HHS Focus
With a busy week of events and upcoming parent-teacher conferences, our focus is on clear communication
Schedule
Monday, Jan 19th
No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Scholars Bowl V in Scott City at 4 pm.
Tuesday, Jan 20th
HS Basketball V Tournament in Sterling, Dismissal at 9:30 am.
StuCo Seminar Meeting
Wednesday, Jan 21st
FCA Meeting at 7:30 am in Coach O’s room.
NHS: Eagles Pals from 11:30 am to 12:20 pm. Dismissal at 11:30 am.
Thursday, Jan 22nd
HS Basketball V Tournament at Sterling. Dismissal at 10:45 am.
Western Education Career Showcase in Sublette. Dismissal before school starts.
FFA seminar meeting
College Recruit FHSU - During Lunch
KTOY Regional Team touring our building.
Scholars Bowl V in Liberal at 4 pm. Dismissal at 2:15 pm.
Friday, Jan 23rd
HS Basketball V Tournament at Sterling. Gone all day.
HS Wrestling Boys V in Hays. Dismissal at 8:15 am.
HS Wrestling V in Cimarron at 1 pm. Dismissal at 8:45 am.
Saturday, Jan 24th
Robotics Lego League Tournament in Liberal at 10 am.
Mr. Kent’s Updates
This will be a short and busy week, with students in and out of the building for various activities. Please continue reminding our students that if they know they will be missing class, they should communicate with teachers ahead of time and complete work in advance whenever possible.
Activity Leave Times
Tuesday, Jan 20th
HS Basketball V Tournament in Sterling, Dismissal at 9:30 am.
Wednesday, Jan 21st
NHS: Eagles Pals from 11:30 am to 12:20 pm. Dismissal at 11:30 am.
Thursday, Jan 22nd
HS Basketball V Tournament at Sterling. Dismissal at 10:45 am.
Western Education Career Showcase in Sublette. Dismissal before school starts.
Scholars Bowl V in Liberal at 4 pm. Dismissal at 2:15 pm.
Friday, Jan 23rd
HS Basketball V Tournament at Sterling. Gone all day.
HS Wrestling Boys V in Hays. Dismissal at 8:15 am.
HS Wrestling V in Cimarron at 1 pm. Dismissal at 8:45 am.
This Week…. Jan 18th - Jan 24th
We will have a four day week as we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. This is a meaningful time to reflect on what we all do as leaders and how we can make a commitment to peace, justice, and nonviolence during challenging times. By showing that integrity, courage, and compassion are powerful forces for change. As we move through this shortened week, let us honor his legacy by choosing respect, empathy, and unity in how we treat one another.
Last week Hugoton High School and Hugoton Middle School art students recently competed in the Western Kansas Scholastic Art Competition, a highly competitive regional and national showcase for student artwork in grades 7–12. This year, 11 schools submitted 384 entries, with 120 works earning awards judged blindly by college art professors and professional artists. Hugoton USD 210 led all schools with a record-breaking 40 accepted works, including the most Gold Key awards (7), as well as the highest number of Silver Keys and Honorable Mentions. Gold Key winners will advance to the national competition in New York this spring, where students may earn national awards and scholarship opportunities, continuing Hugoton’s strong tradition of artistic excellence.
Western Education Career Showcase
The goal of WKCS is to help students see a future for themselves right here in southwest Kansas. By connecting high school students with local businesses and industries, we want them to learn about real career opportunities that exist in our communities and understand how their interests and talents can lead to meaningful work after graduation. These partnerships give students the chance to explore careers through experiences like job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships, helping them make informed decisions about their next steps. Just as importantly, students build valuable life skills such as responsibility, teamwork, leadership, and accountability, all while being guided by educators who support their growth. Our hope is that these experiences empower students to feel confident, prepared, and excited about the possibilities available to them close to home.
Robotics Community service
The Robotics team will be traveling to Liberal on Saturday, January 24th to participate in a community service project. Team members will be assisting the FIRST LEGO League tournament director by helping build official game tables for the upcoming tournament scheduled for March. This hands-on service opportunity allows students to apply their problem solving and teamwork skills beyond the classroom while supporting younger students and promoting STEM education throughout the region. We are proud of our Robotics team for giving their time and talents to support the broader FIRST LEGO League community.
KTOY Regional Team
On Thursday, January 22, the Kansas Teacher of the Year winners from Southwest Kansas will be visiting Hugoton High School. This visit will be led by our own Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Katie Jimenez. As part of the visit, we will be hosting a student panel featuring representatives from HOSA, FFA, and Work-Based Learning. These students have been selected to highlight and promote the strengths of their programs and to respond to questions from visiting educators.
Seniors Parents Check Your Emails
We want to make you aware of a new scholarship identification opportunity we are offering to our seniors. Hugoton High School is partnering with VU Scholarships, along with other area schools and districts, to help students identify potential post-secondary scholarship opportunities.
The VU Scholarships provisional program matches students’ academic accomplishments with possible scholarship offers from colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions that partner with VU Scholarships. This process allows students to see what opportunities may be available to them after high school. Participation does not obligate a student to apply to any institution; students may choose whether or not to pursue admission with any post-secondary partner.
With parent/guardian consent, Hugoton High School will securely share limited student data with VU Scholarships so the matching process can begin. We are excited about the possibilities this may open for our seniors and will support students and families with questions as they arise.
Focusing on Attendance and Tardies
This semester, we are focusing on improving student attendance and punctuality, as chronic absenteeism currently sits at 23%. Our approach is designed to support students and families while helping students stay on track academically.
Tardies:
If a student is tardy more than three times, they will receive a detention.
Continued tardiness will result in additional detentions, with a total of three detentions leading to an in-school suspension (ISS).
Absences:
Students with more than three total absences, we will have a discussion with both the student and their parents to better understand the situation.
At five absences, we will schedule a meeting with the parents to discuss support strategies.
At seven absences, a meeting with the student, parents, and teachers will be held to collaboratively identify solutions and resources to help the student attend more consistently.
Our goal is not to punish students but to understand the “why” behind attendance challenges and to provide meaningful support. By working together, we can help students build strong habits, stay engaged in learning, and succeed academically.
Next Week… Jan 25th - Jan 31th
It will be a busy and engaging week, with several important events and activities taking place. We will be hosting the HOSA Blood Drive, a DECA Business Workshop, Scholars Bowl, FFA Farm Business Management events, and multiple sporting events.
Looking Ahead…
Parent Teacher Conferences will be on Monday Feb 2nd from 4 pm to 8 pm and Thursday Feb 5th from 8 am to 8 pm.
Quote for the Week!
"You make the world a better place by making daily improvements to become the best version of yourself."