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Happy Thursday, Families!

It has been a busy week at HJH. Please take a moment to review this week’s Blackhawk Beat. Please remember that tomorrow is early release at 12:30pm, and there is no school on Monday. Please remind your student that bears, candy and balloons are not to be brought to school on Friday. 

Cameron Ramirez
Principal

Updates

Early Release Friday- School will release at 12:30pm. 

No School Monday- There will be no school on Monday. 

No Door Dash- No food deliveries from a third party delivery service will be given to students during the school day. 

Cell Phone Policy- For alignment with other HEB ISD junior highs, the first time a cell phone is confiscated will be treated as a warning. If a student has a cell phone out during the school day, it will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day for the first infraction.

For the second infraction and any subsequent violations, a parent or guardian must retrieve the cell phone, and the student will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. This is by incident. Any personal communication device will count as an incident.

School Dance  February 26th-  The dance was re-scheduled to this date due to the weather.  

No Meta Glasses- These fall under the same category of personal communication devices and will be confiscated. 

New Safety Equipment Storage on Campuses

In accordance with a new Texas school safety law, HEB ISD will be installing secure equipment safes in or near the lobby of each campus to store required emergency response tools. These safes are part of statewide safety standards and are intended to support rapid response by trained law enforcement in the event of an emergency. The safes do not contain firearms, will remain locked at all times and are accessible only to authorized law enforcement personnel. This measure is one of several steps HEB ISD continues to take to prioritize the safety and security of our students and staff.

Celebrating a Great Week!

It has been a great week at Harwood. 

First Responders

We loved celebrating our first reposnders today at a breakfast hosted by NJHS and Student Council. 

Extra Mile Nominees

We are  celebrating our staff Extra Mile nominees: Nadia Eid, Officer Chad Caudill, Ashley Melgar and Mr. Norman.

Soccer

Yesterday evening, both of our boys soccer teams took the pitch, demonstrating resilience in the face of ongoing challenges that extend beyond the field.

Once again, both programs were unable to field their strongest lineups due to players failing to meet the standards we set, missing practice, neglecting academic responsibilities, or not upholding the expectations outlined in their player contracts. These are not issues of talent; they are issues of commitment, accountability, and prioritizing what matters most. Our message to every player is clear: representing this school and this program is a privilege, not a right, and it must be earned daily in the classroom, at home, and on the training ground.

Albion vs. Bedford

Despite these challenges, Albion secured a 2-0 victory over a stubborn Bedford side. Goals came from Damien R and Iker R, two well-taken finishes that provided the margin of victory. However, the performance lacked the intensity and passion we expect, and we know this group is capable of much more.

Coach A’s Man of the Match: Iker A.

After losing his starting role, Iker did not make excuses. He worked tirelessly in tutorials to improve his grades and fought for every minute on the pitch to earn his spot back. That is what this program is about. Well done, Iker.

Blackhawks vs. Central

The Blackhawks dropped a tightly contested match against Central 1-0, but Coach Megan walked away genuinely impressed. For the first time this season, her defensive unit followed game plan instructions to perfection, executing exactly as they were taught in training. Though the result didn't fall our way, that kind of discipline is a building block for future success.

Coach Megan’s Men of the Match: The Defensive Unit

Michael, Ivan, Xavier, Kevin, Yassin, Donovan G, Jeronimo, Mukhtar, and Andrew. Your commitment to doing your jobs, without shortcuts, did not go unnoticed.

As we move forward, we again remind the players, success follows academic responsibility, that showing up matters, and that representing this team is about more than wearing the jersey on game day.

We will continue to hold our student-athletes to high standards. That will not change.

A Special Thank You

We are grateful to Principal Dr. Ramirez for attending both games and staying to speak with our players afterward. Your presence on the sidelines and investment in these young men does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate your continued leadership and support of our program.

7th Grade Girls Basketball

Last night your lady Blackhawks took on the Bedford Broncos. The A team fought hard and made an impressive comeback in the 4th quarter, but came up just short. The leading scorers of the game were Makiah Shields, Winona Sika and Harper Brown. Other outstanding players were Landry Tribble, Josephine Sullins and Aria Wallace. 

With a 16-6 victory over Bedford, the 7th grade girls B team solidified their spot in Harwood history. A perfect season. 11-0. Night after night, they set the tone with tough defense, unselfish play, and the kind of confidence that champions carry. When the final buzzer sounded last night, their undefeated record told the story of a team that rose to every moment. Leading scorers of the game were Aadishree Shakya, Khylie Washington and Olivia Villegas. Other outstanding players of the game were Sofia Guadamuz, Kristen Carlson and Blair Candelaria. Congratulations on a perfect season ladies!

7th Grade Boys Basketball

The 7th grade A and B teams competed against Bedford in a great night of basketball.

The B team set the tone early, playing hard from start to finish and creating constant havoc on the defensive end. Their pressure led to multiple transition opportunities and a 30–19 victory. Players of the game included Brayden Howard (11 pts, 6 stl), Kyrie Williams (8 pts, 8 reb, 3 stl), and post players Liam Robertson and Anthony Gray for controlling the paint.

The A team battled with just six players and nearly pulled off a win against Bedford losing 39-45. Despite the close loss, they played with great effort and discipline, showing that attention to fundamentals and the small details makes a big difference. Players of the game were Ramon Loya (16 pts, 3 stl), Andrew Jackson (7 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl), and Anthony Donaldson (7 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 9 stl).

I’m extremely excited to see this group continue to grow and make a strong run in the district tournament beginning February 18.

8th Grade Girls Basketball

Your 8th girls basketball B team remained undefeated and beat Central in dominating fashion last Thursday. We won 34-21. Leading scorers were Arielle Gutierrez with 14 points, and Brooklyn Sharp and Sophia Brooks with  points each. Outstanding players were Yaman Osman, Aj'ah Bendy, and Jaylan Worsham. The A team lost a hard fought battle 59-56. Leading scorers were Aryana Taylor with 26 points, Aaliyah Donaldson with 10 points, and Lauren Skjeret with 6 points. Outstanding players were Harleigh Grahn, Eva Mancilla, Annalise Jackson, and Jazlynn James. 

8th Grade Boys Basketball

The 8th grade Boys A Team turned in an impressive weekend, finishing the tournament in 2nd place. The Blackhawks opened with a tight loss to Euless, responded by dominating North Oaks, and then pulled out a gritty comeback win in a nail-biter against Bedford to advance to the championship game. In the finals, Harwood battled but ultimately came up short against Euless, earning the runner-up finish.

Throughout the tournament, Coen Martin led the team in both scoring and rebounding, setting the tone with consistent production. Tristan Grove ran the offense, controlling tempo and putting teammates in the right spots, while Brandon Danna provided relentless energy, attacking the lane and breaking down defenses with his toughness and effort.

A strong weekend of growth, resilience, and competitive basketball.

Your Blackhawks are back in action Thursday here at Harwood, as they take on the 'cross town rival Bedford in what is sure to be another hard fought battle in this highly anticipated rematch! See you there and Go Hawks!

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)

• Dance Club – Wednesdays, 3:45 PM - 4:30 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

• Dungeons and Dragons Club- Tuesdays, 3:45 (C100)

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Ongoing Reminders

• Beginning January 2026, all HEB ISD bus riders should have and use a SMART Tag each time they ride.

While all students are expected to use their SMART Tag, this requirement will be actively enforced for secondary students (grades 7–12). Students who do not present a valid SMART Tag may be denied bus service, including for athletics, band, and CTE shuttles.

HEB ISD provides a free SMART Tag to every student. Replacement SMART Tags can be purchased at your student’s campus front office.

Thank you for helping us keep transportation safe, efficient, and accountable for all riders.

For questions, please contact HEB ISD Transportation at 817-399-2441.

• Replacement IDs $3, Lanyards $1.00

• The 2024-2025 School Report Card has been added to the Helpful Resources Page and is linked here.
  
  

• 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.

• Concession Stand Volunteers:   Our PTA runs the concession stand at all Harwood home games, and they are in need of volunteers to help keep it running. Concessions play an important role in supporting our school and student activities.  Please consider signing up to help when you are available. Your support is greatly appreciated!  Sign up here!
  
  

• 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