HHSO February Newsletter

Happy Black History Month White Tigers! This February marked the 45th Annual Black History Month Celebration! However, did you know the precursor to this yearly appreciation of Black History was “Negro History Week”? In 1926 historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life officially announced “Negro History Week”, originally set to be scheduled for the second week of February. Black History Month was officially recognized in the United States by President Gerald Ford in 1976, at the introduction President Ford called the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Here are some sites with facts about inventions, music, and art for you to learn more about Black History!

14 Black Inventors you probably didn't know about

8 Black inventors who made daily life easier

Musician Highlight: Robert Johnson

Motown: The music that changed America

10 Little Known Black History Facts

TED Talks to celebrate Black History Month

1. There are _________ species of native trout in Arizona.

2. Arizona became a state on February __________________, 1912

3. Arizona was the testing ground for the U.S. __________ Corps during the 1800s

4. Arizona is roughly the same size as the European country of ________________

5. In southern Arizona, the sun shines approximately ____________ of the time.

Here you will find a reminder about the HHSO extension policy that went into effect this semester.

• You must be at 70% completion in the course to qualify for an extension.
• Extensions for classes may only be given after this Extension Form is submitted and approved by our staff.
• Extension Request Forms must be submitted by 4pm on date of expiration.

• You are only allowed 2 extensions per semester, all assignments including exam review and the cumulative exam must be completed by the end date.

• If applying for 2 extensions at once please submit the extension requests separately.

Please watch this video to get more information on the HHSO Extension Policy.

To recap, Executive Functioning is an umbrella term used to describe neurologically-based skills that involve mental control and self-regulation.

Planning and prioritization is a function we use every day and can simply be defined as one’s ability to manage current and future-oriented task demands. Separately, planning is seen as your ability to create a map to reach a goal or complete a task; while prioritization refers to your ability to make decisions on what is important versus what is not important. Planning and prioritization are both essential skills for daily life because they play hand-in-hand with your ability to identify and focus on the order in which tasks need to be completed!

Here are 2 ways you can improve your planning and prioritization skills:

1. To-do lists. After writing down your tasks be sure to rank your tasks on a level of importance, this will sharpen your ability to plan and prioritize!

2. Create a calendar and schedule. Routine can help you efficiently use your time by sticking to a set schedule.

http://blog.studentcaffe.com/planning-prioritizing-task-initiation/

More information on planning and prioritization.

https://www.theottoolbox.com/executive-functioning-skills-planning-prioritization/

Ways to Improve your planning and prioritization skills at home!

Jack has been enrolled with HHSO since 2017. Over those years Jack has grown into a really awesome young man! He joined a program at West-Mec and that really made Jack come out of his shell and grow in so many ways! He will be graduating from HHSO soon as he finishes his last course. He has done an amazing job in his school work and has been such a joy to work with. Jack says the journey has been fun and that after graduation he plans to either go into the Marines or attend a film school. Congratulations Jack, we here at HHSO will miss you and wish you the best in life!

1. How do you go about your daily work routine for school?

I wake up and I feed my rabbits (ash, and coal). Then I feed my alpacas Enchanted warrior and Knight of Knights (thank goodness I don’t have to do the chickens). Then I begin school. I usually do one subject before lunch and the other subject after lunch.

1. What are you thinking about doing after high school? What are you thinking about for a college major?

I want to be an architect after high school because it has been my dream. It is a mix of art, design, and creativity. Plus it helps people live in pretty homes. I love to draw so much!

1. What is it like starting high school early?

I really enjoy high school, I think my favorite subject so far has been English. I am excited about starting and learning Chinese because I have never learned another language. I like online school because it lets me still travel (just spent a weekend in vegas)! It is a little weird knowing that all my classmates are older than me.

1. What school and out-of-school activities do you enjoy?

I like playing my violin. I also enjoy the photography club, and I am the president of my 4-H Club. I am excited because I heard there would be a cooking club and I love cooking!

Do you have a hard time getting your coursework done? Meeting your goals?

What you may lack is accountability. Here at HHSO, we strive to be there for our students by providing goals each week and shooting for progress.

However, it is up to you the student to meet those goals and make those grades. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you, tell them where you are struggling and how they can check in with you! Find someone to keep you accountable today!

https://www.growthsourcecoaching.com/why-you-struggle-with-accountability-and-how-to-actually-change.html

https://www.inc.com/gordon-tredgold/7-truths-about-accountability-that-you-need-to-kno.html

We are excited to announce Student Appreciation Month! All through the month of March, HHSO staff will be hosting fun activities for students to participate in. We will also have weekly prizes and who doesn’t love prizes?!

Additional information has been sent out via email and there's more to come so be sure to continue checking-in! Don’t miss out on your chance to win the grand prize!!