Week of 12/3/17

Quote of the Week: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 
― Maya Angelou



Good evening Panther Nation!

It is indeed a Saturday in Athens! We are gearing up for another week of hard work at Hilsman. We are all working to end the year successfully. Parents, we ask that you please encourage your child to complete all assignments and follow the PAWS Expectations. 21st Century, PSP, and grade level tutoring opportunities are being offered to help students. Please take advantage of these services.

We have extended an incentive to all students. For every day a student does not receive a discipline referral, they will earn a free dress down day the week of December 10th. This means that students could potentially earn an entire week of dress down the week before the winter break if they meet all of the behavior expectations! They can do it! If a student receives a discipline referral, they will lose a day. However, they will have the opportunity to have the other days available! Help us to encourage our scholars. 

Thank you for responding to the idea regarding the outing at the theater to view the movie Wonder. Again, this is a great movie that shared many great messages that would be beneficial to our students. I am looking to schedule the event for Tuesday, December 19th after 5:00 but hopefully before 6:30. I wanted to give you a little time to plan to attend our first family outing. I am truly looking forward to this event.

Kindly,
Principal Tolbert


Announcements

Please send in a new pair of socks to support the Socksgiving Campaign lead by three of our students. The last day to give socks will be December 10th.

Chorus 

The Hilsman Middle School Chorus will be performing December 12th at Cedar Shoals High School Auditorium for a Winter Holiday Musical Event. The program will begin at 6:30 pm. (Parents-Parents please bring students to CSHS no later than 6:00 pm. The students attire for the program is either Gold chorus shirt, black slacks, and black shoes or Black chorus shirt, black slacks, and black shoes).

News from Mrs. Maxey

Science Fair projects are in full swing. Students may do their backboards virtually or on their own backboards, for which they are to supply the materials.  The school science fair will take place December 11th. Any scientists willing to volunteer as judges can contact Mrs. Maxey.

In the IB world, students have worked hard on MYP projects. They have begun to think like the experts. Some of these projects are displayed on the IB board in the front hallway. 

Students are working on their Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing/Art Competition submissions due in January.

IB: The first IB report cards will be going home with the second nine weeks report card. The rubrics and assessment specifics are on the curriculum portal. The link is below. Feel free to contact Mrs. Maxey with any further questions.

https://sites.google.com/a/clarke.k12.ga.us/ccsd-curriculum-portal/?pli=1

Science Fair will take place December 11th. If you would like to be a volunteer judge, please contact Mrs. Maxey.

Things to come: Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, Social Studies Fair, and Young Georgia Authors will take place in January and February

Band

The Hilsman Middle School Band will have our Winter Concert on Monday, December 11 at 6:30 pm.  The concert will take place at the Cedar Shoals High School Theater.  Students need to take their instruments home with them Monday after school (except tubas and baritones).  Students should wear khaki pants and the official band shirt (or black polo shirt).  Students can also wear Santa hats.   

Meals in the Middle

Our next Meals in the Middle fundraiser, featuring a meal prepared collaboratively by all four CCSD middle schools, will be held on Tuesday, December 5th at 6:30 pm at the Athens Community career academy. Tickets are $25 with all proceeds going to benefit the work of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Athens. Read more about the work of IHN at http://www.ihnathens.org/

Menu

Hummus Tehina with Laffa (Iraqi style flat bread only bigger and crispier)

Beets with Tehina

Spicy Fennel Salad/Caramelized Fennel with Goat Cheese

Root Vegetables Braised in Chicken Fat

Roast leg of Lamb with Rosemary

Honey Cake with Whipped Cream

Drink – Lemonnana

PSP News

PSP will resume  December  4th and 5th.  The hours are from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Bus transportation is provided for those students that live in the school zone.

GAVS Parents

The GAVS Algebra class will be taking their first semester final exam on Wednesday, December 6, during 1st and 2nd periods. This exam has a 90 minute time frame, and students will test in the Media Center. Please make sure your child is present and on time for school.

MLK Contest Winners

Our school level winners for the MLK  Writing & Art  Contest are:

Obayemi Blake

Aiden Dowling

Samantha Mifflin

Congratulations!

Special thanks to Mr. Hussain who worked with these students in ELT to prepare for their essay submissions. Thanks also to Ms. Maxey who worked on writing conferences with this ELT class.

Exciting News from Mrs. Camp

Hilsman had 11 students selected for the 2018 District Honor Band!  It’s a huge honor for these hard working kids! Congratulations!

Mich Bodden

Violet Calkin

Aubrey Crook

Alex Holland

Enock Maganda

Jane Michael

Sharon Norris

Malcolm Payne

Kayla Schlueter 

Jackie Wright

James Xiao

Tutoring

Ms. Jones is offering tutoring Tuesdays from 4 until 5 p.m. in room 112.  Students must have a ride home or permission to walk.

HOUSE POINTS AWARDED FOR ATTENDANCE.

Clarke County School District invites you to a free training: Sifting Through Your Parental Rights Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Time: 10:00 AM– 12:00 PM

Location: Athens Regional Library 2025 Baxter Street Athens, GA 30606

Provides basic information about parental rights under IDEA, including confidentiality, notice, consent, surrogate parents, free and appropriate public education (FAPE), least restrictive environment (LRE), evaluations and dispute resolution methods such as mediation and due process. For more information contact: Jerolee Oschack, Parent Mentor, Clarke County School District 706-546-7721 ext. 65727 or via email: oschackj@clarke.k12.ga.us 

Week at a Glance

Monday

21st Century

4:00-6:00 Horse Judging Practice

Money Due for FFA Ice Skating Trip on December 12 ($5)

Money Due for FFA Discovery Conference on January 26-27 ($50)

Tuesday

21st Century
PSP
6th Grade Parent Meeting for those interested in playing Intramural Sports- 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday

21st Century
PSP
HMS Basketball  HMS v/s BHL  Girls 4:30, Boys 5:30 @ HMS

Thursday

21st Century

Athens Christmas Parade

Friday- College Spirit Shirt and Jeans- Student must wear a shirt to represent their favorite college or team. A Hilsman spirit shirt is also acceptable. Jeans can not be ripped or have any holes. 

Week of 11/27/2017

Quote of the Week: 



Morning Hilsman Pride,

We are in the midst of a much needed break! I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed your families. I am definitely enjoying the opportunity to get a few extra hours of sleep. However I must admit, I miss the students! As we all took an extra moment to give thanks, allow me to give thanks to all of you. It is with pleasure that I serve the students, parents, and staff of Hilsman Middle School. I do not take it lightly and is grateful for the work that is performed in and out of our building. Thank you for being an awesome group of parents that support our school community. You are an intricate part of our success! 

As we all prepare to return to school Monday, please pay close attention to the announcements below:

Announcements

Chorus 

The Hilsman Middle School Chorus will be performing December 12th at Cedar Shoals High School Auditorium for a Winter Holiday Musical Event. The program will begin at 6:30 pm. (Parents-Parents please bring students to CSHS no later than 6:00 pm. The students attire for the program is either Gold chorus shirt, black slacks, and black shoes or Black chorus shirt, black slacks, and black shoes).

News from Mrs. Maxey

Science Fair projects are in full swing. Students may do their backboards virtually or on their own backboards, for which they are to supply the materials.  The school science fair will take place December 11th. Any scientists willing to volunteer as judges can contact Mrs. Maxey.

In the IB world, students have worked hard on MYP projects. They have begun to think like the experts. Some of these projects are displayed on the IB board in the front hallway. 

Students are working on their Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing/Art Competition submissions due in January.

IB: The first IB report cards will be going home with the second nine weeks report card. The rubrics and assessment specifics are on the curriculum portal. The link is below. Feel free to contact Mrs. Maxey with any further questions.

https://sites.google.com/a/clarke.k12.ga.us/ccsd-curriculum-portal/?pli=1

Science Fair will take place December 11th. If you would like to be a volunteer judge, please contact Mrs. Maxey.

Things to come: Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, Social Studies Fair, and Young Georgia Authors will take place in January and February

Band

The Hilsman Middle School Band will have our Winter Concert on Monday, December 11 at 6:30 pm.  The concert will take place at the Cedar Shoals High School Theater.  Students need to take their instruments home with them Monday after school (except tubas and baritones).  Students should wear khaki pants and the official band shirt (or black polo shirt).  Students can also wear Santa hats.  

From Mr. Dorsey

Hilsman Fruit Sale has been extended to November 28. Please contact Mr. Dorsey for more information - dorseyr@clarke.k12.ga.us. 

PSP News

PSP will resume  December  4th and 5th.  The hours are from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Bus transportation is provided for those students that live in the school zone.

Week at a Glance

Monday

21st Century

4:00-6:00 Livestock Judging Practice

Tuesday

21st Century
4:00-6:00 Livestock Judging Practice

Wednesday

21st Century
Area 2 Livestock Judging at UGA- 1 o clock.

Thursday

21st Century
$5 Poinsettia Sale 4-6. Plants are all first come first serve. (Students may help if they need SAE hours)

HMS Basketball  HMS v/s CMS  Girls 4:30, Boys 5:30 @ HMS
LSGT Meeting @ 6:30 HMS Media Center

Friday-Spirit shirt day/khaki or black bottoms
SAE check in all classes. 2 hours and 2 pictures due.

Week of 11/12/17

Good evening Panther Nation,

Happy Veterans Day to all of the military personnel who have served our country. Thank you for your service!  
                             

We had a busy yet fun week at Hilsman. Highlights from the week include, BOE recognition for some FFA members, Moonlight Madness, a win for the boys basketball team, Parent Coffee, revealing of the plans for a beautiful new building, ending it with the Annual SOAR 5K! Thank you to everyone that came out to support the activities. I continue to encourage you all to participate in the activities and get involved at Hilsman! Your presence is always welcomed and your voice is important. You will have more opportunities this week to get involved and we look forward to seeing you.

Thank you,
Principal Tolbert

Announcements

Friday, following dismissal from the Moonlight Madness event, emergency vehicles and personnel were on our campus. A parent suffered a severe medical emergency. Please know that at no time were students' safety at risk. We continue to reassure you that your child's safety is our first priority.

From Mr. Watkins

Hilsman Staff and Community

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the Moonlight Madness event, helped organize, set up, manage, and participated last night. 

Although I cannot list all of names due to the fact that I may miss someone, I am extremely happy with the Panther Pride that was shown last night. Again, thank you for all you do. Our students, parents, and community visitors enjoyed themselves and were very appreciative of your hard work. Have a great weekend. 

Dinner Dialogue 

Come join us for the first session of our dinner dialogue series on race and poverty this Wednesday at 6:00pm in the Media Center.  We are encouraging all to bring a favorite dish.  You can sign up here: 

Dinner Dialogue Potluck Sign-Up      Dinner Dialogue Outline

Chorus 

The Hilsman Middle School Chorus will be performing December 12th at Cedar Shoals High School Auditorium for a Winter Holiday Musical Event. The program will begin at 6:30 pm. (Parents-Parents please bring students to CSHS no later than 6:00 pm. The students attire for the program is either Gold chorus shirt, black slacks, and black shoes or Black chorus shirt, black slacks, and black shoes).

 Orchestra Concert

Thursday November 16th at 6:30  HMS Old Gym

Your students have been hard at work and are excited about our upcoming concert!   All grade levels will perform. Family, friends, and any guests are welcome to attend.  Students should report to the Orchestra Room by 5:45 to tune.  Concert attire consists of a black school uniform appropriate collared shirt and khaki uniform pants. Please no shorts or hoodies. Skirts may be worn instead of khakis but must be long enough to meet school dress-code expectations. Please contact Ms. Floyd with any questions.

News from Mrs. Maxey

Science Fair projects are in full swing. Students may do their backboards virtually or on their own backboards, for which they are to supply the materials.  The school science fair will take place December 11th. Any scientists willing to volunteer as judges can contact Mrs. Maxey.

In the IB world, students have worked hard on MYP projects. They have begun to think like the experts. Some of these projects are displayed on the IB board in the front hallway. 

Students are working on their Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing/Art Competition submissions due in January.

Week at a Glance

Monday

21st Century

8:00AM FFA Officer Meeting

4:00-6:00 Livestock Judging Practice (We have a guest speaker so make sure to attend if you are competing on this team).

Tuesday

21st Century
4:00-6:00 FFA Meeting (bring a dessert or a side for our Friendsgiving supper).

Wednesday

21st Century
Dinner Dialogue @ 6:00-Media Center

Thursday

21st Century
4:00-6:00 Horse Judging Practice 

HMS Basketball  HMS v/s Coile Girls 4:30, Boys 5:30 @ Coile

Friday-Spirit shirt day/khaki or black bottoms

Looking ahead:

November 30th: Poinsettia ($5) and Houseplant ($5-$10) Sale 4:00-6:00
Hilsman Greenhouse- Stop by during this time to see prices and what is for sale! It is first come first serve as we have limited plants!

Week of 11/5/2017

Quote of the Week:

 “There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits.” —Michael Phelps

Happy Sunday,

Tomorrow will mark the beginning of another week at Hilsman Middle School. We are looking forward to our continued focus on teaching to reach every student as well as  maintaining a positive school culture. 

With the breaking of the news last week, please be assured that your child is safe at Hilsman. Although I do have not any additional information to share with you regarding the incident,  please know that the situation was handled with a sense of urgency and care. This week we will host team town hall meetings to speak with our students and to reassure them that they are safe. It is important that they know that they can trust their teachers and administrators. We want to encourage them to stay the course and remained focused on their academics and behavior. I also want to remind our community that challenges occur, we will embrace them with integrity and heart, manage the situation, and remained tuned in to the work that we MUST do for all of children.

Thank you for your support and willingness to trust the process. We are committed to producing a culture of excellence. Our data is trending higher! All of our students can and will learn. Together we will continue to be an amazing Panther Pack!

Kind Regards,

Principal Tolbert


Announcements

Fall make-up/retake pictures will be Wednesday, Nov. 8th. Students will need to be in uniform for their pictures. Payment can be made online, or you may send in a check when the proofs come back. Order forms with the online payment information can be requested from the student's homeroom teacher next week.

Social Media

Parents, please continue to speak with your children regarding their interactions on social media. We have experienced a rise in discipline infractions due to students inappropriately using social media after school hours. Many conversations have been held with students related to this behavior.  It is causing a major disruption to our learning environment. In response,  the counselors have arranged for The Cottage to come in and speak with all of our students about social media safety. Any student who continues to impede the learning of others will receive consequences as outlined by our Student Code of Conduct.

Want some fruit?

Hilsman Fruit Sale -- October 16 thru November 15

Fruit will be delivered the week of December 11

Please see Team Gora (Dorsey, Gaertig, Picha, Zabetakis) or Ms. Seymour (FACS) for more information!

All money raised will support student community based instruction and classroom activities.

Tutoring

Students of all grades are invited and encouraged to attend after school tutoring and makeup sessions with Ms. Jones each Tuesday in room 112 from 4 until 5.  Students must be picked up by 5:00 or have permission to walk home.  HOUSE POINTS AWARDED FOR ATTENDANCE!  Come help your grade AND your house!

PSP- Please return all applications to Mrs. Ward ASAP.

Service Help

Please consider contributing to helping the victims of the recent natural disasters. A penny drive, supply campaign, and Stop Hunger campaign are all part of the Hilsman Bands Together campaign.

Yearbooks are currently on sale for $22. Contact Ms. Hubbard or Mrs. Maxey for details.

News from 6th Grade

Dear 6th grade Parents and Students!

In accordance with our School Growth Plan, the sixth grade team would like to introduce intramural sports for the sixth grade students! Intramural sports are a way of respecting the individuality of each student and supporting the academic, social-emotional, and physical well being of our students. We hope that through this afterschool program students will build rapport with their peers, engage in character building, motivate the students to do well academically, strengthen student-teacher relationships, and enhance the overall culture of the school. We plan to enhance the atmosphere of the classroom by teaching students how discipline, collaboration, and hard work is rewarding and self-fulfilling. Starting Monday, November 6th, sign-ups will be available to your students to join intramural sports.  If they are interested, this program is designed for each individual to come out and join.  Intramural sports will be inclusive of boys and girls and everyone will be able to play a variety of sports, including:

·  Flag Football

·  Basketball

·  Kickball

·  Soccer

·  Pep Squad

Students will enhance their work ethic, communication, and leadership skills through team sports as they would have weekly practices at least one day a week and games at least once every other week. Students will be encouraged to not only participate in sports, but also to support their fellow classmates by attending their games. We want to encourage the students to be great team players and reliable supporters of one another.

The logistics which includes the need to have referees, field managers, concessions, uniforms, location of practices, times for the practice, a place for games, eligibility, and grade accountability will be discussed further after sign-ups and a parent meeting.

Diarra Mosley (mosleyd@clarke.k12.ga.us)

Rachel Rohrbach (rohrbachr@clarke.k12.ga.us)

Randall Watkins (watkinsra@clarke.k12.ga.us)

Week at a Glance

Monday
21st Century
FFA Floriculture Team Practice 4-6

Tuesday

21st Century
FFA Floriculture Team Practice 4-6

Wednesday

21st Century
UGA Floriculture Contest 
Building Construction Meeting- 5:30 pm (HMS Media Center)

Thursday

21st Century

Livestock Judging Practice 4:00-5:00
HMS Basketball  HMS v/s Hart County Girls 4:30, Boys 5:30 @ Home

Friday

Moonlight Madness 6:00-8:00

Week of October 30, 2017

Quote of the Week: The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Friday,

Yes, the blog is about 3 days early! Next week is a short one but upon the students return, we will be off to a full week of instruction. We have successfully finished our first 9 weeks of school. Although we experienced some challenges, we ended our term on a high note. The student led conferences allowed students to take some much needed responsibility for their learning. They are aware of their glows and grows resulting in a burning desire to perform better. As we are moving forward and striving to be better, I am asking that we remain focused on the work that we must do as a school and a community. There are many discussions that are being held on social media, at home, and at school surrounding equity and the work that we must do to perform higher. Although I realize that the conversations must happen, I want to encourage us all not to allow them to impact the relationships that we have all worked hard to build in our community. Collectively, we will continue the work of educating our students for the future. Yes, there are many challenges but there are just as many successes. Let's keep encouraging each other to keep our focus on the progress of the students while closing the identified gaps.

Thank you to PTO for your fundraising efforts as well as your eagerness to offer assistance with our school wide events. As a school we are working to ensure that our communication is provided in a more effective and timely manner. It is our goal to keep our families and community members abreast of all school wide events and activities. If there are ever any questions regarding a school wide event, do not hesitate to email or call the school.

We are in the midst of a much needed Fall Break! I am sure that the students are just as eager as we are to have a few extra hours to simply breath and relax. Enjoy the short break. We will see you all Tuesday.

Principal Tolbert

Announcements

Chess

Coile visited Hilsman Wednesday and their top 10 chess players competed against ours in a tournament. After 6 rounds, Hilsman finished with 32.5 wins and Coile finished with 27.5 wins. Mark Gemao earned a silver medal for overall wins from an individual.

For students that did not make the top 10 from both schools, we had an individual tournament. Tom Martin earned the gold medal. 

Want some fruit?

Hilsman Fruit Sale -- October 16 thru November 15

Fruit will be delivered the week of December 11

Please see Team Gora (Dorsey, Gaertig, Picha, Zabetakis) or Ms. Seymour (FACS) for more information!

All money raised will support student community based instruction and classroom activities.

Tutoring

Students of all grades are invited and encouraged to attend after school tutoring and makeup sessions with Ms. Jones each Tuesday in room 112 from 4 until 5.  Students must be picked up by 5:00 or have permission to walk home.  HOUSE POINTS AWARDED FOR ATTENDANCE!  Come help your grade AND your house!

Please consider contributing to helping the victims of the recent natural disasters. A penny drive, supply campaign, and Stop Hunger campaign are all part of the Hilsman Bands Together campaign.

Yearbooks are currently on sale for $22. Contact Ms. Hubbard or Mrs. Maxey for details.

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. A 21st Century staff member will be on the premises to receive 21st Century students at 7:00. We also have a staff member that arrives to supervise other students that are not in the program at 7:45. It is important to us that we offer assistance to our parents that must drop our scholars off early. However we are respectfully asking 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. 

Outside Food

We are noticing an increase in outside food being brought to students during the day. Although we encourage you to have lunch with your child, outside food is not allowed in the cafeteria. 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.

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. As a reminder, our front office staff will make every effort to get a message to a student. However instructional time will not be interrupted unless there is an emergency. Messages will be conveyed to students during transitional and lunch times. Thank you for understanding.

Building Construction Committee

The next Building Construction meeting will be held on November 8, 2017 at 5:30 in the Media Center. We invite you to join us and to have an input on the building of our new school.

Message from Mrs. Camp

Friday, November 3 is 8th Grade Band night at Cedar Shoals High School.  Interested 8th grade band students will rehearse and perform with the Cedar Shoals Marching Band at the Cedar Shoals football game.  Email Mrs. Camp campl@clarke.k12.ga.us for more details.

Families, please do not forget about our 2017 Trick or Treat for UNICEF Campaign.  Orange boxes are due back on Friday, November 3.  Boxes should be given to Ms. Maxey. Click the link below.

​

  Hilsman UNICEF 2017 Campaig

Applications for our Pathways to Success Program were sent home Wednesday and Thursday. If your child received an application, please return it to Ms. Ward no later than Wednesday. 

Week at a Glance

Monday-No School

Enjoy your break

Tuesday

21st Century

Wednesday

21st Century

FFA Floral Design Work for Team Gora Prom 4:00-6:00. If you would like to help make corsages and boutonnieres please feel free to come!

Thursday

21st Century

FFA Floriculture Practice 4:00-6:00

Friday

SAE Check in class. 1 hour and 1 picture due on Google Classroom. Students should have pictures available (in their Google Drive or email) to put on the document in Google Classroom when they come to class.