Waggoner's Word - February 20, 2014

February 20, 2015

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of February 23^rd-27^th:

Tuesday, February 24^th: Choice Sheets are due back to Hopewell grades 6^th – 8^th

Thursday, February 26^th: Track Meet @ McNeil HS beginning @ 4:30 PM

Friday, February 27^th: Alexis Jones Motivational Speaker for young ladies grades 6th-8^th grades 8:30AM Hopewell Cafeteria.  Parents welcome.

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER FOR OUR GIRLS:

We will be on a special bell schedule next Friday, February 27th in order to accommodate our guest speaker, Alexis Jones for ALL our 6th-8th grade girls in the cafeteria.  Our guest speaker will be Alexis Jones who is a motivational speaker for young girls.  She was on one of the first seasons of the TV reality show Survivor and finished a respectable 6th place.  She is also one of my former students at West Ridge Middle School! Feeling REALLY old about that but I’m also pretty proud to see her fulfilling her life’s passion! 

For more information on her message go to: www.iamthatgirl.com or www.alexisjones.com.  Her message will be tailored to adolescent middle school girls to help empower them to feel good about themselves, be comfortable in their own skin, and find their beauty from within themselves and not through the Hollywood look. Her message is life changing.  Parents are welcome to attend this incredible assembly and presentation by Alexis. I am working on a guest speaker for our boys after the STAAR test sometime in early May so stay tuned for that. 

           Purpose of the Hopewell Middle School Honor Code:

Academic honesty and integrity are basic fundamental attributes to the Hopewell Hornet learning community.  ALL students are expected to be honest and display a high standard of integrity in the preparation and presentation of their work in all classes.  The student who cheats is harmed because he or she is not learning the material or is not practicing the required skills in order to gain a deep understanding of it.  Other students are harmed when those who cheat gain an unfair grade advantage in the course.  The integrity of Hopewell Middle School erodes when the climate of trust and mutual respect is undermined by academic dishonesty.   Our American society as a whole pays the price when short cuts are taken and become the accepted norm.  That is not the Hopewell Hornet or RRISD way.     

We will be passing out copies of the Hopewell Honor Code in Advisory on Monday to bring home for you to review and reinforce at home. Our Honor Code will also be posted on our school website for your reference.  I thank you in advance for your support of this important life skill for our students. 

Parents, please make sure that you sign your child’s course selection sheet and get it turned in by next Tuesday, February 24^th.  We are going to begin tallying the student choices and determining number of course sections and staff needed to teach those sections.  We will begin building the master schedule for next school year starting early March.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karl

Waggoner's Word - February 13, 2015

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the week of February 16^th-20^th:

Monday, February 16^th: President’s Day student holiday/staff in-service day

Tuesday, February 17^th: Electives Fair and Choice Sheet Parent/Student Information meeting 6:30-8:00PM in the Cafeteria and Lower Commons area

Wednesday, February 18^th: No Homework Night

Friday, February 20^th: Go Green Celebration for students during three lunches

Don’t forget our Electives Fair for current 6^th and 7^th graders this Tuesday evening, February 17^th from 6:30-8:00 in the cafeteria and lower commons area.  The purpose of the evening is to give you an idea what incredible electives are offered at Hopewell for next school year, hear brief presentations from each elective teacher and director, then meet with the electives teachers in the lower commons to ask more specific questions and hear more details. 

No Homework Night is this Wednesday which means that teachers will not be assigning any homework that evening nor be giving any tests/quizzes the next day.  

From our Hopewell PTA: Please show your Hornet Pride by donating gently used clothes to the RRISD Clothes Closet.  The clothes are disbursed to students enrolled in RRISD from Pre K- 12^th grades.  Donations may be placed in the large green & white box in the lower commons next to the athletic display cases.  Please remember that all items must be within RRISD dress code.  We do not accept shoes, belts, hats or used under garments.   Thank you in advance for your donations!

Our lost and found located next to the cafeteria has received a makeover. There is a clothes rack for ease of viewing articles.  Please have your students check for lost personal belongings.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Karl

Waggoner's Word - February 6, 2015

February 6, 2015

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of February 9^th-13^th:

Monday, February 9^th: Teravista, Union Hill, Herrington, and Caldwell Heights 5^th graders visit Hopewell MS in the morning

Monday, February 9^th: 8^th Grade GBBall vs. Grisham, 7^th Grade @ Grisham 5:30PM

Tuesday, February 10^th –Thursday, February 12^th: Counselors visit 6^th and 7^th grade classrooms regarding choice selections for next school year.

Tuesday, February 10^th: 8^th Grade BBBall vs. Grisham, 7^th Grade BBBall @ Grisham 5:30PM

Wednesday, February 11^th: Future Tiger Night @ Stony Point HS 6-8PM for all Hopewell 9^th grade students and parents

Friday, Februay 13^th: Student Council Sponsored Valentine’s Day Dance-6^th grade 6:-7:30PM, 7^th and 8^thgrade 7:30-9:00PM in the cafeteria

From our School Nurse regarding the flu:

First of all, I would like to thank you for calling in and reporting confirmed flu results from the Dr.  We do monitor and track the information. Because of your due diligence, there is a pattern emerging at Hopewell. Many of our recent confirmed flu cases are of students in the 7th grade. We urge all of our students and staff to take precautions to decrease their risk of getting the flu, and now, even more so, those in 7th grade. Remember to cover your cough and sneeze, and protect your immune system by eating a balanced diet and getting plenty of rest. Above all, I cannot stress enough the importance of hand washing.

I wanted to let you all know that Mr. Alan Peters who taught 8^th grade Science here at Hopewell and has been a teacher here for many years has resigned.  We wish him the absolute best and are grateful for all the science knowledge he has given to his students over the years.  Ms. Holly Faris will be moving up from 7^th grade to fill his position effective immediately.  8^th grade Science is a STAAR tested subject so it’s absolutely crucial that we get a strong Science teacher in place for those kids.  I know that the 7^th graders will miss her for the balance of the school year but the move had to be made.  Amy Hinds, our PTA president will be taking Ms. Faris’ position for the remainder of the school year on an interim basis.  She is certified in Science and taught two years at Clear Lake HS in the Houston area prior to moving to Austin and raise her family.  Our students are so fortunate to have both Ms. Faris and Mrs. Hinds to step up and ensure that our 7^th and 8^th grade students are taken care of.  Mrs. Hinds’ first official day will be on Monday, February 16^th. 

Don’t forget our Electives Fair for current 6^th and 7^th graders Tuesday evening, February 17^th from 6:30-8:00 in the cafeteria and lower commons area.  The purpose of the evening is to give you an idea what terrific electives are offered at Hopewell for next school year, hear brief presentations from each elective teacher and director, then meet with them in the lower commons to ask more specific questions and hear more details. 

Our 5^th Grade student parent Middle School 101 meeting this past Tuesday evening was an incredible success!  We had approximately 500 5^th grade students and their parents attend and hear presentations from the 6^th grade elective teachers and directors.  It’s an important step to the transition from elementary school to middle school and hopefully we have laid the groundwork for a smooth transition to Hopewell.  ALL 5^th graders that will attend Hopewell next year will be traveling over on Monday, February 9^th in the morning to hear the band, orchestra and choir as well as see performances by our theater crew.  Students will take a mini-tour of the building and will finalize their electives choice for next school year.  Exciting times at Hopewell!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Karl

Waggoner's Word - January 30, 2015

January 30, 2015

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of February 2^nd-6^th:

Monday, February 2^nd: 7^th Grade GBBall vs. Chisholm Trail, 8^th Grade GBBall @ Chisholm Trail 5:30PM

Tuesday, February 3^rd: Middle School 101 5^th – 6^th Grade Transition Parent/Student meeting 6:30PM

Wednesday, February 4^th: Early Release 1:30PM/Staff Professional Development balance of PM

Wednesday, February 4^th: ELA Benchmark Testing for STAAR 6^th – 8^th grades

Wednesday, February 4^th: Pep Rally 1:00-1:30PM Gym

Wednesday, February 4^th: 7^th Grade BBBall vs. Chisholm Trail, 8^th BBBall @ Chisholm Trail 5:30PM

Saturday, February 7^th: 6^th Grade Choral Festival all day @ RRISD PAC by McNeil HS

Tuesday, February 17^th: current 6^th and 7^th grade course and electives fair and informational meeting.  6:30PM in the HMS Cafeteria and lower commons.

CONGRATULATIONS to our 2014-2015 Hopewell MS Teacher of the Year Vickie Bradford! Mrs. Bradford is our Campus Technology Coordinator who spends countless hours in classrooms with teachers and students, providing professional development for teachers, and keeping Hopewell connected to the WWW!  She is an incredible educator who is an even better person. We are truly lucky to have her on staff at Hopewell!  She will represent our school in the district-wide Teacher of the Year phase. 

We are looking forward to our first annual Middle School 101 5th grade student & parent event at Hopewell MS on Tuesday, February 3rd from 6:30-8:00PM in the cafeteria and lower commons areas.  We will begin promptly at in the cafeteria to hear presentations from our Fine Arts directors about their programs, our counselors regarding choice sheets and course selection process, a few fun surprises during the program then mingle in the lower commons with the elective teachers to ask specific questions about interested programs.  It will be a fun and informative night for our feeder elementary 5th graders and their parents and we are hoping for a great turnout to hear the word about life at Hopewell MS as a 6th grader. 

This week, we have completed our feeder elementary school visits to give them a preview of what school life is like through the eyes of current 6th graders.  We selected four 6th graders who graduated from Union Hill, Teravista, Herrington and Caldwell Heights and went back to those schools to present a student produced power point presentation about Hopewell.  They concluded their visit by answering some questions and all groups did an exceptional job projecting our great middle school in a positive, caring, safe light.  The next transition event after our evening event on Tuesday will be for the 5th graders to tour Hopewell on the morning ofFebruary 9th.  Students will then fill out their choice sheets, have parents sign them and turn them in to their elementary teachers.  We will then tally the choice sheet selections and begin the master schedule process for next school year!!  Exciting time of the year for our students!

Don’t forget to check in with Mrs. Listi by Saturday, January 31st if you are interested in a ten-day Europe educational trip .  The tour will include visiting London, Paris, and cities in Italy! What a great opportunity for your kids. This is not a Hopewell or RRISD sponsored event.  Any questions regarding this trip please contact Mrs. Listi at: Jessica_listi@roundrockisd.org.

Our Hopewell PTA will be holding a BOX TOP Hive Contest from Monday, February 2nd- Friday, March 27th.  Start collecting those box tops, clipping them off and have your child bring them in to their advisory teacher.  The advisory teachers will be collecting them, counting them and will turn them in.  Hopewell will reap financial benefits for participating in this program.  The more box tops we turn in the more $$ our school receives!! It’s a win/win situation!  The sole winning advisory will win an Outside Pizza / Game party on the Hopewell outside Basketball Courts.  We’ll have fun games, pizza, waters and lots of music!! Make sure that the box tops are not expired or else they will not count.  The winning teacher will also win a gift card as well.  So let’s get clipping! 

Please help us by not texting your child during school hours.  If you need to get a message to your children, please go through the main office and we will get your child the message. We do not want to disrupt instructional time and not only pull off your child from being engaged in class but others as well. We are requiring that students have their cell phones turned off and put away during instructional time.  We will be making announcements all this week and into next week making sure that students understand our expectations regarding cell phones.  Cell phones will be picked up for those students that do not comply and parents will need to come up to school to retrieve them.  Please talk with your child and make sure that they understand our cell phone policy and your support will be greatly appreciated and will help in the success of this initiative.  Thanks!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Stay warm and dry and I hope your Super Bowl team wins!

Karl

Waggoner's Word - January 23, 2015

January 23, 2015

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of January 26^th-30^th:

Monday, January 26^th: 8^th Girls BBall vs. Ridgeview, 7^th Girls BBall @ Ridgeview 5:30PM

Tuesday, January 27^th: 6^th-8^th Grade Awards Assemblies during Advisories, in the cafeteria

Wednesday, January 28^th: 8^th BBBall vs. Ridgeview 7^th BBBall @ Ridgeview 5:30PM

Friday, January 30^th: PTA Dance 6-9PM Cafeteria

Our PTA school dance “Let’s Light up the Night dance from 6-9PM in the school cafeteria.  6^th graders are from 6:00-7:30PM and 7^th and 8^th graders are from 7:30-9:00PM.  As usual, the school dress code will be enforced and appropriate student behavior will be expected.   Students can wear a white t-shirt for friends to sign.  PTA will provide the glow in the dark markers. Please make sure that your child is picked up after the dance at the appropriate time.  Thanks!

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO TRAVEL TO EUROPE THIS SUMMER June 15^th-25th!  This is NOT a Hopewell MS or a RRISD school sponsored event but an event that will help make learning about history relevant to the students.  Mrs. Listi is one of our Social Studies teachers at Hopewell who strives every day to make learning real for her students.  She would like to invite all students from Hopewell MS to join her on the adventure to Europe and a trip of a lifetime.  On the ten day educational journey, the students will visit sites in London, Paris and cities in Italy.  Talk it over as a family and if there is any further interest, please contact Mrs. Jessica Listi at: Jessica_listi@roundrockisd.org or have your child stop by her classroom #462 anytime next week.  The deadline to join this tour will be Saturday, January 31^st. 

Our very own Hopewell Middle School orchestra director Allison Sozansky has been invited to join Mu Omicron, a non-profit honorary fraternity for orchestra educators in Texas. Mrs. Sozansky was nominated for membership by Round Rock ISD orchestra directors, Sandra Vandertulip of Round Rock High School and Elizabeth Frederick of Canyon Vista Middle School. Once nominated, Sozansky was approved for membership by a three-fourths majority of existing members. “Allison has done a great job of serving the Round Rock ISD community and its needs,” Vandertulip said. “She has helped grow the orchestra program at Hopewell as well as the mariachi program. She’s a highly sought after Texas Music Adjudicator and Regional Clinician.” Mu Omicron is a non-profit honorary fraternity with the main purpose to encourage and foster the development of orchestral music in schools and communities, according to the organization’s website. Membership is open to individuals engaged in orchestral activities who have shown commitment to excellence for 10 or more years. Mrs. Sozansky will be the third orchestra director to become a member of Mu Omicron in Round Rock ISD. She will be formally inducted into the organization on February 13. Mrs. Sozansky has taught orchestra for 18 years, 14 of which have been in Round Rock ISD. “It’s really nice to be recognized and honored by my fellow colleagues around the state,” Sozansky said. “I just really appreciate them taking the time to nominate me and inducting me into the organization.” “Allison Sozansky’s selection for this prestigious honor not only honors her commitment and skill as a music education, but it is truly a feather in our collective cap in Round Rock ISD,” said Jim VanZandt, director of fine arts. “We are all very proud of her, and our orchestra directors are all celebrating for her.”

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Karl
 

Attention:

Hopewell Middle School

Teachers, Students & Parents

We are having our Final BOX TOPS Contest for this school year!

New BOX TOP Hive Contest

Collect the Most BOX TOPS to WIN Your Advisory Class an

Outside Lunch Party on the HMS Basketball Courts!

Music, Pizza & Water will be provided

Contest starts February 2nd and ends on March 27th!

Start Clipping & Collecting Hornets!

*Make Sure The Box Tops Are NOT Expired For Them To Count, The One Class With the Most Collected Wins & Teacher Gets a Gift Card!

** HMS Teachers for every 50 labels please place in the PTA Box with your name on it with the “50” marked on there and you will receive a HORNET HIVE!

Please Collect to Raise Money for your school, HOPEWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, GO HORNETS!!!!!!