Week of January 9th

Greetings,

Thank you for a great return to work. There was a lot of positive feedback provided regarding the PL presented Monday. Dr. Love definitely did a great job of disturbing our culture by reminding us of "who we teach, what we teach, and where we teach". Although her presentation was somewhat controversial, it is something that we all need to think about as we continue to educate students in a world of change. As we move forward and keeping with the motto of being firm, fair, and consistent, please remember that we must all work together as a team to teach to reach every student. Below are a few reminders that we all need to review to ensure that we finish the race!

• Personal leave must be submitted via AESOP 7-10 before the requested date. In addition, Mrs. Brinkley is not allowed to enter employee absences. If you are having an issue with your sign in, please contact Teisha Echols at the BOE.  
• Remember that staff is not allowed to take the day before or after a holiday or break unless it is an emergency. Documentation must be provided or you will receive leave without pay.
• Both periods on Wednesdays and Thursdays should be used for collaborative planning. This is the case even if you are not meeting with Mrs. Hogan. Minutes should be documented in the form that has been provided to your by Mrs. Hogan.
• You are mandated to take attendance EVERY class period. This is crucial as we need this information to identify students that are chronically absent or skipping classes. We also use this information when we meet for attendance panels and court hearings. Please be sure to adhere to this mandate.
• If you are going to be late, please text Ms, Tolbert and send an email. 
• We should expect to be professionally dressed daily.  Remember NO jeans unless you are participating in the fundraiser or told by an administrator.
• Our work day begins at 8:00 and ends at 4:00. Please arrive to work on time and check in at the front office. Teachers should greet students at their doors and help monitor the halls in the mornings and during class changes.
• No students should be sent to the front office for disicipline issues unless it is a fight or use of extreme profanity (disrespect). 
• BE CONSISTENT with your practices and routines. Our students are hungry for structure. 
• Use the school wide PBIS plan with fidelity.
• Remember to watch what you say and how you say it to our students and parents. Communication is the key to our success in so many ways! Guard your tongue.

Science Fair UPDATE: 
Science Fair has been rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 14th at Cedar Shoals. Set up will be Friday from 3:45-6:00 pm. The same schedule will be followed.
Science Fair Schedule

Social Studies Fair: 
Will be held January 20th at Hilsman.

Social Studies Curriculum Night:
Thursday, January 19th at 6pm

Spelling Bee:
January 18th at 8:30 am in the Media Center

Bullying Prevention Essay Contest: 
Check your email from Ms. Autumn Moore regarding this contest. We want all students to participate!

Monday 
* REPORT CARDS GO HOME
**Map training for 7th grade Social Studies teachers
Office/Instructional/Admin Team Meetings
ADVISEMENT
Grade level/Team Meetings
4pm PBIS Meeting

Tuesday 
8am - Middle School Instructional Council (Tolbert, Hogan, Dalton, Crenshaw, & J. Holland)
RTI

Wednesday
Collaborative Planning - ALLcontents BOTH plannings
4pm SILT

Thursday
Collaborative Planning - ALL contents BOTH plannings
*fire drill

Friday
9 am: Principal's Coffee in Media Center

Birthdays:
K. Brinkley (1/10)
D. Jones (1/14)

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!