Patrick Henry Middle School -

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! 🏆

📸✨ New at Patrick Henry — Library Photography Contest! ✨📸
We’re excited to launch a brand-new opportunity for student photographers to showcase their creativity and we can't wait to see what you capture! Submit one original photo for a chance to have your work printed and displayed in the library!
🖼️ Contest Guidelines:
• Any subject is welcome — just no faces of people
• Must be your own photo
• One entry per student
📧 Submit your photo with your K12 email account to wendy.nelson@k12.sd.us
🗓️ Deadline: March 4, 2026

🍦🎶 Hard work tastes sweet! 🎶🍦These students in grades 6–8 took on the challenge of auditioning for All-State Band. The preparation process pushed them to grow, refine their skills, and rise to a higher level of performance. While official results won’t be released until January, we couldn’t let their hard work go unrecognized. Students were treated to an ice cream celebration as a thank-you for their commitment and determination. We’re proud of the time, focus, and passion they brought to this experience!

🚨 Good news alert! Sometimes a trip to the principal’s office starts with nervous faces… and ends with big smiles! 😄 Patrick Henry staff write positive office referrals when students show respect, responsibility, and safety—our Patrick Henry values in action! Congrats to these students who have recently received a positive office referral.💙💛

Through the Giving Group fundraiser last Friday, Team 6-3 students sold morning treats and raised an impressive $1,593.31. Afterward, the group took charge by tallying the donations and shopping online to fulfill Christmas wishlists for The Foster Network. Their hard work is already making the holidays brighter for others. 💙💛 We are so proud of this effort—thank you, Patrick Henry community!

🛼✨ Patrick Henry Glow Night at Skate City is almost here and we’re ready to roll! ✨🛼 Grab your friends, lace up those skates and head to Skate City for music, lights, laughs and LOTS of laps around the rink. 💙💛

❄️ It’s a busy week at Patrick Henry Middle School! As we get closer to winter break, we have a lot happening—our Choir Concert, dress-up days and basketball and wrestling competitions. 🎶🏀🤼‍♂️ A quick reminder that the school dress code expectations still apply during dress-up days. 💙💛

🎶✨ Here’s a sneak peek of some of our 6th grade choir students practicing for their upcoming concert! And yes… those are kazoos you’re hearing as they play along to the theme song from the movie Elf! 😄
📅 Winter Choir Concert – Tuesday, December 16 at Lincoln High School
🎤 6th Grade Concert: 5:30 PM
🎶 7th & 8th Grade Combined Concert: 7:00 PM
Admission is FREE, and we’d love to see you there to support on our amazing student musicians! 💙💛
https://youtube.com/shorts/FbPoIWdGWAI?feature=share