Talawanda High School E-News - April 9th, 2021

Important Information and Reminders:

• Prom Press Release: The 2021 Talawanda High School Prom will be held on May 1, 2021 from 7:00-11:00 pm and will be located between the field house and the turf field. Guests should plan to enter through the ambulance gates and will be purchasing tickets online prior to the event for $20 (through Hometown Ticketing). Tickets are allotted for current Talawanda Juniors and Seniors only, as well as the class of 2020.

The 2021 Prom theme is “City of Stars”. All Juniors, Seniors, and Class of 2020 are invited to attend wearing whatever you are comfortable wearing to an outdoor event of this type. We are hoping for beautiful weather and a lovely sunset. We suggest comfortable shoes, as you will be on concrete for the evening. 

We will have water and snacks provided for you, as well as designated “mask break” areas (where students can remove masks and remain 6 feet apart). Students are required to be masked at all times unless they are utilizing the “mask break” areas or seated at a table for a water or snack break. 

Dancing is encouraged and is allowed, so long as everyone is masked as directed. Students will be asked to sign a code of conduct indicating they understand the expectations set by the school, in accordance with the Butler County Board of Health. 

We will also be having our traditional Queen and King crowning at the dance! Any senior can nominate themselves to be on the ballot through the link sent via their English teacher. 

More information will arrive to the students’ emails regarding ticket purchasing. 

• End of Course Assessments will be April 19th through April 23rd.  All students will have a full week of ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING THIS WEEK! ALL EOC TESTS ARE ADMINISTERED AT THS (IN-PERSON)! All exams will begin at 7:45. Click here for more details.

The following courses will test: Algebra I, Geometry A, Geometry, Algebra IIA,
English II, American History, Biology, & Government

RETESTERS: Any 10th-12th Graders needing to retake an End of Course Exam will be notified by the week of April 12th. REMOTE LEARNERS: If you need to schedule a bus ride for EOC testing week use this link: t.ly/cufI

• Look here for more information about the new Ohio High School Graduation Requirements.

• The last 3 days of school (May 25th, 26th, 27th) will be early release days: Elementary: 3:15, TMS: 2:15, THS: 2:00

• Still need to order a cap and gown for your senior? Use this link: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1048715/Talawanda-High-School/

• School fees can be paid by cash, check, or online with a credit card at: https://www.spsezpay.com/Talawanda/login.aspx Please remember that seniors must pay ALL their fees before graduation.

• Help Fight Childhood Cancer: The Talawanda Key Club is partnering with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Hero Squad Program.  The goals of the LLS are to cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease, and Myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. The LLS does this by funding research into lifesaving treatments, providing support and education to patients and families, and advocating for policies that protect access to lifesaving treatments.

The Talawanda Key Club will be sponsoring some activities during the week of April 12th - 16th.  One of these activities will be called Chuck the Change and will have students collecting change from parents & guardians as they drop off students before school.  Other activities will offer students an opportunity to submit names of people they know who have battled or are battling cancer.  Finally, we will be accepting donations through a general school-wide fundraiser to help fund the LLS. Please consider a donation to help this worthy cause.   -Talawanda Key Club 

• Looking to increase your ACT scores? Check out these summer prep options from TorchPrep!

• Best Buddies will have their April meeting on Wednesday, April 14 at 2pm. Everyone is welcome to join us to celebrate friendship and inclusion. Please email Mrs. Sammons at sammonsa@talawanda.org for the Zoom link. 

• The Talawanda Athletic Boosters will be holding their annual Golf Scramble Fundraiser on Sunday, April 25th at Indian Ridge Golf Course. They will start the scramble at 1:00 pm. Please see the flyer for details.

• Check out this survey that is trying to understand the health needs of people in the Oxford community and how those needs could be better served.  The study is being conducted by students and a faculty member at Miami University (Dr. Cameron Hay-Rollins), and the findings will be shared with the City of Oxford and all others interested in the health and well-being of our community.  If you are a permanent resident of Oxford and are above the age of 18, please complete this online survey (should take approximately 5-10 minutes). https://forms.gle/pxZFvhTPE2RhU8NAA

• Congratulations to our 3rd Quarter Honor Roll Students! You can find the names of our Honor Roll Students here! For face-to-face students, certificates will be handed out in class, for online students, certificates can be picked up in the foyer.

• NHS Seniors: NHS graduation stoles may be ordered from Ms. Alfonsi in room 315 at THS by April 15.  The cost is $19.oo each, and the graduate keeps the stole.  This year, we will wear white stoles to contrast with the blue graduation gowns everyone will wear.  It is fine to borrow an NHS stole from an older sibling or friend, but please make sure it is white.  We will NOT wear the light blue stole from the past.  Please bring cash or a check payable to Talawanda High School by April 15.  You may also order directly from the NHS Official Store at https://www.nhs.us/store/ using the discount code IND21.  You will pay shipping for orders under $50, though, so it's most cost-effective to order the stole through our chapter's bulk order.  Thanks, everyone!

• Best Buddies will hold their April meeting on Wednesday, April 13 at 2pm. Everyone is always welcome to join us for friendship and inclusion. Please email Mrs. Sammons at sammonsa@talawanda.org for the Zoom link. 

• From a THS parent: HELP!!! Every single THS teacher and staff have worked extra hard this year for our children.  As the school year comes closer to the end, we would like to do something nice for all of our 125 teachers and staff at THS.

We are planning THS Teacher & Staff Appreciation Day on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. We are currently collecting monetary donations as well as thank-you cards/letters from parents AND students.  Please send thank-you notes and/or any amount of donations (cash only) to THS office by Monday, April 19.  Please mark the envelope with “THS Teacher & Staff Appreciation” along with your name, your child’s name and grade. We need all the help we can get!  Please help me spread the word to other THS families.  THANK YOU SO MUCH! Tomoko Brown, THS parent TomokoTBrown@gmail.com

• FCCLA is sponsoring a blood drive Friday, April 16th. Check out our flyer for more info.

• Talawanda/Butler Tech Mentorship/Leadership Class is sponsoring “Super Shelter” drop off pet supplies to support the Animal Adoption Foundation. More info here.

• Help Students prepare for college and beyond. Check out Miami’s summer scholars program.

• Parents can still buy a yearbook for the 2020-21 school year!  Visit www.jostens.com and select 'Yearbooks' from the menu - search for 'Talawanda' and you will be able to get yours online today!

• The THS Media Center has double the number of overdue books due to the remote learning and school closings.  We did not have a chance to collect most of the books that were due from the 2019-2020 school year and most of the books that were checked out during the brief face-to-face weeks in late October and early November 2020.  If possible, especially those who are currently attending in person, please return or renew any book you currently have checked out that is overdue.  

• Food distribution happens on Mondays from 2:15-2:45 at all 3 elementary schools. In addition, TMS and THS Students who will not be face to face on Wednesdays can pick up a breakfast and lunch at TMS or THS between 10 am and noon. More information here!

• Many important COVID related links and documents are available on our district website: https://www.talawanda.org/resources/covid-19-information-45/

• Find out what’s going on in the community here!

• Check out our breakfast and lunch menus here!

THS Calendar of Events- 4/11/21 to 4/17/21

Sunday, April 11th

6 – 8 pm Fermata Nowhere Rehearsal, 608 and outside

Monday, April 12th 

3 – 4:30 pm Fermata Nowhere Rehearsal, 608 and outside

3:30 – 4:15 pm Setting Stone Meeting, Virtual

Tuesday, April 13th 

3 – 4:50 pm FFA- CDE testing, Media Center

3:30 – 5:00 pm Academic Challenge Practice, 424

4:30 – 4:40 pm Talawanda Tribune, Virtual

6 – 8 pm Percussion and Color Guard Clinic

Wednesday, April 14th 

9 am – 4:50 pm FFA -CDE testing, times TBD, Media Center

11 am – 12 pm Talawanda Hope Club, Virtual

1 – 2 pm Diversity Club, Virtual

2 – 3 pm Project Green, Virtual

2 – 3:30 pm Academic Challenge, 424

7 – 8:30 pm Band Boosters, Virtual

Thursday, April 15th

3:30 – 5:00 pm Academic Challenge Practice, Schmid, 424

Friday, April 16th 

6:30 am – 12:30 pm Blood Drive, Upper Gym

3 – 4:50pm FFA - CDE testing, Media Center

3 – 4:30 pm Fermata Nowhere Rehearsal, 608 and outside

Saturday, April 17th 

7 – 1 pm ACT, math hallway