Letter from Mrs. Summers

June 1, 2023

Homestead Students, Families, and Friends

In conversations during the closing days of the school year, we heard a wide variety of responses from students when we asked them to reflect on the year and to tell us their plans for the summer and fall.

Those completing ninth grade often commented on how surprised they were that the year had flown by so quickly. The thought of coming back next year as confident and experienced high school students was almost as exciting to them as the fact that they were about to have two well-deserved months to spend their time in non-academic pursuits.

Sophomores had a similar reaction, as they marveled at already reaching the half-way mark of their high school career. Many were looking forward to the classes they were going to be taking during the upcoming semester, with options in both core classes and electives that they had chosen because they were tailored to their strengths, interests, and plans for the future.

Juniors shared that their thoughts about summer extended beyond the sun and fun of the season. As they finished the 11th grade, their attention was drawn to the important decisions and tasks that lie just around the corner. Juniors talked about how the summer and upcoming school year would be focused on taking the steps needed to prepare for their entry into the workforce, or their enlistment in a branch of the military, or their full immersion into the exciting but highly stressful college application process.

For seniors, the closing days have been a time of reflection and anticipation. Emotions ran the gamut, from the bittersweet realization that this special moment in time was coming to a close, to a heightened expectation for all the things they will begin to experience soon after they toss their caps into the air to celebrate graduating on June 11th.

Much like the seniors, Homestead teachers and administrators spent the final days contemplating the year that was drawing to a close and looking forward to using everything they have learned and experienced with their students and colleagues this year to hone their craft and prepare for the year to come.

As we reflect on the 2022-2023 school year there are many academic highlights to list. Homestead’s chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 150 new members, some of our Speech and Debate students qualified for nationals, and Homestead had two American Invitational Math Exam Qualifiers this year. Our We the People Team qualified for the state tournament and reporters and authors who published articles and essays in the Spartana went on to win collegiate and state honors. The Robotics and the Rube Goldberg teams designed machines that were highly competitive and fun to watch. Our Digital Media Program, Latin Club, DECA, and FCCLA continued their traditions of excellence at state and national competitions, and Homestead was named a Project Lead the Way Distinguished School. Our academic teams worked hard to prepare and had a great year in their competitions. Continuing our tradition of having students recognized for the highest levels of academic excellence, 40 were named Presidential Scholars, 11 Spartans were recognized as Commended Scholars, and 7 earned the prestigious National Merit Scholar designation this year. As the year came to an end, hundreds of Spartans were honored during Academic Awards Night, with students receiving special scholarships from community members, departmental recognitions, and individual awards for excellence in the classroom.

In February, some of our students shared their concerns that Homestead needed to do a better job building and maintaining an inclusive community. Both new and existing initiatives at HHS were focused on working toward that goal. Now in their second year, the Brothers of Unity expanded their mission by visiting our middle schools and serving as mentors for incoming eighth graders. Plans to support an extension of the mentoring program to include young women next year are currently in progress. The Minority Student Union held meetings throughout the year and designed and established Homestead’s new Inspiration Wall. Mr. Manco’s Digital Design class created posters reminding all Spartans that their deeds and actions should exemplify the three core beliefs of what it means to be a Spartan…honesty, kindness and integrity. Representatives from Homestead’s Latino community attended the Latinos Count Conference to hear about their educational and leadership opportunities. In February, students from underrepresented groups were invited to Bloomington to take part in Indiana University's Diversity in Law Day where they experienced a day in the life of a law school student and learned about IU’s commitment to creating diversity in the legal profession. Homestead also hosted Fort Wayne’s Nontraditional Employment for Women Conference in October, providing all the young ladies in our sophomore class an opportunity to spend the day with successful women in business and entrepreneurial endeavors, learning about careers in welding, law enforcement, manufacturing, architecture, medicine and many additional unique professions.

The Homestead Performing Arts Department impressed all who had the opportunity to see them perform at every competitive level this year. Our bands, orchestra, show choirs, winter guard, percussion group, and dance teams earned awards at local, state, and national competitions. The Champions Together Dance Team received standing ovations at every performance this year. The spring musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was just that… amazing. It takes hours of work to put on a show of that caliber, and the students on the stage, in the pit orchestra, and in the crew can be very proud of their work this year.

Many exciting events occurred in athletics. Boys Volleyball drew large crowds to cheer on this new to Homestead sport. Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, golf, track and field, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, girls volleyball and wrestling had team and individual success stories this year. Our Unified Sports programs continued to grow. It was my honor to watch our young women compete at the state level in gymnastics and cross-country this year. A long, long time ago, I started coaching varsity track just 6 years after Indiana held its first state track championship for girls, so watching our young ladies have these opportunities to compete at the highest level and bring home state ribbons and trophies indicative of their hard work and dedication to excellence has been more special to me than I can adequately put into words.

Homestead clubs and organizations continued their long-standing traditions of providing service hours and made us proud as they represented our school throughout the community this year. Interact Club raised money for many local charities, honored the Aboite fire department, and helped the Veterans Museum move into their new facility. Key Club members took part in thousands of hours of community service and collected over 4,000 cans of food for local food banks. Student Government worked hard to give students the opportunities that were available before Covid disrupted their lives, such as Survival of the Spartans, Duckers and Netters, Semi-Formal, Prom, and Senior Activity Day. The Environmental Club raised over $2000.00 to support their annual upkeep of the Environmental Center. If you have not been there, this hidden gem is located just south of the football stadium. The club does an outstanding job getting this space ready for the community to use throughout the summer. The Dance Marathon was another huge success, with Spartans raising over $21,000.00 for Riley Children’s Hospital.

Many of the unique activities that make Homestead a special place to go to school were highly attended this year. Students created an amazing display of international food booths for Taste of Homestead, a community event that introduces people to cuisine from around the world. This event was attended and enjoyed by hundreds of our students, their families, and our neighbors. Homestead counselors organized and hosted the College and Career Fair. Students enjoyed our annual Spring Performing Arts Assembly in the new Spartan Arena, where they were frequently surprised to see the hidden talents of their classmates. The Spring Arts Gallery celebrated the amazing work created by our student visual artists, including many that were honored with Scholastic medals of excellence.

Homestead’s faculty also received numerous awards throughout the year. In the fall, Homestead’s 2022 Teacher of the Year, Mr. Jason Beer, was named one of the top 3 teachers in the state. Mrs. Sally Rauber was selected as Homestead’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Mr. Mark Lenfestey was one of 18 teachers in the country selected to participate in a prestigious NASA program this summer. Mr. Chris Johnson coached the boys basketball team to his 400th victory and Mr. Bryen Warfield was a quarterfinalist for a Grammy Music Educator award.

Progress on Homestead’s massive construction project can be seen from outside and within the building. The Grand Hallway opened during the first semester, impressing everyone with its high ceilings and abundant natural light. Our student leadership groups planned and hosted the first two pep sessions to be held in the newly opened Spartan Arena. Students in our Digital Media courses moved to their new classrooms, and HHS InDepth began broadcasting from their new studio. Homestead’s new mini theatre, the Gray Box was completed and opened for use this spring. On the last day of the school year, many of the spaces in the Performing Arts wing were finished and made available, just in time for the marching band’s fundamentals camp.

This summer you will see additional progress on the new academic wing, which runs along Homestead Road. The hope is to have many of the rooms on the new first floor section of the building ready for students and teachers by the end of August. There are no guarantees, but as we walk through that area of the building, there are signs that we just might be moving into some of those new spaces before Fall Break.

As a reminder, the district will be on a four-day schedule during the summer. Homestead will be closed on Fridays during the months of June and July. Please plan on parking on the north side of the building if you have an appointment at the school. You will need to call the number posted on Door 31 or Door 34 to request that someone let you in, as construction and staffing of the various offices throughout the building will necessitate using those two doors for most of the summer.

Mark your calendars for August 1st. Homestead will be open for registration, laptop pickup and student pictures from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on that Tuesday. Ninth grade orientation starts at 9:30 a.m. on August 3rd and the first day of school for students is Wednesday, August 9th. 

Because of the district’s new three-tier start time system, Homestead will have a new bell schedule for the upcoming school year. The doors to the building will be unlocked at 7:20 a.m. and Homestead’s buses will drop students off at the school shortly after that time. Classes will start 5 minutes earlier next year, at 7:40 a.m. and the school day will end at the 2:30 p.m. dismissal bell. If you have students in other buildings in the district, please check their websites for information about their new bell schedules.

Spartans – we look forward to seeing you in August, so stay safe and enjoy your much-deserved time away from the classroom.

Have a wonderful summer.

Susan Summers

Principal

Homestead High School