Changes at Homestead

There are some new and exciting changes happening at Homestead this year, most due to newly opened areas of the building.  

• We now have "Spartan 40" time every Friday. This Spartan 40 class takes place during 5th period and lasts 40 minutes. This time acts as an Advisory Period and is built into the schedule for video announcements (Homestead's award-winning student-produced television program), academic conversations, and community-building. With an adjusted schedule on Friday, classes are 43 minutes instead of 48.  During this time students may also work towards the completion of their Graduation Pathways, our Canvas module curated towards helping students find a clear post-graduation plan required for graduation. 

• Students now have 3 lunch sections (A, B, or C) instead of the 4 we had in past years. With the newly opened Annex portion of the Cafeteria, Homestead is able to feed more students in one sitting allowing the elimination of one full lunch period. The elimination of a full punch period allowed a few minutes to be added to each of the 7 periods throughout the day giving teachers more time to help students and explain lessons. Students also have more people in their lunch, allowing for more friends to be with and socialize! 

• Finally, after a long summer of construction, almost all classrooms have moved toward the new (East) part of the building. This is helpful for students, as classes are more centralized in one location. In fact, 95% of our student body has 6 of their 7 classes in this new wing. These classrooms are brighter and more technologically advanced, and departments are closer to one another. This is great, for not only students, but for teachers as well. It is convenient when they want to meet quickly and talk about lesson plans in between classes.

Bright things are ahead for Homestead! 

Travel Opportunity for Current Sophomores and Juniors

Attention 10th and 11th grade Homestead students! Have you ever wanted to visit one of Fort Wayne's many sister cities around the world? Are you interested in international relations or diplomacy? Do you want to spend THREE weeks in a foreign country this summer, for just $800 total? If so, this opportunity is for you! Fort Wayne Sister Cities International is accepting applicants for their Summer 2025 Chapman Student Exchanges to Gera, Germany and Plock, Poland. Gera and Plock are both longtime sister cities of Fort Wayne, and this opportunity would allow you to immerse in either German or Polish culture, food, and traditions, while acting as a great ambassador of our city! 

You must be an Allen County resident in 10th or 11th grade and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 to apply. The application includes a short essay as well as two forms of reference to be filled out by a teacher, coach, or other adult who knows you well. Applications are due on October 11th by 11:59 pm online, and if selected to proceed with the interview process, there will be a group interview on November 24th. Applicants will be notified of their success by November 27th, 2024, and travel will be to either Gera or Plock in summer 2025. 

More information can be found online at https://www.fortwaynesistercities.net/exchanges. If you have questions, you can contact exchange@fwsci.org.

Don't miss out on the chance to apply for a spot as part of this summer's student exchanges through Fort Wayne Sister Cities International! 

Reminders to Those Who Drive!! 

We want to take this opportunity to remind our families and young drivers to follow all traffic laws when driving to and from the high school during arrival and dismissal times. Drivers who are northbound on Homestead Road and are waiting to turn left onto Indiana Meadows Drive, near the SACS Central Office, are reminded they must yield to oncoming traffic when turning into our campus. That intersection is not to be treated as a three-way stop. Students are reminded that they must have an HHS Parking Pass hanging in their car to park on our campus. Authorized students can park in the Summit Middle School parking lot, the South Lot by Aboite Elementary, and the large lot near Door 34. The small lot by Door 33 is reserved for guests, employees, and substitute teachers. Please use the Spartan Roundabout to drop students off and pick them up at Door 45 before and after school. Any student arriving late or leaving during the day will check in and out of the high school at our attendance office, located just inside Door 1, around the corner from Door 45 on the Spartan Roundabout.