"Sounds of the Season" performed by Seneca High School Choral Department

Tonight we began celebrating the holiday season by attending our choral department's "Sound of the Season." This year's concert was performed at Seneca Baptist Church, so we enjoyed their facility beautifully decorated for the Christmas Season. More than one hundred twenty-five students participated in the choral concert representing five differen choral groups: Men's Chorus, Women's Chorus, Honors Women's Chorus, Honors Chorale, and Madrigals. The groups performed a wide selection of music. Some of the titles include: "A Joyful Spanish Carol," "Marshmallow World," The Coventry Carol," "Carol of the Bells," "Jingle Bells," "Aspenglow," "Still, Still, Still," and many more. I am very proud of our students-- we have such great talent. A huge thank you to Ms. Diane McFarlane and Ms. Melissa McClain for their expertise and hard work to prepare our students.

Winter String Performance

On Tuesday, December 4, Seneca High School's Chamber and Orchestra performed for family and friends. A variety of music was played including Sarson de Cordes (Season of Strings), Handel's Concerto for Strings Orchestra, and some favorite holiday songs. Mr. Warlick played violin and Sheida Abdi accompanied on the piano to the night's final selection, The Christmas Song. The faculty and staff are proud of our strings students.

Generation Next Votes 2008

Thursday, December 6, 2007, nearly 1,000 students in the School District of Oconee County had the opportunity to participate in Generation Next Votes 2008. Of the 1,000 students, more than 160 were Seneca High School students. These students, who will be 18 before November 8, 2008, had the opportunity to register to vote and to learn more about the Presidential candidates. Candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties were invited to join the students. Senator John Edwards, a former Seneca resident, made an appearance at the assembly and spoke to students about the importance of exercising their right to vote. This was a great opportunity for our students. We would like to thank Mrs. Evie Hughes, principal of Walhalla High School and the Walhalla High's SAGE team (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship) for inviting Seneca High School to attend.

Students Inducted into National Beta Club

Seventy-seven Seneca High School students were inducted into the school's chapter of the National Beta Club. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher are eligible to join the National Beta Club. Congratulations to the following students:

10th Grade
Shedia Abdi ; Kira Grimes ; Leirin Smith
Jessica Adams; Joseph Haggwood; Haley Tanner
Samantha Adams; Christopher Hall; Jessica Tollison
Cameron Blassingame; Brianna Hyslop; Jason Vo
Samantha Brown; Hunter Jarrett; Christy Watters
Sam Burchfield; Tiffany Lament; Gregory Watters
Reneisha Butler ; Jenna Lay; Breanna Whitner
Brittany Collins; Carson LeCroy; Devan Williams
Maria Condatore; Corey McCubbin; LaMarcus Wright
Taylor Edens; Morgan Roper ; May Zhu
Erin Garland; Jordan Ross
Kiley Gaston; Tori Schiazza

11th Grade
Zachary Al-Nasser; Mackenzie Garland; Michael Price
Katheline Armentrout; Danielle Gay; Courtney Pund
Paige Blackmon; Brittany Hartman; Ajalek Robinson
Devon Bowser; Jordon Helms; Tripp Ross
Lauren Brock; April Holland; Brytannia Sears
Rebecca Conner; Lauren Klukkert; Jason Smith
Josiah Conrad; Anna Maria Land; Zachary Thompson
Necia Cook; Hillary Lee; Sydney Tran
Rachel Cunningham; Bobby McGill; Paul Watters
Kristopher Dennis; Andrea Oglesby; Anna Williams
John Doud; Alanda Parker; Heather Wright
Kevin Egan; Tamara Parker
Katie Fronck; Adrienne Pitre

12th Grade
Mary Douglas; Leann Nix; Sheena Swaney
Shanice Mayes ; Chase Pate; Levall Wall

Research Says Family Involvement Important

Family involvement in student education is important...even high school students. This month's National Association of Secondary School Principal's Research Review dedicates the issue to promoting family involvement. The article identifies four important facts, and they include:

• Family involvement in education remains a powerful predictor of student academic achievement and other positive outcomes.
• Family involvement in secondary education is associated with higher rates of college enrollment.
• Academic encouragement by parents is more powerful than the support provided by friends.
• Intervention programs can strengthen family involvement with positive results for student school success.

The faculty and staff of Seneca High encourage you to be involved in your student's education. We encourage you to contact a teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator for ways that you can be involved.

Seneca High Opens a New Computer Lab

Students in Mr. Tensley's computer classes began working in a new computer lab prior to Thanksgiving Break. Twenty-eight new Dell computers were purchased so that teachers and students would have more access to technology. The classroom is a state-of-the-art facility equipped with computers, printer, and an LCD projector. Mr. Tensley and his students have enjoyed the new technology. Other students and teachers may access the lab during Mr. Tensley's planning period.

2007 Report Cards are Published

The South Carolina State Department of Education has released school and school district report cards. Seneca High School's Report Grade is Absolute Rating: Average; Improvement Rating: Unsatisfactory; Adequate Yearly Progress: Yes.

The Absolute Rating for high schools is based on four items: Graduation rate, First Time HSAP (High School Assessment Program), Longitudinal HSAP (the percentage of students who pass all three portions of the HSAP(reading, writing, math) prior to graduation, and End Of Course Exams.

Seneca High School's Graduation Rate is 74.3% up from 69.3% last year.
Seneca High School's First Time HSAP is 81.8% up from 79.3% last year.
Seneca High School's Longitudinal HSAP is 89.5% down from 94.9% last year.
Seneca High School's End Of Course is 65.8%. This is the first time EOC has counted in the absolute rating of the report card.

The faculty has reviewed many different types of data this school year. We have also reviewed and discussed our report card grade. As a faculty, we continue to set goals that will allow us to continue improving our school ensuring that we prepare your student for their future. I am very proud of the outstanding faculty we have at Seneca High School.
For more information about our school report card, please contact me.

PLAN Given to Seneca High School Sophomores

Three hundred twenty-four students participated in ACT's PLAN assessment today. PLAN's content is very similar to the ACT. PLAN is given to 10th graders and provides information to schools and school districts about instructional areas that may need to be improved. PLAN is also used as a comprehensive guidance resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and make plans for the remaining years of high school and post-graduation years. Seneca High School will host a PSAT/PLAN interpretation workshop on Wednesday, January 23rd at 7:30 in the Hamilton Auditorium.

November Student of the Month

Josh Powell was honored today as Seneca High School's November Rotary Student of the month. Josh is a senior at Seneca High School. He is very active in school activities and volunteers in our guidance office. We are proud that Josh represented Seneca High School.

Stephanie Mihaly Signs with Furman University

Congratulations to Stephanie Mihaly! Stephanie signed to play softball with Furman University today. A reception was held for Stephanie in the Media Center with friends, family, and SHS faculty prior to her signing. Stephanie is the 2nd High School Softball player to sign with a Division I school. She has many athletic accomplishments including: CAWS AAA State Player of the Year in 2006, High School Sports Report Player of the Year in 2006, Region Player of the Year 2006 and 2007, and All Region 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007. She also has many academic accomplishments including being in the top 5 in her class and being a Palmetto Fellows Recipient. We are proud of Stephanie's athletic and academic accomplishments and wish her much success at Furman!

Seneca High Students Participate in All County Band

Thirty-three Seneca High School students participated in this year's All County Band. The concert was held at 7:00 Tuesday night at Walhalla High School. Mr. C. Philip McIntyre, band director at James F. Byrnes High School in Spartanburg, was the Senior Band Director. Students worked with Mr. McIntyre on Monday and Tuesday to prepare for the concert.

Congratulations to the following students:
Flute
Taffie Blassingame
Warren Evans
Bassoon
Kristopher Dennis
Clarinet
Brianna Green
Shay Jones
Natalie Leonard
Ashley McJunkin
Elizabeth Robinson
Kim Romero
Ashley Sanders
Alto Saxophone
Sean Lee
Aaron Swarner
Baritone Saxophone
DJ Morris
Tenor Saxophone
Chatham Jones
David Spry
Trumpet
Kate Faires
Ashton Frager
Kyle Martin
Adriano Menin
Aubrie Rushe
Jessica Tollison
Horn
Austin Baldwin
Matthew Sloop
Trombone
Matthew Dunlap
Kyle Gutman
Corey McCubbin
Ingrid Romero
Baritone
Steven Wright
Tuba
Allison Pursley
Tripp Ross
Mallet Percussion
Skyler Switzer
Andi Swarner
Timpani
Devan Williams

Congratulations students! Thank you for your hard work!

Guest Speaker from Clemson University

Mrs. Barbara Kennedy-Dixon visited Seneca High School last week to meet with students. She is one of several speakers to visit SHS this year. Mrs. Kennedy-Dixon spoke to students about the importance of academics, maintaining a good attitude, and working hard to reach your goals. Mrs. Kennedy-Dixon was the first female in Clemson’s history to be inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor; she is the only female in the history of Clemson women’s basketball to have her Jersey retired. She has been inducted into Clemson’s Athletic Hall of Fame and into the South Carolina State Hall of Fame. In 1987, she joined the Clemson Women’s Basketball Coaching staff and served as an assistant coach. In 1992 she was hired at Clemson as the Minority Omsbudman. Then in 1994 Barbara rejoined athletics as an Athletic Academic Counselor. In 1999, she served as Assistant Director of Compliance Services for the athletic department. She returned to women’s basketball as an Assistant Athletic Director for Women’s Basketball Operations and was the color analyst for the Clemson Radio Network. In June of 2005, she was named as the Associate Athletic Director/Senior Women’s Administrator. Seneca High School is proud to have had Mrs. Kennedy-Dixon share her experiences with our students.

Bobcat Battailion Wins Awards

Congratulations to the Bobcat Battalion drill team!! These students won 3rd place overall at Saturday's Jack Frost Drill Meet at J. L. Mann High School in Greenville. Students presented their trophies to me Monday morning! We are proud of our ROTC students!

HSAP Celebration

Two hundred twenty-three students participated in an HSAP (High School Assessment Program) celebration on Friday. Each spring second year high school students take the HSAP Exit Exam. The HSAP tests students in 3 areas: reading, writing, and mathematics. In order to earn a high school diploma, students must pass the HSAP in addition to earning 24 Carnegie units. Last spring, students were promised a celebration if they passed all portions of the Exit Exam. Students enjoyed a cookout and an opportunity to socialize with their friends during this celebration. We are proud of our students' accomplishments.

Two Seneca High Teacher Receive The Prestigous National Board Certification

Seneca High School congratulates Mrs. Jennifer Halliwell and Mrs. Amy Livingston for earning National Board Certification. Both teachers were notified on Friday that they had received this prestigous certification. There are 5 core propostions teachers must demonstrate in order to receive National Board Certification:
1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
5. Teachers are members of learning communities.

Teachers work through a rigorous process to obtain this certification. We are very proud of Mrs. Halliwell and Mrs. Livingston.

38 SHS Students Named to All-State Chorus

Congratulations to Seneca High School choral students who were named to the South Carolina All-State Chorus this week. Students will sing at Winthrop University in March with world-renowned conductors Dr. Alan Raines and Dr. Diane Loomer. Seneca High School had 38 students named to All-State. We were second in the state for the largest number of students chosen.

Honors Mixed Chorus:

Soprano I: Mary Douglas, Alexis Lanham, Heather Wright
Soprano II: Lauren Brock, Andrea Hansen, Alee Jones, Tess Krabbe, Adrienne Pitre, Olivia Sons
Alto: Christina Cleveland, Kendall Leslie, Kelly O'Malley, Karen Onate, Tamara Parker, Nora Sampson
Tenor: James Jernigan, Michael Mendes, Jeremy Pierce, Rashad Roberson
Bass: Eric Horton, Chase Huston, Jeremy Jennings, Adrian Mayes, Bobby McGill, Michale Peckham, Joel Smith

All-State Women's Chorus

Soprano I: Jessica Adams, Michele Burton, Heather Jenkings, Chelsea Taylor
Soprano II: Devon Bowser, Becky Conner, Tori Schiazza, Bethany Simmons
Alto: Lindsey Conaway, Bethany Cummings, Kelsey Hawkins, Emily Holleman

Congratulations Students- We are proud of you!

Homecoming Parade

On Friday, October 26th, students, faculty, parents, and community members enjoyed the SHS Homecoming Parade. Students worked extremely hard all week to prepare their floats for judging and to display in the parade. Mrs. Edgar-Crain and I fulfilled childhood dreams of riding in a fire truck. Thank you to Colonel Huckabee and ROTC for sharing these Homecoming pictures.

Seneca High School Students-- On The Job!

Students at Seneca High School have had the opportunity to gain job experience while at school. Students in Mrs. Brewer's classroom have been training at the Clemson McDonald's in a variety of jobs. Mrs. Brewer and her students have traveled on the CAT bus from Seneca High School to McDonalds. One student was offered a job today! Congratulations to Mrs. Brewer and to her students for a job well done!

DAR Winner Announced

Chase Pate, senior at Seneca High School, has been selected as the winner of the 2008 DAR Good Citizen Award. DAR recognizes high school seniors who possess good citizenship qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities. Each award is given on a merit basis including completion of a questionnaire, essay, scholastic record, and a letter of recommendation. Chase is an excellent student and exemplifies the qualities required for this award. We are proud of Chase's accomplishments. Congratulations Chase!

Seneca High School Makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

I am very proud to announce that Seneca High School was one of 15 schools in the School District of Oconee County to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP at the high school level is based on graduation rate and first time HSAP (High School Assessment Program) results taken by sophomores in the spring. Seneca High School's graduation rate increased from 69.3% in 2006 to 74.3% in 2007. Seneca High School had 19 different objectives to meet. In order to make AYP, we must meet all 19. Congratulations to our students and teachers!

HOMECOMING

Students and faculty enjoyed Homecoming Week last week. We had many students (and teachers) participate in spirit week activities. We hope that you enjoy the pictures of some of our events. We thank Mrs. Cook, Mrs. Crowe, SGA Class sponsors, and SGA members for making the week a huge success!

Parents Right To Know

Under Title II of No Child Left Behind Act, a parent has the right to know certain information about his/her child's teacher certification. The link below will allow you to access information about teacher certification, the area in which teachers are certified, and the experiation date of their certificate. You can access this information by teacher name or by school name. http://www.scteachers.org/titleii/certinq.cfm

Bobcats are in the Playoffs!

Congratulations to the Seneca High School football team on their win over Travelers Rest Friday night. This win made the Bobcat football team eligible to participate in the playoffs begining Friday, November 2, 2007. The football team will play Chester High School in Chester, S.C. The game will begin at 7:30. Come out and support our team!

Go Cats!

Oktoberfest at Seneca High School

Mrs. Brewer's class celebrated Oktoberfest last week at Seneca High. Students learned many aspects of Germany including their culture and food. They invited Mr. Hans Schmidt, Seneca High School Spanish teacher and German native, to their class to discuss his home. I had the opportunity to spend time with Mrs. Brewer's class on Friday as they presented individual projects on the many different aspects of Germany. Students studied the types of cars made in Germany, common food eaten, and a popular dance (the Chicken). The students taught me how to do the Chicken dance! The students learned a lot about Germany, Oktoberfest, and had a lot of fun!

FEA Walk

Students from Seneca High School participated in the FEA (Future Educators Association) walk for education this past Saturday. Over 70 students particpated in the Walk at Shaver Recreation Complex. Dr. Mike Lucas, SDOC Superintendent, spoke to participants before they began their walk. Dr. Lucas commended them for walking for such a worthy cause. He explained that education is a very rewarding and exciting career. Seneca High School would like to thank Mrs. Lynn Wilson and the FEA for organizing the walk.

HSAP October 23, 24, 25

The HSAP Exit Exam will be given on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week to juniors and seniors who have not taken or passed all portions of the HSAP. In order for students to earn a high school diploma, they must pass all portions of the HSAP (writing, reading, and math). We encourage students involved in testing this week to get a good night's rest and to eat breakfast prior to taking the exam. Seneca High School thanks the Seneca Chick Fil A, Hardees and McDonalds for donating biscuits to students involved in testing. We also thank our parent and community volunteers: Mrs. Wendy Evans, Dr. Lynn Norton, Mrs. Heli Horton

Tuesday- Writing
Wednesday- Reading
Thursday- Math

Good Luck Seneca High School Students!

WENDY'S HEISMAN AWARD

Congratulations to Emily Holleman and Kory Keefer for being chosen as Seneca High School's Wendy's Hesiman Award Winners.

Each fall, the Wendy's Heisman Award recognizes the nation’s most esteemed high school senior men and women for excellence in academics, athletics, and community/school involvement.
To date more than 150,000 high school students have represented their schools. Of them, 157 have progressed to the National Finalist level, with 26 earning the designation of Wendy’s High School Heisman National Award Winners.

Emily and Kory will attend a banquest at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville on November 8th. We are proud of Emily and Kory and wish them success as they compete for this prestigious award.

October Rotary Student of the Month

Each month, the Seneca Rotary Club recognizes a student from each of the Seneca area schools. The student is selected by the faculty of the school. Students selected for this award have demonstrated exceptional progress at their school. This month, Seneca High School is proud to recognize Chris Carter as our Student of the Month. Chris was recognized at the Seneca Rotary Luncheon on October 19th. He received a plaque to remember this day. Chris is senior at Seneca High School. In addition to his academic courses, Chris plays football and basketball. He is a Service Learning student at Northside Elementary School. Congratulations Chris!

First Semester Exam Schedule

Dates for First Semester Exams

Jan. 11 1-2A and 3-4A
Jan. 14 1-2B and 3-4B
Jan. 15 5-6A and 7-8A
Jan. 16 5-6B and 7-8B

Dangers of Text Messaging and Driving

As parents, one of the most difficult things we do is allow our students to drive on their own. In today's technological age, many students spend time text messaging friends while driving. This has proven deadly for many teens across the nation. Attached you will find a video from NBC Nightly News and a blog from their website. Please encourage your student to turn off the cell phone while driving.


http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=d2c3fccd-3aa5-4b56-b36e-b4c81849ca2f


http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/15/411930.aspx

Fall Orchestra Concert

Seneca High School's Orchestra students performed their fall concert tonight. The concert began with the String Orchestra performing the Star Spangled Banner, Saison de Cordes, The Boogie-Man Blues, and La Querto de Lebertad. The Chamber Ensemble performed Concerto for String Orchestra, Concerto in G Major, and finished with Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. The students did an outstanding job! I am proud of our students and their director, Mr. David Warlick.

Student Named as National Merit Semifinalist

Seneca High School is proud to announce that Mr. Jesse Pearce has been named a SemiFinalist for the National Merit Scholarship. This is a highly competitive scholarship program. Jesse is a senior at Seneca High School. He plans to attend the University of South Carolina upon graduation from Seneca High School in June. For more information on the National Merit Scholarship, click on the link below.

Jesse was recognized by the board Tuesday, October 17th for being a Semifinalist. He began the board meeting by leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php

Homecoming Scheduled for October 26

Seneca High School's Homecoming will be Friday, October 26th. This will also be our last home football game. We hope that you will come support the Bobcats! During the week of October 22-26, we will have Homecoming Activities. We hope that our students will catch the Pride of Seneca and participate each day. Listed below are the activities scheduled for the week:
Monday-Decades Day
Tuesday- Beauty and the Geek Day
Wednesday-Fanatic Sports Fan Day
Thursday- Think Pink Day
Friday- Friday Night Lights

We will end the week with a Pep Rally to honor our football players, cheerleaders, and homecoming court.

CATS Corner

Seneca High School's first edition of CATS Corner will be mailed to your home in late October. Please be sure to read the important information in our newsletter.

Seneca Senior High School

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope that you will find important information about our school here. Thank you for your support of the students, faculty, and staff of Seneca High School.