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Solon High School

Monthly Update-May 2020

Solon High School Monthly Update-May 2020

Finish STRONG!

I don't know about you, but the last month has been a challenge. This challenge has been both on the personal side and professional side. My wife, Julie, is a teacher also and we have two children that are home full-time like all of your kids. Trying to balance the duties associated with my role as principal, supporting my kids distance learning adventure, and allowing time to get away from the screen has proven to be a battle. My patience has been tested along with many other components of who I am as a person, but please know that we will finish this year STRONG....together!


*Student class schedules for next year should be ready to go prior to the end of the school year. We are currently finalizing a transition plan for our 8th graders to ensure we are in the best spot possible as they become High School students. More information to come!

SAVE THE DATE(s)

May 14th- SENIOR pick-up at the high school. We will have all graduation materials ready to pick up curbside that afternoon from 2-5. Any items in academic lockers will need to be cleaned out as well. Not sure how many seniors use the lockers, but it will be open to clean out. ALL books will need to be returned then too.


May 17th- Graduation parade at SHS- Seniors will report at 1:00 in their car with a reverse parade to start at 2:00. More details on this to come.


May 28th and 29th- 9-11 Academic locker cleanout


May 29th- Last Day of School

National Honor Society

NHS: There have been some questions about the National Honor Society and the Induction Ceremony that was canceled on April 29th. YES, your student is still in NHS. If you received a letter of acceptance in the mail, you are now a current member of NHS. Each accepted student should have received an email that directed them to sign up for the NHS Remind service that is used to send direct communications to members. Students need to join this remind if they have not already. As of right now, there are NO plans finalized for the induction ceremony. The tentative plan is to hold the ceremony early in the fall so the school can celebrate the accomplishments of the newly accepted members. Any questions about NHS or the Induction Ceremony can be directed to Robert Taylor, the NHS adviser: rtaylor@solon.k12.ia.us.

Yearbook Time

Please use this link to order the 2019/2020 Yearbook.

Summer INFORMATION


Winning Edge- Winning Edge forms will be made available as soon as a date can be set. We will wait for guidance from state officials before we make decisions on our timeline. This may mean a start date as late as the month of July.

- Once we know our dates and can finalize forms, we will send these out through the MS/HS emails that go to parents and students. We will also make the form available on the district website.


*** If your son or daughter signed up for HS PE credit through PowerSchool registration, they will STILL need to fill out a form and submit this to Mr. Sands.


Summer Health-This summer we still are planning to offer an online health option that would fulfill the HS Health requirement. This course is started and completed throughout the month of June. Students are allowed to work at their own pace with the only classroom requirement being the proctored tests and the CPR instruction.

If you are interested or have questions please email Mr. Sands at bsands@solon.k12.ia.us

There are a limited number of “seats” for this course so it is a first come first serve basis.

* Completion date and/or the proctoring of tests may need to be altered depending on distancing guidelines.

NEW FOOTBALL COACH

Help me welcome coach Lucas Stanton to Spartan Nation! Pending board approval Lucas will be joining our team ASAP. Lucas has spent the last few years in Anamosa where he was teaching and coaching. Give him a follow on Twitter @CoachStanton20


Tell us a little about yourself: When I’m not spending time at something school related I love to spend time with my wife, Kate and my son, Noah. My wife is an Elementary principal so we are a family that loves kids and education! We love doing anything outdoors and being active! Personally I try to be very active and lead by example that way. Outside of family, school and football you can find me reading a good book or out fishing!

THANK A TEACHER

May 4th-8th is Teacher Appreciation week. Find a unique way to celebrate your childs' teachers this upcoming week! They have been working overtime this quarter!

FAQ's

Please check out this document if you have questions, and if you have more please reach out.

From the Counseling office

Well, I certainly did not picture our 4th quarter going like this. The time after spring break is my favorite time of the school year. The energy and enthusiasm that permeates our building is invigorating! And yet, like all students and families, I’m not able to be in school experiencing these times. Like many students and families my emotions are all over the place. Parents, if your student is struggling with not being in school (e.g. being away from friends, anxious about the future, etc.) I want you to know that I am available to help. And if I can’t help with your particular situation, I will find someone who can.


If there is any way I can help, please let me know.


Mike Thompson, Solon HS Counselor

Contact Information:


Anyone Else Feel This Way?


‘It Was Just Too Much’: How Remote Learning Is Breaking Parents I’m sharing this article because I think, to some extent, all of us are dealing with a wide range of emotions due to the school building being closed. And while I tell myself, “Mike, that’s normal to feel that way.”, it doesn’t make it any easier. Hang in there. Let me know if I can help.

Please Pass the Love


Please Pass the Love is an organization that provides Mental Health Supports for students, families and schools. PPTL is currently offering weekly Zoom Meetings to support students during these challenging times. Check out their Covid 19 Resource Page for more information.


Fall 2020 Workplace Internships Opportunity

The Workplace Learning Connection (WLC) will be offering internship opportunities to students in (current) grades 10 & 11 for Fall 2020. An internship is a 60-hour on-site experience. Over the past three years, more Solon HS students have completed an internship during the summer months because they have more time to schedule the hours. Solon HS students who have completed an internship experience continually report that the experience solidified their career plan. Students who successfully complete an internship receive three (3) elective credits.

The internship portal is NOW OPEN and WLC is accepting Fall 2020 internship applications. Current sophomores and juniors are eligible, with applications DUE by 3PM on Friday, May 15th!


Internship Link

J-FAST


The Solon CSD has partnered with J-FAST to offer Mental Health services to all students in our district. J-FAST is a great resource if you have concerns about a child in crisis or overall questions about Mental Health resources. Check out this flyer for more information.


Post-Secondary Planning

  • Kirkwood Community College Zoom Meeting for Seniors


There will be a zoom meeting for Johnson County seniors Friday May 8th at 2:00 pm The meeting is intended for Johnson County seniors who will be attending Kirkwood CC in Fall 2020. There also will be a Transfer Admissions Counselor from The University of Iowa available at this meeting to talk about the transfer process.


  • Here is the link for the Kirkwood meeting.Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Click Here to Join

Note: Students, this link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you.


  • Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) Q&A on Facebook Live

An ICAN team member will go live at 2pm Monday through Thursday on the ICAN Facebook page to discuss important planning topics and answer questions from students, parents, and school counselors. Simply visit our page and click videos to see the live broadcast.

Next week (May 4 -May 8) the topics include:

  • Monday: The Impact of Your Online Profile

  • Tuesday: Student Loan Deferment During COVID-19

  • Wednesday: Tips for Online Learning

  • Thursday: Essential Skills for Young People

  • Follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ICANsucceed/ and click Videos at 2 pm each day.

And join our online conversations. This is a great way to keep students engaged with short spurts of information. We hope to see you there!

The ICAN Team


Fall 2020 College Credit Courses @ KCC

I have a couple of updates related to fall 2020 college credit courses @ KCC.

Academy Programs - There is still time to register for a 2020 - 2021 Academy Program. Use this link to complete the KCC Academy Pre-Registration Form. The form asks for a school code. Our school code is S1. Please let Mr. Thompson know if you have any questions!

Alternative Concurrent Enrollment Courses - We are in the process of enrolling students in Alternative Concurrent Courses for Fall 2020.


SHS Counseling Scholarship Page

I continue to update my scholarship page. This page includes information about scholarships that come across my desk. Included on this page is Solon Local Scholarship information.

Class of 2020: Check out the Last Dollar Scholarship

We want to make families aware of a great scholarship opportunity for high school seniors. The Last Dollar Scholarship is a state-funded program that pays tuition and mandatory fees for hundreds of programs offered through Iowa’s community colleges. All students need to do is complete a FAFSA by July 1, 2020, and enroll as a full-time student in the fall. For more information, visit www.iowacollegeaid.gov/LastDollar.

Last Dollar Scholarship Flyer



UPDATE: Financial Aid Planning


I am working with ICAN to schedule a virtual Financial Aid Meeting with parents of juniors.

District Happenings

For all things school calendar related, please use this link to find schedules, locations, dates and times. Any questions can be directed to Casey Hack, district Activities Director. chack@solon.k12.ia.us