Welcome Back to School

Dear Huntsville Junior High School Families,

Welcome to the 2022 - 2023 school year!  We are thrilled to welcome you back to school and cannot wait to meet our new and returning students! We hope you are enjoying a wonderful last few days of summer and are recharged and ready to start a new school year. I am so delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community. I welcome and value your dedication to excellence in education and I look forward to working with you and your students.

It is truly an honor for me to serve students in the system where I was a student over 20 years ago. We are excited to have Ms. Julie Boissel return as our amazing assistant principal with over 23 years of experience. Ms. Boissel and I are privileged to work with an outstanding staff who goes above and beyond to make it a smooth transition for our students from elementary to junior high school.

Our skilled and devoted staff and administration is already planning and preparing for your student(s). The enthusiastic HJHS office team is registering new families, ordering needed materials, and updating student files. Our hard working and conscientious custodians have spent the entire summer cleaning the facility and preparing floors. Our much-appreciated PTA is gearing up to welcome families, provide volunteer opportunities, and offer other exciting events and programs. We are indeed a joyous and caring community with the common goals of nurturing responsible, caring students and promoting high-level learning.

Each year brings positive change. This includes a few teacher additions to our staff. We are delighted to welcome Brandy Olander, who will be teaching Math 8, Amanda Thompson who will be teaching Math 7/8, Blake Lessley who will be teaching Social Science 7 and Kristen Perigo and Erin Smith who will be working with students with special needs. We also welcome a new curriculum specialist, Mrs. Faith Bedsole, who will be working with our students, teachers, and new parent coordinator, Andi Ware. Additionally, we welcome longtime HJHS parent Mrs. Erika Morrow as our ILC advisor to students. Each teacher/parent brings an advanced skill set and a gentle, sensitive approach to meeting children’s academic and emotional needs.

We have high expectations for each and every student.  We want our students to be kind, compassionate, and inquisitive.  Together with our dedicated staff, we strive to make connections with students to help them feel valued, accepted, and safe. Our HJHS motto of “Developing Responsible Citizens and Preparing for Tomorrow’s Opportunities” will continue to guide our mission to provide a rigorous and joyful school environment. Our goal is to encourage active student engagement to foster a lifetime love for learning.

Partnering with families will be crucial this year as there is a rigorous change from elementary to secondary content. We appreciate your support as you work and study with students at home to support learning. We encourage families to stay connected and informed by following our HJHS Facebook page and website for important updates and information regarding our reopening plans. Blackboard messages will also be sent weekly, so please make sure your email is correct in PowerSchool.

Technology devices are provided by HCS and will be distributed by Mrs. Strain between Wednesday-Friday, August 3-5. Students will be able to rent lockers starting on August 15th for $5.  Please note all non-HCS electronic devices (such as cell phones, wearables, ear buds, etc.) brought to campus will need to be placed in the off position in a locker when students enter campus.  Students will be able to retrieve them before 7th period. HCS is also switching to a student-personalized assessment system called iReady this year. HJHS students will have their baseline assessment for math August 23/24 and reading August 29/30. Our schedule will also show core teams this year (Team 8 Red, Team 7/8 Panther, and Team 7 Blue) and allow students to branch out for electives. 

Please look for procedural updates communicated to you via Facebook and Blackboard as well as the PTA’s Panther Prowl newsletter. We value our partnership with families as we mold our students.

Sincerely,

Caroline Obert, Ed.D

Huntsville Junior High

Principal