Week of January 2nd

An article and a video that echoes Dr. Love's professional learning with us: 
Stepping Up to Teach in Turbulent Times

PBS Newshour Jacques Pepin - Following a Recipe can Lead to Disaster

***Reading Inventory and Math Inventory make-ups will take place during ELT Wednesday and Thursday of this week. 

Monday: PLC DAY AGENDA

8:30 am - Faculty Meeting 

9:30 am - 12:30: PL with Dr. Bettina Love -- Check out her phenomenal work: http://www.bettinalove.com/

12:30-2:00 pm Lunch 

2:30-4:00 pm - SILT 

Tuesday:
RTI Meetings 

Wednesday: 

ELA & Soc. Studies collab w/Hogan 

Thursday: 

Math & Science collab w/Hogan 

5pm - Family Science Night (click here)

Friday: 

Be awesome! 

Week of December 12th

Social Studies Fair: 
Setup and judging will take place this week.  Here are the details: 
Monday, Dec. 12, Set Up; Tuesday, Dec. 13, Judging; Wednesday, Dec. 14, Break Down (and deliver back to ELT classrooms). Social Studies teachers are asked to come at first planning TUESDAY for school level evaluation/judging.

HOUR OF CODE: 
Hilsman students will participate in the International Hour of Code for the third year in a row next Wednesday (8th grade) and Thursday (6th & 7th grade) during ELT. You can even see us on the map right here: https://hourofcode.com/us/map. The goal is to introduce students to the world of coding in a fun and supportive environment. Learn more about the initiative here: https://code.org/. 

Needs for Adaptive PE: 
Ms. Luthi and Team Gora are asking for any sporting equipment donations for our adapted pe class.

21st Century Program Updates:
21st Century Evaluation Results that we have been asked to share with staff and families. 

Links to Full Reports

Summer

2015-2016 School Year

21st Century Evaluation Presentation

Weekend Birthdays: 
Happy birthday, Ms. Destefani! (12/11)

Monday: CAN-A-THON Ends TODAY!
Happy birthday, Ms. Postero!
**Advisement** See email from Ms. Moore
8:30 - Front office staff meeting
9:30 - Admin meeting
10:30 - Instructional leaders meeting
4pm PBIS
7pm Band concert

Tuesday:
**Pre-Bee Spelling Bee elimination rounds during lunch
RTI meetings
4pm SILT 

Wednesday: HOUSING CELEBRATION! (More to come from Mr. Forker)
ELA/SS Collab Plannings w/Hogan
4pm Vertical Meetings


Thursday:
Happy birthday, Ms. Tillotson!

Math/Sci Collab Plannings w/Hogan

4:30 pm - Holiday Bash at Blind Pig Eastside 
Friday:
And the tradition continues...Wear your tackiest, most festive holiday sweater. 



During 6th & 7th Periods - 7th grade will host a "Sock Hop," dance to culminate our study of The Outsiders.  Students will be in costume (Greaser or Soc).  Teachers are invited and encouraged to dress in your favorite '50s attire and come rock around the clock together.


Birthdays over the winter break: 
Happy birthday, Ms. Callahan! (12/19)

When we return: 
Professional Learning Day, Jan. 2nd at Hilsman
We will kick off the new year with Dr. Bettina Love. Read more about her: http://www.bettinalove.com/. 

Family Science Night will be held on Thursday, January 5.  Drop in anytime between 5:00-7:00 pm. All students and their families can attend.  

Area businesses and organizations will be present hosting fun, interactive science activities and student science fair projects will be on display.

Family Science Night Presentation

District Science Fair - January 7 

Week of December 5th

Panther Family:

We are in the final stretch until winter break. This week we will be administering the Reading Inventory and the Math Inventory. Please encourage all students to do their absolute best and remind them of our high expectations for these assessments.  We will be celebrating all of those who show growth.

This week during collaborative plannings we will focus on creating assessments that address the low performing standards on the first benchmark.  Thankfully the performance bands have been adjusted. As is to be expected there are areas in which our students outshone the other middle schools, and there are areas that are in need of growth.  Please continue to embrace the instructional framework and be mindful of its advantages for student achievement.  Hogan will be conducting walkthroughs on the instructional framework throughout the week. So, when you see her, don't be concerned. These are purely for constructive feedback and to get a pulse on the full implementation of the framework.

Across contents, grade levels, and connections courses, we must be mindful and intentional in our approach to literacy. Please take time to check out this article, "It Takes a Village..." .  We need all hands on deck when it comes to improving the literacy of all of our students. This is a fixable problem when we all work together for our kids, and it is our moral obligation to do whatever it takes. We will be having focused conversations on literacy in our classrooms during plannings this week. Please think about your approaches to teaching reading, writing, and speaking in the classroom and bring your thoughts, ideas, celebrations, and struggles to the table.

Hopefully, this week will be a little more predictable and smoother than last week. :) Hilsman is one phenomonal village for our students and their families.  It's an honor to work with you all each day.

So, here we go!

Monday:
*Ambrose to meet with Social studies teachers during plannings to discuss literacy initiatives
**Advisement** See email from Ms. Moore
8:30 - Front office staff meeting
9:30 - Admin meeting
10:30 - Instructional leaders meeting


Tuesday:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MS. TOLBERT!!!!
7th and 8th grade: Extended Homeroom -- RI (formerly the SRI) presentation linked here
6th grade will administer SRI in the ELA classes.
RTI meetings

4:00pm Tech Leaders Meeting

Wednesday:
*Carlyn to meet with ELA during collab plannings
Math Inventory will be given in the math classes throughout the day.
ELA/SS Collab Plannings w/Hogan

4pm Faculty Meeting (meeting in the cafeteria)
Basketball game vs CMS

Thursday:
Math/Sci Collab Plannings w/Hogan

Basketball game vs BHL
6pm - Sip & Talk (with Hilsman parents)

Friday: Happy Birthday, Mr. Hussain!
*Jeans if you donated to sunshine committee


Upcoming:
12/12 - Social Studies Fair
           PBIS @ 4pm
           Band concert @ 7pm
12/14 - Vertical Meetings

Week of November 28th

Hilsman Family:

We hope you all have had a restful and enjoyable break.  The three weeks between now and winter break will be full and, for many of our students, an emotional and anxiety-filled time.  While being firm, fair, and consistent, ensure that we are strengthening those relationships with our students that are so critical to our collective success.  Please take time to read the article linked here - you will recognize one of the co-authors as one of our own.

As Ms. Tolbert mentioned in last Friday's email, walkthroughs went well and we know exactly what we need to do to kick it up a notch.  Ms. Hogan will share more in collaborative plannings this week. Please be mindful of the norms you developed with your colleagues for collaborative planning. Be on time and prepared (have your device) for each of your plannings.  


Grade level teams and connections team, please have your supply list (shared by Hogan) ready to go by Tuesday of this week. We need to get orders placed. In addition, we would love for everyone to submit an application for the AthFest grants. It is well worth your time: http://athfesteducates.org/apply-for-art-education-grant.shtml. Please let Hogan know how she can help you with this process.


Hopefully you're not reading this at the beginning of your Thanksgiving break. :) Cherish your loved ones, rest up, and savor the good stuff. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tech tool worth trying out  ➼   Pear Deck 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Please make sure you have added the Hilsman Events Calendar to your Google calendar, so you can stay abreast of upcoming events.

Monday:
8:30 am: Front office staff meeting
9:30 am: Admin meeting
10:30 am: Instructional Leaders Meeting

Tuesday:
IB Curriculum Meeting (Johns & Hogan) 12:30-3:30

Wednesday:
***Check out UGA's Differentiated Learning Centers in the Media Center during 2nd, 3rd, and 4th periods! 
ELA/Social Studies Collab Planning with Hogan
*Carlyn Bland will meet with ELA during 1st plannings re: benchmark data
4pm - Hilsman Tech Leaders Meeting

Thursday:
Math/Science Collab Planning with Hogan

Friday:
Hogan @ IC meeting AM
Rockathon - Chorus

Upcoming Events: 
12/5 - SILT
12/5 - Ambrose to meet with Social Studies teacher RE: literacy initiatives
12/6 - Reading Inventory during extended homeroom
12/7 - Faculty Meeting
12/9 - Winter Dance from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Week of November 14th

Quote of the Week:





Good afternoon,

Thank you to all that came out last week to support the many events. A big shout out to Coach Pullen for hosting the Moonlight Madness. There was a packed house and it was filled with laughter. On the same note, I can not forget Team Gora! They were sharp as they danced the evening away at their prom. It was a sight to see! As noted below, we have a busy week. Please make sure you dress for success all week as we will have several visitors in the building for various reasons. Wednesday the District will perform walk throughs. It is important to make sure your boards are up to date with current standards, EQs, and student work with commentary. I know that we will do well as we are aware of the expectations. I would like for as many staff members as possible to join us Wednesday for the dinner. Our community has done a phenomenal job of supporting the work that we do and the dinner is our way of giving thanks.

As we are approaching the break, please keep our less fortunate in mind. Behaviors may escalate due to the unknown for many of our students. Give a few extra hugs and smiles this week. I am sure that they will need it. To all of you, enjoy your break and your family. Be sure to rest and give thanks. I  am grateful to serve a wonderful staff. I am also so very thankful for the work that you do daily. YOU make Hilsman a great place even on our stormy days! Smile and know that I love each of you from the depth of my heart! Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday: *Advisement -- Activity Schedule 
8:30 a.m. Front office staff meeting
9:30 a.m. Admin Meeting
10:30 a.m. Instructional Leaders Meeting
2:00 p.m. Benchmark Make-Up Testing (Old Gym)
4:00 p.m. SILT

Tuesday: 
12:30 p.m. Middle School Instructional Council meeting (Tolbert, Hogan, Dalton, Crenshaw, & J. Holland)

Wednesday:  
District Walkthroughs
Benchmark Data Dig with ELA & Social Studies

5:30 p.m. LSGT Meeting
6:30 p.m. Partners in Education Dinner

Thursday: *District-wide Open House 
Benchmark Data Dig with Math & Science

Fall Orchestra Concert - All grade levels - 7 p.m. in the old gym

Friday: *Jeans if you donated to sunshine committee 

ENJOY YOUR TURKEY BREAK!!!

Week of November 7th

Quote of the Week: 

Don't bunt. Aim out of the ballpark.
David Ogilvy

Panther Family: 

Good Day! Thank you all for a productive last week. I realize that many of you do not feel as if you are often being reminded of the good job you do, please know that I appreciate the great effort that is being given on a daily basis at Hilsman Middle School. Our job is stressful but it is the most rewarding of any other career. Again, be reminded that the fruit of your labor may not be seen immediately but just know that on a daily basis, you are making a positive change in the life of a child. 

This week will be short but long! Hang on as we are about to experience a roller coaster ride as we are quickly approaching the end of the year. Remember that just as we miss the students when they miss school, the students miss YOU when you miss school. It is our duty and responsibility to come to work and teach! Our students are depending on you because of the difference you make in them receiving an A or a F. Continue to hold students accountable for their behavior and academics by being firm, fair, and consistent. We got this so let us ALL do it well! Have an AWESOME week.

A big shout out to all of you who participated in the SOAR 5K. You may wear your shirts along with jeans Wednesday to school! Thank you for showing up to support our students. 

Monday:
8:30 a.m.: Office Staff Meeting
10:30 a.m.: Admin Meeting
11:30 a.m.: Instructional Team Meeting
4:00 p.m.: SILT
4:30 p.m. Basketball game @ Oglethorpe Middle School

Tuesday: PLC DAY at HILSMAN (See  AGENDA)


Wednesday: *Wear your Hilsman Pride! Jeans if you wish! 
Science Benchmark
Collaborative Planning
(ELA/SS Meet with Hogan)
4:00 p.m.: Vertical Meetings (If not held during the PLC Day)

Thursday: 
Math Benchmark 
Collaborative Planning
(Math/Science Meet with Hogan)

Friday: *Wear your jeans if you've supported the Sunshine Committee! 

Week of October 31st

Quote of the Week:

Panther Family,

 I surely hope that you all enjoyed your long weekend! Make sure to high five Mr. Yungmann tomorrow as he will be chomping the day away! Congrats Florida Gators! UGH I still love the Dawgs. We have a busy week ahead of us so brace yourself. Please adhere to the PAWS Expectations and the 15/15 rule. We need to hold students accountable for their academics and behavior. Do not give second chances. Your administrators are here to support you and will be present in the halls. Although we are administering benchmarks this week, we will still perform walk-throughs. Have a great week Panther Nation!

*SILT will meet NEXT Monday.
**Faculty meeting will be held next Tuesday during our PL day. More to come.

Monday: 
*1st Planning Benchmark Training with Forker
8:30 a.m. - front office staff meeting
10:30 a.m. - admin meeting
11:30 a.m. - instructional leaders meeting

Happy Halloween! 

Tuesday: 
ELA Benchmark - Testing Schedule
RTI Meetings


Wednesday: *Wear your Hilsman shirt and a pair of jeans to show our pride! 
Math Benchmark -  Testing Schedule
Collab planning with Hogan: ELA/Social Studies


Thursday: 
Benchmark Make-ups - Regular Schedule
Collab planning with Hogan: Math/Science

Friday: *Jeans for those who paid Micheletti & the Sunshine Committee
Benchmark Make-ups (if necessary)

Week of October 24th

Please review and adhere to the weekly instructional schedule linked below: 

Hilsman Weekly Instructional Schedule

Panther Family: 

Thank you for another great week and all you do for our students and their families. Our bus drivers were extremely complimentary of the meal and activities last week. Thank you! Mr. Forker and Ms. Tolbert will continue their walk-throughs throughout this week.  We will also have benchmark prep during ELT this week, Monday - Thursday. See the Panthers PLC for more information. Please continue to closely monitor the students' use of devices in class. Remember that playing games,chatting, and listening to music is prohibited.

WE ARE CELEBRATING RED RIBBON WEEK AT HILSMAN! This is the time each year when schools across the nation plan activities that promote alcohol and drug awareness and prevention. For more information, visit redribbon.org. The theme this year is YOLO. Be Drug Free. #YOUONLYLIVEONCE.

Also, we will have a DOOR DECORATING CONTEST this year with prizes for one homeroom per grade level! Get creative and send a positive message to your classmates. This contest starts Monday and all doors should be completed by Thursday. Good luck!

Monday:

District RED OUT Day. Wear a red shirt in support of Red Ribbon Week. 

Students must still wear uniform bottoms.

*ELA Teachers: Carlyn Bland will meet with us in the PL room during 1st plannings to go over the benchmark.

8:30 - Front Office Staff Meeting

9:30 - Admin Meeting

11:30 - Instructional Leaders Meeting

Tuesday:
Sock it to drugs and wear crazy socks! The Healthy Brain Campaign will have a table set up at lunch to give you more information about drugs and making healthy choices.

AP's PLC - Forker out in the PM
RTI Meetings

Wednesday: 

Team up against drugs and wear a sports shirt! Students must still wear uniform bottoms. Sign the Red Ribbon Week Pledge at lunch and commit to being drug free.
8:30 a.m. - Do the Math Now rep. visit during ELT 
ELA and Social Studies meet with Hogan during collaborative planning time.

4:00-5:00 p.m. - Vertical meeting Math
6:00-8:00 p.m. - FRIGHT FEST! 

Thursday: *Student dress down day. 
Put a lid on drugs and wear a hat! Let’s “Stomp Out Drugs” with a step team performance at lunch!

School-wide voting through social studies classrooms. See Mr. Hussain's email.  
Math and Science meet with Hogan during collaborative planning time. 

Friday:  ENJOY YOUR FALL BREAK! 

Week of October 17th

Hilsman Family: 

What a week! Overall, parent conferences went very well.  Do not forget to turn in any and all signed conference documents to Ms. Hogan's box. Please make sure you contact parents that may have missed their appointments and get them in so that we will have 100% attendance for fall conferences. If transportation/location is an issue, please let Ms. Hogan know. Thank you for all of your hard work last week. 

Walk-throughs will begin this week. Please insure that you are following the instructional framework and your lesson plans and instruction are aligned with the curriculum portal.  Remember to ensure that you have completed your self-assessment and entered your goals before coming to your pre-evaluation conference.

Thank you to Mrs.Camp for organizing our first staff gathering. It was fun! Shout out to all of the teachers that attended and I am looking forward to the next gathering. Please come out and join the fun.

Quick Read: 

NPR: How Teachers Can Help Quiet Kids Tap Their Superpowers

Please review the weekly instructional schedule linked below: 

Hilsman Weekly Instructional Schedule

Monday:

*Q1 House Points winner revealed!
8:30 - Front Office Staff Meeting

9:30 - Admin Meeting

11:30 - Instructional Leaders Meeting

4:00-5:00 p.m. - Science Vertical Meeting

Tuesday:

RTI Meetings

4:25 - Cross Country's last meet at the Athens-Oconee Championship at North Oconee High School. Please support our runners! 

Wednesday: Wear your Hilsman uniform and show your Panther Pride! 

*Hogan at FES Meeting (AM)

ELA and Social Studies meet with Hogan during collaborative planning time.
2:30-3:30: Gun Violence Assembly

4:00-5:00 p.m. - Vertical meetings for Social Studies, ELA, and Math 

Thursday: 

Math and Science meet with Hogan during collaborative planning time. 

Friday: Hilsman goes Pink!!  Wear your jeans if you donated to Ms. Micheletti for the Sunshine Committee! :) and a Pink shirt in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Meet with Forker during grade level meetings regarding Benchmark practice and testing

**Benchmark practice will take place during ELT Oct. 24-27***

7th Block - Q1 House Party​

Week of October 10

*See post below this one for tentative benchmark dates.

Panther Family:

We hope everyone has had a restful and relaxing weekend! We have another busy week ahead. Please make note of the Early Release schedule shared by Coach Page and Ms. Hogan.  It is included below as well. All conferences should be scheduled at this point; please let Ms. Hogan know if you need additional copies of conference documents.

Quarter 1 House Points will be tallied on Friday at 1 p.m. 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 Period.

Go Panthers!

Early Release Schedule

Monday: District PL Day (Make note of your location and please arrive on time.) Enjoy lunch and we look forward to seeing everyone back at Hilsman (except for 8th grade math, 7th grade science, Read 180 trainees, and certain connections teachers) by 1:00 p.m.

Grades are due by 4:00 p.m. Make sure all of your grades are entered and that no student has below a 55 average in any class.

Tuesday: RTI Meetings during grade level plannings

Wednesday: 
Early release for parent conferences. PTO will be providing supper since this is our late evening.
Collab planning for ELA/Soc. Studies with Hogan

Thursday: 
Early release for parent conferences.
Math 180 rep will be visiting Math 180 ELTs and meeting with those teachers during 1st planning.
Collab planning for Math/Science with Hogan

Friday: 
Early release for parent conferences.
Quarter 1 House points will end and be tallied at 1 p.m.

Fall Benchmark Dates (Tentative)

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

Week of October 3rd

Quote of the Week: 

I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning to sail my ship -Aeschylus

Hilsman Family: 

Thank you all for another great week! Our next couple of weeks are full, so hang in there, eat your Wheaties, and keep doing the amazing work you do each day. If you have not completed your orientation and self assessment in the TKES platform, please do so by noon tomorrow. You will receive a separate email that will  allow you to sign up for your pre-observation conference. It will also have more information regarding how to write your goals so that they are aligned with our SIP. As we are working to maintain a positive school culture, be mindful of the emails that are being sent out to staff. If there is a concern that must be addressed, please see an administrator prior to sending an email. It is imperative that EVERYONE BE FIRM, FAIR, AND CONSISTENT. This means that we are all addressing transitions, uniforms, book bags, and discipline. To whoever provided the grape juice, thank you! It made for a great day! WE can do this!  As you prepare for next week, please take time to view the short video below.

Every Kid Needs a Champion

* You will receive parent/teacher conferences materials during collaborative planning this week.  

Monday: 

• 8:30 a.m. Building/Office Team Meeting
• 9:30 a.m. Admin Team Meeting 
• 11:30 a.m. Instructional Team Meeting 
• Professional Learning: 
• All social studies teachers: meet with Ms. Ambrose during first plannings to preview/discuss quarter 1 benchmark 
• Meeting locations: Nix's room - 6th gr., Hussain's room - 7th gr., Yungmann's room - 8th gr. 
• All ELA meet with Mr. Piazza in PL room during FIRST planning for Waggle updates/training
• All MATH meet with Mr. Piazza in PL room during SECOND planning for Waggle updates/training
• SILT Meeting 4:00-5:00 p.m.
• Band Concert - 7:00 p.m. 

Tuesday: 

• FTE COUNT DAY - YOU MUST TAKE ATTENDANCE EVERY PERIOD. 
• RTI meetings during common planning. Make sure SMI & SRI data has been entered. 
• Middle School Instructional Council Meeting (8:00-12:00 a.m.) at Whitehead Annex 
• XC Meet @ Hebron Academy 
• Middle School Instructional Council 8-10 

Wednesday: 

• Collaborative planning with Hogan (ELA/Social Studies) 
• Faculty Meeting @ 4:00 p.m. 

Thursday:

• Collaborative planning with Hogan (Math/Science) 
• DAR Essays DUE! 
• Counselors will be at the counselors collaborative meeting during the morning.
• Hispanic Heritage Festival 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria 

Friday: 

• Fall make-up pictures & club/sports pics 
• Hogan at Secondary Instructional Coaches PLC in the afternoon. 

UPCOMING: 

• Monday, October 10th - Professional Learning Day (more info to come)
• October 12th - 14th - Parent-Teacher Conferences 

Week of September 26th

Hilsman Rockstars:

We hope you have had a relaxing and restful weekend! This coming week, please continue the work of excellence you do each day alongside our students.  We received some very positive feedback from Dr. Lanoue and Dr. Gant from their walk-throughs on Thursday.  They observed the higher order questioning, a strong instructional framework, overwhelming evidence of your collaborative planning, and solid classroom management.  Both Dr. Lanoue and Dr. Gant are now pushing us to take it the next level.  A couple of caveats based on their feedback:

1) Make sure we are using computer-based interventions coupled with effective instruction.  We don't want to appear as though the computer is babysitting the student.

2) ELT time is where we can really make gains with our students.  Use this time to engage in meaningful, inquiry-based learning.  Ms. Hogan will provide resources for you all to support ELT instruction.

Monday:

• Office Maintenance Meeting 9:30
• Administrators Meeting 10:30
• Instructional Team Meeting 11:30
• Informal walkthroughs by Tolbert, Forker and Hogan

Tuesday:

• SMI makeups for 8th grade during ELT w/Hogan in the cafeteria
• Informal walkthroughs continue 
• RTI meetings during planning 

Wednesday: Wear your Hilsman uniform! 

• Collab planning with Hogan (ELA/Soc. Studies)

Thursday

• Collab planning with Hogan (Math/Science)
• New Panther Cohort meeting with Hogan 4pm - Stephens' room

Friday

• Walkthroughs

Week of September 18, 2016

Greetings,

Thank you for your work this week. In preparation for TKES walk-throughs, we performed informal walk throughs to measure where we are as a school with instruction. The feedback that you received should have provided you with a clear picture of what is to be observed in your classes according to the district's observable practices. In addition, I visited with each grade level Friday to reinforce some areas that as a building we need to improve. I have listed a few reminders below along with the weekly happenings.

• Communication: Please make sure that you are communicating with parents regarding students' behavior and progress. Continue to smile and welcome our parents into the building. Pantherville Nation will continue to rise higher as we communicate with all stakeholders to make decisions in the best interest of the students.

• Grade Book: Your grade book should be updated every 7-10 days. A parent should be notified if their child is failing before the end of the progress period. Remember that zeros are not an option. Make sure that you have provided students with every opportunity to correct the issue. Mrs. Brinkley will run a report every two weeks to ensure that we are compliant.

• Discipline: Be FIRM, FAIR, and CONSISTENT. Students are beginning to test the waters. Remember that we are in control of every situation. If you loose control then we have lost the battle. On the other hand, reinforce the positive behaviors with the house points. The Houses are really giving us the positive boost that we need to encourage our students to go beyond the PAWS Expectations.

• Although instruction is looking great, remember to plan and implement engaging activities for your students. Use the instructional framework and the plans that have been provided for you. Work collaboratively with your colleagues. There is no I in TEAM.

• Duties and Responsibilities: We are all doing a terrific job of coming to work and arriving on time! THANK YOU! When you miss school, the students miss out, and we ALL miss you. It is important to seek an administrator's approval before leaving campus for any reason. Planning time is designed to plan. 

• Lesson plans are due to at midnight on Sundays! Please post your plans on time. 

• SMI makeups should be completed by Friday! 

Lastly, teachers, despite how difficult our jobs appear, remember that you are SOMEBODY! YOU matter because without YOU, our students would not be SUCCESSFUL. This week I challenge you to take pride in what you do. 

                Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.

Sidney Hook

Monday:

• Office Maintenance Meeting 
• Administrators Meeting
• Instructional Team Meeting 
• Informal walkthroughs by Tolbert, Forker and Hogan

Tuesday:

• Walkthroughs continue 
• RTI meetings during planning 

Wednesday: Wear your Hilsman uniform! 

• Tech WOW during collab planning with Hogan (ELA/Soc. Studies)
• Third Wednesday District Meetings 

Thursday

• Tech WOW during collab planning with Hogan (Math/Science)

Friday

• Walkthroughs

Week of 9/11/2016

Good evening!

Hopefully you all enjoyed your weekend and celebrated the Dawgs' win this Saturday! Thank you all for enduring the events last week.  It was busy but you all hung in there and smiled the whole time. This week should be calmer. Please remind your students of the PAWS Expectations in the halls, cafeteria and the classrooms. In addition, please perform uniform checks in every class. We want to make remain firm, fair, and consistent! Hunker down Panthers! See you in the morning.

Check out the weekly events:

Reminder: 

• Finish your HR videos this week.

• Make sure that your grade book is updated and that your progress grades are posted.

• Take attendance during the last 10 minutes of class! You MUST take attendance EACH DAY EVERY CLASS.

Sunday: 

• Grades due at noon
• Lesson plans are due

Monday:

• Office Maintainace Meeting
• Administrators Meeting
• Instructional Leaders Meeting
• Informal walkthroughs by Forker, Tolbert and Hogan
• PBIS  Meeting 4:00-5:00 in the PL Room

Tuesday

• Walk-throughs
• Tech Wow Session with Piazza
• SMI Make Ups
• RTI Meetings with Tolbert

Wednesday: Wear your uniform to school

• Collaborative Planning with Hogan (ELA/SS)

Thursday:

• Collaborative Planning with Hogan (Math/Sci)

Friday: Spirit Shirt and Khakis

• Walkthroughs

Week of September 5th

Thank you all for another great week at Hilsman! Our seventh grade housing ceremony went extremely well - hats off to our PBIS team again. We will be conducting walk-throughs throughout the week using the Hilsman Walk-through form shared with you last week during collaborative planning.  This blog is also now linked in the Panther PLC site on the home page. We have a busy week ahead, so please read carefully below.

Panther PLC Link

Sunday

• Lesson plans due at midnight

Monday

• Happy Labor Day

Tuesday

• IB WOW Session during 2nd planning in the PL Room for all grade levels
• 4:00 p.m. SILT Meeting

Wednesday-Wear your HILSMAN uniform day

• Collaborative Planning (ELA,SS)-Bring examples of student work to examine
• 4:00 p.m. Faculty Meeting 

Thursday: ALL BULLETIN BOARDS NEED TO BE FINISHED BY THURSDAY!!!

• 8:30 a.m. House sorting ceremony for 6th grade, connections teachers, custodial staff, parapros, and cafeteria staff
• Collaborative Planning (Math,Sci) Bring examples of student work to examine
• 6:00 p.m. Title I Parent Meeting & Open House

Friday

• 8:30 a.m. Principal's Coffee in the Media Center 
• SMI Makeups (an email will come from Hogan)

Saturday 

• Go Dawgs!

Sunday 

• GRADES DUE by noon

Week of August 28, 2016

Good afternoon staff,

Wow! If you were not apart of our first House Assigning Ceremony, you missed a treat. A big shout out to Mr. Forker, Mr. Cain, Mrs. Holland, Mr. Hussain, and Mrs. Johns for taking the vision and making it reality. 8th grade teachers, you all absolutely ROCKED! I greatly appreciate your energy and willingness to make a difference. The video credits goes to Mr. Yunngman! The video was AMAZING! I am so excited about the direction that we are headed in at Hilsman. It is my hope that although we are in a season of change that ALL of us will catch fire and soar. I know that change is uncomfortable and challenging at times. However, if we all agree to do what is in the best interest of the students, respect each other's work, work together, and continue to be firm, fair, and consistent, we will RISE UP! Let us not allow negativity to spoil our greatness. I expect greatness because I know that Excellence will be our end result. Here is to a great week!

House Assigning Ceremony-Please view and show to your students Monday!

Panther PLC Link
https://sites.google.com/a/clarke.k12.ga.us/panthers-plc/

Sunday

• Lesson plans due at midnight
• Complete self assessment and orientation for TKES

Monday

• Building Management Meeting  8:45
• Administrators' Meeting           9:30
• Instructional Team Meeting     11:30
• 9:00 Wilson Reading Training (Cain, Watkins, Luthi)
• IEP/504 Meetings

Tuesday

• SRI make ups with WQ
• WOW Session during 2nd planning in the PL Room for all grade levels

Wednesday-Wear your uniform day

• Collaborative Planning (ELA,SS)-Bring examples of student work examine

Thursday-Wear your favorite Super Hero Shirt and JEANS

• Author visit
• Collaborative Planning (Math,Sci) Bring examples of student work to examine
• PBIS Meeting-4:00 in PL Room

Friday

• 7th grade House Assigning Ceremony
• Progress report period ends

Week August 21st

Good afternoon Staff,

This week will be a busy one as we are now moving into the real business of school. I can not say thank you enough for an amazing first two weeks of school. It is true that we have the best staff in CCSD! Please remember to reinforce rituals and routines. Discipline issues are taking off and we  want to rapidly enforce consequences. Below are the events of the week.

Please view: https://youtu.be/JI4y_VeJSmQ

Reminders: 

PTO: There will be a PTO meeting Tuesday at 6:30. Please make every effort to attend. Our PTO provides a lot of support to our school. It would be great for us to actively engage in the meetings. There are only two meetings a year. I am requesting that you attend at least one if not both of the meetings.
In addition, PTO is preparing to begin our annual Yankee Candle Fundraiser. The packets are in your mailbox and should be passed out to students Monday during homeroom. I personally placed one in every staff member's box. Let's all support this fundraiser by pledging to sell at least two candles. We can do it! 

Attendance:  Teachers are expected to take attendance each period of the day. From the faculty handbook, "Teachers are to check attendance daily in each class period and post it on Infinite Campus by the end of each period." We need attendance posted into Campus by the end of each period. 

Grade Book and Scheduling: Thanks to Coach Page for providing a tutorial on setting up Grade Book in Campus.Please remember our grading policy and expectation for posting grades. This is a reminder that grade books should be updated every 7-10 calendar days. Below you will find the link. 

https://drive.google.com/a/clarke.k12.ga.us/file/d/0B3nYE0Gwhn65REt6MEN5Zk1GVms/view

TKES: TKES orientation will be held this Friday during your 1st plannings.


Sunday: Lesson plans due by midnight

Monday: Second Step Training will be held during 1st planning for all grade levels.  It is mandatory that everyone attends this training.

• Administrator Team Meeting 8:45
• Instructional Team Leader Meeting 9:30
• Monday extended homeroom - give the SRI. See Hogan's Friday email with the presentation embedded. Send students with a pass to Hogan (she'll be in the main hallway) to troubleshoot any login difficulties. 
• 1st planning is Second Step training for everyone. 
• 2nd planning 7th grade math (Aqui and Pavone) meet with Glenda Huff for Math 180 training. 
• Any teachers needing help setting up grade book in Campus, meet Hogan after car rider/bus duty in the PL room (107) for assistance. 

Tuesday: RTI Team Meetings

• SMI in extended homeroom (more to come on this)
• SAMR WOW sessions with Steve Piazza (times & locations will be sent out ASAP)
• PTO Meeting

Wednesday: Showing unity-Staff wears uniform

• We are protecting your time on these two days. Collaborative planning and data analysis: you should be meeting with your content team during plannings on these two days to plan collaboratively, analyze student work, etc.  Ms. Hogan has scheduled times to sit with each of your teams and assist in this important work. 
• Social Studies/ELA Planning

Thursday:

• New Panther cohort will meet with Hogan in the PL room at 4pm
• Math/Science Planning 
• House Ceremony

Friday: Wear your khakis and spirit shirts

• TKES Training during 1st planning

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!