last year over 200 sophomores selected from Iowa’s public and private high schools from across the state attended Iowa’s HOBY Leadership Seminar.
If you would like to see more about what Iowa HOBY is, please watch the videos from an Iowa HOBY experience at https://www.youtube.comwatch?v=AESUVm7BWJA. For 2023, the three-day leadership seminar will be at Drake University from June 9 — June 11. Each high school in Iowa can send at least one sophomore representative to attend Iowa HOBY but, depending on availability, up to four total students from Solon HS may attend.
Might your child be interested in attending the Iowa HOBY Leadership Seminar as Solon High School’s representative? If so, please have him/her contact me by Monday, December 12. If we have multiple sophomores wanting to participate in HOBY we will have a selection process to choose our representative.