What’s recently happened?
Hammond Central High School’s (HC) Academic Super Bowl team placed third overall in the Indiana Academic Super Bowl competition, with four subjects placing out of the five competing.
The Academic Super Bowl is hosted through the Indiana Association of Principals and covers the subjects of English, social studies, science, math, and fine arts. Every year has a theme, with this year’s being “‘80s and ‘90s.” The students study the topics they are interested in and get tested on trivia regarding the theme and subject, but the trivia questions are unknown to the students and coaches.
English Teacher and Coach for Academic Super Bowl Megan Brown explained how her group navigates in preparation for the invitationals.
“We give the materials to all the students, and they usually read over it. Some of them will tell us, ‘I really enjoyed the novel’ or ‘I really liked poetry.’ We try to break it down since we have such small teams and be like ‘Hey, you're going to focus on the novel.’ If it's a longer novel we’ll put two people on it. We break it down so that it's not as much to try and remember,” said Brown.
What’s coming up?
HC is planning to hold its annual Project Based Learning (PBL) Night which displays the talents, hard work, and dedication the students have maintained throughout the semester.
Megan Tiscareno, an English teacher at HC and the supervisor of the PBL Night, has her class participating in the event.
As the supervisor of the event, Tiscareno believes the purpose of PBL Night is to showcase the remarkable education and thought processes occurring in the classroom. Since she believes the Hammond community often has not gotten the opportunity to tune in with the learning occurring within HC, handing the students a platform to showcase the knowledge they have acquired through HC’s courses is the perfect way to help students explore and expand their knowledge.
Tiscareno has planned to showcase the entries her students made in the National Public Radio (NPR) Student Podcast challenge. Students are able to submit an audio file to NPR and get a chance to have their podcast featured on NPR.
“If you are thinking about attending, please attend! Take a few minutes of your day to take a look at our students' work and celebrate the learning experiences that our students have had that they are excited to share. If you are a student, attend and check out your peers and see what kind of classes and learning opportunities you might be missing out on," said Tiscareno.
Staff spotlight:
Megan Brown, an English teacher whose passion for English and education extends far beyond that of traditional teaching methods.
Extracurricular activities serve as the foundation of education, and Brown firmly believes in their profound impact on students' overall development. Whether it's the Academic Super Bowl or the Japanese Culture Club, these activities provide a platform for social interaction.
“I think extracurricular activities are extremely important. Being involved in high school or middle school, whether it's a sport or a club, helps build self-esteem. It also gives you an opportunity to meet students you might not have met because you’re brought together by the shared interest,” said Brown.
Brown herself had participated in the Academic Super Bowl all throughout her middle and high school years which led her to her decision to coach.
“We had really good coaches. I love what they fostered, and I loved what I experienced. Once I was given the opportunity to coach Academic Super Bowl, I know I would love to do that again. The fact we didn't have a coach here at the time helped us say ‘Let’s get this started’ and ‘Let's move forward on it,’” said Brown
Beyond education, Brown is a cinephile and outdoor lover. Drawing parallels between literature and film, she captivates her students' imaginations and sparks lively discussions in the classroom.
“I am a big movie person; I love to watch movies. Being an English teacher and bringing that to the classroom was like ‘Oh my gosh, this is what I'm reading.’ My love for different types of literature also definitely helps when I'm reading because I get excited about what we're reading. I can make that connection and get excited with the kids about what we're reading,” said Brown.
Brown's teaching philosophy lies in a profound commitment to student empowerment and individualized learning.
“I very much believe that I can present everything that I can to make the classes interactive, but if somebody is not prepared to learn, I cannot force that. I think that wanting to learn and being here and being a participant is something that you have to want. I can lead a horse to water, but I can't make it drink,” said Brown.
Student spotlight:
Catherine Haluska, a senior in the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program, has been making waves in the academic world, recently clinching two awards – the Outstanding Senior award and the Critical Thinking award – as she went to State on March 14 and 15.
The Outstanding Senior Award is awarded to seniors who prove to have excelled within and without their team environment. The Critical Thinking award for Haluska surrounded a hypothetical scenario of becoming a CEO of a startup company.
Beyond high school, Haluska hopes to travel in the skies as a pilot. She plans to attend Purdue University in their pilot program and is currently in the school’s drone program.
“My dad’s doctor recommended it to me. She asked me two years ago what I wanted to be, and I said a baker. That’s not bad, but I probably won't make a good living off of it, but piloting is a legit career. You have to like it; it's not about chasing the money. You have to like your job. I want the adventures and traveling; I love trying new food, so one of my motivations is probably the food,” said Haluska.
Amidst her academic pursuits, Haluska remains deeply rooted in her extracurricular activities, from sports to video game streaming. She has participated in basketball for seven years, volleyball for seven years, golf for two years, and currently does track.
Haluska recalled her passion for connecting and helping others even within sports.
“I was one of the main people on the Junior Varsity (JV) Basketball team motivating the other players, and I really had to be the senior that the younger players looked up to. I know my skill wasn't as good for varsity but as someone who could lead JV. They really listened, and they really flowed with my energy since I just wanted to help them,” said Haluksa.