Harwood Junior High celebrated an exceptional week marked by achievement, spirit, and community. The pep rally electrified the campus, Coach Henderson earned EECU’s October Staff Award, and the 8th graders claimed the spirit stick. Harwood was recognized with an “A” rating and six academic distinctions, while the 8th grade Blackhawk football and 8th grade volleyball teams dominated their matchups. Upcoming highlights include Coffee & Conversations, the Neon & Sneakers Fall Dance, Pink Out Day, and the Alice Through the Looking Glass performance. The Hawks continue to soar with pride, purpose, and momentum. We had some parent requests for clarification about our grading policy, so that is also included in this edition!

Click here for The Blackhawk Beat

Celebrating a Great Week!

It has been a great week at Harwood. 

• Pep Rally- We had an amazing Pep Rally today! Coach Henderson received a surprise visit as the EECU October staff member of the month, we named a HOCO King and Queen (Ben Gal and Carmen Saenz), we played games, enjoyed our cheerleaders, our band NAILED it, our gymnasts were incredible, Mr. Martell, Coach Martinez, Coach Waldron and Mrs. Nunez were pied,  and our 8th graders won the spirit stick! 

• Harwood Accountability- Our Harwood staff recieved a visit from Mr. Dobie Williams on the Executive Leadership Team to deliver our distinction banner. Harwood earned a grade of letter "A" and 6 out of 7 distinctions. 

• 8th Grade Football- The 8th Grade Harwood Blackhawks took on a formidable opponent in the Central Spartans this week — and what a game it was!

The Blackhawks struck first, with the offensive line opening up a huge lane for Tristan Grove, who dashed into the end zone untouched to put Harwood on the board early. Riding that momentum, the Blackhawks went into halftime with a commanding 8–0 lead, showing grit, discipline, and teamwork on both sides of the ball.

But the Spartans came alive in the second half, forcing the Blackhawks to dig deep. Both teams traded blows in a back-and-forth battle that had fans on the edge of their seats. In the end, the Blackhawks held strong, securing a wild 16–14 victory — a massive improvement over last season’s 22–0 loss to the same opponent!

Standout performances came from Coen Martin, Izaac Tukuafu, and Pierre Bondele, who made key plays that fueled the team’s success.

With this win, the Blackhawks improve to 6–1 on the season and now look ahead to their next challenge — a Bedford rivalry matchup against the Broncos next week at Trinity High School.

Let’s pack the stands, show up, and support our Blackhawks as they continue their outstanding season!

• Our 8th Grade Blackhawk Volleyball teams If you missed the 8th grade volleyball team’s last home matchup against the Central Spartans — you missed out on some serious action!  Our A team stopped the Spartans in their tracks, sweeping them in just two sets! Ryleigh Harrison kept her focus sharp all night, while Ellee Pomaro made sure the ball never touched the floor! This huge win bumps us higher in the rankings at next week’s Big 12 Tournament! Stay tuned for more info and get ready to cheer loud and proud for our A team!

Our B team battled through three intense sets to pull off a nail-biting win! Bri Gordon was fierce at the net, and Lydia Torrez fired up the court with some amazing serves. What a way to end the season — a victory at home!

Coach says: "Win or lose, I’m so proud of your positivity, your heart to grow, and the way you build each other up. Every player on B team has grown not only as a volleyball athlete but as a teammate — it’s been a joy to watch you shine!” If you see any of these players in the hallway, make sure to congratulate them on an amazing season: Lydia Torrez, Angela Peitrobon, Avery Evans, Sophia Brooks, Riley Ahmed, Jazzlyn James, Isabella Garza, Willow Martin, Brylnn Gordon, Asia Bendy, Quavette West, and Jassidee Pleasant. 

Looking Ahead

• Coffee and Conversations – Tomorrow will be our Coffee and Conversations with the Harwood Administration team at 9:15am in the library. We will discuss the VATRE and have some informal time to answer any questions and have some fellowship. 

• Trinity Homecoming- Feel free to wear red and black to support Trinity Homecoming tomorrow. 

• Fall Dance – October 17th, 6–8pm. Tickets: $5 pre-sale / $10 at the door. Reminder: mums are not allowed, but decorated buttons are welcome. Here is a link to the buttons our cheerleaders are selling.

  • The theme of the dance is neon and sneakers. 

  • Student  Handbook-  Page 56, "No mums or corsages shall be permitted in the junior high (grades 7-9) during the school day. "

• Buinger Field Trip- Next Monday, all 8th graders will travel to the Buinger for a field trip. 

• Pink Out- October 22nd will be a Pink OUT Day because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

• Theatre Performance – Alice Through the Looking Glass on October 24th & 25th.

• PSAT- 8th grade will take the PSAT on October 28th

• October 31st- As a fundraiser, students WILL be able to wear school appropriate costumes for the 1/2 day. Students will be able to buy wristbands the week of in lunch. Costumes cannot include masks, any body suits and must meet dress code requirements. 

• Spirit Store- The spirit store has been re-opened.  The link is here.

• "Hey Hawks! Powderpuff is back!
  Sign up using the QR codes on the posters around school! It’s only $11, and you get a jersey and your flags!

Girls play flag football, and boys cheer and perform at halftime!
Sign-ups and money are due November 5th! Please bring cash to Coach Henderson!
Practice is November 12th, and games are November 19th at 3:45!

Open to ALL 7th, 8th, and 9th graders — don’t miss out on the fun!"

Sign Up Link: https://forms.gle/EPUc4CowytsBfhADA 

•  🎨 PTA Reflections Program – Entries Due Friday, November 7th

Hawks, it’s time to get creative! The National PTA Reflections Program gives students a chance to express themselves through the arts. This year’s theme is “I Belong” — inspiring students to share what belonging means to them through original works of art.

Students may submit entries in dance, film, literature, music, photography, or visual arts.

🗓️ Deadline: Friday, November 7th
📍 Turn in entries to: Mrs. Sadler in the front office
🔗 More information and application form: https://tinyurl.com/HJHReflections

We can’t wait to see the creativity and talent of our Harwood Hawks!

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Harwood Junior High Grading Policy

Types of Grades

Harwood emphasizes both daily effort and mastery of learning. Each task, project, and assessment contributes to overall academic performance.

Two Grade Categories

• Category A – Tests, projects, and unit tests, CFAs
  
  

• Category B – Daily work, homework, and quizzes
  
  

Each six-week grading period includes at least 10 daily grades and 2 assessment grades per class.

For progress reports, teachers record a minimum of 4 daily grades and 1 assessment grade to provide an accurate snapshot. 

Tutorials are available before and after school in all subjects.

Junior High Grading Policy Highlights

• On-Level Courses: 50% Category A / 50% Category B
  
  

• AA/GT Courses: 60% Category A / 40% Category B
  
  

• Minimum Grades per Six Weeks: 12 total (including at least 2 Category A)
  
  

• Progress Report Requirement: 5 Category B and 1 Category A grade
  
  

• Reassessment Policy: Any Category A grade may be corrected, retested, or reattempted (teacher discretion) for up to a maximum score of 70 within one week.

  1.  For CFAs in math, students are able to make corrections and receive half-credit.
     
     

Progress Reports are distributed halfway through each grading period.
Report Cards are issued every six weeks to reflect cumulative achievement.
Tutorials are available before and after school in all subjects.

Promotion and Credit

Students must maintain an average of 70 or higher in core subjects (English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) to advance to the next grade level.

High school credit courses (such as Algebra I,Spanish I, Geometry) follow high school grading policies and appear on the high school transcript.

Gradebook Codes

• 1 – Assignment missing; can be completed for up to a 70; likely results in Late Work Lunch (LWL)

• 0 – Earned zero due to academic dishonesty or failure to complete work after the late deadline/LWL

• Z – Assignment missing due to absence; can be made up for full credit 

Reminders

• Tutorials: Available every morning at 7:45 AM and after school in all subjects.

• PTA Membership: Please join and support our school!  www.joinpta.org
  
  

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Clubs in Action

• Yearbook Club – Mondays, 8:00 AM (H103)

• Creative Writing Club - Mondays, 3:45-4:45 pm (H118)

• Art Club – Mondays after school until 5:00 pm (Art Room)

• Book Club – 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 3:40–4:15 pm (H119)

• Garden Club – 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 3:40-4:40 pm

• Student Council – 2nd Wednesday of the Month, 8:00 am (H103)

• Thespian Club – Thursdays, 7:30–8:10 am (G102)

• NJHS – 1st Thursdays, 8:00 am (H103)

• Chess Club-  Thursdays, 3:40 - 4:45 (C100) 

• HJH Dance Club- Wednesdays, 3:45-4:30

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Ongoing Reminders

• Replacement IDs $3, Lanyards $1.00
  
  

• Students may not leave campus in the mornings.
  
  

• Drop-off/pick-up: Please pull all the way to the gym; front entrance reserved for buses.
  
  

• Wednesdays = College Day / Thursdays = Spirit Day.
  
  

• Volunteer Fridays: Volunteers must be cleared through the district VIPS. 

• Support our teachers by preparing classroom materials (copies, sorting, etc.).

• 👉 Sign up here
  
  

🙌 Thank you for your support and partnership in making this year a success!

– Dr. Ramirez