Sunday, March 30, 2008

Parent/Teacher Input Requested

In an attempt to find new and relevant fundraisers for the Hilsman PTO we are looking at a fundraiser that would have value for the students and families and make some money for the PTO. We would like to get some parent feedback on the following opportunity.

We are considering selling School Supply Sets. What this would involve is selling a set list of supplies recommended for each grade. Hilsman teachers have already supplied the lists and the fundraising company (which is affiliated with Staples) has already quoted us on each grades' list. The final price is up to the PTO so not set 100% yet but would be around $35 for the 6th and 8th grade and $40 for the seventh grade sets. We would have to sell them now before the end of this school year and then take delivery the first week of school in August. These prices are comparable to what you would pay for all the supplies on your own.

Some questions that need to be considered:

Are parents interested in this sort of thing?
Would parents be willing to spend the money now in Spring?
Is the price too high? (Many fundraising activities involve lower amounts)
Are there enough people willing to volunteer to help with this?
Would we get adequate support from teachers in distributing order sheets, etc?

Please reply back to this mail with your feedback and help us make a decision on whether to pursue this. Time is of the essence.

Football Fundraiser and Spring Physicals

Hilsman Football will be having a Beef O' Brady's night on Tuesday April 8 from 5-9. Hilsman Football will receive 10% of all receipts that are dropped in the fishbowl at the front door. Be sure to eat dinner at Beef O' Brady's that night and show your support for your Hilsman Panther football team. If you have any questions please contact Britt Swilley at dawgfiend@charter.net.

Free Physicals for athletes currently in grades 8-11 will be given on Sat 4/26. This is the only free physical for the next school year so if you intend to take part in high school sports next year you should plan on this. There will be bus service from Cedar to the clinic. More details as they become available

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Events off-campus

Wildlife Art

Athens Clarke Leisure Services invites all contestants who entered the 29th Annual Wildlife Art Contest to come to the Grand Opening on Saturday, March 29th , from 2:30 – 3:30. Doors will open at 2:30 to view art work. Prizes will be awarded at 3:00. All entries will be hung in the exhibit hall (building in the zoo)
Refreshments will be served. Please call 706-613-3616 ext.22 for more information….

Cedar Shoals Baseball Clinic Rescheduled

IMPORTANT NEWS..............The camp has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 29th, 8AM-11AM....no longer 9AM-12PM.

We are excited to announce that there will be a Jaguar Baseball Players Clinic - The CSHS staff and team will host the Jaguar Players Clinic on Saturday, March 29th, from 8-11 at the Cedar baseball field. Players can attend for $10 and coaches are FREE. Cash or checks made out to Cedar Shoals Dugout Club will be accepted. The following topics will be covered: fundamental defensive drills, practice scheduling and preparation, basic hitting tactics, and how to get the most out of this great experience called BASEBALL! For more info contact CSHS head coach Bret Greene at greeneb@clarke.k12.ga.us or by calling 706/254-5444.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown

Come see talented Cedar Shoals students as the Peanuts gang in a musical romp. The show is intended for all audiences, definitely G-rated. Enjoy singing, dancing, AND comedy. The show will run under 2 hours--probably closer to an hour and a half--so it should be a perfect fit for younger audience members. Mark your calendars now for performances Friday and Saturday, March 28th and 29th, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 30th, at 2:30 p.m. in the CSHS Fine Arts Theatre. Student tickets are $4 and adult tickets are $6. Contact English teacher/production director Derek Adams at adamsg@clarke.k12.ga.us with questions or for more info.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Animation Workshop and Congratulations

Oratorical Winner

Another success for Hilsman: Asher Hill, 7th grader won the zone levelcompetition of the Optimist Oratorical Contest. He will compete in the regional level next.

Animation Workshop

We are proud to announce that Hilsman Middle School will be the host for a Shortstop Animation Workshop between 27th and 28th of March. Our special guest, Mr. José Luis Farias from Spain will teach the students the basics of shortstop animation. They will play with different materials, and they will create a very short movie.

Cachivache (Performance in Spanish) group members from University of Georgia will help to organize the activities. Attached you can find details about the program and our special guest.

José Luis Farias Gomez

José Luis Farias created the International Short Film Festival of Segovia (Spain). The Festival showcased a wide array of Films from Spain, Latin American, and Europe. He is here to show to Athens and the University community a sample of the short films screened last year in Segovia. These screenings will take place at the Student Learning Center on March 31st, April 1st and April 2nd. Screenings will be followed by discussions about the films. José Luis Farias will lead the discussions. This event is made possible with the support of the following people and institutions:Contraplano, Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute, Department of Romance Languages, Dr. John Ross, Cachivache (Performance in Spanish), Cali’ n’ Titos, Espresso Royale, Little Kings.

This is a brief summary of José Luis Farias professional life:

Cofounder of Contraplano International Short Film Festival in Segovia (April 2007)
Stop-motion animation teacher at Arts Animation School.
Director- He has made several commercials for TV, and short films, such as:

Agua (2006)

35mm color

Summary: A reflection on the lack of water as a result of the weather change.9 min.Directors: Alfonso Fulgencio y José Luis Farias,

Mandos (2002)

Animation Short Film with play dough. 35mm color

Summary: Two remote controls fight over the programs they want to see on TV.9 min.Directors: Alfonso Fulgencio y José Luis Farias,and others. Cofounder of Paramotion Films (Film Company)

Paramotion Films

It was founded in 2002 with the objective of producing, acquiring and distributing film materials for movies, TV productions, and advertising. It specializes in animation with materials like play dough. They also work on digital post-production. Paramotion also is interested in teaching these techniques in different workshops.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Cathy Deng wins State Spelling Bee

Cathy Deng, an eighth grader at Hilsman Middle School, won the State Spelling Bee today at Georgia Student University in Atlanta.

A news release from the Georgia Association of Educators follows:

One hundred and twenty-four words over seven rounds. That’s how long it took 13-year-old Cathy (Qian) Deng from Hilsman Middle School in Clarke County to overcome what she thought was an elimination early on to become the winner of the 47th Annual Georgia Association of Educators State Spelling Bee. In round six, Cathy was initially eliminated after spelling the word “concomitant” but was reinstated by the panel of judges after discussion about pronunciation. “I was so happy to get back in that I didn’t remember anything,” Cathy exclaimed.

Cathy fought off a challenge by 13-year-old Logan Austin from Bennett’s Mill Middle School in Fayette County. The two both missed some very challenging words such as pettifoggery, cornichon, ochlophobia, and elision. Logan then misspelled the word “tergiversate,” which Cathy then spelled correctly. She then received and correctly spelled the word “chrestomathy,” which means “a selection of passages from various authors complied as an aid to learning a language.”

Cathy will now represent Georgia in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Championships in Washington, D.C., May 25 – May 31, 2008. Should Cathy, for any reason, be unable to represent Georgia at the nationals, Logan would take her place. “I can’t say enough about what these young people have accomplished,” said GAE President Jeff Hubbard. “Everyone associated with their efforts should be very proud and on behalf of GAE I congratulate each and every one of them. And our thoughts and prayers are with Cathy and her family as they travel to Washington to represent Georgia and hopefully bring back the national championship.” In addition to her first place trophy and an all expense paid trip to the national championship and $400 (GAE), Cathy also took home a dictionary (Merriam-Webster), an Amazon.com gift certificate (Scripps National Spelling Bee), a one-year online subscription (Encyclopaedia Britannica), $100 (Mr. and Mrs. Barry Gray from Metro Atlanta), and one $100 U.S. Savings Bond (Samuel L. Sugarman Award). Logan, as runner-up, took home a second place trophy, $100 (GAE), a dictionary (Merriam-Webster), and a one-year online subscription (Encyclopaedia Britannica). All contestants received $25, a certificate of participation, and a GAE State Bee lapel pin. Order of elimination-
County/word/Round:
Chilneshia Welch - Putnam/Concerto/1
Kristin Towe- Floyd/Oregano/1
Mary Kate Vian – Atlanta/Lariat/2
Katherine Burden - Gwinnett/Myriad/2
Taylor Rinberger -Berrien/Impetuous/2
Eryn D. Smith - Appling/Cedilla/3
Kevin Figlewicz – Cobb/Backstein/4
Thomas Carden - Chatham/Lederhosen/4
Jessica King –Thomaston-Upson/Virgule/4
Jaire Duncan – Rockdale/Repertoire/5
Sarah Cover – Cobb/Azimuth/5
Orin Lincoln –Muscogee/Prosciutto/5
Erin Barnett - Cobb/Commissar/5
Korie Shetter – Floyd/Wedel/5
Jonathan Lee Casas – Hall/Mynheer/6
Eron Frances Smith –Decatur City/Pompadour/6
Micah Stewart – Valdosta City/Jocosity/6
Todd Jones – Fulton/Integument/6
Logan Austin - Fayette/Tergiversate/7
Cathy Deng – ClarkeChampion/Chrestomathy

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Updates and Congratulations

MathCounts

Hilsman's team competed at the Statewide finals for MathCounts last Saturday. The team took home sixth place in the State and Cathy Deng took fifth in the individual event. Congratulations to the whole team for a great season.

Geography Bee

Hilsman’s own Evan Knox (6th grade) has qualified to represent our school at the state National Geographic Bee. It will be held on April 4th in Milledgeville, GA. Both his teachers and his family are extremely proud of Evan and cannot wait for him to represent our school and the Clarke County School District!!!

Book Fair

Hilsman’s Book-Fair will take place March 24th – 28th. The Book-Fair will run during the school day as well as during parent conferences (including the evening conferences). Students who want to purchase books will have the opportunity to come to the fair during their Language Arts class times. Please plan on supporting your Hilsman Media Center with purchases made at the Fair.

Weight Training

After school weight training for middle school students will be held beginning today from 4:-5:30 in the Cedar Shoals Field House. It will be held every day this week and beginning next week will be held only on Mondays and Wednesdays Anyone who is not playing a spring sport and is interested in playing football next year should attend. Lifting sessions will continue up until the start of spring football practice which will begin on May 1. Please make sure that you have a ride there to pick you up at 5:30 when the work out is over.

Box Tops

In addition to bringing in Box Tops for education you can enter a daily contest to win points for the school to help them get equipment. If you are willing to sign up for this, you can find out more at:http://www.boxtops4education.com/Promotions/ExtremeDream/

Parent/Teacher Conferences

You should be getting a notice to sign up for conferences next week Mar 25-27

Teacher Appreciation

The PTO will provide a dinner for teachers on Tue Mar 25. If you are willing to help out, please contact Kelly at jukso@aol.com

Friday, March 14, 2008

News and Congrats

Oration

Please congratulate Asher Hill and Inesha Carruth for their performance at the Optimist Oratorical Contest.
Asher -1st place
Inesha- 3rd place

Soccer

Soccer season opened yesterday for both Boys’ and Girls’ teams. Boys lost to Coile by one goal (3-2). Coile was fortunate to score early in the game. After which David Ontaneda scored two goals with two assists from Eduardo Mancia. Asher Hill also deserves a nod for outstanding defense during the contest. Our girls brought home a win from Coile with a score of 1-0. Ali Minning scored the only goal. The awesome defensive line was anchored by Alicia Micheletti at sweeper and Katie Roberts at stopper with Morgan Wurst and Katie Siemion. Please congratulate all these students when you see them.

Anne Frank

The Anne Frank exhibit is moving from the Oconee Library to the Athens Regional Library on March 16th. It will be set up for the rest of the month during normal library hours. SInce "The Diary of Anne Frank" is studied extensively in eighth grade this is a good opportunity to enhance those studies.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Conferences will be scheduled for 3/25-27

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Spring Sports Schedule

GIRLS SOCCER


DATE TEAMS SITE TIME
03/06/08 (Tues) HMS @ WRC WRC 5:30(make up)

03/20/08 (Thurs) CMS @ HMS HMS 5:30
03/27/08 (Thurs) HMS @ BHL BHL 5:30
04/03/08 (Thurs) WRC @ HMS HMS 5:30

04/10/08 (Thurs) HMS @ CMS CMS 5:30
04/17/08 (Thurs) BHL @ HMS HMS 5:30

BOYS SOCCER


DATE TEAMS SITE TIME
03/06/08 HMS @ WRC WRC 4:30

03/20/08 CMS @ HMS HMS 4:30
03/27/08 HMS @ BHL BHL 4:30
04/03/08 WRC @ HMS HMS 4:30

04/10/08 HMS @ CMS CMS 4:30
04/17/08 BHL @ HMS HMS 4:30

TRACK


DATE HOST SITE TIME
03/06/08 OCMS OCHS 4:30

03/18/08 ACS ACS 4:30

03/26/08 CMS/BHL CCHS 4:30
04/02/08 WRC/HMS CSHS 4:30


HMS track team will be competing against the host school and surrounding county schools, who have been invited to the meets.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Anne Frank

Ms. Jones, eighth grade language arts teacher, suggested this tie in since one of the reading topics for eighth grade is "The Diary of Anne Frank".
The Oconee County Library will host the traveling exhibit "Anne Frank: A History for Today" from Sunday through March 14.The exhibit, sponsored by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, features 17 panels of photographs and text that chronicle the Holocaust through the eyes of Anne Frank and her family, showing the effects of National Socialism on the lives of a typical Jewish family.Photographs include family pictures and text includes entries from her famous diary. Accompanying the main exhibit are the smaller exhibits of "The Anne Frank Secret Hiding Place" and "Witness to the Holocaust: World War II Veteran William A Scott III at the Liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp." There will also be a couple related films.
For more information about the programs, call Alice Rossiter at (706) 769-3950.

March is Youth Art Month

Works by the Clarke County Schools are on exhibit at the Athens Regional Library in the Children’s section. Please go by and take a look at Success!!!

Baseball

Hilsman doesn't have its own team but the boys play as Cedar Shoals' C team
DATE:TEAM:LOCATION:TIME:Games:
Fri. 2/29Prince Avenueat Prince Ave.5:30 1 (7 innings)
Sat. 3/1Newton Co.CEDAR SHOALS12:00 2 (5 inning games)
Sat. 3/8Madison Co.CEDAR SHOALS12:00 DH
Sat. 3/15HabershamCEDAR SHOALS12:00 DH
Sat. 3/22Jackson Co.at Jackson12:00 DH
Sat. 3/29Madison Co.at Madison12:00 DH
Sat. 4/5Habersham at Habersham12:00 DH
Sat. 4/12Jackson Co.CEDAR SHOALS12:00 DH
Sat. 4/19Newton Co.at Newton12:00 2 (5 inning games)
Sat. 4/26Oconee Co.CEDAR SHOALS12:00 DH

Future Business Leaders of America

FBLA State Leadership Conference trip and competition results. The students attended the GA Music Hall of Fame, the Macon Arts & Sciences Museum, and Mercer University. We hope to attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference in June. These students placed at the State level in their competition events:

Aubrey Bullock 8th place Business Concepts
Cathy Deng 1st place Business Spelling
2nd place Business Computations
Gilbert Dominguez 4th place Business Concepts
9th place Computer Literacy

Please congratulate these students when you see them.

Box Tops for Education

One of our parents, Joyce McHan has set up Hilsman with the Box Tops for Education fundraising program. Clip the Box Top labels from any General Mills foods that you have. We will collect them in the main office.One student in Mrs Varnum's class has already turned in 100 which translates to $10.