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

Week of August 28, 2016

Good afternoon Panther Nation,

Thank you for allowing Mr. Forker and I to be apart of the first PTO meeting. It was great to have so many parents come out and support the vision and mission of Hilsman. Please be sure to come out this Thursday for our Annual Title 1/Open House that will be held from 6:00-7:30. 

Parents, please ensure that your children are dressed in the right uniform. Students are to wear white, black, or gold polo shirts and khaki bottoms. Boys are to tuck their shirts and wear a belt. Jackets should be solid white, black, gold, or gray. We still have packets on sale for 25.00. The packet includes 3 polo shirts and a solid black jacket. We also have Hilsman hoodies for sale in the front office.

If you have not heard from your 8th grader about the House Assigning Ceremony, please ask them about it today! It started out slow however by the end, the energy was incredible. I have attached the video that we will be sharing with 6th and 7th graders for you to view. Below you will find the news for the week.

House Assigning Ceremony

Monday: A Day



Tuesday: B Day

• Taekwondo 4:00-5:15 Old Gym

Wednesday: A Day



Thursday: B Day Super Hero Day -Everyone wear your Super Hero shirts and JEANS! Please were appropriate jeans (no holes or rips).

• 6th and 7th grade author visit
• Chess 4:00-5:30

Sixth and Seventh Graders!

Incredible news! SUPER Author Lisa Yee will be here Thursday, Sept. 1st at 1:30 PM just for you!! 

Put on your Super Hero T-shirt (Yes, please do -- we have permission to wear Super Hero T-Shirts Sept. 1st!!) and be ready for the Avid Bookshop and Random House/DC Comics Author Event with Lisa Yee and her DC Superhero Girls series debut of Supergirl at Super Hero High! 

"Lisa’s lively, informative and entertaining presentations cover the amazing, strange, and sometimes painful (ouch!) steps it takes to create a bestselling book, the secret to successful writing, audience questions, and more." 

Read more about Lisa Yee here: http://www.lisayee.com/

Lisa Yee's Super Secret Office (59 seconds): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SV2dxEy23w

Lisa Yee's Fun Page: http://www.lisayee.com/fun-fun-fun.html

Lisa Yee's Books & Awards: http://www.lisayee.com/books--awards.html

DC Super Hero Girls: http://play.dcsuperherogirls.com/en-us

Friday: A Day
7th Grade House Assigning Ceremony

Week of August 21st

Hello Parents and Students,

I hope that you all enjoyed your weekend. We have successfully completed our second week of school. Although it was great, we were busy! Students, keep up the great work of following the PAWS Expectations. I am challenging you all to 30 days of PEACE. This means that if each grade level can go 30 days with no discipline referrals, then the administrators will give your team two Fridays of NO UNIFORMS! Can we do it? The challenge is on and let the force be with you. Below you will find the news for the week. See you all tomorrow.

Please view: https://youtu.be/SbJIi6nUs2s
You can do this!

Reminders:

Uniforms

• Students are expected to wear uniforms Monday through Friday. Our uniform consists of a black, white, or gold polo shirt and khaki pants. No other colors are allowed. It is also important to remember that jackets are to be solid black, white, or gold. Uniform packets are still available, contact the front office. The principal may allow students to dress out of uniform for special occasions to show their participation in school activities. If coaches permit, athletes may wear team jerseys on game days, as long as the khaki pants are still worn. Hilsman logo shirts (i.e. SET team shirts, Pride of the Panther shirts, band shirts, etc.) and individual team shirts will be permitted on Friday ONLY and must be worn with khaki pants. We noticed that a lot of students were not in the correct uniform last week. Please be sure to follow the policy to avoid consequences.

Attendance:

• Our school hours are from 8:25 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The building opens for students at 7:45 a.m. We cannot guarantee supervision of students prior to that time, so please do not drop your student off earlier unless they are here for a supervised activity and prior arrangements have been made. 
• Students are tardy if they arrive after 8:25 and must check in at the front office. Parents should refrain from checking out students between 3:15 – 3:45. Not only is this the most hectic time of day in the front office, but students will miss valuable academic time if checked out early on a regular basis. Please read and acknowledge your receipt of the new attendance policy.

Technology: 

• Devices were distributed last week. Please be reminded that chargers are to be left at home. It is important to protect your device. Keep it in a small string bag or a computer case of your choice.

Monday-B Day

• Yankee Candle fundraiser begins
• 30 Days of Peace Challenge

Tuesday-A Day

• PTO Meeting

Wednesday-B Day

• SET meeting in Mrs. Hughes room 4:00-5:00
• PTO Meeting

Thursday-A Day

• House ceremony

Friday-B Day

• Picture Day- Please wear your Hilsman uniform or spirit wear.

Jaguar News:

Tuesday, August 23 Softball @ Discovery 5:00

                             

                              JV/V Volleyball vs. Eastside/Hart Co. 5:00/7:00

Thursday, August 25 C-Team Football vs. Elbert Co. 5:30

                               Softball vs. Oglethorpe Co. 5:30

Friday, August 26  Varsity Football vs. Discovery  7:30

Saturday, August 27  Softball Round Robin Play date @ CS ( TBA ) CS plays 9:00 am and 7:00 pm.

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

Welcome Back

Welcome Back to the 2016-2017 school year. I am excited about our return to school and am looking forward to a great year. Due to the overwhelming number of  requests to keep the Panther Pointers, I will continue to provide you with weekly news from Hilsman. I have changed the name to Panther Nation News.

Thank you to all of the parents, students, and community members that helped to make Hilfest a success. It was hot however we had a lot of fun, bonded with each other, as well as established the tone for the upcoming year. Together we will continue to make Hilsman greater. Below you will find the events for the week. 

Reminders for the New School Year

• Our school hours are from 8:25 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The building opens for students at 7:45 a.m. We cannot guarantee supervision of students prior to that time, so please do not drop your student off earlier unless they are here for a supervised activity and prior arrangements have been made. 

• Students are tardy if they arrive after 8:25 and must check in at the front office. Parents should refrain from checking out students between 3:15 – 3:45. Not only is this the most hectic time of day in the front office, but students will miss valuable academic time if checked out early on a regular basis. Please read and acknowledge your receipt of the new attendance policy.

• Students are expected to wear uniforms Monday through Friday. Our uniform consists of a black, white, or gold polo shirt and khaki pants. No other colors are allowed. It is also important to remember that jackets are to be solid black, white, or gold. Uniform packets are still available, contact the front office. The principal may allow students to dress out of uniform for special occasions to show their participation in school activities. If coaches permit, athletes may wear team jerseys on game days, as long as the khaki pants are still worn. Hilsman logo shirts (i.e. SET team shirts, Pride of the Panther shirts, band shirts, etc.) and individual team shirts will be permitted on Friday ONLY and must be worn with khaki pants. 

• Seventh grade parents, the school nurse needs a copy of the updated immunization record for your child. It can be brought to school and placed in Nurse Hurley’s mailbox once school begins.

• All students will be issued a device to take home this year, just like a textbook. All middle school students will have Yogas for use. There is no paperwork to complete and no fees to pay.

Monday-A Day

Please make sure that students return the Code of Student Conduct receipt.

Tuesday-B Day

Devices will be distributed to students. Students should charge their devices every night and charges should be left at home. If a charger is lost, it will only be replaced once. It is imperative to remember to leave the charges at home.

Please review the district's attendance policy and parent/teacher handbook with your child. The forms will need to be signed and returned to the school by Friday. 

Wednesday-A Day

Thursday- B Day

Friday-A Day

Jag News:

Monday 8-15-16  Softball vs. Riverwood 5:30

Tuesday 8-16-16 Softball @ West Hall 5:30

                         JV/V Volleyball @ Athens Christian 5:00/7:00

Thursday 8-18-16 Varsity Football vs. Monroe Area  7:30

                           JV/V Volleyball vs. East Hall/Putnam Co. 5:00/7:00

                           Softball @ Oglethorpe Co. 5:00

Saturday 8-20-16  MS Football Jamboree @ Athens Academy  9:00 am

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