Waggoner's Word - December 19, 2014

December 19, 2014

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of January 5-9, 2015:

Monday, January 5^th: Teacher Staff Development/Work day

Tuesday, January 6^th: First day back for students & start of second semester

Wednesday, January 7^th:  8^th Grade Girls BBall vs. Deerpark, 7^th Grade Girls BBall @ Deerpark 5:30PM

Thursday, January 8^th: 8^th Grade Boys BBall vs. Deerpark, 7^th Grade Boys BBall @ Deerpark 5:30PM

Friday, January 9^th: Author visit for 7^th graders periods 2^nd and 3^rd in the library

As many of you know, we had a rather unsettling situation involving one of our students as she was walking to school earlier this week.  A man in a red Nissan Altima followed her in the neighborhood surrounding Hopewell and Union Hill.  The man exposed himself to her then drove off.   The girl did the absolute right thing by directly coming to me and reporting the incident.  I immediately called her parents and the Round Rock police.   They have been all over this situation and are following up on several very good leads.  The girl is doing well, was back at school attending her classes and is getting a ton of support by the Hopewell counseling staff.  I am confident that they will catch this creep and put him away where he cannot harm anyone else.  Unfortunately, this horrible event could’ve taken place anywhere really and it’s very important to keep in mind that the Hopewell community and surrounding neighborhood is a very safe area for our kids to live and attend school.  RRISD has been very supportive and have poured time and resources to ensure that our kids are safe coming to and from school.  They will patrol the surrounding neighborhood throughout the day both in regular squad and undercover vehicles.  Please keep your eyes and ears out for anything that looks suspicious or out of the ordinary and report it to law enforcement or Hopewell administration.  We are all committed to ensure that our students are safe in the Hopewell community. 

Our first semester at Hopewell ended yesterday and the students were well behaved and enjoyed their last day before Winter Break.  We have the best students and they are very ready for their two and ½ week break!  I know the staff is too!  Classes resume on Tuesday, January 6th, 2015.

HOPEWELL CHEERLEADING TRYOUT INFORMATION FOR THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR:

Is your child interested in being a Hopewell Hornet cheerleader for the 2015-2016 school year? If so, there is a MANDATORY informational meeting for students and their parents/guardians on Tuesday, January 13th at 6:00PM in the Hopewell cafeteria.  At the meeting, you find out about the application process as well as all it will take to be a Hornet cheerleader! Again, this it is mandatory that any student and their parent/guardian attend to gain information on the application process. 

PTA INFORMATION:

Upcoming early 2nd semester events

Game Night: January 15th

PTA Dance: January 30th

Middle School 101 student/parent meeting for rising 6th graders: February 11th

(More information on those exciting events coming in future Waggoner’s Words!)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Winter Break!

Karl

A Note From The Nurse:

Parents,

As we are going into the flu season,  I would like to remind you of our district policy...  if your student develops a fever (100 degrees or higher) or is sent home due to fever, your student must be fever free, without the use of temperature reducing medications for a whole day before returning to school. By adhering to the district policy, you can help prevent the spread of contagious diseases. 

Example #1: Fever Monday, no fever all day Tuesday, return to school Wednesday.

Example #2: Fever Monday, fever Tuesday, fever Wednesday morning-then it breaks, stay home all dayThursday with no fever, return to school Friday.

Remember to also "cover your cough and sneeze please" and wash your hands often. I hope everyone has a safe and HEALTHY Holiday.

Jamie Mayfield, BSN, RN

School Nurse

Hopewell Middle School

(512) 464-5217 -phone

(512) 464-5349 -fax

Waggoner's Word - December 12, 2014

December 12th, 2014



Dear Parents,



Calendar of Events for the Week of December 15th-19th:

Monday, December 15th: Orchestra Winter Concert-7:00PM HMS Cafeteria

Tuesday, December 16th: Choir Winter Concert-7:00PM HMS Cafeteria

Thursday, December 18th: Go Green Celebration for each grade level

Thursday, December 18th: End of First Semester

Friday, December 19th: Staff Work Day/Begin Student Winter Break

Tuesday, January 6th, 2015: Second Semester begins-students return from Winter Break



REMARK YOUR CALENDARS PLEASE: Our December 17th Hopewell MS No Homework Night has been changed to Friday, January 16th, 2015!!!  Due to the large number of students studying for and taking tests, finishing up any outstanding work and projects etc…we are moving it to the 3 day weekend - Martin Luther King Holiday.  Students will not be coming to school on Monday, January 19th so that will be a nice break from the rigors of doing homework or having to study for a test over that weekend.



Our first annual Middle School 101 for rising 6th graders and parents will be held on Wednesday, February 11th in the Hopewell MS Cafeteria from 6:30PM-8:00PM.  The purpose of MS101 will be to provide our rising 6th graders and their parents an overview of the middle school experience specific to Hopewell.  Information on this evening will be going out in our feeder elementary school principal newsletters in January.



REMINDER:

Our Hopewell MS Cell Phone policy dictates that students are to turn off and put away their cell phones during school hours and instructional time including passing periods.  Students may have their phones out at lunch minus texting and using social media.  Students are not to be listening to music during class or have their headphones out.  Teachers may opt to have students use their cell phones for instructional activities/purposes only and only at teacher discretion.  Students that do not comply with this distraction to instruction will have their cell phone picked up and delivered to the main office.  Parents will be required to come up to school and pick up their child’s phone.   We need your help at home to reinforce and support our no cell phone policy during instructional time unless used for instruction.  Thanks!


Two local authors will be visiting our 7th grade students on Friday, January 9th.  Varian Johnson is the author of The Great Greene Heist which is on the 2015 Lone Star Reading List and Jennifer Ziegler who is the author of Revenge of the Flower Girls and How Not to be Popular.  Students will have the special opportunity to purchase personalized autographed copies of these books.  Order forms can be printed out from the attachment in this Waggoner’s Word or picked up in the library.  This would be a great Holiday Gift opportunity!  Please contact Michelle McLaughlin at: 512-464-5222 for more information.



One of our Hopewell MS 8th graders, Adriana Garcia has initiated a TOY DRIVE beginning on Monday, December 15th-December 18th to help put a smile on the faces of kids this holiday season at Dell Children’s Hospital.  Please help this incredible cause that will bring some holiday cheer to these special kids.  You can help by donating new toys, books, and/or art kits.  Your child may drop off the toys at the CHOIR ROOM from 8:00AM – 4:00PM.  Let’s rally around Adriana as a Hopewell School Community as she works to help these kids out!  Thanks!


Below is a great article I ran across in my professional reading dealing with a major issue with our youth in these busy, tech driven times-sleep deprivation.  It affects their physical, academic, and emotional health and keeping on top of this issue as parents is crucial.  Making sure that your children put away their cell phones and computers at a reasonable hour and get a good solid 8 hours of sleep will go a long way to ensure that our students are getting the most out of their school and learning time.  Hope you find the below article helpful.



More on Teen Sleep Deprivation

In this article in Principal Leadership, Saara Myrene Raappana sums up the accumulating research on the deleterious effect of sleep deprivation on teenagers and reports that only 15 percent of U.S. teens get the recommended minimum of eight and a half hours on school nights. The impact:

Athletic performance – Studies of football players, swimmers, and tennis players have shown that getting an ideal amount of sleep improves athletic performance and stamina and reduces fatigue.
Attention span – The NYU Sleep Disorders Program has found that inadequate sleep can result in children displaying hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsiveness.
Bodily health – Proper sleep is linked to reduced inflammation, healthier weight, better cardiovascular health, and a longer life span.
Creativity – The emotional elements of new memories are bolstered during sleep, which may stimulate the creative process, according to a Harvard study.
Driver safety – Driving when sleep-deprived is even more dangerous than driving drunk, according to a 2009 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. One night of insufficient sleep is equivalent to one alcoholic drink.
Grades and test scores – Numerous studies have shown that students with impaired or irregular sleep perform more poorly on tests and have lower grades than those who get enough sleep.
Memory – Consolidation occurs during sleep, which strengthens memories and helps “practice” skills.
Mental health – Sleep reduces stress levels, decreases anxiety, and can play a part in alleviating symptoms of depression.
There does seem to be a national trend toward later high-school start times: since 2012, high schools in California, Oklahoma, Georgia, and New York have pushed their start times later, joining Connecticut, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Minnesota.



“Let Them Hit Snooze” by Saara Myrene Raappana in Principal Leadership, December 2014 (Vol. 15, #4, p. 14-15), http://www.nassp.org/Knowledge-Center/Publications/Principal-Leadership



Our 2013-2014 Report Card based on last year’s STAAR Performance results are now out and available through the Texas Education Agency (TEA).  Please use this link to get to the Hopewell specific data and information: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/src/2014/campus.srch.html
• School Report Card – The purpose of the SRC is to inform parents and guardians about school performance and characteristics.  Type in the word Hopewell (don’t add middle school) in the box and click search and our report card should pop up.  A hard copy will be going home with each Hopewell student early next semester.



Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family.  This is a special time of the year and I hope yours is a great one!  My first semester at Hopewell as principal has been one of the best years I’ve had in over 30 years as an educator.  It’s a true privilege to be at Hopewell.



Karl

Waggoner's Word - December 5, 2014

Waggoner’s Word

December 5, 2014

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of December 8^th-12^th:

Monday, December 8^th: Girls BBall vs. Walsh @ Walsh, 7^th Grade Girls BBall vs. Walsh 5:30PM

Wednesday, December 10^th: 8^th Grade Boys BBall @ Walsh, 7^th Grade Boys BBall vs. Walsh 5:30PM

Thursday, December 11^th: A team Girls BBall Tournament-8^th Grade @ Grisham, 7^th Grade @ Walsh

Thursday, December 11^th: Band, Orchestra and Choir Holiday Tour

Friday, December 12^th: 6 weeks Awards Assembly during each grade level advisory in the cafeteria

Friday and Saturday December 12^th & 13^th: Region Band Concert @ Leander PAC/Running Brushy MS

Saturday, December 13^th: A team Girls BBAll Tournament-8^th Grade @ Grisham, 7^th Grade @ Walsh

Middle School 101 will be held the evening of Wednesday, February 11th from 6:30-8:00PM in our cafeteria for current 5th graders that attend Teravista, Herrington, Union Hill, and Caldwell Heights Elementary schools that feed into Hopewell MS.  We will have presentations from our counselors, elective staff, and will have time for parents to mingle and ask specific questions with the Hopewell elective staff.  Tours of the building will be conducted by current Hopewell 6th graders as well.  It should be a great evening to get oriented with Middle School and Hopewell specific programs.  The 5th graders will be coming over to Hopewell that day to hear the band, orchestra and choir and take a mini-tour of Hopewell.  Course sheets will be given to all 5th graders that same week to take home, fill out, sign, and return to their child’s elementary school.  We will collect all choice sheets, tabulate the choices, and determine the number of sections per course we will need for next year.  More information will be coming your way and through our feeder elementary schools when we get back from Winter Break. 

The second phase of High School 101 is being held this week with counselors talking to our 8th graders about four year plans, high school courses, and other high school specific programs.  More information on transitions will be coming your way after Winter Break.

Our next 6 weeks awards assembly will be held during each advisory before each lunch in the cafeteria.  Instead of taking a full period each six weeks for each grade level and losing all that instructional time, we have modified the event.  Students will still be recognized by their teachers for excellence in the classroom and for perfect attendance in front of their peers but we will not be pulling them from an actual core academic class or elective anymore this year.  We also will be posting student names that make the A and the A/B Honor Rolls in the upper commons and the cafeteria each six weeks.  It’s important that these incredible accomplishments are recognized and displayed throughout the year for all students to aspire to.  Our next Awards assembly will be next Friday, December 12th.

As a reminder, we are expecting all our students to have their cell phones turned off and put away during instructional time except for times when teachers are having students use them for research or other class reasons. Instructional time is from 8:20AM-3:30PM.  If you need to get a hold of your child, please call the main office and we will get them your message.  Please do not text or call them during the school day as that can be disruptive to instructional time. Thanks for your help and support with that!

Reminder that Game Night (formerly the 6th Grade Tailgate Party) has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 15th.  We will be playing games, showing school pride, face painting, etc. and the concessions stand will be open.  We encourage all 6th graders to then attend the basketball game with admission being only $1.00!! More information will be coming right after Winter Break.

As many of you know, we have been having our students take Benchmark Tests throughout the first semester. This data we gain from the assessment results will give us valuable information regarding the direction we need to go in order to ensure that our students are best prepared for the upcoming STAAR exams later spring semester.  We are not specifically teaching to the STAAR tests but we are ensuring that the Texas Essential Knowledge Skills or TEKS are being thoroughly taught and specific objectives are effectively hit.  Our teachers are working very hard each and every day to ensure that your children are getting the best education possible.  With our increase in rigor, our focus on making learning relevant, and mission to build positive relationships, our students are being given the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the TEKS. 

As we strive to successfully transition our middle schoolers from 6th grade to the high school, it is imperative that we allow them to learn the life skill of self advocacy.  Please encourage your 6th -8th grader to talk to their teacher if they have an assignment question, or a question regarding a test or quiz.  Allow them the take the step to work out their problem or issue.  As parents, (and I am one!) our tendency is to solve these issues for them.  Please help us help them to build self-confidence by advocating for themselves.  If you have a specific question regarding an issue after your child has tried to work it out with their teacher, please contact the teacher prior to contacting an administrator.  Allow the teacher to explain the situation first by a face to face meeting or a phone call.  Thanks!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.  It’s certainly a magical time of the year for your children and our students.

Karl