“The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.”
Tom Bodett
Greetings,
Another great week went down in the books of Hilsman Middle School. Although the week was busy with after school events and meetings, the students remained focused and had a productive week. Thank you the to the families that came out to the Annual Title 1, PTO, Building Construction, and LSGT meetings. Meaningful discussions occurred that will help lead all of our stakeholders forward together. If you missed the meetings and would like to know the happenings, please do not hesitate to contact Hilsman or the PTO President, Mrs. Fillingim.
As we continue to move forward together, our staff is asking that you help remind your scholars of their responsibility to their education. It is important that arrive to school prepared to learn. Assignments must be completed with accuracy and students must be present at school. It is equally important that they report to class on time to avoid being marked tardy or receiving consequences for being caught in the midst of a hallway sweep. As elementary as it sounds, remind students to keep their hands to themselves. We are stressing that "we do not play at Hilsman". Playing often leads to fights or verbal altercation. Playing is taunting or play fighting. Consequences will be stiff for students who engage in these activities that result in an altercation. Lastly, students must be reminded that ALL students have the right to a free and appropriate education. Constant disruptions to the learning environment is not acceptable and will be handled according to the CCSD Student Code of Conduct. Please be sure to review the expectations and help our staff create a productive learning environment.
New students and staff were inducted into their house Friday! It is now time to begin earning house points and incentives. Become involved in the healthy competition. Mr. Forker and the PBIS Team is working hard to organize fun and student centered incentives to create a positive school climate. If you have any great ideas, please feel free to share them with us!
Thank you for your continued support of Hilsman! Below you will find announcements and the week at a glance.
Best,
U. Tolbert
Announcements:
Friday morning you all may have noticed that we had to evacuate our building and emergency vehicles were on site. This was due to a fire alarm sensor alerting us that there was smoke in the ducts in the new gym. Nothing was on fire and the gym was cleared or occupancy. At no itme was our students' safety in jeopardy. Thank you for the phone calls and emails to check on us!
School begins at 8:00! Students are in homeroom from 8:00-8:22 after which time they transition to ELT. If students arrive late due to buses, they are excused. Regardless of the reason for the tardy, if a student is not in class, they will be marked absent for that period. If it is excused, we will code them correctly at the end of the day. This does NOT affect perfect attendance. If a student is absent from school, you must send in an excuse to have it coded as excused. Again, regardless of the reason, the student is coded absent and this WILL impact perfect attendance. If students are absent and no excuse is submitted, they will be coded as non-excused. We do have a tardy bell at Hilsman. Three minutes is allowed for students to transition to the next class. In most cases, students are able to transition within the allotted time. If they are late, the teacher will code it as a tardy.
We have noticed several students arriving in navy blue shirts and pants. Remember students are allowed to wear black, gold, or white polo style shirts. The pants are to be black or khaki. NO legging, jegging, jogging, or JEAN material. All jackets must be SOLID black, white, gold, or gray. Hilsman hoodies and jackets are acceptable. They can be purchased in the front office. Slides are not allowed at Hilsman. Please ensure that your child complies with the dress code to avoid consequences.
There has been some discussion regarding restroom breaks at Hilsman. Each grade level have scheduled locker and restroom breaks at least 3 to 4 times a day. We do not allow students to leave class the first and last 15 minutes of each class. This is due us wanting to ensure students do not miss the beginning expectations as well as the closing of instruction. However, students will be released to use the restroom in the case of an emergency.
Panther Prowl
The Panther Prowl will be held on February 3, 2017! This will be Hilsman's 2nd 5k! Please plan now to participate. If you would like to be a sponsor, we would greatly appreciate that! You can email Meganne Skinner, or Christina Fassbender if you would like more information. More details coming about when and how to sign up to run.
Tutoring for 6th Grade
Want to Code?Ms. Jones will be offering credit recovery and tutoring every Tuesday in room 112 until 5:00 p.m. Please make arrangements to stay the day before. ALL STUDENTS MUST BE PICKED UP AT 5:00 P.M. OR HAVE A NOTE TO WALK HOME.
FourAthens Ruby Coding Camp registration time is here! The camp will be held Mondays and Wednesday from 4:00 -5:30 pm in the Hilsman Media Center. Parents can request full or partial scholarships at terrell@fourathens.com and register their child at www.fourathens.com/athenscodec
MathCounts
MathCounts will begin next Thursday from 4:00-5:30 pm. Get an application from Mr. Hussain or Mrs. Dalton.
Week at a Glance:
Monday:
Agriscience Fair Nationals Meeting
Tuesday:
SAE Workday 4:00- 5:00 pm (Meet in Ms. Smith's room after school
ENR, Floral Design and Quiz Practice
1st Volley Ball Game HMS v/s WRC @ Hilsman @ 4:30. Please come out and support our Volley Ball Team
Wednesday:
SAE Check for all Ag classes. 1 hour and 1 picture due.
Thursday:
ENR Practice at Jackson County
Friday: Spirit shirt/ khaki or black pants
