Afternoon Parents,
Thank you for a wonderful first week of school. Your patience and understanding of our new setting was greatly appreciated. As we visited the classrooms last week we had an opportunity to speak with many our students. When asked what was the best part of their week, most responded "getting back to school and seeing my friends." When asked what was their biggest challenge, they all responded "finding their classes". I was excited about their responses! If the largest barrier they faced was finding their classes then we can help the students overcome that barrier and enjoy the rest of the year.
Although the new setting has its share of challenges, we are embracing our change with heart. The building looks great and provides a warm and cozy environment. During sunshine breaks the students are out enjoying the sun and we have even seen many playing on the playgrounds!
Students received their schedules Tuesday when they arrived to school. We recognized that there were some errors and are working diligently to correct them to avoid the loss of instructional time. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Brinkley. Please be reminded that we will only make schedule changes for extenuating circumstances.
We have provided some updates below regarding transportation. Our goal is to have the campus cleared of students by 4:00 pm. Please carefully read the information and if you have any questions, contact Ms.Tolbert or Mr. Forker.
The year is off to a great start! I expect that it will only get better everyday. Please continue to remain flexible as we perfect our routines. Your voice is welcomed and I invite you to email me or schedule an appointment if you have concerns or questions related to Hilsman Middle School. Let us all continue to partner together to make a difference in the lives of our students.
In partnership with you,
Principal Tolbert
Announcements
Chess Club Information
Chess Team will begin on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting September 4th in room 501. Girls and boys of any experience level and grade can join.
Band Information
6th grade band parents: Students will need instruments and band books beginning Monday, August 13th! Please email me with any questions or concerns: campl@clarke.k12.ga.us. Thank you!
Cross Country
Cross country and running club will begin on Monday, August 13th from 4:00-5:00. Participants must have a signed permission form and a current physical on file to participate. Change into athletic clothes and shoes and meet in Ms. Seymour's room (803) in the earth shelter by 4:00. You must have a ride here at Hilsman by 5:00. There will also be an informational parent meeting after practice on Thursday, August 16th in the cafeteria.
Links to:
Meet Schedule (7th and 8th grade only):
August 28th Athens Academy 4:00 pm
September 5th Wood Park, Morgan County 4:30 pm
September 15th Apple Hawkins, Winder 10:15 am
**Optional meet--must have own ride**
September 20th Crow’s Lake, Jefferson 4:30 pm
September 27th Cousins MS, Covington 5:00 pm
October 2nd Westminster, Watkinsville 4:00 pm
Nurse
Parents,
Please return the medical forms that were picked up during Hilfest along with a copy of your child's 3231 Immunization record if they were updated over the summer. All students age 12 and up will need to have their immunizations up to date by the end of September.
Thank you!
Nurse Chambers
Transportation
Arrival:
Car riders will enter the campus using the main entrance of the building. Please pull all the way up to the first green cones. If students are in the 6 or 7th grade and not eating breakfast, they will enter the door to the right of the main entrance. If they are in the 8th grade or eating breakfast, the will enter the building using the door to the left of the main entrance.
Please do not stop or park in the car rider circle or at the cafeteria entrance. Our goal is to keep traffic moving.
Dismissal:
Students will be grouped according to their grade level. You will see signs labeled 6th, 7th, and 8th. Car riders and walkers are dismissed first. It is suggested that you arrive for pick up at 3:40. We will not check students out early or accept a change in transportation plans after 3:15.
-6th grade please park by the curb - your students should be in front of the main office
- 7th grade next to 6th grade - your students should be under the tree by the bike rack
-8th grade in the lane to the left (closest to Gaines School Road) - your students should be under the breezeway by the cafe
Arrival Time
Please be advised that students should not arrive on campus before 7:45 am. There is no one available to supervise the students and this is a safety concern. It is important to us that we offer assistance to our parents that must drop our scholars off early. We will not be able to offer a program for our early arrivals until early September. We will share more information next week. We respectfully ask that you do not drop them off before 7:45 to avoid any safety concerns.
Visitors
There is a myth that parents' help is not welcomed in middle school! This is NOT true. We welcome all of our parents in to visit, to volunteer, as well as to observe your child's environment. Upon entering the building to volunteer or to observe, you must be sure to sign in and get a visitor's pass. We also ask that you not interrupt the instructional time or interfere with other students. If you would like to speak to a teacher, feel free to contact them via email or by phone to schedule a conference.
Phone Calls
We understand that emergencies occur and that you will need to contact your child. We want to help you! If you call the school and leave a message for your child, we will ensure that they receive it during transition or lunch. We will not interrupt the instructional time but will guarantee that the message is delivered to the student.
Outside Food
We noticed an increase in outside food being brought to school by our students and parents last week. Although we encourage you to have lunch with your child, outside food is not allowed in the cafeteria. Snacks are permitted. The day is long and we realize many of our students are in need of snacks to make it through the day. Please be sure that students have their snacks before arriving to school. Otherwise, snacks brought in throughout the day will be given to students after school. There will be no exceptions.
No Flex Zone
This is a reminder that students are NOT allowed to have their phones during the hours of 8:25 am-3:45 pm. If phones are confiscated they can be retrieved on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the hours of 4:00 pm-5:30 pm. Parents, please remind your child about this rule and help us to help them! I would also encourage you to perform a social media check and remind our scholars about the power of their words.
Uniform Reminder
Parents,
Please help ensure that your child is wearing Hilsman's uniform. Shirts should be solid gold, white, or black polos. There were several students that reported to school with navy shirts or simply a t-shirt. This is not acceptable and will result in the child receiving a consequence. Pants should be black or khaki. NO legging, jegging, or jean material. The pants must have belt loops. Under garments should not be visible however if students are wearing garments that are visible, they need to be in compliance with the uniform policy. Jackets must be black, white, grey, or gold with minimal writing. Hoodies are also acceptable but must follow the policy. Students are not permitted to wear the hoods throughout the day. We relaxed the policy just a little as a result of students' voice. We are asking that you help us to help the students by making sure that they are appropriately dressed in the right uniform before the arrive to school. If we have any families that are in need of assistance, please contact the office.
Week at a Glance
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
PTO Meeting 5:30
LSGT Meeting
Friday: Spirit t shirt day and Khaki/Black pants
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