Hardin Northern Local School Superintendent’s Desk

11589 St. Rt. 81 Issue II November/December/January, 2012

Dola, Oh 45835 Published Quarterly

Dear Hardin Northern Community Member,

Last spring, Mr. Andy Wilson, guidance counselor at Hardin Northern developed a brochure that said “Hardin Northern High School or Hardin Northern College”. The brochure referred to the fantastic opportunities that Hardin Northern students have under dual enrollment (obtaining college credit during their high school courses). As Mr. Wilson noted, a Hardin Northern student can receive twenty-nine (29) semester hours of college credit and never leave Hardin Northern High School. This is remarkable.

It also got me thinking about where Hardin Northern ranks as an educational institution, especially in comparison to the rest of Hardin County. Upon doing that research, I was surprised …pleasantly surprised.

Below is a chart on ACT scores. This chart includes scores from all of the county schools for the 2011-2012 school year. Students take the ACT prior to attending college and the ACT score is suppose to be an indicator of how successful they will be in college. As you can see, Hardin Northern students ranked #1 in Hardin County in all categories.

ACT Results 2012

School Number English Math Reading Science Composite

Tested

Ada 30 19.5 19.8 21.0 20.2 21.8

Hardin Northern 30 20.9* 22.4* 22.8* 23.1* 22.5*

Kenton 68 19.7 20.4 21.4 21.3 20.8

Ridgemont 34 19.4 21.3 20.8 21.1 20.7

Riverdale 38 20.0 20.6 20.3 21.6 20.7

Upper Scioto 24 19.1 19.0 21.7 20.5 20.2

*Indicates highest score in Hardin County

On the grade card from the State of Ohio, Hardin Northern has earned an “Excellent” rating for the 2011-2012 school year. This is an increase from “Effective” over the previous couple of years. One indicator on the state grade card is “value added”. This category measures student growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. If students “grow” one year in that school year, the district met the value added category. The Hardin Northern District rated “above” which means that our students grew more than one year academically during the 2011-2012 school year. Value added is probably the best indication on the state grade card to determine how teachers are doing. This would indicate that our teachers at Hardin Northern are doing a fantastic job. Only Hardin Northern and Kenton of Hardin County schools were rated as “above” on value added.

Another category on the state grade card that is important is Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is a measure of how well sub-groups do as compared to the whole population in a school district. Hardin Northern has four sub groups. They are: all students, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and “white” students. Since we are not very ethnically diverse, the sub group of white students is almost the same as all students. A school must perform to a certain standard with these sub groups to “close the gap” on how they perform as compared to all students. The highest rating that a school can get in AYP is “met”. Hardin Northern met this requirement. Hardin Northern was the only school in Hardin County

to meet the AYP category and rate “above” on value added. Hardin Northern was also the only school in the Blanchard Valley Conference to meet AYP and rate “above” on value added.

The Hardin Northern District also has many other advantages for the students that attend here. We have a fantastic new building that is climate controlled. This provides for a great learning environment. We have a very supportive community. Not only has the community provided this wonderful facility but we have many community members that volunteer to help in academic, athletic, music, art, FFA, FCCLA, and many, many other areas. This community also instills in their children a great work ethic. This includes showing up to school (we have a 95.6% attendance rate), doing homework and pushing themselves to be successful.

On the state grade card, Hardin Northern has a graduation rate listed as 97%. This is because one student did not pass one part of the Ohio Graduation Test. That student has since passed that part of the test and has received their diploma, raising the graduation rate for last year to 100%.

One of the best things that the Hardin Northern District has is the top notch faculty and staff. They are extremely hard working, caring and dedicated to helping our students. The staff has been spending many hours working on new state standards, new teaching methods, developing curriculum maps and short cycle assessments in an effort to help each student reach their maximum potential. The results on test scores, grade cards, value added, etc. demonstrate what a fantastic job they are doing.

In conclusion, when you look at available college credit, ACT scores, an “Excellent” rating from the State of Ohio, meeting AYP, being rated “above “ on value added and a graduation rate of 100% it is my feeling that Hardin Northern Local Schools is the premier academic school in Hardin County.

Sincerely,

Doug Roberts, Supt.

Hardin Northern Local School District

A Message from Your High School Principal,

The school year is well underway with the first quarter completed. I would like to share a few of my thoughts with you about our school and the great things occurring here. We truly have a lot to be thankful for and proud of. We have a great staff at the Hardin Northern. I have begun observing all of our teachers using the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System model and can confidently say that the Staff has very high expectations for student achievement and go out of their way to help our students. It is impressive to see challenging learning goals communicated to our students, and having the teachers leading their class to meet these goals. Our teachers have also been working during the Thursday early release time to develop curriculum maps and formative assessments to make sure students are achieving at high levels. I have also been impressed with our students. The life of a student can be hectic at times with multiple classes and teachers, extracurricular activities, and daily life. Through my observation in classrooms, it has become obvious that our students work very hard and take their classwork seriously. It is a pleasure to see students take leadership roles in clubs such as FFA, FCCLA, and Student Council. Some students have been able to maintain their grades and serve others by mentoring elementary students during their study hall time. Lastly, I would like to thank the Staff, Students, and Community for welcoming me to the community. People have been very

friendly and helpful as my wife and I have moved and settled in. I have enjoyed meeting parents and others at school events.

The Pride in this school is evident throughout these interactions.

Go Polar Bears!

Joe Hoelzle, High School Principal

Hardin Northern School Nov.-Dec. 2012 and Jan. 2013

GUIDANCE BULLETIN #2 Guidance Web Page

The guidance web page is up and running. You can find important dates, Teen of the Month Applications, a list of scholarship applications available in the guidance office, links to useful web sites, and much more. It can be accessed through the HN Web page at www.hardinnorthern.org or you can go directly to it at www.hardinnorthern.org/guidance Get in the habit of checking it regularly. Text and Email Messages

Parents and students can subscribe to guidance text or email messages by texting @ee5 to 909-726-7006 or email ee5@remind101.com. The guidance department will send out notifications of new scholarships, college visits, and other important information through this service as well as the above web page. HELP!! My grades aren’t very good!!

Now that the first nine weeks are over and grade cards are out, students and parents may have discovered some classes

students are struggling in. What do you do about it? 1. Make sure all assignments get turned in from here on out. These assignments are crucial in helping teachers establish effort

and needed improvement.

2. Set up an appointment to meet with teachers to discuss how to improve. An excellent opportunity for this is during parent teacher conferences on November 19. Call the school office (759-3515) to set up an appointment time with your teachers.

3. Establish a regular study time for your students. It is suggested that students should study no less than one hour per day. Even when all homework is done, this time could be used to review notes, read textbooks, or study for upcoming tests and quizzes. No TV, music, phone, etc. during this time!

4. Parent and students should get in the habit of checking Progressbook for grades and assignments.

Elks Teen of the Month

Congratulations to Taylor Allen and Bill Allen for being selected as HN’s Elk’s Teens of the Month for October. Applications (for

those not already in) are due by October 31 for the November selection, November 27 for December selection, and December 19 for

January Selection.

OGT Testing

The fall administration of the OGT Achievement test will be taking place about the time you are getting this newsletter. Only juniors and seniors that did not pass all five parts of the test in the past are allowed to participate in the fall testing. The testing schedule is as follows: Reading- Monday, October 22 Math- Tuesday, October 23 Writing- Wednesday, October 24 Science- Thursday, October 25 Social Studies- Monday, October 29 Make ups- Monday, October 29 and Tuesday, October 30

Junior and senior students may check in the guidance office for a list of tests they need to take. Any student absent on the day of

a test (that they need to take) should see Mr. Wilson immediately to schedule their make-up. Practice tests, old tests and test

keys can be found through the HN guidance web page. In addition, these students, along with all 10th graders, are getting OGT

prep help during homeroom. 10th graders will take the OGT for the first time during the week of March 11.

Sophomores to Visit the Apollo Career Center

On Wednesday, November 14, sophomores will receive a presentation on the Apollo Career Center. This program will

be conducted by a speaker from Apollo and consists of a talk and DVD about the various career options at Apollo. The

program will be presented during Homeroom. The goal of this presentation, along with the tour of Apollo most of the

students took as eighth graders, is to help students decide if they want to further investigate vocational education.

Sophomores will be taking a field trip on Friday, January 25 to tour Apollo. During this trip students travel to Apollo by

school bus and spend one hour in each of two vocational areas of their choice. During these one-hour visits the students

receive information from the vocational instructors and also participate in activities in the vocational shops and

laboratories. Applications for Apollo enrollment (during the junior year) will also be made available to interested

students on this day.

In a time when unskilled jobs are difficult to find, Apollo offers high school students the opportunity to develop skills

that will make it easier to find a job. Many Apollo students choose to continue their education at a technical school or

college after graduation as well.

Seniors Scholarship and College applications are beginning to arrive in the guidance office. College applications should be sent in by the

first of December and most scholarships are due sometime in February (a few have other due dates). Don’t wait to the last minute.

A great way to get ready for these applications is to make a list of all your school activities and community activities. Include

EVERYTHING you have done since you were a freshman. Make sure you know what year(s) you did that activity and break down

large activities. For instance, don’t just say “I was in FFA”, but list the individual activities you did in FFA.

Remember that you need the paperwork turned in three days before taking a college visit. The forms are in the office.

The next registration deadline for the ACT is November 2. This registration is for the December 8th test date.

Financial Aid

Starting in December, the forms that college bound seniors and their parents need to complete to be considered for need-

type college financial aid will be available in the high school guidance office and college financial aid departments.

Need-type financial aid includes grants, loans and work-study programs through which money is made available to

students based on the financial strength of the student and his or her family.

The main form used to apply for need-type financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid usually referred

to as the FAFSA. While some parts of the FAFSA can be completed in December much of the information on this form

should not be completed until after January 1, 2013 when exact 2012 family income figures are known. Financial

figures put on the FAFSA should agree with those recorded on the family’s income tax return.

Financial Aid programs will be offered in January at HN and Kenton. Watch the paper for details.

An Invitation from the Guidance Office

The guidance office is always open to parents but the parent/teacher conferences in November might be a particularly good

opportunity to stop in. High School and Junior High conferences are scheduled on Monday, November 19, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00

p.m., and on Monday, February 4, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Information available through the guidance office includes topics like those listed below. Parents are invited to stop in on the

parent/teacher conference dates at their convenience for discussions or to pick up information.

Course Credits & Scheduling

Graduation Requirements

Apollo Career Center Information Postsecondary Enrollment Options (College Level Courses)

Academic Requirements for Athletic Eligibility NCAA Clearinghouse (College Athletic Eligibility) College Scholarships & other Financial Aid

College Information & Applications

Ohio Graduation Test

ACT & SAT (College Admissions Tests)

Work Permit Applications (Age & Schooling

Certificate)

Ohio Career Information System (OCIS)

Honors Diploma Requirements

Student GPA & Class Rank Information

Important Dates

November 2- Registration for Dec. 8 ACT due.

November 8- Elks Teen of Month Luncheon

November 14- Apollo Career visits to 10th grade

November 19- Parent Teacher Conferences 2-8 pm

November 20- Early dismissal at 1:30

November 21-25 Thanksgiving Break

November 28- Youth Leadership at International Paper

November 29- Elks Teen of Month applications due for

December

December 13- Elks Teen of Month Luncheon

December 8- ACT test date

December 19- Elks Teen of Month Applications due for

January

Dec. 21- Jan. 2- Christmas Break

January 9- Semester Exams

January 10- Semester Exams and end of 1st semester and 2

nd

nine weeks

January 10- Elks Teen of the Month Luncheon for January

January 11- Registration for Feb. 9 ACT due.

January 11- Teacher Work day, no school for students

January 21- No school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 25- 10th grade trip to Apollo

January 28- Snow date for 10th grade trip to Apollo

HARDIN NORTHERN PUBLIC

LIBRARY

BOOK SALE – The library will have a book sale November 5-10 during regular library hours. A variety of materials will be sold for .25 each or 5/$1.00 with the proceeds to benefit the library.

HOLIDAY HOURS

The library will be closed Thursday, November 22 to observe the Thanksgiving holiday. The library will close at 4 pm on Monday, December 24 and resume hours on Thursday, December 27 for the Christmas holiday. The library will close at 4 pm on Monday, December 31 for the New Year and resume hours on Thursday, January 3. The library will be closed Monday, January 21 to

observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

WEATHER & ROAD

CONDITION INFORMATION

If weather or road conditions warrant the library to close for the day, close early, or open late, the information will be available on WKTN 95.3 FM. Also, patrons are encouraged to call the library before starting out.

MONTHLY ACTIVITIES

Book Discussion Group 1st Thursday 7:00 pm. Chick Flick Movie Night 2nd Wednesday 7:00 pm. Movie Night 3rd Friday 7:00 pm. Nutrition Class 4th Thursday 1:30 pm. Free Blood Pressure Checks last Friday

12:30 – 2:30 pm

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The library is located at 153 N. Main St., Dunkirk. Phone & fax number: 419-759-3558 Hours are:

Mon. Tues. Thurs. 1 – 8 pm; Fri 12 – 5 pm; Sat. 9 am- noon; closed on Wed.

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas,

and a Happy New Year!

appy!

olidays!

Families, teachers, and the community are invited to attend the Book Fair! The Book Fair will offer specially priced books and educational products, including new releases, award-winning titles, children’s classics, interactive software, and current bestsellers from more than 100 publishers.

Hours: Mon.-Fri. from 8:20 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (note: 2 hr. delay on

Wed., Book Fair opens at 10:20a.m.)

Tuesday evening, Nov. 6, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 10, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the Music Dept. Craft Bazaar

Classroom Wishlists: You can

help the teachers build classroom libraries and improve children’s reading skills by purchasing books through the Classroom Wish List and/or by giving gift certificates to your child’s teacher. These are available at the Book Fair!

Dear Families, At the Book Fair, we are collecting funds for our All for Books program. By donating $1 or loose change, you help us to:

• purchase books for our school library • give more children greater access to books • help get more kids reading, and kids reading more

The All for Books money we collect also helps readers beyond our school and community. Scholastic Book Fairs matches monetary donations with a donation of up to one million books to the Kids In Need Foundation and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. Please send your donation and the attached signed book slip back to school by November 9. Your act of kindness helps to bring more knowledge, imagination, and love for reading into the lives of children. THANK YOU! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can’t make it to the fair? You can also buy online! Go to :

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/polarbearbooks and

look for the link to buy online, or find the Book Fair link on HN’s

website!

November 5-10 The HN PTO is hosting a Scholastic Book

Fair to earn new books for the

Elementary Library!

High School Library News…

Come to our Book

Fair for

Grades 7-12!

December 3-7

There will be a Book

Fair

for grades 7-12 in

the H.S. Library

during school hours,

December 3-7.

The Book Fair will

also be open during

some of the home

basketball games

that week! (watch

the online HN

calendar for times)

Stop in and do some

Christmas shopping!

All proceeds earned

from the Book Fair

will help us

purchase new books

for the H.S.

library.

Teen Read Week

2012

Students in grades 7-12 participated in

National Teen Read Week, October 15-19 at

HN. Students who were “Caught Reading”

received coupons to turn in for candy and

other prizes. Students also took part in a

Book Cover Contest and “Teacher Favorites

Contest” collecting lists of their teachers’

favorite books. Prizes included HN T-Shirts

(donated by Shaun Spearman), Ada Movie

Theater Passes (donated by the Ada

Theater), Polar Bear Spirit Bands, Curly’s

Pizza gift certificates, Dairy Dream gift

certificates, and H.S. Book Fair gift

certificates. The activities were made

possible through a grant from the Hardin

County Community Foundation.

Kindergarten Screening For

2013 - 2014

Kindergarten Screening at Hardin Northern School for the 2013-2014

school year has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 2013 from

8:30 – 3:30 in the JH/Elementary Gym.

Your child must be 5 years of age on or before August 1, 2013 to be

eligible for next year’s Kindergarten Class.

You must register your child for Kindergarten Screening during the

month of February in the Elementary Office. Please call 419-759-3158 and

ask for Mrs. DeLong or Ms. Henrick to set up an appointment. All

appointments will be scheduled between the hours of 9:00 AM and 2:00

PM on regular school days.

When registering your child, please bring with you the following:

Child’s Birth Certificate

Child’s Social Security Card

Child’s Immunization Records/Health History

Custody Papers (If Applicable)

Proof of Residency (Anything with your name and

current address such as driver’s license,

billing, etc.)

We will be asking you to fill out all necessary paperwork at this time,

which will take approximately one hour.

Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to meeting our

parents and students of next year’s Kindergarten Class!

Hardin Northern

Music Boosters

Christmas Bazaar and Craft Show

Saturday, November 10

9a.m.-3p.m.

In the Hardin Northern Gym

Musical Entertainment & Food

Candles, Embroidered Apparel and Spiritwear, Jewelry,

Baked Goods and Candy, Primitives, Quilts, Incense,

Tupperware,

Christmas Décor, and much more!

$1 Entry fee enters you in the door prize drawing.

For more information call

Phyllis at 419-759-3587

(some spaces still available)

Michelle Obenour

419-759-2400

Melissa Gossard

419-957-1159

Wendy Thomson

419-767-0342

****Please note: ****We are only able to accept CASH payment No refunds….you may resell

your ticket to another person if unable to attend, and one of the above people will need to be notified.

Tickets available on first come, first serve basis and only reserved with payment…unpaid seats will

not be held Those wishing to join us, but are 18 and under, must be accompanied by an

adult.

Start your Christmas shopping in Ft. Wayne, Indiana at Glenbrook Square!

Please join us for this exciting shopping trip. Transportation provided to and from the mall by Bliss Charters. Sit back and relax. Let someone else do the

driving. All you have to do is shop. Seats are limited so please hurry! Invite your friends!

Saturday, November 17th, 2012

Bus leaves at 8:00 a.m. from the Hardin Northern School – west parking lot

(Please be there by 7:45 a.m.)

Bus will leave Ft. Wayne for the return trip at 8:00 p.m.

Reserve your seat today for $40.00. (That’s less than a tank of gas!)

Shop at Abercrombie & Fitch, Archiver’s, Banana Republic, CJ Banks, Coach, Hollister, Justice, Pandora, Victoria’s Secret, Wet Seal, New York & Co., Barnes & Noble, Glitter and more.

Proceeds will go towards the HN Class of 2016 NYC Senior Class Trip

For tickets and/or additional information, please contact:

Hardin Northern

Honors Our Veterans

This year to honor our Veterans in the Hardin Northern Community, we will be

placing small flags on the lawn in front of the school, each one representing a local

Veteran.

If you would like to honor the Veterans in your family with a flag, please fill out the

form below and include $1 as a donation to the Student Council’s Soldiers’ Angels

project.

The names you include on the form below will also be added to our list of Veteran

names read at our Veterans Day Assembly.

The Veterans Day Assembly will be November 9, 2012 at 2:30pm in the HN high school gym

and is open to the public.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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HN Veterans Day Flag Request

Veteran Name(s) and branch(es): _________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Honored By: _________________________________________________________________________________

Please include $1 donation for each flag requested.

Flag requests can be sent to the school office Attn: Erika Andrews

Deadline: November 7.

Hardin Northern Hall of Distinction

Hardin Northern, Dola, and Dunkirk have many outstanding alumni who have used their education and experience to become

successful, positive contributors to society. The Hardin Northern Hall of Distinction is being established to recognize and

showcase outstanding graduates while giving current students solid examples of what they can accomplish in life from adults

who sat in the same seats and walked the same halls as they do. Our school has an impressive and diverse list of alumni from

whom to select for induction. A committee will select inductees from nominations made by the general public. If there is

someone you feel should be nominated, please fill out the attached nomination form and send it to Hardin Northern,

attention Andrew Wilson. The nomination form can also be downloaded from the guidance web page at

www.hardinnorthern.org/guidance

Criteria to be Considered

A nominee has graduated from Dola, Dunkirk, or Hardin Northern at least 15 years prior to nomination.

A nominee has significant accomplishments and/or community service that have been recognized as outstanding

through the receipt of awards, honors, or other forms of distinction.

A nominee has made a profound and positive international, national, regional or local impact on their chosen field or

community.

Posthumous nominations will be accepted.

Procedure for Nominations

Nominations may be made by alumni, current or former faculty and staff, administrators, and community members of

Hardin Northern School District.

Nominations need to be submitted by January 1, 2013. In order for the nomination to be considered, the attached

nomination form must be fully completed and submitted as outlined on the form.

Nominations will be kept on file and reconsidered for the next three years following submission. A candidate may be

re-nominated every three years.

Selection of Inductees

The selection committee will be comprised of community members, faculty, and current students. If you wish to be

on the selection committee, please contact Andrew Wilson by January 1, 2013. 419-759-2331 ext. 1202 or email

andy.wilson@hardinnorthern.org

No more than two will be inducted in any given year.

Induction

New members of the HN Hall of Distinction will be inducted at the spring academic awards assembly in late May,

recognized at graduation, and their award plaques will be displayed in the main hallway at HN.

Hardin Northern School District

Hall of Distinction Nomination Form

Today’s Date __________________________________________________

Nominee’s Name ___________________________________ Year of graduation _________________

Graduated from Dola, Dunkirk, or Hardin Northern (please circle one)

Nominee’s Current Position/Title __________________________________________________________

Nominee’s Current Address (if known) ______________________________________________________

City, State, Zip __________________________________________________________________________

Nominee’s Phone Number and /or Email ______________________________________________________

Reason for Nomination: (include examples of success, community service, any known accomplishments, memberships,

experience, awards, honors, other forms of distinction). An attached narrative is also acceptable.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Name of Nominator _____________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip _________________________________________________________________________

Phone and/or email ______________________________________________________________________

Return completed form by January 1, 2013 to

Hardin Northern School c/o Andrew Wilson

11589 ST RT 81 Dola, Ohio 45835

Questions can be directed to Andrew Wilson, 419-759-2331 ext. 1202 or email andy.wilson@hardinnorthern.org

Nomination forms are also available on the guidance web page at www.hardinnorthern.org/guidance and can be saved and attached to an

email and submitted in that for

Dunkirk Masonic Temple

Sponsored by the Dunkirk Lodge

December 5th

5:00 – 7:00 pm

Come enjoy

Santa & His Live Reindeer

Christmas Trees – Food – Drinks

Please bring can food donations

for the Food Pantry.