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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.

The Winter Dance is tonight! Students will enter through the main entrance and the dance is in the cafeteria from  6:00–8:00 PM/ Tickets are $10 at the door.Concessions will be available for purchase.  We look forward to a fun evening for our students! 

The Math DBA is next Wednesday. Please make sure that your student is well-rested, well-fed and ready to go! Having a book is handy because student are ONLY able to read when they are finished. 

Join Harwood PTA! 

Cameron Ramirez
Principal

Updates

• Math DBA is next Wednesday

• March starts Women's History Month

• Students who attend Trinity must go to Trinity in the afternoons. If they are in need of tutorials, they must attend in the mornings. 

• This February, our campus celebrated Black History Month by recognizing influential leaders, innovators, athletes, authors, and changemakers who have shaped our nation and world. Through daily announcements, we highlighted figures in civil rights, politics, higher education, film, sports, and the arts, while also celebrating the positive impact students can make in their own communities. The winner of our "I Have a Dream" contest will be announced next week. 

🎓 9th Grade Banquet – Legacy Loading…

We are excited to celebrate our 9th Grade Class at this year’s banquet, “Legacy Loading…”, on Friday, May 15, 2026!

The evening will begin with an Awards Ceremony from 6:00–6:30 PM in the Gym (parents and families are invited). Following the ceremony, students will enjoy a banquet celebration from 6:30–8:30 PM in the Cafeteria.  Banquet tickets can be purchased for $15.00 in the front office or online at https://hebisd.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/18952/191/False/True. More information will be coming soon. 

We look forward to celebrating the hard work, growth, and accomplishments of our freshman class as their legacy continues to load! 

Harwood PTA

The Harwood PTA supports our campus in many ways, including hosting school dances, providing teacher appreciation events, working the concession stand, offering scholarships, and so much more.

We are currently looking for individuals interested in serving on the PTA Executive Board for the 2026–2027 school year. If you are interested, please complete the interest form at: http://tinyurl.com/2627HJHPTA

Remember, PTA membership is open to everyone year-round. Join today at www.joinpta.org.

PTA Teacher Appreciation – Grab & Go Snack Bar

As we head into our upcoming testing days, we would love to show our amazing teachers a little extra appreciation by providing a Grab & Go Snack Bar to help keep them fueled and energized throughout the day.  We are asking for donations of quick, easy snacks and drinks that teachers can grab between testing sessions.

Drop-Off Details:
Please drop off items in the front office by 8:00 a.m. on March 10. You may drop off donations anytime prior to that date.

To sign up to donate, please visit:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548A4A62CA5FFC70-62528523-teacher#/ 

Celebrating a Great Week!

It has been a great week at Harwood. 

Fundraiser Night  Thank you to all those who attended our Chipotle Fundraiser Night.  We appreciate you for supporting our students and programs!  Our next restaurant spirit night will be at Jason's Deli on March 25th.

Gymnastics 

Congratulations to both the men’s and women’s gymnastics teams for their wins over Central and Euless on Tuesday night!

Men’s Top Performers:
Reece Harris – 2nd Floor, 1st Pommel Horse, 2nd Rings, 2nd Vault, 1st Parallel Bars, 1st High Bar, 1st All-Around
Gordon McNeese – 3rd Floor, 2nd Rings, 3rd Vault, 2nd Parallel Bars, 2nd High Bar, 3rd All-Around
Ben Harris – 4th Floor, 3rd Pommel Horse, 4th Vault, 4th Parallel Bars, 4th High Bar, 4th All-Around

Women’s Top Performers:
Kayla Elliot – 1st Vault, 2nd Bars, 2nd Beam, 1st Floor, 2nd All-Around
Tatum Gilbert – 2nd Vault, 1st Bars, 1st Optional Beam, 2nd Floor, 1st All-Around
Blair Scallin – 1st Optional Bars, 3rd Beam, 3rd Floor, 4th All-Around
Snezha Koleva – 4th Beam

Congratulations to February Gymnast of the Month, Kayla Elliot!

Join us Monday at 6:00 PM for the Men’s and Optional Girls meet and Tuesday for the Women’s meet. Come out and support these amazing athletes!

8th Grade Boys Basketball

The A Team has officially wrapped up their season, and as a coaching staff, we couldn’t be more proud of this group. Their hard work, dedication, and commitment throughout the year set the standard for what it means to compete the right way.

Although we came up short against Bedford in the championship game, the boys stepped up, battled, and fought to overcome adversity until the final buzzer. Their resilience and growth over the course of the season were evident every time they took the floor.

Season Leaders:

Coen Martin — 12.4 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game

Tristan Grove — 2.8 assists and 3.5 steals per game

This group represented our program with toughness and character all season long. Proud of the way they competed, proud of the way they grew, and proud of the way they led.

7th Grade Girls Basketball

Last Friday, your 7th grade Lady Blackhawks took on Richland Middle School. With the Blackhawks trailing by double digits early in the game, no one expected the comeback that would unfold. With 8 seconds left, the Blackhawks were down by only one point. After a quick timeout, Winona Sika drove to the basket and made the most important layup of her Harwood career making it 35-34. The gym erupted as time expired. Congratulations to the 7th grade girl basketball team; Landry, Makiah, Aria, Zoe, Josephine, Harper, Paula, Winona, Julia and Tauaana. Coach Waldron could not be more proud of your accomplishments this season.

8th Grade Girls Basketball

Your 8th grade A girls basketball team beat Euless for the third time this season, 47-18. Leading scorers were Aryana Taylor with 15 points, Ruby Loya with 8 points, and Jazlynn James with 6 points.  Outstanding players were Jaylan Worsham, Annalise Jackson, Aaliyah Donaldson, Eva Mancilla, Harleigh Grahn, and Arielle Gutierrez. 

Soccer

Last week, HJH Soccer faced a crossroads. Due to academic and behavioral standards, we made the incredibly difficult decision to consolidate from two teams down to one. Cutting 22 left us with 19 players, a new dynamic, and only one day of practice to find our rhythm.

Yesterday, the Harwood Blackhawks stepped onto the pitch against the top-seeded team in the league. Before the whistle, I asked for one thing: Effort with sincerity. I didn’t ask for perfection; I asked for their souls. And man, did they deliver.

The Turnaround

Against all odds, these 19 boys played with a grit we haven’t seen all year. Parents mentioned to coach after the game that this wasn't just a game, it was a statement. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, but it felt like a victory for our culture.

• The Challenge: Merging two rosters overnight.

• The Opponent: The best team in this league.

• The Result: A relentless, hard-fought shutout.

Men of the Match: The Entire Squad

Usually, we pick one or two standouts. Not today. Today, the entire team is our "Men of the Match." They finally came together to represent Harwood with the character, discipline, and intensity we knew they had in them.

This is what happens when you prioritize the "student" in student-athlete. We are small, we are scrappy, and we are finally one.

______________________________________

Ongoing Reminders

Dress Code Reminder

As temperatures change, this is a friendly reminder about our campus dress code expectations. We are asking for your help in reminding your students about the following guidelines:

• No crop tops
• No off-the-shoulder shirts unless a tank top (at least three-finger width) is worn underneath
• Shorts and skirts must be longer than fingertip length
• Shorts must be worn at the regular waistline
• Undergarments should not be visible
• No pajamas or slippers
• Student IDs must be visible at all times

Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a positive, safe, and focused learning environment at Harwood.

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.

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

• 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.
  
  

• 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