Week of October 16, 2016

Good afternoon parents,

I hope that you all had a terrific weekend. Thank you to all of the parents that came out for your conference. Our goal is to have 100%. If you have not had your conference, please contact your child's homeroom teacher ASAP. Hilsman was buzzing with good news all of last week. The students were excited about their progress and parents were overall pleased with the work of our staff. The staff was extremely pleased with all of the delicious treats provided by the PTO. The support that you all provide to the school is greatly appreciated by the staff! Below you will find the news and announcements for the week.

Announcements:

Cookie Dough Fundraiser: 

All cookie dough orders and money will be due to the school on October 19th! The orders should arrive at Hilsman on November 8th or 9th. Remember the house that sells the most orders will be given an extra 200 points plus receive a house party! More importantly, the Hawks Dunk Show will be performed at Hilsman for every student that sells 2 or more buckets of cookie dough. The show will feature a special performance by Ms. Tolbert and Mr. Forker. I promise you that this is an event that you don't want to miss!
This fundraiser will help support our PBIS program at Hilsman by allowing us to provide incentives to our students and staff! We need your support so start selling cookies!


Meals in the Middle

To CCSD’s Meals in the Middle

This collaboration between the four middle schools of Athens-Clarke County marks the first of a series of charity dinners, raising funds for important causes in the Athens community.

Students, staff and volunteers from all four middle schools will prepare, and serve a meal. We welcome you to join us, enjoy a delicious meal, and learn about the important work that we are doing in the schools and that IHN is doing in our community.  Our students gain culinary experience as well critical collaboration skills.   

The dinner will commence October 17^th at 6pm and will consist of an appetizer of grilled okra, a candied pecan & Asher Blue salad, an entrée of shrimp perloo with garden vegetables, and a delicious dessert.  The cost is $40 per person and all the money we raise goes to IHN.  Reservations are required and they are made by e-mailing Tad MacMillan at macmillt@clarke.k12.ga.us

This wonderful meal, prepared by all four schools, shall take place in the Clarke Middle School FCS room at 1235 Baxter Street.  

Our October meal benefits the Interfaith Hospitality Network.

(Thanks to Bertis Downs and Bob Carson for sponsoring this first meal.  ) 

Bus Driver Appreciation Week 

This week is Bus Driver Appreciation Week! Please help us thank our bus drivers for the hard work that they do every day! We love and appreciate our drivers at Hilsman.

Benchmarks: 

Parents, 
The administration of Benchmarks is quickly approaching. Please make sure your students are at school and on time! The schedule is listed below:

ELA 

                Nov 1. Tuesday

                Nov 2. Wednesday

Social Studies 

                Nov 3. Thursday

                Nov 4. ELA/SS Make up

Math

                Nov 9. Wednesday

Science

                Nov 10. Thursday

                Nov 11. Math and Science Make ups

Monday:  A Day

• 21st Century
• PSP

Tuesday: B Day

• PSP
• Cross Country- Athens-Oconee Championship at North Oconee High School at 4:25

Wednesday: A Day

Thursday: B Day

• Hilsman Chess Tournament 4:00-7:30
• Pledge Against Gun Violence Assembly 

Friday: A Day Hilsman goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Students will be allowed to wear a pink shirt and jeans. Students MUST wear a pink shirt in order to wear jeans. Jeans can not have any rips or holes. NO leggings or jeggings!

Week of 10/9/2016

Quote of the Week:

When someone asks why someone would ever become a TEACHER, remind them why it's worth it. Every job has it's ups and downs. But not every job can CHANGE A LIFE.

                                                                                                                     We are Teachers

Parents,

Thank you for your presence last week at the many events that were hosted on behalf of Hilsman! The Hispanic Heritage Night, football/volleyball game,  Parent Coffee, and the Band's Rock a thon were all well attended by staff, students, and parents! We had a blast and it was great to see so many smiles.  Below are a few pictures that captured our special moments.

This week will be just as busy. We are looking forward to seeing you. 


       

  

Announcements:

ARRG......... 

What ARRGG you reading?!?! Our Hilsman Fall Book Fair is this week during all school and parent conference times, so please stop by! Every student will have a chance to go to Book Fair with their ELA class and any other time during the week with a pass from their teacher.

PSP: 

PSP will not be held this week due to conferences.  Parents, please use this week to sign up for the Pathways to Success program. This  is  a free program that provides tutoring in Math and Language Arts. We have a lot of students that will benefit from the services. 

SOAR:Please come out and support!

http://www.active.com/athens-ga/running/distance-running-races/26th-special-olympics-annual-run-5k-a-k-a-soar-5k-2016?int=

21st Century:

Lights on Afterschool

When? 5:00- 6:00 PM on October 20, 2016 

Where? Hilsman Middle School Cafeteria

What? Parents of 21st Century students can come and see what their students have been doing in their classes. Parents who want to know more about the program can see what the classes offer for our students. 

Fundraiser: Cookie Dough

Calling all students and parents! We are in for a fundraiser of the school year. WE NEED YOU to help raise funds to support our Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) system. Our school is selling cookie dough. These funds will help support our school wide incentives for our new housing system that rewards our students and teachers for following our Positive Actions within Schools Expectations (PAWS). If every student sells 2 buckets of cookie dough, we can possibly raise over 5,000.00! Students that sell 2 buckets or more will be allowed to participate in the big assembly featuring the Hawks dunking show!  In addition, your principal has accepted a challenge that can only be viewed during the assembly!! Start selling now! We have less than a week left!

House Update:

Quarter 1 House Points will end on Friday October 14th at 1pm.  

Please encourage your students to be on their best behavior.

The House with the most merits will have a Quarter 1 House Party on Friday October 21st, during 7th Block!

Go Panthers!!

Trash to Hunger:

Parents and students:   The Trash Hunger Campaign is active now! Hilsman Middle School collects used health & beauty product containers, juice pouches, hand-held electronics, ink cartridges, and plastic cups.  The items are sold and the earnings are donated to UNICEF and the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.  Recycle your trash and you can help people and the planet!  

Items for recycling can be brought in every Friday.  We'll also host a collection drive at the main entrance of the school during parent conferences and Fright Fest.

Conferences:

Parents remember that this is the week of conferences. We want 100% of our parents to come out and get informed about their child's academic status. I challenge you to get involved, we can not wait until the end of the year! Please call the school if you have not received your conference time or have obstacles that might get in the way of you attending the conferences. The number is 706-548-7281. 

Remember that we get out of school at 1:30 this Wednesday-Friday! Please make the proper transportation arrangements for your child to get home.

Benchmarks: 

Benchmarks will be administered November 1st-November 11th.

ELA 

                Nov 1. Tuesday

                Nov 2. Wednesday

Social Studies 

                Nov 3. Thursday

                Nov 4. ELA/SS Make up

Math

                Nov 9. Wednesday

Science

                Nov 10. Thursday

                Nov 11. Math and Science Make ups

Monday:B Day

No School!!!!!!!

No PSP this week!

Tuesday: A Day

Wednesday: Early Release Day - B Day
Late night conferences
Football game at 5:30 @ Clarke Central

Thursday: Early Release Day- A Day
Football game @ Clarke Central
No PSP

Friday: Early Release Day- B Day
Spirit Shirt and Khaki pants day!

Week of October 2, 2016

Good afternoon,

Here is the news for the week:

Quote of the Week: Education...is painful, continual and difficult work to be done in kindness, by watching, by warning,...  by praise, but above all -- by example.” -- John Ruskin

Announcements:

Due to the recent incidents at Hilsman, students are not allowed to carry book bags throughout the building. We are working to come up with a solution soon to address the many concerns regarding how students will carry their belongings in the building. I will be meeting with PTO and school leaders to gain more input as to how we can ensure the safety of our students as well how to lighten their load. At this time, I am asking the staff to allow additional locker breaks. Students will  be allowed to carry a laptop bag and purses (medium sized). Please be patient with us as we come up with a solution that will address both needs for the students.

• Principal's Coffee will be held Friday, October 7th at 9:00 am in the Media Center. Google classroom will be the topic of discussion.

• Can We Talk- The administrators will host two Can We Talks on October 12th. One will be held at 2:00 pm and the second one will be held at 6:00 pm. This is the week of Parent/Teacher Conferences.

• Parent/Teacher Conferences- Parents you should have received a letter as well as a request for a time to schedule your conference. We want to get 100% of our conferences completed this Fall. The conferences are critical as this is the time to address any academic concerns. In addition, we want to be sure that the right interventions are in place to close any academic gaps. Please be sure to attend. If you need a translator or have any barriers that may cause you not to participate, please contact Mrs. Joanne Griffith or Jamie Hogan.

• This is a reminder that October 12th-14th will be Early Release Days. Students will get out of school at 1:30 pm. Please make the proper transportation arrangements for your child.

• Cookie Dough Fundraiser:  As a school, we are selling cookie dough to raise funds for our PBIS incentive program. If every student sells two buckets of cookie dough, we could potentially raise over $5,000. This would be extremely beneficial to our program as we are working to create a fun, safe, and welcoming learning environment. Packets will be sent home Monday! Sell, Sell, Sell for two weeks!

• Hispanic Heritage Celebration: Please help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this Thursday in the Cafeteria from 5:30 pm-7:00 pm. Dancing, food, and a gallery will be awaiting you! This is an even that you don't want to miss!

Monday: A Day

• Band Concert- 7:00
• 21st Century
• SAE Workday- 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm in Ms. Smith's room
• PSP

Tuesday: B Day

• 21st Century
• Horse Judging and Floriculture Practice
• PSP
• Meeting with PTO Officers
• Math Counts @ 7:15 am 

Wednesday: A Day

• 21st Century

Thursday: B Day

• 21st Century
• Horse Judging and Floriculture Practice
• C-Team Football vs. Franklin Co. 5:00
• Hispanic Heritage Celebration

Friday: A Day  Hilsman spirit shirt and khaki day

• Picture retakes- Students will  need to be in uniform if they are retaking their pictures.
• National Agriscience Fair Practice (students can come and interview participants for SAE hours)

Other News: JagNation

Tuesday 10-4-16  Volleyball Region @ Clarke Central vs. Loganville 5:30

Wednesday 10-5-16 Cross Country @ Wesleyan 4:00

Thursday 10-6-16 C-Team Football vs. Franklin Co. 5:00

             

                           JV Football vs. Buford 6:30

                           9th Football @ Buford 5:30

GO JAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week of September 25, 2016

Good evening parents,

Thank you for your support of the vision and mission at Hilsman. I appreciate your calls/emails regarding your concerns and thoughts about what is happening at our school. Please continue to express your concerns as they are helping us to to build an environment that is conducive to learning. Below you will find your news for the week.

Announcements:

Cookie Dough Fundraiser:

We are getting ready to launch a school wide cookie dough fundraiser at Hilsman! Everyone's help is needed for this to be successful. As many of you know, we are attempting to raise funds to support our PBIS Incentive Program at Hilsman. If every student sell 2 buckets of cookie dough, we could potentially raise over $5000.00! WE can do this. Fundraiser packets will be given to students Tuesday.

Here's the link for the Panther News -- it also contains the Cookie Dough Fundraiser promo video in it. 

https://youtu.be/jnYVyfli0RY

Can We Talk:

• Can We Talk is an open forum where parents can meet with the administrators at Hilsman to discuss any questions or concerns about the school. The goal is to provide parents an opportunity to have a voice in the school. Please be on the look out for a new date and plan to attend. 

Safe Routes to School:

• Save the Date: We will celebrate Walk to School Day on October 5th! We want to help spread the word about the many health and safety benefits of walking. 

You can get more information by visiting http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/.

Reminder:

• We still have openings available for 6th and 7th graders for the Educational Talent Search (ETS) program with the University of Georgia. This program provides academic, career, and financial counseling while encouraging participants to graduate from high school and to complete their post-secondary education. This is a free program and meeting times are twice a month during lunch. Please turn in your applications to Ms. Moore in the Counseling Department.

The Pledge Against Gun Violence Poster Contest is here! Students should design a poster to pledge against gun violence. Awards are given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The contest will end October 14, 2016. For more information, contact SRO Johnson.

Picture make ups will be held October 7th. Students will need to be dressed in their Hilsman uniform.

Monday: B Day

• 21st Century

Tuesday: A Day

• Math Counts at 7:15 in Hussain's room
• Hilsman v/s Clarke Middle Volleyball game @ Home 4:30
• 21st Century
• Fundraiser packets

Wednesday: B Day

• 21 Century

Thursday: A Day

• 21st Century
• PSP

Friday: B Day

• Spirit shirt and khaki day

Week of September 18, 2016

Greetings Parents!

It was another great week at Hilsman Middle School. As mentioned in several settings, your voice is important. Thank you to the parents that have sent emails offering suggestions to make things better at Hilsman. As a result of your suggestions, the topic of the next Parent Coffee will be Google Classroom. I will announce more information about the date as it is my goal to provide two times to meet the schedules of all of our parents.

 I have reviewed communication expectations with the staff. If you call or email any member of our staff, we will respond within 24 to 48 hours. I do ask that you schedule a conference if you want to meet with them regarding a concern. Often times during plannings there are meetings and the mornings are dedicated to preparing for our students. We want to address your concerns but we want to do it in a manner where we can provide you the attention that you deserve. We value you, your child, and your concerns.

Parents and students, please read over the Student/Parent Handbook. There is a lot of information presented in the handbook that will help parents and students gain a better understanding about our school procedures. If you did not receive a paper copy, I will send it electronically to every student. With this being said, parents please help us reinforce expectations with your children. Remind your children about the value of respect, uniform expectations, and GRIT. This is something that we must all remain united on as we teach our student how to be respectful citizens

Progress reports went home last week. Many of our students performed well but there were a few that could benefit from additional academic assistance. I encourage you to sign your child up for PSP or 21st Century. Tutorial is offered in our Pathways to Success Program and has proven to be beneficial to our struggling students. Please contact Ms.Ward for an application.

Attendance: We still have a significant number of students that are arriving late, checking out early or simply missing school. We want our students to arrive to school on time and ready to learn. When they MISS school, they MISS out, and WE MISS THEM!

The Pledge Against Gun Violence Poster Contest is here! Students should design a poster to pledge against gun violence. Awards are given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The contest will end October 14, 2016. For more information, contact SRO Johnson.

Picture make ups will be held October 7th. Students will need to be dressed in their Hilsman uniform.


Monday: A Day

• PSP

Tuesday: B Day

• PSP
• Math Counts at 7:15am in Hussian's room
• 21st Century
• FFA Meeting 4:00-5:30
• Hilsman v/s Coile-Volley Ball Game @ Home

Wednesday: A Day

• 21st Century

Thursday: B Day

• 21st Century

Friday: A Day Spirit Shirt Day and Khaki bottoms

Week of 9/11/2016

Good evening,

Last week was extremely busy at Hilsman. Thank you to all of the parents that came out to Open House and the Principal's Coffee. We had a blast and look forward to seeing you all at Parent/Teacher Conferences in October. Below you will find the announcements and news for the week!

Announcements:

• Student/Parent Handbooks will be given to all 6th and 7th grade students Tuesday. Please make sure that you read over the information and ensure that your child understands the expectations at Hilsman. The attendance and the receipt forms should be returned to the school by Friday. Every student that returns the form will earn 3 points for their house.
• 
  
• Hilsman's first chorus performance for this year will be held on September 22, 2016 at 6:30 in the Old Gym. Please come out and support!
• 
  
• Hilsman Middle School will kick off the celeberation of Hispanic Heritage Month on September 11, 2016. Be on the look out for upcoming events.
• 
  
• FFA Fundraiser forms are due to Ms. Smith on September 22, 2016.
• 
  
• Scholarships are available for students that are interested in earning money towards their Washington D.C. trip. This a a great opportunity. Please encourage your 8th grader to submit an entry. The deadline has been extended. See Mr. Pavone for more information.
• 
  
• There are still openings and scholarships available for the Four Athens Coding Camp. The camp will be held in the Media Center on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning September 17th from 4:00-5:30. Register today at  www.fourathens.com/athenscodecamp and email Jim Flannery at jim@fourathens.com for scholarship information."

Monday: B- Day



Tuesday: A  Day

• Math Counts in Room 205 7:15 am
• 21st Century
• Volley Ball Game @ 4:30  Hilsman v/s BHL at Hilsman

Wednesday: B Day



Thursday: A Day

• C-Team Football Game 5:00 Home

Friday: B Day

Wear your spirit shirt and khaki bottoms

Week of 9/5/2016

Good afternoon!

Thank you for your patience with the blog! We have been having a blast at school. Schedules are finally stabilized and our students are doing an amazing job following the PAWS Expectations. We have held 2 of the 3 Housing Ceremonies and the students are beyond excited about this new adventure. We will hold 6 grade's ceremony this Thursday. A big thanks goes out to all of our parents and students that participated in the ceremonies! Below you will find the news for this week.

Announcements:

Four Athens Coding Classes begin Tuesday, September 13th- Oct 6th, 2016.  They will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:30pm in the Hilsman Media Center! Many full and partial scholarships available. Register at: www.fourathens.com/athenscodecamp and email Jim Flannery at jim@fourathens.com for scholarship information."


NEWS YOU CAN USE:

8th grade students that are interested in receiving a scholarship for the Washington D.C. trip can write an essay to earn money towards their trip. The essays are due by September 9th! If you have any questions, please see Mr. Pavone.

21st Century

21st Century Community Learning Center will begin Tuesday, September 6, 2016.   The morning session will be 7AM to 8AM.   Mrs. Dalton will meet students in the Hilsman Foyer.   The afternoon session runs from 3:45-6:00 pm.  Buses are provided for transportation during the afternoon session.  Applications are available in the front office. There will be a parent orientation Thursday during Open House!

4-H

Athens-Clarke County 4-H Middle School Program will begin September 27th. If you are interested in your child participating, please have them get an application from their homeroom teacher. This is a great program that helps target life skills throughout the year.


Title 1/Open House 

The Annual Title 1 Meeting will be held Thursday, September 8th, 2016 at 6:00. Please come out and hear about how Title 1  support our students' learning at Hilsman. Open House will follow at 6:30! We look forward to seeing you!

Monday: A Day No School

Tuesday: B Day

• Math Counts-7:15am
• Chess Club 4:00
• Cross Country

 Wednesday: A Day


Thursday: B Day

• Title1 Meeting and Open House 6:00-7:30
• 6th Grade Housing Ceremony
• Home VBall vs. CMS  @  Hilsman

Friday: A Day

• Parent Coffee at 8:00 am in the Media Center