Dear Viking Families,

It is important to remember that our information, procedures, and protocols may change weekly as we receive local, state, or federal requirements or recommendations.  We will make sure to update this Blog on a weekly basis to reflect these changes, so please stay in the loop by making sure we always have accurate contact information (cell phone & email preferred).  We also have a high volume of families with "voice mailboxes not set up" or "full voicemail inboxes."  While you might miss out on important updates, more importantly, this could potentially create a very unsafe situation for your child this year should there be an emergency.  

Updated info as of 4/10/2023

• April 12th starts PSAT / SAT testing! Please see the testing schedule below for more details.  

• Thursday,  April 20th from 5-7pm there will be a free bowling night at Parkview lanes. The event is sponsored by Staricase Youth Services.  

• The Michigan Department of Transportation at the Traverse City Traffic Service center is looking for young adults 16 and over to fill positions in the Youth Development and Mentoring program.  See the graphic below for more details.  

• Parents, please discuss with your student(s) the importance of charging their chomebooks nightly before school!

•  Attention parents of seniors: The scholarship page has been updated. The Cadillac Area Community Foundation Scholarships are now due by 4/15/2023. They have over $100,000 in scholarships to award. To check for available scholarships go to the local scholarship database. 

• Representatives from Baker College and NMC will be on campus the week of the 17th to meet with students interested in dual enrollment next year. 

• Baker College is hosting a virtual meeting for parents who would like more information on the dual enrollment program known as Running Start. The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 20th at 6 p.m.  A sign-up link will be in next week's blog.

Old information as of 3/27/2022

• 20 of our students have art work displayed at the 2023 Annual Youth Art Exhibit. The exhibit runs from March 7th - April 15th.  We had three scholarship winners! Congratulations to Kenna Booher (12th), Emily French (12th), and Lidia Wiesen (10th). 

• Attention student drivers! There has been some confusion on where you are able to park. This map highlights in orange all of the areas available for students. We request that you stop parking in the vistor / staff lot as we are getting compliants that there are not any spots available.   

• Phone change! A new auto attendant message is being implemented Monday morning (1/23). All calls, including attendence, please use (231)-876-5800.  

• If you are absent for medical reasons make sure to get a doctors note to ensure your absence is excused. 

• Announcing the fifth annual NPR Student Podcast Challenge! The national podcasting contest for middle and high school students will return in January and run through April 2023. More details can be found here

• The Michigan Youth Challenge Academy offers at-risk males and females ages 16 through 18 an opportunity to graduate high school and realize positive life changes through an intensive five and a half month residential and 12-month post-residential program. 

• Teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than drivers over 20 years-old, and ten times more likely to be involved in a non-fatal crash. With the help of involved parents, teens can become safer, smarter drivers. Teen drivers with actively involved parents are half as likely to be involved in a crash. To help parents manage their teens’ driving and keep them safe, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) has created a Parent Toolkit and video. 

• We are no longer using the online absentee form. You need to call the high school office to excuse students.  Phone: 231-876-5800 

• Flu shots are in stock at the Wellness Center! Students can receive their flu shot, COVID19 vaccine or booster, or any other recommended vaccines, during or after school at the Wellness Center. Call (231) 306-4900 to schedule an appointment.

• This is a link from  the DEA on Brightly Colored Fentanyl Used to Target Young Americans - "Rainbow Fentanyl." The trend appears to be a new method used by drug cartels to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl, made to look like candy, to children and young people.  

• Preorder the 2022-23 yearbook at https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1064901/Cadillac-High-School/2023-Yearbook/2022060714150695780/CATALOG_SHOP/

• If your student needs to leave during the school day please send them with a note in the morning to receive a pass.  This will help alleviate interruptions into the classrooms. 

• The National Honor Society is tutoring this year. Every Monday afternoon from 2:50-3:50 and Thursday mornings from 7:00-7:40 there will be 2-4 NHS students in the media center waiting for students to tutor. Please encourage your student(s) to take advantage of this free tutoring! 

• This year we are putting an emphasis on developing students social emotional learning (SEL) through the Habits of Mind program. More information about habits of mind can be found here. This is a list of departments and which habits of mind they will be focusing on. Here is a Habits of Mind  explanation for parents guide. 

Here are a couple of very important links to information that we hope will answer most of your questions or concerns:

Parent/Guardian Recommendations 

Sincerely,

Your CHS Team