Patrick Henry Middle School -

💖🍭 Spread the Love with a Sweet Treat! 🍭💖
Student Council is selling Valentine’s Day suckers for just $1!
🗓️ Order now through January 16, 2026
👩‍🏫 Purchase with your PRO teacher
🎁 Suckers will be delivered February 6, 2026 during PRO.
Perfect for friends and classmates! 💌

2nd Semester kicks off today with new goals and new opportunities! Boys basketball practice starts this week as well and wrestling takes the mat on Saturday. Missing something? Be sure to check the Lost & Found near the auditorium! Let’s make it a great week, Panthers! 💙🐾

👏 Congratulations to all who auditioned and to the 11 PHMS students selected for the All-State Jazz Band! Out of just 38 students statewide, PHMS represents more than a quarter of the ensemble!. Your hard work and dedication truly shine! 🎷🎶

Before Winter break, our school was full of holiday cheer—from ugly sweaters, blanket making and team fun, to staff greeting students at the buses in festive costumes. Enjoy this look back at all the festive fun!

The PHMS PTO plays an important role in creating meaningful experiences for our students and staff. From recognition and mentorship to celebrations and support programs, PTO funding directly impacts our school community. If you’re able, please consider donating through PayPal or Zeffy to support these efforts. Thank you for supporting our Panthers and our school community! 🐾💙🐾

👉Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8UC5RR7YQADZ2
👉Zeffy: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/2025-2026-un-fundraiser

Capture the memories of the 25–26 school year! The PHMS Yearbook is available now for $22, but starting Monday, January 12, the price increases to $25. Order early and save at yearbookforever.com.

The votes are in! Students and staff cast their ballots, and we’re excited to announce the winners of our Winter Library Bookmark Contest. 🎉
The winning designs will be printed and available for students to use—be sure to grab one the next time you check out a book from the library!
Thank you to everyone who participated, voted, and shared their creativity. Way to make reading even more fun! 📖❄️

Goals met. Success earned. 🎯👏 Huge congratulations to these Team 7-1 students for meeting their winter MAP goals in math and reading. Hard work pays off—way to go!

🐾 The January edition of The Panther is here! 🐾 As we wrap up the first semester and look ahead to a strong start to the second semester, our January newsletter is packed with important updates for Patrick Henry families, including:
📌 A message from Principal Noll reflecting on semester one and our schoolwide values of being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe
🏆 Congratulations to our December Students of the Month across grades 6–8
📘 Information on ordering the 2025–26 yearbook
🏀 Athletics updates, including Bound registration, required forms, and the new athletics tardy policy
🎶 Band, orchestra, and chorus news
🤝 PTO updates, meeting information, and ways to support through donations
🧠 Counseling resources and important high school registration meetings and tours for 8th grade families
📚 Details on our Parent Book Study (The Anxious Generation) beginning January 28
💻 Chromebook insurance, nurse updates, attendance reminders, nutrition info, and more
Stay informed and connected—check out the full newsletter here:
👉 https://app.smore.com/n/4xevy-the-panther

Welcome back from winter break! ❄️ This week wraps up 1st semester as students return to classrooms ready to finish strong academically. We’ll also cheer on our girls basketball teams as they play their final games of the season. Best of luck to our athletes and students!

We’re excited to bring back our Patrick Henry Parent Book Club for a spring session featuring The Anxious Generation—a timely and meaningful read for parents. This book study will be led by our school counselor, Mrs. Nelsen, and 6th grade teacher, Ms. Erickson. It’s a great opportunity to connect with other parents while learning practical ways to support our kids. Let’s come together to learn, reflect, and support our students—we hope to see you there! 💙📖
🗓 First meeting: January 28, 2026, in the PHMS Library
👥 Who: Patrick Henry Parents/Guardians
👉 Learn more & reserve your spot: https://shorturl.at/tREUX

We are incredibly proud to celebrate Andrew Terveen for an outstanding academic achievement! On the Spring 2025 South Dakota Math Assessment, Andrew earned a perfect score—a rare accomplishment achieved by only 16 students statewide. Andrew is currently an 8th grader at Patrick Henry Middle School and a member of the Honors Program, where his hard work and strong math skills truly stand out. Congratulations, Andrew! 👏

Patrick Henry was full of holiday magic last Friday! Santa, an elf, and a reindeer stopped by and caused some festive mischief throughout the school. They’ll return tomorrow morning -Tuesday, December 23 between 8:15–8:30 AM in the main entryway for pictures!👉 Click the link to see their adventures: https://youtube.com/shorts/naRtLMowYK8?si=vDVLlA9gEw3wiDw4

It’s a short, festive week before Winter Break with holiday dress-up days, an early release on Tuesday, and no school the rest of the week.
Enjoy the break, Panthers! 🐾 We’ll see you back on January 5, 2026.

Dance if you’re ready for winter break! PH staff understood the assignment! 💃🕺The countdown is ON—click the link to watch! 👉https://youtu.be/Q_17sPVshwM

Teacher Appreciation took center court at this week’s Girls Basketball games! Our 7th and 8th grade players nominated Patrick Henry teachers who have made a lasting impact in their lives. These educators were celebrated for the encouragement, support, and dedication they show our students every day. Let’s hear it for our amazing teachers and all they do for Panther Nation! 🐾💛💙

Our 8th grade drawing students took on a project that pushed their skills using the grid method to enlarge a photo onto drawing paper. After carefully creating a grid, students transferred what they saw in each square of the photo to the matching square on their paper—focusing first on contour lines of the face and facial features. Once the structure was in place, they added shading to create depth and realism. This process requires patience, focus, and attention to detail! The results show just how powerful strong observation skills and perseverance can be. 👏🎨

🏆 Team 8-2 takes on monthly House Cup Challenges, where students work together to compete for points for their PRO! These challenges focus on teamwork, problem-solving, and school spirit. Their most recent challenge, River Crossing, put those skills to the test. Students had to safely get their teammates across the “river” using a scooter and broomball stick—no touching the floor allowed! It took communication, strategy, and plenty of encouragement to make it across. This month, "Stevenpuff" won the challenge! 🎉 Way to go, Team 8-2, for showing collaboration, creativity, and determination in action! 🏆