November 2014

Author and theologian H. A. Ironside said, “We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” When I read this quote, I was reminded of how we've been striving this year to be "Positive in the Present" here at SHHS, and I thought about the supportive praise we  see being heaped upon one another hear at our school between students, faculty, and staff. And as this is a season of thankfulness, we would be remiss if we did not thank you for all that you do in our community to make our school great. You, our PTA , School Community Council, and other parent support groups, are truly fighting discontent and dissatisfaction with your praise and support of our students, faculty, and staff. As administration, faculty, and staff of SHHS, we are truly thankful for your support. 

Skyhawk Highlights:

2014-2015 SHHS Sterling Scholars: We would like to recognize and congratulate this year's Sterling Scholars: Art – Kenny Van Ausdal; Math – Joe Cromar; Social Science – Juliana Millet; English – Bethany Wride; Vocal Performance – Nicole Flinders; Instrumental Performance – Kaytlin Davis; Speech/Theater Arts/Forensics – Sariah Lee; Skilled and Technical Sciences – Rylee Beckstead; Family and Consumer Sciences – Hayden Hullinger; Computer Technology – Katelyn Gallacher; Business and Marketing – Lauren Bennett; World Languages – Mitchell Stone; Dance – Kenadee Limb; and Science – Devri Adams. We are proud to have these students represent our school.

 SHHS Footloose Production: This week the school's production of Footloose came to a close, and our students did a fabulous job with the show. Under  the direction of Ms. Stubbs, the cast and crew delivered a captivating performance that appealed to our hearts and our funny bones as they brought the iconic 80's film back to life on the SHHS stage. Well done cast and crew of the show.  

 SHHS Girls' Basketball: The girls' basketball team tipped off the season with a dominant performance against Snow Canyon HS last Friday night. The final score was 58-31, and Coach Francom was pleased with the team's performance, calling the victory a "good team win."

Skyhawk Happenings:

• On December 12 there will be a Pursuing Victory with Honor Assembly hear at the school during the school day, following our assembly schedule.
• December 15 will be a Monday Make-up Day. The make-up time will run from 1:55-4:00 PM, and students can receive double detention time for participating.
• We will be having an Anti-bullying Assembly on December 16 during school; we will be following our assembly schedule.
• As a note of reminder, ALL attendance detentions must be made up to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities and sports. Parents may excuse absences dating back a week, but unexcused absences that date back further than a week must be served as detention.
• Detention will be held before school, during lunch, and after school in room C207 with Ms. Houghton and before school with Mr. Schwenke (room D104).
• Our student  Ammon Clark continues to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House by collecting pop tabs from soda cans. We can help Ammon in his collection efforts by bringing our pop tabs to the school and turning them into the front office, the counseling office, and (or) Mrs. Wilder's room.

Next Week at a Glance: (12/01/14 - 12/06/14)

 Monday: Nothing

 Tuesday: SHHS Boys' Basketball versus Pleasant Grove HS @ 7:00 PM

                 SHHS Girls' Basketball @ Orem HS

Wednesday: SHHS Boys' Basketball @ Uintah

                        SHHS Band Concert @ 7:00 PM

Thursday: SHHS Girls' Basketball @ Desert Hills Tournament

Friday:  SHHS Girls' Basketball @ Desert Hills Tournament

               SHHS Boys' Basketball @ Mountain View HS     

               Skyhawk Showdown (Wrestling)

Saturday: Skyhawk Showdown (Wrestling)

                  SHHS Drill Competition @ UVU

Skyhawk Parents, Students, and Community,

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”  -- Lewis Carroll

Seeing the beauty of the mountains and our valley blanketed in winter snow fills me with conflicting emotions. I love the first snow and the fun that is associated with winter; however, it's difficult to deal with the havoc that winter wreaks on our lives. As members of this community, we've had to learn to deal with the paradox of our winter weather. So enjoy this winter weather, but remember to be careful as well. One great thing about the winter season, though, is the transition into our winter sports and activities here at SHHS, and we're looking forward to watching our students participate and compete in their various sports and activities in the weeks and months to come.

Skyhawk Highlights:

SHHS Debate: Last Friday and Saturday our school's debate program under the direction of Mr. Welton hosted their annual Skyhawk Smackdown. It was the largest Smackdown in the six-year history of the event; in fact, the event was so large that our nearby junior high had to be used as well to accommodate all the participants. 25 schools were represented with nearly 900 entries,  and schools from as far south as Moab HS and as north as Roy HS came to participate in the event. Our SHHS debate team placed 1st in the event with a score of 259! 2nd place went to Juab HS (228), 3rd was Maeser Prep. (140), 4th was taken by Beaver HS (129), and the 5th spot was claimed by Timpview HS (109). Congratulations Skyhawks!

SHHS students who contributed to the overall win: 2nd Character SPAR:  Christopher Taylor, 
4th Character SPAR:  Joshua Kitchen,  5th Character SPAR:  Juliana Millet, 3-0 Lincoln Douglas: Katie Lynn Vaughn and Braxton Adams, 4-1 Lincoln Douglas: Mike Abbott (5th Place) and Tayler Ventura, 1st Parliamentary: Erik Johnson and Seth Erickson, 2nd Parliamentary: Ian Shumway and Ben Brimhall, 3rd Public Forum: Amy Robinson and Maleah Cook (4-1), 5th Public Forum Rachelle Gunderson and Albina Truax  (4-1), 1st (Tied) Policy: Adam Johnson/Frank Phillipsen and Emily Miller/Justin Taylor  3-0, 3rd Policy: Zack Robison/Austin Short Debate 3-0, 5th Character SPAR: Ethan Adams,  2nd (Tied) Extemp: Jeffrey DeGraffenried,  5th Impromptu: Eric Johnson, 2nd (Tied) Oratory: Hayden Albrecht, 5th Poetry: Andrew Christensen, 6th Poetry: Bethany Davis, 1st SPAR: Tayler Ventura, 2nd SPAR: Addison Hicks, 4th SPAR: Conner Campbell, 5th SPAR: Jeffrey DeGraffenried 

 Skyhawk Happenings:

• Our school musical, Footloose, will run from November 20 through November 24. Show times will be at 7:00 PM. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students, and $30 for a family.
• Mrs. Williams' class is currently gathering clothing for Tabitha's Way. Our SHHS students are competing with one another to see which class (senior, junior, or sophomore) is able to donate the most clothing; the class that donates the most will win the "Biggest Heart" contest. Encourage your students to participate in this noble cause.
• There will be a Career Day here at the school on November 25. Students will have the opportunity to hear from career professionals in their 2nd and 3rd period classes on that date.
• As a note of reminder, ALL attendance detentions must be made up to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities and sports. Parents may excuse absences dating back a week, but unexcused absences that date back further than a week must be served as detention.
• Detention will be held before school, during lunch, and after school in room C207 with Ms. Houghton and before school with Mr. Schwenke (room D104); our administrative team continues to offer detention time after school for students interested in biking, running, lifting weights and doing cross fit. The program is called Double Time, and students can earn double the detention time for participating.
• Our student  Ammon Clark continues to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House by collecting pop tabs from soda cans. We can help Ammon in his collection efforts by bringing our pop tabs to the school and turning them into the front office, the counseling office, and (or) Mrs. Wilder's room.

Next Week at a Glance: (11/24/14 - 11/25/14)

Monday: SHHS School Musical: Footloose @ 7:00 PM

Tuesday: SHHS Boys' Basketball versus Cedar City HS (Soph. @ 3:30, JV @ 5:15, and Varsity @ 7:00)

Wednesday: Thanksgiving Break

Thursday: Thanksgiving Break

Friday:  Thanksgiving Break

Saturday: N/A

 Have a fabulous week, and go Skyhawks!

 Yours in service, the service of our students, and our community,

Curtis Burton

SHHS Dean of Students

Skyhawk Parents, Students, and Community,

Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.  --  Jesse Owens

This last week our volleyball and football seasons came to an end, and though they may not have ended the way our participating students, coaches, and community would have liked, these two teams competed all season with spirit, heart, and honor. The success of their seasons can be measured in the friendships that were forged, the memories that were made, and the class with which they competed. And isn't that true for all of us? The friendships we make, the experiences we have, and the joy we find while working towards something is why we do what we do, and these teams, coaches, and our community helped remind us of these principles.      

Skyhawk Highlights:

Ammon Productions: This last week has been all about Ammon Clark and helping make some of his dreams come true. Ammon was able to live some of his dreams by visiting a movie set, having Cosmo the Cougar come and visit him in an assembly held in his honor, and by being the guest of honor at Manhawk, the movie night, and the Skyhawk Gorge.  It's been awesome to see how supportive our school community has been of Ammon and his family. It's a pleasure to know Ammon and have him in our school.

SHHS Volleyball: The volleyball season came to an end on Saturday. The team won their first match against Clearfield HS on Thursday night but lost their second match in close games to Skyview HS. They next played Skyline HS close as well but were eliminated by them from the tournament. The ladies had a great season finishing second in region and winning their first match in the state tournament. Great job Coach Kathy Treanor and members of the volleyball team! 

SHHS Boys' Football: On Friday afternoon our SHHS football team took on the undefeated,  region five champion Roy Royals with a trip to the state semi-finals at stake. The game was a hard-fought game that featured hard hits and passionate plays from both teams. In the end, however, the Royals came out on top by a score of 28-12, but our team competed really well and played as hard as they could. We had a historically great season this year and wish to congratulate Coach Joel Higginson, his staff, and the football team!

Skyhawk Happenings:

• The annual Skyhawk Debate Smackdown will be this Friday (11/14, 3:00 - 9:00 PM) and Saturday (11/15, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM) here at SHHS.
• We are participating in Utah College Application Week (UCAP) here at Salem Hills High School this year. We have activities running through Friday (11/14); On Monday (11/17), we will be assisting all of our seniors with university, college, and professional schools and program applications. Seniors should come prepared to apply to a college or university with their Social Security Number and a method to pay online.
• Our school musical, Footloose, will run from November 20 through November 24. Show times will be at 7:00 PM. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students, and $30 for a family. Ms. Stubbs would also like to request any 80's era clothing that you'd like to donate or lend to the production; if you're interested in donating or lending such clothing, email Ms. Stubbs at janalee.stubbs [at] nebo.edu.
• Mrs. Williams' class will be doing a clothing drive for Tabitha's Way. Our SHHS students will be participating, and the class (senior, junior, or sophomore) that is able to donate the most clothing will win the "Biggest Heart" contest. Encourage your students to participate in this noble cause (more details will be announced at school).
• There will be a Career Day here at the school on November 25. Students will have the opportunity to hear from career professionals in their 2nd and 3rd period classes on that date.
• As a note of reminder, ALL attendance detentions must be made up to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities and sports. Parents may excuse absences dating back a week, but unexcused absences that date back further than a week must be served as detention.
• Detention will be held before school, during lunch, and after school in room C209 with Ms. Houghton and before school with Mr. Schwenke (room D104); our administrative team continues to offer detention time after school for students interested in biking, running, lifting weights and doing cross fit. The program is called Double Time, and students can earn double the detention time for participating.
• Our student  Ammon Clark continues to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House by collecting pop tabs from soda cans. We can help Ammon in his collection efforts by bringing our pop tabs to the school and turning them into the front office, the counseling office, and (or) Mrs. Wilder's room.

Next Week at a Glance: (11/17/14 - 11/21/14)

Monday: SHHS Time (during school: 12:45 - 1:15)                 

Tuesday: Cross Country Banquet @ 5:00 PM

Wednesday: N/A

Thursday: Volleyball Banquet @ 3:00 PM

                   School Musical: Footloose @ 7:00 PM

Friday:  Girls' Basketball versus Snow Canyon HS @ 5:15 PM

               School Musical: Footloose @ 7:00 PM

Saturday: School Musical: Footloose @ 7:00 PM

Yours in service, the service of our students, and our community,

Curtis Burton

SHHS Dean of Students

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.” -- Henry Beston

As this fall season comes to its end and winter is about to settle in, I think about the transition from one term to the next, and I think about the settling we see in our school. Hopefully, by this point in the year, our students have settled into some successful habits with their academics and attendance. However, if the academic and attendance habits our students have settled into aren't as conducive to their success as we'd like them to be, now's a great time to re-evaluate and recommit to be more successful going forward. As administration, faculty, and staff, we are ever working towards helping our students establish habits that will lead to success. I hope your student is having tremendous success; if there's something that needs to change, though, help facilitate that change.     

Skyhawk Highlights:

SHHS Volleyball: The volleyball team finished on a high by defeating Provo HS in three straight games to win their Senior Night finale at home. They next play Westlake on Tuesday (11/4) before entering state competition on Thursday at the UCCU Center on UVU's campus; their matches on Thursday are at 3:00 and 6:00 PM. They play Clearfield HS in their first match.

SHHS Boys' Football: The team continues to make school history. The regular season finale consisted of our Skyhawks defeating the SF Dons for the first time in school history by a score of 21-16 in a very hard-fought game. They next continued their historic run by defeating the Highland Rams in the first round of the state playoffs, 14-7. The team  looks to keep their historic streak alive by next playing at Roy HS on Friday (11/7); the tentative game time is 2:30 PM.   

SHHS Band: The band competed in state competition on Friday down at Dixie State in St. George. Colorguard finished first and the band finished fourth overall; however, the second, third, and fourth place teams were all within two points of one another. It was basically a toss-up for the final spots. Mr. Larsen emphasized how proud he was of the band and their performance. Great Job band!

SHHS Orchestra: Last week's Halloween Concert by the orchestra was an entertaining affair. The students' performance was awesome, and their teacher's performance was rather entertaining as well. Mr. Wells led the orchestra with a lightsaber (Star Wars) and did the chicken dance while leading the chicken dance song. Overall, the performance was wildly entertaining! Great job orchestra!

SHHS English Department: Congratulations to Kade Morrison, Sam Anderson, and Maren Mehlhoff for the best haiku out of 90 of Mrs. Smithey's students. The winners earned a key card, treat, and registration to the Leadership Conference at UVU on Monday 10/27.

Skyhawk Happenings:

• State volleyball will be at 3:00 and 6:00 PM on Thursday, November 6 at the UCCU Center.
• Our annual Skyhawk Gorge will be Monday, November 10 from 5:00-7:00 PM (It's kind of like Costco sample day times twenty).
• We will be participating in Utah College Application Week (UCAP) here at Salem Hills High School this year. There will be a week's worth of activities running from November 10 through 14; the following Monday (11/17) we will be assisting all of our seniors with university, college, and professional schools and program applications.
• There will be a Career Day here at the school on November 25. Students will have the opportunity to hear from career professionals in their 2nd and 3rd period classes on that date.
• For all parents, and especially those of sophomores, ALL detentions must be made up prior to a new term beginning to be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities and sports.
• Detention will be held before school, during lunch, and after school in room C209 with Ms. Houghton and before school with Mr. Schwenke (room D104); our administrative team continues to offer detention time after school for students interested in biking, running, lifting weights and doing cross fit. The program is called Double Time, and students can earn double the detention time for participating.
• Ammon Clark, one of our students here at SHHS,  is raising money for the Ronald McDonald House by collecting pop tabs from soda cans. We can help Ammon in his collection efforts by bringing our pop tabs to the school and turning them into the front office, the counseling office, and (or) Mrs. Wilder's room.

Next Week at a Glance: (11/10/14 - 11/14/14)

Monday: The Great Skyhawk Gorge (5:00-7:00 PM)

                  Boys' Basketball Open Gym @ 6:00 PM

Tuesday: Veteran's Day Assembly

Wednesday: Boys' Basketball Open Gym @ 6:00 PM

Thursday: FBLA/DECA Meetings 3:00 PM

Friday:  Skyhawk Debate Smackdown 3:00 PM

Saturday: Skyhawk Debate Smackdown  8:00 AM-4:00 PM