Week of 8/27/18

Quote of the Week:


It is Friday! It is the end of the week and the last day!!! Staff you have done a fantastic job of delivering rigorous instruction and engaging our students the last three weeks. Thank you for getting it done! I encourage you to keep the positive momentum going as we are quickly approaching the end to the first month of school! We have many glows to celebrate. We also have several areas that we need to strengthen as we continue to implement and adjust to our new systems. Please continue to provide meaningful and timely feedback to student and parents. If you are unsure of the answers to any questions relating to our school wide procedures, please ask us for clarification. We want to remain on the same page as we are communicating to our school community. Keep up the great work! Please see the reminders and week at a glance below.


Announcements and Reminders

Transitions
Please continue to closely monitor our students during EVERY transitions. If we are expecting students to transition in the halls quietly then we must reinforce the expectation. It is going to take constant reminders and your active help in the halls to help students master this expectation. Transitions are getting better every day!

Cell Phones
Students are permitted to have their cell phones. They are not allowed to USE their cell phones from 8:25-3:45. This is known as the No Flex Zone! Please do not confiscate phones from students because they are visible. Phones should only be confiscated after you have followed the following procedures:

1. Warning
2. Phone is taken by the teacher until the end of class.
3. Phone is taken by the teacher and given to an administrator or the SRO. The parent can retrieve the phone between the hours of 3pm-5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The severity of the consequence can change due to the nature of the situation.

Snacks
Please allow students to eat a light snack during your 4 or 5th period. Our lunches are scheduled  early for some and late for other students. Parent and student feedback suggests that they are allowed to have a light snack. This is permissible as long as instruction is not impacted and students are responsible for cleaning up their areas.

Classroom Doors
Your classroom doors are to be locked at all times. This is to help ensure the safety of our students and their belongings. If there is a problem with your locks or your key, please submit a work order request via the PL site.

Intervention/Enrichment Time
Please remember that Sunshine Breaks are limited. The time allocated before or after each lunch transition is dedicated to remediation and enrichment. Although the breaks are permissible once a week, they should not be occurring daily. Although this time is short, it is important as we help provide services to our students.

Rituals and Routines
Remember to be firm, fair, and consistent! You are strongly encouraged to assign seats in your class to help minimize distractions and discipline infractions. It is also a great way to get to learn all of your students names.

Instructional Framework
As we are visiting classrooms, we have noticed that there has been minimal use of the instructional framework. This is an expectation for all teachers. Instruction should be delivered using the following:

Bell Ringer: 3 to 4 minutes
Opening: 3-5 minutes
Mini lesson: 10-12 minutes
Work Session: 20 minutes
Closing: 3 to 5 minutes

SGP-Our School Growth Plan is due August 31, 2018. Please make sure that you are aware of our school goals and the school wide instructional strategies that will be implemented this year. A formal presentation will be presented to the staff during our September faculty meeting.

AVID 

AVID Strategy of the Month: Focused Note-Taking and Binder Checks Teachers, please make sure you are continuing to practice some form of focused note-taking with your students. Remember to check out the AVID folder on the PLC page for any AVID information and templates. Check out this video about the importance of note-taking: How to Take Great Notes You can also show to students, but just know it’s on youtube. Starting next week 8/27 WE will be performing school-wide binder checks. Each grade level has been given rubrics but you also have access to a digital copy on the PLC Page. Please remind students that these rubrics need to placed at the front of their binder and they are EXPECTED to keep up with these in order to get the Dress Down Day incentive. Remember to email me with any specific student names for binder supplies and make sure you give your kids a warning about binder checks. This could be a great way to put in dates in their agendas.

Message from Mrs. Holland

Dear Team,

As we prepare for FTE, there may be the need for slight schedule adjustments to ensure we are following the services as noted in IEP’s for 7th and 8th grade. For 6th grade, however, the schedule changes are likely to be much greater as the IEP’s were just made available for my review on Thursday - and the projections that are shared with me are usually incorrect. Please know that I will be cognizant of your current roster and do my best to keep the changes to a minimum.

Here is the link to the parent letter for 6th grade: 6th Grade EXC Parent Letter

Thank you and please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions and concerns.

Jackie

Important Dates: Monday 8/27- Begin School-Wide Binder Checks Friday 8/31- Student and Teacher Dress Down Incentive

Week at a Glance

Monday: Grade Level Meetings
Begin School Wide Binder Checks
MAP Training: 1st Planning for 6th and 7th grade
SRI Training: 1st Planning for 8th grade

Tuesday: RTI/Branching Minds
Building Wide Testing Schedule

Wednesday:Collaborative Planning ELA/SS
Building Wide Testing Schedule

Thursday: Collaborative Planning Math/Sci
Building Wide Testing Schedule
C-Team Football
Date: Thursday, 8/30/2018 Location: Cedar Shoals High School Time:5:30

Friday:

1st Planning: TKES Orientation with Tolbert

Student/Teacher Dress Down Incentive

Student Personality Survey (all 6th graders and new teachers to Hilsman)-During remediation time (time before or after lunch). Survey is located on the Student Start Page

Week of August 19, 2018

Quote of the Week: 


Happy Friday Panthers!

Thank you for a great second week of school. This week was the start of something great! Despite the challenges that we have faced this week, you have persevered and made our week better every day. Please continue to teach the PAW Expectations to our students. As with all things, they need to see it, hear it, and do it before they perfect it. As we continue to weed out the undesired behaviors of our students, remember to praise them for the desired behaviors. It is important that they hear when they are doing well. 

Take a little time this weekend to reflect on that extraordinary thing that you committed to do this year to change your instructional practices. This is important as we move to provide a more rigorous learning environment to  ALL of our students. If you remember your commitment and remain positive about the work that we are doing, it is my hope that you will be energized. Research shows increased student engagement decreases discipline. I challenge you to engage your students!

Thank you for all that you do!

Principal Tolbert

Below you will find the announcements and Week at a Glance:

HR News: Please be sure to finish the Safe Schools Modules before August 29th! If the entire staff completes the modules before August 25, you will get free jeans the following week! 

AVID Strategy of the Month: Focused Note Taking
Be sure to review the Focused Note-Taking Presentation that we covered in our WOW Session. Remember to model and reinforce the note-taking process. Also, letting students know how note-taking is applicable in the real world (college/career) will help students make those real world connections. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the note-taking process or students needing supplies, please email me specifics. To help with the note-taking process check out these resources: Don’t forget to check out the AVID resources on the PLC page! 10-2-2 Presentation Common Abbreviations (PDF in AVID Folder on the PLC page) Cornell Notes Template (AVID Folder)

Monday-College and Career T-Shirt Day and Sneakers

Students and staff are encouraged to wear a T-shirt that represents a college or a career (occupation). Students and staff must wear uniform bottoms. Please make sure the college or career is visible on the shirt. Solid colors are not permitted. If students do not want to participate, please wear regular school uniforms. Please make sure T-shirts are school appropriate.

Monday AM- Fire Drill and Evacuation PLan with Forker
Fire Drill 2:30pm

Tuesday
1st Planning-RTI Meetings - 
2nd Planning-EXC with Holland
SILT Meeting at HT Edwards from 4:00-6:00

Wednesday-Uniform Day! 
Collaborative Meetings -Illuminate Ed Preview with Forker 
Committee Meetings 4:00

Thursday
Collaborative Planning

Friday-504 & IEP Meetings (Smile) Jeans Day 

A Look Ahead
MAP Testing Training Monday 8/27 1st Planning
Map Testing: 8/28, 8/29, 8/30 - Building Wide Testing Schedule

Week of August 12, 2018

Quote of the Week:

Teachers and Staff,

We can not thank you enough for a great first week of school. Considering all of the challenges that we have faced getting started this year, you all have made our motto come to life at Hilsman 2.0. As we have visited classrooms this week we could not help but noticed the level of student engagement. Students are excited about learning and genuinely happy to be a school! This is WICOR,  This is RIGOR, THIS IS HILSMAN! Continue to be consistent with your routines and rituals everyday and hold students accountable for their actions. Remember how we start is how we will end!

Next week will begin to dive into the curriculum. Be sure that you are frequently visiting the Curriculum Portal and becoming knowledgeable of the pacing and standards that you are charged to teach this year. WICOR is RIGOR. Lesson plans are due every Sunday by 6:00 pm. We are monitoring the submission form as well as providing feedback. It is not an option but an expectation that your plans are submitted on time. In a like manner, our work day begins promptly at 8:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm unless there are meetings. We want to be present for our students and as the district's motto reminds us, be BETTER EVERYDAY!

Principal Tolbert


Logistic Updates

Blog Submissions
Moving forward, please submit blog submission via this Blog Submission Form located on the Panther PLC Site/.   Please try to submit your info by Wednesday at 1pm.

Assessments
Please see the Panther PLC/Assessment Site for updates regarding our assessments. We will administer MAP Assessment this year.  We have not picked specific dates, but the window is Aug 16- Sep 7.  Stay tuned for details!

There is also new infor for ELA-BAS linked in under the assessment tab.   Please become informed.

AVID 

AVID Strategy of the Month: Focused Note-Taking

-This ppt does an overview of the importance of note-taking and reviews how to take Cornell Notes. **Remember Focused Note-Taking (FNT) is not just Cornell Notes, so don't worry if your do not want to use Cornell Notes. The ideas in this presentation are great ways to view and implement notes in your classroom cross content. There will be more information about FNT during our WOW session Tuesday 8/14 during AM planning in TL classrooms. Connections will meet in Martin's room. You are not expected to do this presentation with your students. It's really just as a point of reference for you to help. 

Don't Forget to use your WICOR Bingo to ensure you are implementing your WICOR Strategies!

I will also share and hand out a WICOR Tracker with you that way you can make this part of your classroom norms. Also, this could be a fun way for kids to check off when you use WICOR in your classroom. Feel free to make copies for your students.

Agendas should be here by Monday. Please ensure these get into student's binder and label with their name and bus #. Make agendas a part of your classroom instruction. Take time in EACH class to give students a few mins to write HW or any important events down. Maybe this could be part of their bell ringer or a their ticket out the door. (just an idea..

Important Dates:

Tues 8/14- WOW session (AM Plannings)

Uniforms
Please be sure to continually remind students of our expectations regarding uniforms.  They will rise to our expectations.

Fire Dill
We will have a fire drill one day this week (Probably Thursday).   Please be sure to be aware of your exits so that you know how to clear the building efficiently.

NO FLEX ZONE

Students are not permitted to use their cell phones between the hours of 8:25-3:45. We refer to this as the NO FLEX ZONE! NO time should be allotted for students to access their devices during the school day. We will revisit this rule closer during our PL.

Week at a Glance

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday: Wear your uniform day (sneakers are permitted)

Thursday:
AVID Site Team Meeting
PTO Meeting 5:30

Friday: Jeans Friday with your Spirit shirt! Must have on a Hilsman shirt if you are wearing jeans (sneakers are permitted).

Week of May 14th

Officer Johnson: 
Officer Johnson has recruited several local barbers to provide hair cuts and styles to our 8th graders as they prepare for the dance and the moving-on ceremony.  There may be availability for other students in 6th and 7th grades to benefit from "Cuts for a Cause".  If you know of a student that would like to participate, please get parent permission and notify Officer Johnson.  We're super proud that OJ is part of Panther Nation and takes such great care of our kiddos!

From Ms. Moore: 

Media Safety Presentation:If you did not have a chance to show this video last week, please have your students watch this video during ELT. It is a media safety presentation that was filmed by The Cottage specifically for our school. See Ms. Moore if you have any questions.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFsncNoY8uwD48oGzCHmdeJdoqYnIpvH/view?ts=5acfc1a8
No Place for Hate:

Thank you for participating in our No Place for Hate activities this year (advisement lessons, Unity Day). We have been designated as a NPFH school for the 2017-2018 academic year!

From Ms. Viera: 
End of the year cookout: Wednesday 23rd after school. See Invitation for details

If you want to help, see Sra. Laura.

I hope see you all there!!

From Ms. Marty: 
Please return advanced content provisional letters ASAP! Make sure the students fill out all 3 parts of the form! Students have not been given their placements for next year yet. They will go home on a form with report cards at the end of the year. If parents have any questions direct them my way. If you have an questions about a particular student's placement, they are free to come see me. 

YEARBOOKS ARE STILL FOR SALE! $24  Tuesday, May 15th will be yearbook signing day. We will run on an afternoon activity schedule.  Yearbooks will be distributed to homeroom teachers in the morning. The following are assignments for grade level signing:
8th grade: bus loop 
7th grade: cafeteria 
6th grade: old gym 
There will be yearbooks available during signing for $24. Ms. Marty will come to the bus loop and offer yearbooks to 8th grade first. After, Ms. Marty will come to the cafeteria and old gym to offer yearbooks to 6th and 7th graders.

From Forker: 
Each day next week, we will have walking BREAKFAST & LUNCH. Each hallway will receive one trash can for breakfast and three trashcans for lunch. Trash bags will not be available for individual classrooms.  Teachers need to go to lunch at normally scheduled times with the exception of Friday's adjusted schedule for early release.  

Monday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. YUNGMANN!

2pm 8th Grade Awards Program
Fire Drill - 3:30pm

Tuesday:
Complete RTI End of Year Tasks
Yearbook Signing Day - AFTERNOON ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

Wednesday:
10:30am 6th Grade Awards
2pm        7th Grade Awards
6pm        8th Grade Dance

Thursday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MS. MARTY!
Copper Q3 - House Party 2:49pm (Details to follow via email.... Copper teachers plan to have some fun!!!)
6pm 8th Grade Moving On Ceremony

Friday: EARLY RELEASE! Dismissal 12:30pm  Early Release Schedule

POST PLANNING: 
Monday:
9:30am-Noon --- staggered visits to the Old Gaines

Tuesday: Dr. Richard Milner SEL Workshop (full day at the HIL)

Wednesday: In your classrooms - Hogan out at SMART training

Week of May 7th

In case you missed the faculty meeting:

HIL Faculty Meeting - 5/2/18

From Ms. Marty: 

IB

• IB grades are due by May 11th. 
• A student should have eight total IB grades, two grades per each of the four criteria (A,B,C, & D). 
• A student should also have a "best fit grade" for each criteria. The best fit grade reflects a student's final achievement in a criterion. The best fit grade is not an average of the two scores, but is a teacher's assessment of where the student is at the end of the year. The best fit score is the score that gets pulled to the report card. 
• Here are the directions for entering both regular criterion grades and best fit grades.
• Here is a presentation regarding how to enter best fit grades 
• Connections teachers will enter best fit grades for Ag. Science, Foreign Language, Art, PE, and FCS

Advanced Content

6th and 7th grade Math and ELA teachers, please make sure you have handed out your advanced content provisional letters. Make sure the students know that they are due back ASAP for placement next year. Students who met advanced content criteria will not receive a letter as letters are sent home with placements at report card time. If parents have any questions, please refer them to Ms. Marty. Please keep in mind that students have multiple criteria to meet for advanced content placement. Just because you did or did not recommend a student may not effect their placement as they met in other areas.

Gifted

As the year winds down, please send to Ms. Marty any names of students you would like to refer for gifted testing next year . Current teachers will have more information on students than future teachers. We will begin the first round of testing in  September. If you are interested in serving on the eligibility team for next year, please send your names to Ms. Marty.

From Ms. Gaertig: 

Please Join us for The Grand Opening of our 3rd Annual Panthers Marketplace, May 9, 2018 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Visit 16 businesses designed, established, and operated by our students. For all of who come to visit our bank is giving away free 100 Marketplace Dollars :)! Our market will offer a lot delicious snacks and refreshments, unique art pieces, games, cars, dance lessons, tattoos, nail art, fruits, and more. Please come support our students businesses. 

From Ms. Viera: 

Wednesday: 7th grade placement test for Spanish 1 and French 1

From Ms. Hughes: 

Hilsman Middle School's Science & Energy Team Project: CARE About Our World and Each Other won 1st Place State Honors in the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project's annual competition.  The team will participate in NEED's Energy Conference & Youth Awards in Washington, DC next month.  

Hilsman Middle School's Science & Energy Team will earn much needed funds for team field trips and conferences on Thursday, May 10 at Fatz Cafe.  Fatz is hosting a Percentage Night for the team.  Simply show a digital copy or paper copy of the flyer and Fatz will donate 20% of your purchase price back to the team.  If you are going to dine out on May 10, eat at Fatz and support the Science & Energy Team!

 Fatz May 10 %Night Flyer

Date:  Thursday, May 10

Time:  5:00-8:00 pm

Location:  Fatz Cafe on Lexington Road

Benefits:  Hilsman Science & Energy Team

The 21st Century Program is hosting a Family Night for 21st Century families.

Date:  Wednesday, May 9

Time:  5:00-6:00 pm

Location:  Hilsman Old Gym

Performances by:  STEP Team + Music & Math

Classroom Gallery Walk:  Art, Science & Energy Team, Reading, Math Counts, Spanish, & Chess

Families will also receive resources to help keep students learning all summer long!

From Gonzalez: 

EOY Device Collection Dates & Checklist for Planning Purposes: 

Teachers, please remember to follow the checklist (and charge your devices/cart) at least a day prior to bringing them to the media center.

*Thursday, May 10th: 6th & 7th HR teachers and 6th & 7th grade small EXC groups send devices, chargers, and carts to the MC during HR. Complete checklist day before.

*Friday, May 11th: 8th HR teachers, Connections, Foreign Language, Read 180, Team Gora, and 8th grade small EXC groups send devices, chargers, and carts to the MC during HR.  

Complete checklist day before.

From Ms. Moore: 

Advisement on Monday:

Please have your students watch this video during ELT. It is a media safety presentation that was filmed by The Cottage specifically for our school. If Monday does not work for you, please plan to show it during ELT sometime between now and the end of the school year. See Ms. Moore if you have any questions.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pFsncNoY8uwD48oGzCHmdeJdoqYnIpvH/view?ts=5acfc1a8

Rising 6th Graders Visiting Tuesday:

We will be on a morning activity schedule. Please plan to report to the new gym at 9:15 for a school-wide assembly, which will begin at 9:30. We will be done around 10:30/10:45. Also, please plan to eat lunch in your classrooms on this day. See Ms. Moore if you have any questions.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday:
Math EOC - Part 1 - Media Center/  Hallway closed

*Advisement during ELT* 
- - Lunch in Classrooms - 

Forker will meet with teachers in the PL room during 2nd plannings to celebrate and wrap-up Milestones testing. 

4pm SILT

6:30pm Band Concert @ Cedar

Tuesday:
Math EOC - Part II - Media Center/ Hallway closed

*Rising 6th graders visit*
- - Lunch in Classrooms - 
RTI Meetings 

4pm UGA PDS Community Conversation - All are invited to participate! (PL Room)
FFA Banquet 6pm - Cafe

Wednesday: 

HS Science EOC - CAFE

5pm 21st Century Family Night 

Thursday: 

8th Grade Book Drop 

6:30pm HMS Chorus Spring Showcase 

Friday:
8th Grade extended homeroom for Avid assessment (more details to follow)

Band Trip 

IB Academy - Afternoon Activity Schedule

Week of April 30th

From the Kindness Gurus: 

In today’s world, one of the best things we can do for our school and students is to teach, foster, and celebrate kindness. Kindness has been proven to support student achievement, better school climate, and reduce discipline issues.

That’s why our school is participating in the Middle School Kindness Challenge.

By accepting the Challenge, we have become part of a new and growing movement of educators, students, and concerned citizens everywhere who are making kindness commonplace for every student in America.

If you haven't already, please take a moment now to sign up for our school’s Challenge: Kindess Challenge

To meet the Challenge, we need at least 50% of our school’s teachers and specialized instructional support personnel (e.g. counselors and social workers) to participate.  Every adult at Hilsman can register for the Kindness Challenge.  

We need ALL of you to make our 2018 Kindness Challenge a success!  That said, please take a moment to login and select a kindness lesson to include by content in your plans for Tuesday.  There are many quality, engaging ideas to choose from.  We would love to film your class in action and get some pictures to share out, so let us know if you are willing to invite us to your class and which period.  

Please see Forker, Hogan, or Moore if you have questions or need support.

From the IC: 
We will take the Reading Inventory as a whole school Monday morning during extended homeroom. Encourage students to do their best as always.  In addition, please set your rooms up in a similar fashion to Milestones; we want students to take this seriously to show how much they've progressed this school year.  Once testing is complete, we will pick up with the regular schedule.

7th and 8th grades will take the Math Inventory on Tuesday, while 6th grade will take it on Wednesday.  Again, we will be in extended homeroom and pick up with the regular schedule once we're done.

From Coach Pullen: 
Field day is next week. The dates are Wednesday, May 2nd is 8th grade, Thursday, May 3rd is 7th grade, and Friday May 4th is 6th grade. Parents are welcomed to stop by. 

From Gonzalez: 

EOY Device Collection Dates & Checklist for Planning Purposes: 

Teachers, please remember to follow the checklist (and charge your devices/cart) at least a day prior to bringing them to the media center.

*Thursday, May 10th: 6th & 7th HR teachers and 6th & 7th grade small EXC groups send devices, chargers, and carts to the MC during HR. Complete checklist day before.

*Friday, May 11th: 8th HR teachers, Connections, Foreign Language, Read 180, Team Gora, and 8th grade small EXC groups send devices, chargers, and carts to the MC during HR. Complete checklist day before.

Ms. Moore: 
Upcoming event: Rising 6th graders will visit May 8th.

From Ms. Hughes: 

21st Century Family Night

Wednesday, May 9

5:00-6:00 pm

Performances by:  Math & Music, Music Class, STEP Team

Classroom Gallery Walk

Receive Summer Learning Resources

From Marty:
IB Academies are set for Friday of this week. Also, Ms. Marty needs a list of all gifted and advanced content students at risk of failing any classes for the year.

From Lawrence:
Any Teachers, Staff, or friend to the Hilsman Community interested in performing with the HMS Chorus on Thursday, May 10th at 6:30pm please contact Mr. Jonathon P. Lawrence, Director. 

Monday:
Reading Inventory as a whole school - extended homeroom
11:30 am Instructional Leaders Meeting

Tuesday:
Math Inventory (7th & 8th grades) - starting @ 8:25am extended homeroom
Kindness lesson in content classes
2:00 Hogan SMART Steering Committee Meeting

Wednesday:
Math Inventory 6th grade (starting @ 8:25am extended homeroom)
8th Grade Field Day
4pm Faculty Meeting
4pm 6 week review at BOE (Tolbert, Forker, & Hogan)

***8th graders leave for DC @ 8:30pm

Thursday: Happy birthday, Mr. Spinks!!!
7th Grade Field Day
2:20pm RTI Coordinators' Meeting @ HTE

Friday: Afternoon activity schedule
6th Grade Field Day
IB Academy