November Announcements

Happy November MHHS Family!!!

Well, we made it through the first quarter! We'd like to thank everyone who was able to make it out to our parent/teacher conferences. We are off to a great start and have had a lot of fun watching our various teams and activities do very well in the fall season. We are pretty much now into the winter season with our athletics and activities. Please continue to encourage your children to get involved in our offerings. We know that when kids find a connection in addition to the academic side of things, they are happier and do much better overall.  

I would like to kindly ask that if your student hasn’t returned their completed FEDERAL SURVEY CARD(S) (the blue cardstock) with all of the necessary information, please help them do so.  

Here are some of the things coming up this month that we’d like to make sure you’re aware of:

November 1st: Sadie Hawkins Dance (in MHHS small gym) 7-9 PM

November 3rd: Daylight Savings Time Ends (FYI)

November 5: Financial Aid Night

November 6: Senior Pictures (with tux and drape tops)  These are for the yearbook. (FYI - Senior Picture Retakes will be on Friday, December 6th.)

Nov 11th: Veterans Day Celebration: MHHS is inviting all local veterans for a special Veterans Day luncheon from 12:30- 1:30 PM to celebrate their service. The luncheon will be held in the MHHS Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium. See link for flier info: Veterans Day MHHS

November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break (no school) School resumes on Monday, Dec.2nd.

November 30: “Idaho Launch” Application Due Date:

The Idaho LAUNCH application window opened on 10/1/24. If you are at all interested in the trades, this route might be one for your postsecondary education! This program highlights the trades and offers quite an incentive (up to $8000) to get prospective students to join forces. Visit: https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/launch

If you're interested in applying for this, please consult with your counselor as you come upon questions with the process.  We will be utilizing the "Next Steps Idaho Portfolio" option in the "Create a Career Pathway" section.    

What is LAUNCH?

Idaho LAUNCH is a grant program that provides students a one-time opportunity to have 80% of the tuition and fees at an eligible institution covered, up to a maximum amount of $8,000. With approximately 75 million dollars available for Idaho LAUNCH funding, it is possible for this program to offer between 9,000 and 10,000 awards per year!

How much is available for students each year?

Students can receive up to one-half of the initial grant award in the first year of a program. However, for programs that are less than 12 months in length, students can use the full awarded amount (80% of tuition and fees up to $8,000) in one year.

Important Dates

• Idaho LAUNCH application opens: October 1, 2024

• Initial applications due: November 30, 2024

• Idaho LAUNCH application closes: April 15, 2025

• Career Pathway Plans due: May 31, 2025

Website for Application: https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/launch 

Other Announcements:

Homework Club/Math Tutoring is up and running!  Mr. McLean and Mrs. Dubois are in Room 31 from 3-4 PM, Mon-Thurs every week to help students get a little more support.  Please utilize this awesome program.  Note: transportation will not be provided.

Empowering Parents Grant Applications Open:

2024-25 Empowering Parents program grant applications are open. Applications will close when funding is exhausted, so we’re hoping families apply right away!

As a reminder, parents of Idaho students ages 5-18 who filed a 2023 Idaho tax return are eligible. Families with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of under 60k receive priority. Grants are $1,000 per student and up to $3,000 per family. The grant funds can be used for a huge range of items to support student learning – including laptops or technology, extracurricular classes, camps, and school athletic fees, driver’s education, tutoring or speech therapy – and more!

The application guide is available in English and Spanish and phone customer service agents are also bilingual. 

Military Child of the Year Awards

Every year Operation Homefront does a Military Child of the Year® Award. We (through volunteer judges) pick 1 child from each branch  (7 recipients in all) of the services and each recipient receives $10,000 CASH, a laptop, other donated goodies, and a 3-day trip to Washington, DC with us and their families.

Children are entered by nominations. I have attached the flier for you and included the link to the nomination page: https://operationhomefront.org/military-child-of-the-year/ 

Nominations open September 10th. Anyone that knows a military child can nominate any military child. So, you may nominate your students or friend’s children and so on. The program is entirely FREE and exclusive to military children.

CANVAS information:

Canvas continues to be our platform for student work, grades, checking missing assignments, etc.  If you are still not signed up under your child’s account, please feel free to do so.  The following link is a step-by-step slideshow that will guide you through the process (one is in English, the other in Spanish):  

Slide Deck Link

Slide Deck Translated to Spanish

SENIOR CELEBRATION INFO:
ATTENTION: Class of 2025 senior parents! The Senior Celebration Committee is actively planning our annual Senior Celebration Event for our class of 2025 students and we want to get you connected. Come be a part of this great opportunity to provide our seniors with a safe fun-filled graduation celebration! Follow the link to join our Facebook group HERE. We will be posting volunteer opportunities and fundraising throughout the year and every little bit helps!  If social media isn't your thing, you can also email us at mhseniorcelebration25@gmail.com to be added to an email group for info instead. We will meet once a month on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7pm in Mrs. Nordin's classroom (Room 5) at MHHS (thru main office doors and first hallway on the left). HOWEVER, please note that November's meeting will be on Wednesday, November 20th instead. Donut sales on late start mornings in the foyer by the main gym are in full swing. We will also be at sporting events and other school activities to raise money so come say hi! This will be an exciting year for our kids and we would love to have you be a part, no matter how much you are able to contribute! We appreciate you!

Breakfast/Lunch and Food Services Information:

Free and Reduced Meal Forms: Free and reduced meal applications are now available online. Breakfast and lunch meals are not free to everyone this year. To qualify for Free and Reduced Breakfast and Lunch, you must complete the Free and Reduced Meal application. You MUST APPLY (or reapply) for Free & Reduced Meals each year. Forms are available on Mealtime at the following link: https://www.mymealtime.com/  You can also use that link to pay for breakfasts/lunches on-line. You will need your student's 9 digit student number which can be found in your Parent Portal.  

Please be sure to check our other platforms (below) for other types of information, highlights, activities, etc.  

MHHS Website: https://id50010914.schoolwires.net/mhhs

MHHS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MHHSOfficial/

MHSD (District) Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Mountain-Home-School-District-193-688092921378593/

Thank you, as always, for your partnership.  We look forward to a lot of exciting times ahead with the holidays upon us. Please feel free to reach out anytime!

Sincerely,

Mr. Gunderson - Principal MHHS