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HELENA HIGH SCHOOL
A Commitment to Excellence
February /March 2015
http://www.helena.k12.mt.us/schools/
highscho/helenahi/index.dhtm
2014-2015 School Year
SAVE THE DATE!
February/March
Calendar
Welcome to Helena High School
Parents -As we know, technology is an ever-increasing part our students' lives. I came across this article from the Association of
Supervision and Curriculum Development and thought I
would share.
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/01/the-sociallyanxious-generation/384458/
A New Kind of Social Anxiety
in the Classroom The Atlantic
Kids who constantly use phones and computers tend to be more nervous in face-toface conversations. What can teachers do to
help?
Read more...
Respectfully,
Principal Steve Thennis
Feb 2 Early Release
Feb 9 Early Release
Feb 9 Women’s Choir
Festival—Missoula
Feb 16 President’s Day
No School
Feb 23 Early Release
Mar 2 Early Release
Mar 9 Early Release
Mar 14 Pi Day
Mar 16 Early Release
Mar 20 Science Circus
6-9 HHS Gym
Mar 21 Science Circus
10-4 HHS Gym
Mar 23 Early Release
Mar 24 Pre-Festival
Band Concert 7:00 pm
Mar 30-April 6
Spring Break-no school
PARENTS REMINDER!
Come meet and talk with our Principal, Mr. Thennis, at the Parent Link meeting. These are held the
first Tuesday of every month at noon in the Helena
Helena High School Welding Classes
invites you to the
11th Annual Metal Sculpting Show
Wednesday—May 20th 6:00pm until 8:00pm.
Helena High School Welding Shop -1300 Billings Avenue
Please come and enjoy the students' work.
Questions contact Cindy Galbavy at 324-2180
Booster Club members will be selling Bengal
wear in February & March at the Wrestling
and Basketball games. We will have a new shipment of Bengal wear for sale.
•
Sweatshirts
$25.00
•
Long Sleeve
$15.00 and XXL $18.00
•
T-shirts
$10.00
•
Beanies
$10.00
•
Dri-Fit
$20.00
•
Lanyards
$ 3.00
We have a Facebook page. Please
like our page to get the latest news
from the Booster Club.
Helena High Bengal Booster Club
If you are interested in helping sell Bengal wear
or being involved in the Booster Club please call
Diana Sullivan 461-3060.
Meeting schedule for the rest of the school year:
February 9th, 2015
March 9th, 2015
April 13th, 2015
May 11th, 2015
**** Last meeting for the school year
July TBD BBQ planning meeting
2
HELENA
HIGH
SCHOOL
CHOIR
The Senior All Night Party is underway, if you are interested in
helping with or chairing a committee please attend one of the
meetings listed below, or call Diana Sullivan Helena High Chair
461-3060.
The Senior All Night Party Meeting Dates:
February 2nd 5:30 PM at Helena High Library
March 11th 5:30 PM at CHS
April 6th 5:30 PM at Helena High Library
April 20th 5:30 PM at CHS
May 4th 5:30 PM at Helena High Library
May 18th 5:30 PM at CHS
Tickets will be on sale soon at Helena High School. Please
purchase your tickets as soon as possible.
Wristbands will be provided at the door on party
night upon presentation of a purchased ticket.
Seniors must show their IDs!
By Mail
$50: now –
May 12
$65: May 13
– June 1
Onsite at Capital and Helena
High
Civic Center
Door on Party
Night
$50: April 8,9,10
from 11:45-12:45
$65 from 7:008:30 pm only
$65: May 13,14,15
from 11:45-12:45
http://helenaseniorallnightparty.webs.com/
Women’s Choir
Festival
Monday, Feb 9
Missoula
HHS Choir Concert
Tuesday, March 17
7:00 p.m.
HMS Auditorium
Free Admission
Visit www.hhschoirs.com
for announcements, information, dates, and highlights
from class!
MEN ARE DOGS
Helena High Theater announces the upcoming auditions of
Joe Simonelli’s Men are
Dogs. This show is a comical
romp through the life of Cecelia, a successful psychologist. The plot revolves around
her support group for singe and
divorced women. She's got
troubles of her own, but it's her
ensemble of neurotic patients
who provide the action when a
"volunteer" role-player becomes the hapless victim of
their not-inconsiderable
ire. The auditions will be February 7:30 February 17th and
18th at 3:15 in the little theater. Auditions will be one prepared comic or serious monologue, and cold reading. No
experience is necessary, if you
have ever wanted to be in a
play come and try out! See Mr.
Holter for details.
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NEW THIS YEAR
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK ON LINE!
You can now order your 2015 Yearbook on line for $86 at:
http://shop.balfour/com
Then select Helena High School
The Helena High School 31st annual Science Circus will be held
on March 20th from 6-9pm and March 21st from 11am -3pm in
the Helena High School gymnasium. Admission is $3.00 per
person which is used to benefit Helena High School science
students.
This community event addresses the science education of children of all ages. The entertaining activities range from marshmallow DNA to soda explosions as each branch of science creates its own amazing spectacle. The experience is valued by
both the community members who attend and the young adults
teaching the science. This is a great opportunity for our Helena
Community to see the educational activities taking place in our
public schools. We look forward to displaying the wonders of
science to everyone during this one of a kind event.
We hope to see you there!
*Please ask your student about participating in this year’s
Circus.*
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HELENA HIGH
SCHOOL WEB SITES
Helena High’s web page is full of information about our school. The student
bulletin is updated each day and is a
good source of what is happening at
HHS. To access the current HHS web
page the first time enter
www.helena.k12.mt.us. Then click on
the tab for “our schools” and choose
“high schools”; choose ‘Helena High
School” and you are there! Save this as
a favorite for your next visit.
www.helena.k12.mt.us
Parents: Please make sure that
you are using your password and
accessing PowerSchool for up-todate information about your student(s).
If you have lost your password,
please contact Marilyn Williams
(324-2208) and she’ll be able to
help you with the set up.
ATTENDANCE
Parents - if you receive notification
from our school saying your child is unverified, please inform your student of
the notice that evening.
If they have a reason for the mark (i.e.
late to class, with another teacher, error
in taking attendance, etc.), they MUST
follow up by coming to the attendance
office and getting a “purple slip”. These
simple steps are helpful for managing
the attendance of our 1600 students.
Also, if your student is coming or going
outside of their regular schedule, they
MUST sign in and out of the attendance office. If these two requests are
being met, your student should not
have attendance issues. Thank you for
your help in insuring that our student
attendance records are as accurate as
possible.
ATTENDANCE OFFICE
(406) 324-2211
24 Hours a Day/7 Days a Week
To the HHS Yearbook Staff
The 2015 Yearbook has been selected by the
Balfour Company to be a national sample. This
is a great honor and shows the design creativity
by the HHS Yearbook students. Way to go
crew—keep up the good work!
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Business Department Buzz
Jobs for Montana Graduates (JMG) would like to thank the many supporters of
our annual projects. We raised $178 with our Think Pink campaign that we donated to
the Komen foundation. We handily won the crosstown food share drive that was held at
the crosstown football game. JMG also participated with other clubs and activities in
HHS’ Community Trick or Treating, which provided a safe trick or treating experience for
hundreds of children. Once again, JMG participated in the Intermountain fundraiser,
Festival of Trees, submitting 12 trees and a wreath into the auction; we collected Toys for
Tots and we decorated pumpkins and gingerbread houses for Aspen Gardens Assisted
Living Center. We are currently gearing up for our Valentine Grams fundraiser and our
State Career Development Conference in April.
Business Professionals of America (BPA) members competed at the Region IV
Leadership Conference in December with President, Layne Janicek, Vice President,
Michelle Werle, Secretary, Lexi Mihm, as well as Jack Norum, Tabitha Southworth, Jerilynn Copenhaver and Rowan Rankin qualifying for the State Leadership Conference. Kara Galbraith and Whitney Taylor also competed. BPA, with the help of Kacey Askin has
opened up Catty Shack II, a second lunch option available to students on Fridays. Bengal
Spirit gear is also available on Fridays, as well. BPA travels to the State Leadership Conference in March.
The app development team of computer teacher, Buffy Smith, has once again been
recognized for their expertise. Smith’s students, Rooster Pennington, Aston Maslanka,
Wolfgang Schroer-Smith, Trey Alvey, III, won 5 out of 6 competitions in the Governor’s
Mobile App Challenge. A DEQ Air Quality App, they created will be released and ready
for public use at the end of February.
6
PLC
PLC - Professional Development Schedule
Our district is very appreciative of our
community allowing us to schedule
time that is directly related to student
achievement. Teachers and support
staff will be using the early release time
to work together to improve their professional practice in an effort to get
more students to achieve at higher levels. This work will include:
All Mondays are Professional Learning Communities for
HSD staff. Helena High School will dismiss early every
Monday, please see below for the different HSD grade
level release schedule:

Below is each Monday schedule for HHS:

Studying and clarifying the meaning of the MT State Standards and
Career and Technology Education
industry standards
Developing an understanding of
what the standard looks like in student work
Elementary School:
Middle School:
High School:
8:30—2:30
8:05—2:15
8:20—2:30
Period 0
7:32 - 8:15
Period 4
10:49 –11:32
Period 1
12:11
8:20 - 9:03
Lunch
11:32—
Period 2
9:08 - 9:51
Period 5
2:11 – 12:54
9:51 - 9:56
Period 6
12:59 - 1:42
10:01–10:44
Period 7
1:47 – 2:30

Designing units of study
Homeroom

Writing common assessments
Period 3

Analyzing the results of the common assessments

Planning additional, time, support
and extension for students.
**Buses will run according to Professional Development
schedule on Mondays**
The Office of Public Instruction and the Montana GEAR UP are providing licenses for the
ACT Online prep free of charge to our students grades 9-12. All students were given
their username and password from their English teacher and may access the online prep
at the link listed below. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students.
http://www.actonlineprep.com
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Youth Risk Behavior Survey
The Helena School district is participating in the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior
Survey (YRBS). Helena and Capital High School will be administering this
survey on February 25th during second period. Since 1991, this survey has
been sponsored by the Montana Office of Public Instruction and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey will ask about the
health behaviors of students throughout Montana in grades 7 through 12.
Questions will be asked about intentional and unintentional injuries; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors; nutrition and dietary behavior; and physical activity.
The YRBS has been approved by state and local school officials and has the
support of many national organizations, including the National Parent
Teacher Association, American Association of School Superintendents, and
American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of State Boards of
Education, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National
Catholic Educational Association, National Education Association, and National School Boards Association.
Completing this paper and pencil survey poses little or no risk to your
child. The only potential risk is that some students might find certain
questions to be sensitive. Survey procedures have been designed to protect
your child's privacy and allow for anonymous participation. It is very important that all selected students participate. However, the decision to participate is voluntary. There will be no action against you or your child if
your child does not participate. If you would like to see the survey, a copy
will be available at the Helena High School main office.
Please read the survey facts. Your child will be receiving a permission form
to opt out of this survey. Permission forms will be distributed during second period on February 11. You only need to return this permission form if
you do not give your child permission to take the survey.
If you have further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact
Principal Steve Thennis at 324- 2200.
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Math Contest Time
Does your kid like math? Is he/she good at math?
Does your kid make everything a competition?
We have a challenge for them!!
On February 25 and March 11 we will be holding two math competitions.
February 25 – The American Mathematics Competition (AMC)
will be held at Helena High School 1st and 2nd period (during the school day).
This is a national competition sponsored by Mathematical Association of
America. Students compete at one of two levels base on the level of math in
which they are currently enrolled. This is a high level problem solving competition. The cost to the student will be $3. Students who finish at the highest level will go on to compete to become a member of the national team.
Students need contact their current mathematics teacher to sign-up by
February 10.
March 11 – The Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics
(MCTM) Competition will be held at Carroll College during the school
day. This is a state competition sponsored by MCTM to promote the engagement by young people in mathematics. Students, grades 7-12, compete
in grade level tests. Scholarships are available for the top finishers in the
12th grade. Juniors can opt-in to have their scores sent to the Montana Colleges that request names for possible scholarships. All participants receive a
certificate noting their level of achievement. The cost to students will be $3.
Transportation to the completion will be provided. Students need contact
their current mathematics teacher to sign up by February 28.
THE VISIT—A HELENA HIGH PRODUCTION
Helena High Theater’s production of Eddie Kennedy’s drama “The Visit” will be performed on February
5th, 12th and 13th in the Helena High Little Theater, at 7:00. The cost will be a mere $3.00 per seat and
all seating will be general admission. All proceeds go to the Doris M. Marshall scholarship fund, witch
funds needy thespians entry fees to the state theater festival, and funds the troupes annual Doris M Marshall scholarship for graduating seniors perusing theater at the University level. This show is produced by
arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing Company.
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Counseling News
Important Dates:
Boys/Girls State
Feb 9th — Sophomore Parent Night
Feb 11th — FAFSA Completion Night Attention JUNIORS
Exchange Club Students of the Month
January
Claire Inman
Jordan Jakovac
Kristen Marble
February
Dylan Kresge
Jake (Rooster) Pennington
Moria Shea
Soroptimist Students of the Month
Jan— Ellie Snyder
Feb—Carolyn Stine
March—Eleanor Wintersteen
Rotary Students of the Month
Jan—Madison Siebenaler
Feb—Giles Hardy
March—Hamilton Platt
Applications for Montana Boys and Girls State are now being accepted. For over 65
years this program has taken the best of Montana’s youth and strengthened their leadership foundations. It has taught them important lessons in leadership, citizenship,
sportsmanship and helped to forge them into a truly effective future leaders of Montana and the nation. This experience will also be a wonderful addition to your college/
scholarship applications and resumes. Applications for both programs are available
online at www.mtlegion.org. Students will need to print off their application, once
complete, and bring to the school for a signature from Mr. Thennis.
Deadline to register for Girls State is March 30, 2015.
Interviews will be held at HHS for all applicants, the date has yet to be determined.
Girls State will be held May 30—June 5 at Carroll College in Helena. Participants
will miss the week leading up to HHS finals week. Girls State delegates will be able
to take their exams upon return from Girls State. If you are accepted to attend Girls
State, but feel you may need financial assistance with the participation fee, please see
Mrs. Miller in the HHS Counseling Center for scholarship assistance.
Boys State Applications are due May 20th.
Boys State applications are prioritized in the order received. Boys State will be held
June 7 –12 at Carroll College. Participants will miss HHS finals week. Boys State
delegates will be excused from school for this final week provided that all finals are
made up. Boys State scholarships available from our American Legion Post.
Registration for 2014-2015 classes begins soon
Counselors and administrators will be working with students in February to begin the registration process for next year. We encourage students to talk with parents and plan carefully to take advantage of their time at Helena High and choose classes that will help
them prepare for their future. Students should also consult their current transcript to make sure they are meeting all graduation requirements. Please call your son or daughter’s counselor with any
questions.
Registration Schedule
Factors to consider (all included in the front of the registration guide):
·
Graduation requirements
·
College admission standards
·
NCAA sports eligibility requirements
·
Career plans of study
Additional options for juniors and seniors:
·
Dual credit classes at HHS- marked in registration guide
·
Taking classes at UM Helena or Carroll College
·
Internships
Distribution of Materials
Feb 9: Juniors
Feb 10: Sophomores
Feb 11: Freshman
Collection of Materials (REQUIRED PARENT SIGNATURE)
Feb 17: Juniors
Feb 18: Sophomores
Feb 19: Freshman
**Students taking dual credit courses are required to10
turn in
dual credit applications with all other registration materials
Sophomore Parent Night
Parents of sophomore students please plan to attend on Monday, February
9th at 6:30pm in the Little Theatre. Information will be presented about dual
credit, testing, registration for classes, study skills, etc. See you there!
PSAT SCORES
PSAT scores that were not picked up at Junior Parent Night will be distributed to students through their English classes.
Attention Junior Parents
National ACT/SAT Test Dates
ACT
Reminder
ACT plus Writing will be offered
SAT
April 18
March 14
June 13
May 2
June 7
at HHS on April 28th, 2015
**Registration will be taken care of by HHS.
If you have any additional questions,
please contact your student’s counselor.
ACT Test Prep through Sycamore Learning Company
Where: Capital High School
When: Sunday, February 22nd, 2015
Time: 12:30-6:00pm
Cost (approximate): $75
For additional information, please contact Jeramie Robinson, CHS counselor @ 324-2393
FAFSA Completion Night
When: February 11th
Where: HHS Library
Time: 5:00-7:00pm
WHY COME????
-Receive one-on-one support while completing the FAFSA!
-Scholarship opportunity for students whose parents attend FAFSA night!
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-Snacks provided!!
Helena High School Students View Performance:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“Lovers fall prey to the spells of the fairy King Oberon and his helper Puck in the depths
of the forest, while the fairy Queen Titania falls under the spell of their magic flower and
becomes infatuated with a worker transformed as a donkey. All’s well as the mischief is
undone, the lovers reunited, and the final scene presents the play of Pyramus and Thisbee, poor lovers separated by a Wall who die in Romeo and Juliet fashion unnecessarily.”
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set in two (and another unseen) distinct worlds. The
one is a human constructed world of order and law, where each individual has a role to
play and each one is expected to behave according to their role. The other is the natural
world where order can be upset by weather and unforeseen events and where every living things is subject to the whims and fancies of the earth and sky. The unseen world in
Shakespeare’s play is that of the Fairy Land, a world unseen by humans (and thus by the
audience) full of intriguing and magical characters who come to visit and play with the
mortals in the other two worlds” (from the Study Guide to A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, provided by Shakespeare in the Schools).
On Wednesday, November 5, 2014, over 900 Helena High School students were mesmerized, thrilled, and entertained with the performance of A Midsummer Night’s
Dream at the Helena Middle School Auditorium. Attended by their English teachers,
the students wrapped themselves in the world of Shakespeare’s language. As the director of the professional group for Montana Shakespeare in the Schools Kristin Hammargren said, “Imagine you are going into a darkened room. Allow yourself time to get
used to the light. You will begin to understand Shakespeare’s language, alive and vivid
even after 400 years.”
Understanding a Shakespeare play helps students meet Montana’s Common Core State Standards. For example, consider the following requirement: “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work
(e.g. how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare or how American Indian stories and oral histories appear in contemporary works . . . .” (MCSS Reading Standards for Literature, grades 9-10). A similar standard is written for grades 11-12.
Even more than meeting the standards, seeing the performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was an enjoyable experience. Comments from students and teachers following the performance included these: “This was the best play
ever,” “They made me laugh so hard,” and “Thank you for taking us to the performance.”
Following the performance the actors led about 110 students from all grade levels in a series of highly active, thoughtprovoking workshops, titled “Shakespeare as Musical Theater, Relevance,” “Forgeries of Jealous: Verse,” “A Play Within a Play: Staging,” and “Fighting the Invisible: Combat.” Students experienced the challenges and opportunities in
presenting a Shakespearean play. The actors joined English teachers and Thespian students in a delicious lunch catered by the Helena High Culinary students. Thank you Walmart for the generous grant making the performance and
workshops that followed possible.
Review by Jean O’Connor, English teacher
12
ATTENTION
SENIORS!
Yearbooks are a lifetime of memories. If
you are missing your
Freshman yearbook—You have the
opportunity to purchase one. They
are on sale for $45. Please see Ms.
Lunnon today!
2014
YEARBOOKS
If you didn’t get a Yearbook for
2014, they are a few left and ONSALE for $65 until they are gone!
Please see Ms. Lunnon today!
Our team will be competing in Billings at
the 2015 Big Sky Regional Science Bowl
March 6th-7th. The Big Sky Regional
Science Bowl is an academic tournament
that challenges students’ knowledge of
math and science in a fast-paced quiz
competition. The tournament is run in a
round-robin style during the morning
with the high scoring teams advancing to
a double-elimination game in the afternoon. To win, a team of five must work
together to quickly and accurately answer toss-up and bonus questions about
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math and
Energy while following the strict rules of
play. Our team includes two members of
the defending state champion team
from 2014. HHS has attended the Department of Energy's National Science
Bowl in Washington, D.C. for 5 of the
past 6 years. More information is available at the Western Area Power Administration (http://www.wapa.gov/ugp/
ScienceBowl/Montana/) or the National
Science Bowl homepage (http://
science.energy.gov).
13
THE FLU: WHAT PARENTS NEED TO
KNOW TO KEEP KIDS HEALTHY
TF
HAT PARENTS
KIDS HEALTHY
WHAT IS THE FLU?

The flu is caused by the influenza virus, which infects the lungs, nose and throat

Flu can cause mild to severe illness, and sometimes, can lead to death

Each year in the United States:
o
5-20 percent of Americans fall ill to the flu
o
Children are two to three times more likely than adults to get sick with the flu, and they frequently
spread the virus to others

Young children are at the greatest risk for developing serious flu complications, as well as the elderly and
those with certain health conditions
HOW DOES FLU SPREAD?

There are two ways to get the flu. Usually flu is spread from person to person through coughing and
sneezing. Occasionally, people can get the flu from touching a germ-infested surface
WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF FLU?
Often we get confused about the symptoms of the flu and how they are different from a common cold. Knowing
the symptoms of the flu is important and will help you act quickly to get your child feeling better faster

Common symptoms of flu include: high fever, severe headache, muscle and body aches, exhaustion and
dry cough
o
Children often have additional flu symptoms that are rare in adults, such as nausea, vomiting and diar
rhea
14

Symptoms of a common cold include: stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat and hacking cough
SIMPLE STEPS FOR KEEPING YOUR CHILD HEALTHY
 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to prevent your child from
getting the flu is to take him/her to get a flu vaccine
 You should talk to your child about practicing good health habits, such as:
o
Washing hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds
o
Covering mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, and disposing of the tissue in a proper
trash receptacle
o
Avoiding sharing drinks, water bottles or silverware with others
 You can help prevent the flu from spreading at home by disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, toys and
other commonly shared items
 Also, if someone in your household gets the flu, a doctor can prescribe a medication – called an antiviral – that
can actually prevent other members of the household from catching the flu
o
Studies show that some antiviral medications are up to 89 percent effective in preventing the flu when
taken once daily for seven days
DON’T TAKE THE FLU LYING DOWN
 If you are concerned about your child’s flu symptoms, call your doctor early. Call your doctor immediately if
your child has a chronic disease. Some children may benefit from an antiviral medication, which can be prescribed by a physician and can help lessen the duration of the virus and reduce the risk of complications, such
as pneumonia

To be effective, antiviral medication should be taken within 12-48 hours after flu symptoms begin
 If your child has the flu, it is important for them to stay home from school, rest, and drink plenty of fluids
 Additionally, notify the school nurse at your child’s school if your child has the flu. Monitoring flu incidence will
help keep students, faculty and our community healthy.
This program is sponsored by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and funded by a contribution
from Roche
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE INFLUENZA VIRUS, VISIT WWW.CDC.GOV/FLU
15
U.S. Postage
HELENA SCHOOL DSITRICT #1
PAID
HELENA HIGH SCHOOL
1300 BILLINGS AVENUE
HELENA, MT 59601
Permit No. 94
Helena, MT 59601
Non-Profit Org.
(406) 324-2200
(406) 324-2201 FAX
http://www.helena.k12.mt.us
CURRENT RESIDENT OR
Looking for a leadership opportunity for next year?
Consider the HHS Student Council Executive Board. Registration time is upon us
and Student Council is looking for next year's Executive Board. The HHS Student
Council Executive Board serves as the elite student body representation.
What: Students take the class as an independent study with Ms. Watts.
When: You meet daily during Zero or 7th period to plan student activities like:
Homecoming, Prom, Winter Formal, Teacher Appreciation, student contests and
attend state and national leadership conferences.
Why: HHS NEEDS student leaders like YOU! to represent the school,
the district, the state and the nation as leaders
How: Talk to Ms. Watts in Room 25 anytime!
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