January 08, 2013
By Scott Hirschfield
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
Happy 2013! I hope all of you had a nice holiday break and I wish you a great New Year. We are back in full swing here at the Community School with the beginning of a new semester. Teachers and advisors are finishing up their final grades and comments for the first semester. Report cards will be mailed out later this week. As always, please feel free to contact your advisor with questions about first semester grades or second semester classes.
Last Friday, we hosted our annual alumni discussion panel. This is always a highlight of the year. Unfortunately, I was ill and was not able to attend, but I was told that 23 alumni showed up and that it was a highly informative and fun event. In addition, I know that the alumni always enjoy catching up with one another and our staff. Thanks to all of those alumni who were able to come and share their experiences with us and I wish all of our alumni out there the very best in 2013.
Two weeks from today, the Community School will once again be hosting our annual march to the Town Square in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Please be on the look out for details about this important event. All of you are welcome and encouraged to attend.
As year begins anew, there is much to look forward to and to celebrate at the Community School. Our 9th graders have completed their first semester of high school and deserve kudos for their hard work in the transition to a new school and new working environment. Our 10th graders did a fantastic job with Model UN and are now well on their way to the halfway point in their high school careers. Our 11th graders have completed their hardest semester of high school to date and now enter the first stages of the college process, which includes beginning to work with David Heinemann on a weekly basis. Our 12th graders have made it through the college application process and are now eyeing their final semester of high school, including senior projects and, of course, graduation. Finally, we are extremely excited about our new Mini-mester program, which kicks off on March 18 and includes both local and national adventures. We will have students on both coasts, in Oregon for a Shakespeare Festival and in DC for a Civil War historical trip, in the mountains of Utah and Idaho, and here locally, we will have students in kitchens, on farms, working with machines, in film editing studios, making ceramics, and much more.
It’s going to be a great semester and I encourage you to stop by sometime to see for yourself all of the wonderful experiences happening here at the Community School.
Happy 2013 to all of you and keep in touch.
Scott
Hot Topics
Community School students featured on local blog
Be sure to check-out the following blog from jhculturefront, which highlights a collaborative project between our Creative Writing and Photo I courses: Creative Writing/Photo I Collaborate.
2011-2012 Annual Report Now Available On-line
Please click on the Community School Annual Report link to view our 2011-2012 Annual Report. There is a lot of information about the state of our school, as well as some memorable photos from the 2011-2012 school year and fun updates from our alumni. Community School Annual Report
December 10, 2012
By Scott Hirschfield
December 10, 2012
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
Here we go: final papers, final projects, final exams, and the holiday season is upon us. Needless to say, there is a lot of activity and energy around here at the moment as we wrap up the fall semester. Advisors met with their respective advisees last week and will be in touch this week, if they haven’t been already, regarding student grades going into final exams. Below, please find the final exam schedule. I have two pieces of advice for your child as he/she enters final exam week: begin studying now and get lots of rest. The final exam period can be a stressful time for students and the best way to alleviate this stress is to be well prepared and to get plenty of sleep. Please contact your advisor if you are particularly concerned about your child’s state of mind heading into final exams.
There are a number of holiday related activities going on at the School at the moment. First, we have a food drive that is in full swing. Please continue to encourage your child to bring food items for this important cause. All food will stay local and will go the Jackson Hole Food Cupboard. A representative from the Food Cupboard gave a heart-felt presentation recently about the need for supplies, especially during the holiday season. Second, as per tradition, the students are participating in a secret gift exchange. (5$ maximum or homemade.) Gifts will be handed out on Tuesday, December 11.
Following the Winter Break, we will be hosting our annual alumni panel discussion. All of you alumni out there who will be in town, please plan to come to the Community School on Friday, January 4 at 3:15p.m. to talk to the students about your experiences as an undergrad or whatever you’re up to these days. This is always a great event and I encourage anyone interested to attend.
Finally, I wish all you a happy, healthy, and peaceful holiday season. Take care and I look forward to seeing you in 2014!
Warmly,
Scott
Upcoming Events
· Final Exams: Monday, December 17 – Wednesday, December 19
Monday, December 17: Math at 9am and Science at 1pm
Tuesday, December 18: English at 9am and Spanish at 1pm
Wednesday, December 19: History at 9am and Electives or make-ups at 12pm
Please contact David Heinemann with any questions.
· Winter Break: Thursday, December 20 – Wednesday, January 2
Happy Holidays!!!
· Alumni Panel Discussion: Friday, January 4, 3:15p.m.
Please join us to hear what our alumni are up to!
November 12, 2012
By Scott Hirschfield
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is already approaching. Once again, time is flying by. We’ve completed our first quarter of the school year and with the holidays coming, the end of the first semester will undoubtedly come extremely quickly.
We’ve had a great couple of weeks here at the Community School. A few highlights include two of our most recent Spotlight presentations. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Spotlight, every junior must give an all-school presentation at Town Hall at some point during the school year regarding any area of interest that the student has. Corina Helm decided to read a few of her original poems to the school. Her reading was impressive and both students and staff alike were inspired and appreciative of her work. The following week, Aviva Thal gave an intriguing presentation on the volunteer work that she did in rural China last summer. Aviva and her cohorts worked with elementary school students and it was clearly a fantastic cultural exchange. Both Corina and Aviva deserve kudos for their fine work and I encourage you stop by for a Town Hall meeting anytime you like and take in a Spotlight. Town Hall takes place on Tuesdays at 11:40a.m.
In addition, we had a great day of community service on October 29. Students were up in Grand Teton National Park, helping with a re-seeding project along the bike pathway, while others were helping to peel logs for the White Grass Ranger Station, and a final group worked with the Latino Resource Center creating "Sugar Skulls" in honor of the Day of the Dead celebrations. Students worked hard and continued to bolster our reputation for providing high quality community service and volunteerism within Teton County.
Last week was also highlighted by another wonderful hot lunch. “Thanksgiving Dinner” was prepared by a slough of parents and I know I speak for all of the staff and students who enjoyed the food when I say THANK YOU for a delicious meal. The hot lunch program has become huge hit and, again, we are extremely appreciative of this monthly culinary treat.
Believe it or not, we only have four weeks of classes left before students begin taking final exams. Please encourage your son/daughter to stay focused through this period of time, which can be difficult with the holiday season looming. As always, please contact your advisor with any questions.
Have a great week and keep in touch.
Scott
Upcoming Events
November 13 - 14: Teton County Model UN
The 7th Annual Teton County Model United Nations will take place Tuesday, Nov. 13 and Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 9:15 to 3:50 at Jackson Hole High School. The 10th grade 20th-Century World History class will participate, with each student representing one of four nations: the U.S., Iran, Norway, and Ghana. Each student will represent his/her nation on one of six UN committees, and will work with other delegates in debating, negotiating, and creating resolutions for current world issues. Student delegates from JHHS, Journeys, and other high schools in Wyoming and Idaho will also participate. The public is welcome to attend and observe the proceedings.
Parents of 10th graders, you all should have received an email from Elizabeth Hamlin requesting volunteer help for the event. Please consider helping out if you can. Thank you very much.
If you have any questions about the Model UN, please contact Amy Fulwyler.
November 19 – 25: Thanksgiving Break
No School.
December 17,18, 19: Final Exams
Please contact David Heinemann with any questions.
October 16, 2012
By Scott Hirschfield
October 16, 2012
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
Our first grading period is complete and we are now moving into the heart of the first semester. Parents, your advisor should have been in touch with you with an email or phone call discussing the start of the year for your son/daughter. As always, you should feel welcome to contact your advisor at anytime throughout the year.
Our family potluck at the beginning of the month was a huge success. Many thanks to Elizabeth Hamlin, Debbie Wagner, Patty Gill and our entire parent association for making this such a wonderful event. The food was incredible and it was a great opportunity for our community to relax and enjoy each other’s company. For those who weren’t in attendance, the entertainment included a highly competitive Community School trivia game. Here are two samples of questions that were asked during the competition. (Answers are at the bottom of this letter. J )
Question #1: Name the year the school was founded
a.2002
b.2003
c.2004
d.2005
e.2006
Question #2: How many students have graduated from the Community School?
a.28
b.38
c.48
d.58
e.68
Our recent Open House for current 8th graders was also a huge success. With over 35 potential students in attendance at the Open House, we are looking forward to another big year in the admissions office. As always, please continue to let Tyler Hardy know of any students who you think might be a good fit for the Community School.
Finally, our new Mini-mester program offerings are now online. Please click here to see the exciting programs we have in store for our students. This is a new venture for the Community School and includes ten different options for students, five of which are local and five of which will include travel to such places as Washington, D.C., Ashland, Oregon, and Salt Lake City. Please contact Smith Maddrey with any questions.
Have a great week and keep in touch.
Scott
Hot Topics
Yearbook Orders
If your son/daughter would like a 2012-2013 yearbook, (Cost: $45) please be sure to have them sign up at Karen's desk as soon as possible.
Parent Association
All current parents. Please email Elizabeth Hamlin (hamlin2100@gmail.com) if you haven't been receiving her emails about Parent Association events.
Upcoming Events
October 17: Hot Pasta Lunch for Students
Please have $7.00 in by tomorrow to Karen Hodges if you’d like your son/daughter to participate.
November 1 – November 2: Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
Please contact Karen Hodges with questions about sign ups or if you’re not going to be in town.
September 25, 2012
By Scott Hirschfield
September 25, 2012
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
The academic year is in full swing here at the Community School. Seniors are meeting on a regular basis with David Heinemann, our College Counselor, and starting to put together their college applications. Juniors are quickly realizing that this is indeed their most demanding year of high school thus far. Sophomores will begin to prepare for Model UN in the upcoming weeks, and the freshmen are adjusting to life as high school students. The School itself is humming with activity and I encourage you to stop by and sit-in on a class or two, or one of our all-school Town Hall meetings, which take place every Tuesday from 11:40a.m. – 12:10p.m.
Last week we held student government elections. I commend all of the students who ran for office and congratulate the following students who are our student government representatives for the 2012-2013 school year: Tristan Wagner, 9th Grade Representative; Fuller Ross, 10th Grade Representative; Sara McCandless, 11th Grade Representative; and Henry Sollitt, Student Body President. I look forward to working closely with the student government throughout the year.
Friday, September 28 marks the end of our first grading period. Advisors will speak with their advisees about their work thus far and then advisors will contact all parents about how the start of the year is going. Expect to hear from your child’s advisor by the end of next week.
Our Open House for all interested 8th graders (7th graders are welcome to attend as well) is this Wednesday at 5:30p.m. Please help us to get the word out and contact Tyler Hardy with any questions you may have about the event.
Finally, a big congratulations to the JHHS Boys’ Golf team for winning their first ever State Championship over this past week-end. We have a number of participants on the team who deserve recognition for their tremendous play throughout the year and during the state competition, including: Henry Eden, JJ Gill, Scooter Gill, and Oliver Hollis. Well done!
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