April 2016

I think William James, an American philosopher and psychologist of the late 1800s, got it about right when he stated, "I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing." With our choirs doing so well on their recent tour, there was plenty of happiness, associated with music, to go around. There was the happiness experienced by our students as a result of their accomplishments and nationally acclaimed performances, and there was the happiness that they helped to deliver to the audiences they regaled with their vocal talents.

Each week our students infuse our school with an awesome musical pick-me-up.  On Friday mornings, several students from several classes sing the National Anthem in the main commons area of our school's entry. This fast growing tradition has become a highlight of the week, and pretty much everyone, turns out to be a part of it, whether singing or listening. It's a such a great tradition.

We appreciate our students being so willing to share their talents with our school. Whether it be vocal or instrumental musical performing, artistic expression (we've got a great art show going in the library right now), dance (we've got a show going on tonight in the auditorium), or athletic performances, the extracurricular talents our students bring to our school make it such an awesome place! It's my great pleasure to watch our SHHS students perform. Thank you for allowing them to share their talents with us.

Skyhawk Highlights:

SHHS Choir Tour: By Justin Bills: On our recent SHHS choir tour, our choir participated in a national music festival run by WorldStrides International, that included 50 different ensembles representing 22 schools from around the United States--including Alaska!  The judges were professional musicians and university professors.

Four of our SHHS Choirs sang in the festival: Serendipity, Concert Choir, Singers, and Men's Camerata.  All four of these choirs earned gold ratings, meaning the scores they earned were above 90 out of 100 possible points.  Concert Choir and Singers both earned first place in their respective divisions.

A few ensembles received a special recognition called the "Adjudicator Award" meaning their average score was at least 95/100. 7 of the 50 ensembles received this award, including Salem Hills Concert Choir, Singers, and Men's Camerata.

Salem Hills Singers also received the Top Choir Score Award, meaning that out of 27 choirs in the festival, Singers earned the highest scores!

Salem Hills High School also won the coveted Choral Sweepstakes Award, which is awarded to the school choir program represented in the festival by at least two choirs, that had the highest average scores.  There were 13 schools represented by the 27 choirs in the festival, and Salem Hills Choirs won this award.

Finally, two of our awesome students at Salem Hills who are soloists in Salem Hills Singers earned an award called the "Maestro Award" which honors individual students who make an impression on the judges.  Erica Gebert and Jenna Rhodes both won this award for their awesome solos!  Only 6 other students won this award in the festival.

SHHS 2016-2017 Student Council: Congratulations to the members of next year's SHHS Student Council:

SHHS Student Body Officers: President: Adam Johnson, Secretary: Shina Parrish, VP of Community Service: Katie Newman, VP of Assemblies: Sheppard Sonntag,  VP of Publicity: Emma Fleming, VP of Events: Thomas Flinders, VP of Student Relations: Michael Winder, Artist: Natalie Wilcox, Cinematographer: Ethan Mayfield, and Historian: Rachel Fletcher.

Senior Class Council: President: Conner Campbell, Vice-President: Brandon Griffiths, Secretary: Isaac Leavitt, and Representative: Monson McKay.

Junior Class Council: President: Haylee Carlile, Vice-President: Seth Christensen, Secretary: Micah Button, and Representative: Taylor Cowley.

Sophomore Class Council: President: Shawn Thorne, Vice-President: Nicole Marsh, Secretary: Kenzie Wilkinson, Representative: Gavin Lamb, and Representative: Rebecca Knapp.

Skyhawk Happenings and Information:

• This year's SHHS Prom will be on Saturday, April 30. The promenade will be from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the SHHS Auditorium. The dance will be held at Quiet Meadow Farms in Mapleton from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
• There will be a Spanish Club lunch meeting on Tuesday, May 3. Lunch will be provided and all members  of Spanish Club are invited to attend; the meeting will take place in Mr. Macdonald's room (E102).
• There will be an important Drama Club meeting on Wednesday, May 4, at lunch in the drama room (B103). If you are part of Drama Club, please make an effort to be there.
• Graduation Lei orders are now being taken! These leis are beautiful and made by our PTSA members. Order forms are available in the office or you can order and pay online at http://www.shhsptsa.com/graduationleis.aspx  
• Offseason football workouts will be in the mornings from now on in the weight room starting at 5:50 AM and running until 7:05 AM every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (This is a change from the Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening schedule the team's been following to this point). Team coaches will be present to assist in offseason strength training.
• Graduation DVDs are available for pre-order at the finance office for $5 per copy.  These DVDs of graduation will be available for pickup at the finance office a day or two after graduation.
• SHHS Seniors, it's time to check to see if you qualify for honor cords for graduation. Check the list on the counseling office window to see if you qualify; if you qualify, you can pay $5.00 for your cords at the finance office.  After payment, your cords will be included with your cap and gown packet that you will pick up on May 20.
• Career Pathway applications have been sent to all seniors and their parents. If you're a senior and have completed a pathway you should fill out the application and submit it by May 5 to the counseling center (care of Mrs. Call). Once applications are received and approved, Career Pathway cords can then be purchased at the finance office for $5.00.
• Nominations for the Spirit, Heart, Honor, Success Awards are due to the front office by 3:00 PM on May 6.
• Applications for the Soaring Skyhawk Outstanding Senior Award are due to the front office by 3:00 PM on May 6. 
• For those who need to work off detention time, Saturday detentions will be held May 7, 14, and 21, in Room C207, from 9:00 AM -12:00 PM (noon) on three of the next Saturdays. The cost for students $10 and you can earn four (4) hours of detention. Seniors should pay special attention to this announcement as they need to have all detentions served to be eligible to walk at graduation.
• All Library books are due on May 13.
• Remember to share all the awesome , inspiring, and heroic things that are going on at SHHS with #shhshero.
• Be sure to like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/salemhills.skyhawks?fref=ts

Next  Week at a Glance: (5/2/16 - 5/7/16)

Monday: Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (5:50 AM)

                  Choir Auditions (3:00 PM)

                  SHHS Baseball versus Maple Mountain HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                  Boys' Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)

Tuesday: SHHS JV Track Meet (3:00 PM)

                 Choir Auditions (3:00 PM)

                 SHHS Baseball @ Payson HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                 SHHS Softball @ Manti HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                 Volleyball Open Gym (3:30 PM)

                 SHHS Soccer here versus Maple Mountain HS (4:00 PM); JV to follow    

                 Boys' Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)

                 Social Dance Parents' Night

Wednesday: Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (5:50 AM)

                        Choir Auditions (3:00 PM)

                        Boys' Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)

                        SHHS Jazz Band Concert (7:00 PM)

Thursday: Region Tennis Tournaments @ Spanish Fork/Maple Mountain (Time: TBA)

                   Volleyball Open Gym (3:30 PM)

                   SHHS Softball here versus Maple Mountain HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                   SHHS Baseball here versus Payson HS (3:30)

                   SHHS Singers Callbacks (4:00 PM)

                   Boys' Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)

Friday: Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (5:50 AM) 

              Region Tennis Tournaments @ Spanish Fork/Maple Mountain (Time: TBA)

              SHHS Track @ BYU Invitational (Time: TBA)

              SHHS Soccer @ Spanish Fork HS (4:00 PM)

              SHHS Choir Lists Posted

              State Band Competition

Saturday: SHHS Track @ BYU Invitational (Time: TBA)

                   9:00 AM Saturday Detention

                  State Band Competition

                  Charity Concert (6:00 PM)

 

It kind of feels like we're skydiving towards the end of the year, and, like the ground, it's coming up fast! With so much going on at our school right now, it's hard to keep track of everything. From baseball and tennis teams that are red hot, to a choir that is touring California, to a welding program that has produced some amazing drift trikes, to a spring drama production of And Then There Were None, and everything in between, if seems like the events of this spring are flying by in a blur, and we're doing our best to take it all in. So, I'd encourage you to get out and take in some of the upcoming SHHS events, because before you know it, we're going to hit the ground.    

 Skyhawk Highlights:

SHHS Utah Envirothon Teams:  Last Friday (4/15) and Saturday (4/16) Salem Hills High School was well represented at the 2016 Utah Envirothon Competition by two teams. Our teams competed well against 20 other teams from high schools from around the state, and one of our teams took 2nd place overall. Both teams, however, did a great job and scored very high in the competition. Congratulations to the competition's 2nd place team: Mike Abbott, Elise Bauer, Josh Bauer, Brevan Ellefsen, and Grant Gunderson. And commendations to Kelsey Curtis, Wyatt Graham, Ashley Howard, Noah Larsen, and Mackenzie Taylor. 

SHHS Skyhawks of the Month: Congratulations to our Skyhawks of the Month  for April as selected by faculty members from our Healthy Lifestyles department here at SHHS. This month's Skyhawks of the Month include Hailey Bradley (nominated by  Mrs. Sopena), Kelcee Davis (nominated by  Coach Stokes), Kaleb DeGraffenreid (nominated by  Coach Blake Francom), Gage Gravely (nominated by  Coach Brindley), Aspen Ruiz (nominated by  Coach Simmons), and Caleb Sly (nominated by  Coach Haney). Congratulations to these students for their stellar student behaviors and accomplishments.

SHHS Captain's Academy Captains: Nebo School District recently held its Spring Captains' Academy where student leaders are selected from each of their spring sports to represent their team and school to collaborate with students from our other district schools regarding leadership and sportsmanship.  The SHHS captains who represented their programs and our school included Sophie Hartline (Girls Track and Field), Wes Stone (Boys Track and Field), Ashley Howard and Jaycey Rees (Girls Softball), Mallory Hanks (Girls Golf), Levi Ward (Boys Tennis), Caleb Sly (Boys Soccer), and Tanner Hamblin (Baseball). We appreciate how well these individuals represented us at the Captains' Academy and how well they conduct themselves as ambassadors of our school every time they take their fields, tracks, courts, and courses of competition.     

SHHS Fairchild Challenge Winners: SHHS had a number of students who did very well in the recent Fairchild Challenge held at Thanksgiving Point. The Fairchild Challenge is a multi-faceted competition that focuses on environmental awareness. Our school took second in the event and won $500 that can be used for environmental education at our school.  Those that placed from our school in the competition were Becca Fabis - 1st place, Citizen Scientist; Haley Johnston - 1st place, Visual Arts; Ashley Howard - 1st place, T-shirt Design; Wyatt Graham - 2nd place, Invention for Environment; Mackenzie Taylor - 2nd place, Recycled Fashion; Brigham Vance - 2nd place, Recycled Accessory; Noah Larsen and Amber Maddock - 2nd place, Video Contest. Congratulations to these students on their excellent work.  

Skyhawk Happenings and Information:

• The Annual Nebo Trikefest will be held at the Spanish Fork Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 23 at 9:00 AM. Admission is free, so come and see our SHHS students race their drift trikes that they built this year here in their welding classes at SHHS as they try to defend their team dominance of competition from last year. Food trucks and vendors will be at the location as well.   
• The SHHS Dance Company will be presenting their "Once Upon a Time" Show this Thursday (4/28) and Friday (4/29) in the SHHS auditorium at 7:00 PM. The cost is $6 for general admission, $4 for students, and $20 for a family pass. Come and support our dance company this week!
• This year's SHHS Prom will be on Saturday, April 30. The promenade will be from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the SHHS Auditorium. The dance will be held at Quiet Meadow Farms in Mapleton from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
• Graduation Lei orders are now being taken! These leis are beautiful and made by our PTSA members. Order forms are available in the office or you can order and pay online at http://www.shhsptsa.com/graduationleis.aspx  
• The SHHS PTSA will be hosting a Spring Book Fair which will run from April 25-29 in the commons area next to the auditorium. There will be a buy-one-get-one free deal running with this fair!
• Just a reminder to all our amazing senior class: the "Civics Test" must be taken and passed before graduation. Seniors, if you've already passed the test then this does not apply to you.
• Salem Hills High School and Nebo School District now have OverDrive! OverDrive is an online collection of eBooks and audiobooks that are available to students 24/7. OverDrive can be used online through the link nebo.lib.overdrive.com or through the free app on your tablet or smart phone. Your user name and password is the same as your Nebo School District computer login. For more information, please see Mrs. Rawle in the Library.
• Student Spirit Shirts are available in the bookstore. They come in Navy, White, and Columbia. They can be purchased individually for $8 dollars or as a pack of three for $20. Support our school, its teams, programs, clubs, and organizations by wearing your Skyhawk pride with one of these awesome shirts!
• SHHS attendance policy states that for students to be eligible to participate in a sport, musical performing group, or other extracurricular activity all attendance detentions from the previous term need to be served. For those who need to serve detention time, detention will be held before school in room C 209 with Mrs. Edmondson, and during lunch, and after school in room C 207 with Mrs. Hernandez. The cost is $1 before and after school; lunchtime detention has no charge.
• Remember to share all the awesome , inspiring, and heroic things that are going on at SHHS with #shhshero.
• Be sure to like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/salemhills.skyhawks?fref=ts

Next  Week at a Glance: (4/25/16 - 4/30/16)

Monday: Volleyball Open Gym (3:30 PM)

                  Boys Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)

                  Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (7:00 PM)

Tuesday: SHHS Softball here versus Springville HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                 SHHS Baseball @ Maple Mountain HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                 SHHS Boys Tennis @ Maple Mountain HS (3:30 PM)

                 SHHS Soccer here versus Payson HS (4:00 PM); JV to follow           

Wednesday: Region Large Choir at Maple Mountain HS (3:00 PM)

                        Volleyball Open Gym (3:30 PM)

                        Boys Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)

                        Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (7:00 PM)

Thursday: SHHS Softball here versus Payson HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                   SHHS Baseball here versus Maple Mountain HS (3:30)

                   SHHS Dance Company "Once Upon a Time" Performance (7:00 PM)

                   Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (7:00 PM)

Friday: SHHS Track at the Golden Devil-Hawks Invitational

              SHHS JV Baseball here versus Maple Mountain HS (3:00 PM); Sophomore to follow

              SHHS JV Tennis Tournament at Springville HS

              SHHS Choir Auditions (3:00 PM)

              SHHS Soccer at Uintah HS (4:00 PM)

              SHHS Dance Company "Once Upon a Time" Performance (7:00 PM)

Saturday: State Solo and Ensemble Competition at Orem HS

                SHHS Prom 2016: "Can't Help Falling in Love" (7:00 - 10:00 PM) @ Quiet Meadows Farms in                             Mapleton

 

Simon Sinek, who is famous for his ideas and insights on what makes an individual a good leader, has stated, "Champions are not the ones who always win races - champions are the ones who get out there and try. And try harder the next time. And even harder the next time. 'Champion' is a state of mind. They are devoted. They compete to best themselves as much if not more than they compete to best others. Champions are not just athletes."

I think of this quote in the context of the effort I've seen with our students. It's great to have champions in our school. Yes, we have awesome traditional champions, like our debate team who won a state championship this year, but it's also great to have champions in the sense that author Simon Sinek is talking about. When our students acquire their "traditional championships", it's good to see that their success is usually the result of working and trying hard, and working and trying harder each and every time they face a challenge to achieve a, "champion state of mind". So, as we begin this fourth term of the 2015-2016 school year, let's finish with a , "champion state of mind"!   

Skyhawk Highlights:

SHHS Debate Team: A huge congratulations goes out to our Salem Hills Debate team who claimed this year's 4A State champions beating Skyline High School by one point for the championship!  The championship is a culmination of eight years of incremental steps and improvement for Mr. Welton's phenomenal  program.  The team performed exceptionally well and would like to acknowledge the school's previous debaters who were the cornerstones of Salem Hills High School's debate program.  A special congratulations, as well, goes to this year's team leaders: Caleb Sly (1st in Lincoln Douglas and Academic All-American), Mason Lindstrom  (5th in Lincoln Douglas), Amy Robinson and Maleah Cook (3rd in Public Forum), Meagan Welton and Elise Bauer ( 7th in Public Forum), and Bethany Davis (5th in Congress).

SHHS FFA: Congratulations to Sakia Brost who was elected recently as the 2016-2017 Utah State FFA President! Sakia has dreamed of filling this position since she was a child and looks forward to serving the FFA organization and her community as next year's president.  Our SHHS community is proud of her and this awesome accomplishment!

SHHS Winter Sports Pursuing Victory with Honor Assembly: At our recent Pursuing Victory with Honor Assembly, SHHS coaches and advisors of winter sports and activities honored the students in their programs who they felt most embodied the SHHS charge to pursue victory with honor . The following students were recipients of this award for their respective programs: Tanner Bills (Boys Basketball), Colby Brown (Boys Swimming), Kyla Rogers (Drama), Alyssa Clark (Drill), Karly Neves (Girls Basketball), Aubrey Caroll (Girls Swimming), Marianne Bushman (Winter Guard), and Jaxon Van Tassell (Wrestling). Our Academic All-state recipients were also recognized: Noah Larsen (Boys Swimming), Keilani Fifita (Drill), and Taisha Howard (Drill). Congratulations and thanks to these students for exemplifying academics and sportsmanship so well as ambassadors of Salem Hills High School.   

SHHS Orchestra: Congratulations to the Salem Hills Orchestras for their superior performance at the Region 8 Orchestra Festival. The participating orchestra students qualified to participate in the state festival. Congratulations to Mr. Paul Wells and our talented SHHS musicians! 

SHHS Tennis: Our Salem Hills High School Boys Tennis team competed in and won the "Duel in the Desert" tennis tournament last weekend in St. George at the Bloomington Country Club. The tournament included 14 teams from around the state.  Our SHHS team upset a strong Timpanogas HS team by a score of 3-2 to advance to the Saturday championship bracket where they defeated Provo HS and Bonneville HS in the championship bracket to win the tournament. The team was anchored by strong play from Tanner Nicholls, Kyle Aldridge, Jayden Parkinson, and doubles players: Levi Ward and Ethan Condie; and Dallin McCarthy and Riley Lewis. The JV team also played very well going 18-2 in their tournament.

SHHS Baseball: This year's SHHS Baseball Team is off to an excellent start! The team is 9-1 and ranked 2nd in the state for the 4A classification. Their only loss came in the championship game of the Texas Roadhouse Classic  to Herriman HS last weekend in St. George. They start region play this week against Uintah HS where they look to continue their stellar play.

SHHS Track: The SHHS track team had a great start to their season as well. Both the boys and the girls teams won the Kearns Cougar Relays and their first Region 8 quad meet. They also competed very well and both finished in 2nd here at the prestigious Mountain Valley Invitational. They will next compete in the Juab Invitational. 

Skyhawk Happenings and Information:

• Wondering how to pay for college? On April 11 at 6:00 PM in the Choir Room (B102), a UVU Financial Advisor will be here to explain applying for financial aid and scholarships. The meeting will be free, and all students and parents are invited to attend, even if you don't plan on going to UVU.
• Seniors who are interested in applying for an Academic Letter in Fine Arts, Business, Social Studies, Math, English, Science or a Foreign Language need to go to the counseling office and pick up the Academic Letter information. Each letter has different requirements for applicants to complete. Seniors may apply for as many letters as they would like as long as they meet the requirements. All applicant information must be turned into SHHS Department Chairs by April 14.
• There will be an Engineering Technology Fair held at UVU in the Computer Science Building from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on April 14. The fair will have numerous displays that relate to engineering,  mechatronics engineering, electrical automation, and robotics technology. Students who are interested in attending should contact Sarah Call in the counseling office prior to April 14.
• The annual Salem Hills High School Art Show is fast approaching. All SHHS students are invited to participate in this art show,  so please bring your "display-ready" art work to Ms. Shuler or Ms. Allred by April 20. Talk to Ms. Shuler or Ms. Allred if you have any questions.
• Just a reminder to all our amazing senior class: the "Civics Test" must be taken and passed before graduation. Seniors, if you've already passed the test then this does not apply to you.
• The SHHS PTSA will be hosting a Spring Book Fair which will run from April 25-29 in the commons area next to the auditorium. There will be a buy-one-get-one free deal running with this fair!
• Salem Hills High School and Nebo School District now have OverDrive! OverDrive is an online collection of eBooks and audiobooks that are available to students 24/7. OverDrive can be used online through the link nebo.lib.overdrive.com or through the free app on your tablet or smart phone. Your user name and password is the same as your Nebo School District computer login. For more information, please see Mrs. Rawle in the Library.
• Student Spirit Shirts are available in the bookstore. They come in Navy, White, and Columbia. They can be purchased individually for $8 dollars or as a pack of three for $20. Support our school, its teams, programs, clubs, and organizations by wearing your Skyhawk pride with one of these awesome shirts!
• SHHS attendance policy states that for students to be eligible to participate in a sport, musical performing group, or other extracurricular activity all attendance detentions from the previous term need to be served. For those who need to serve detention time, detention will be held before school in room C 209 with Mrs. Edmondson, and during lunch, and after school in room C 207 with Mrs. Hernandez. The cost is $1 before and after school; lunchtime detention has no charge.
• Remember to share all the awesome , inspiring, and heroic things that are going on at SHHS with #shhshero.
• Be sure to like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/salemhills.skyhawks?fref=ts

Next  Week at a Glance: (4/11/16 - 4/16/16--after Spring Break)

Monday: SHHS Sophomore Baseball here versus Spanish Fork HS (5:00 PM)

                 College Funding and Information Meeting (SHHS choir room at 6:00 PM)

                 Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (7:00 PM)

Tuesday: SHHS Home Track Meet  

                 SHHS Baseball here versus Spanish Fork HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                 SHHS Softball @ Maple Mountain HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                 SHHS Boys Tennis @ Wasatch HS (3:30 PM)

                 SHHS Soccer here versus Spanish Fork HS (4:00 PM); JV to follow

                 Boys Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)                      

Wednesday: SHHS Boys Tennis @ North Sanpete HS (3:30 PM)

                        Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (7:00 PM)

Thursday: SHHS Tennis here versus Spanish Fork HS (3:30 PM)

                   SHHS Softball here versus Uintah HS (3:30 PM); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                   SHHS Baseball @ Spanish Fork HS (3:30); JV to follow (5:15 PM)

                   Boys Basketball Open Gym (5:30 PM)

                   SHHS Spring Play in the Auditorium (7:00 PM) 

                   Offseason Football Workouts in the Weight Room (7:00 PM)

Friday: SHHS Track @ the Utah County Invitational (Pleasant Grove HS)  

              SHHS Soccer here versus Springville HS (4:00 PM)

              SHHS Spring Play in the Auditorium (7:00 PM)      

Saturday: SHHS Sophomore Softball @ Spanish Fork Tournament

                   SHHS Spring Play in the Auditorium (7:00 PM)