Waggoner's Word - May 27, 2016

May 27, 2016

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of May 30^th-June 3^rd:

Monday, May 30^th: Memorial Day Holiday-No School

Tuesday, May 31^st: 7^th Grade Awards Assembly 2:19-3:30 in the cafeteria

Tuesday, May 31^st: Faculty vs. Students Volleyball game in the gym after school

Wednesday, June 1^st: 6^th Grade Awards Assembly 2:19-3:30 in the cafeteria

Wednesday, June 1^st: Faculty vs. Students Basketball game in the gym after school

Thursday, June 2^nd: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Thursday, June 2^nd: 8^th Grade Awards Assembly 1:56-2:56 in the cafeteria

Thursday, June 2^nd Year book signing all grades 2:40-3:30

Friday, June 3^rd: Teacher workday

Monday, August 22^nd: Hornet Hello: students pick up schedules

Below is the last week’s schedule and awards assembly along with PTA News. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful summer!

It’s been a great year at Hopewell and I’m looking forward to an even better 2017!

Karl

	Class Schedule & Final Exam Schedule 2015-16
	Tuesday, May 31, 2016
70 minutes	8:20 - 9:30	1st  period	1st Period Final Exam
50 minutes	9:34 - 10:24	2nd period
50 minutes	10:28 - 11:18	3rd period
37 min	11:22 - 11:59	4th period	6th grade lunch only /no advisory	7th and 8th grade class
37 min	12:03 - 12:40	5th period	7th grade lunch only/no advisory	6th and 8th grade class
37 min	12:44 - 1:21	6th period	8th grade lunch only/no advisory	6th and 7th grade class
50 min	1:25 - 2:15	8th period
71 minutes	2:19 - 3:30	5th period	5th period Final Exam   &   7th grade recognition ceremony   -  Cafeteria
			Student/Faculty Vball Game 3:45-4:45PM in the Gym
	Wednesday, June 1, 2016
70 minutes	8:20 - 9:30	2nd period	2nd period Final Exam
70 minutes	9:34 - 10:44	3rd period	3rd period Final Exam
42 min	10:48 -11:30	7th period
37 min	11:34 - 12:07	4th period	6th grade lunch only /no advisory	7th and 8th grade class
37 min	12:11 - 12:48	5th period	7th grade lunch only/no advisory	6th and 8th grade class
37 min	12:52 - 1:29	6th period	8th grade lunch only/no advisory	6th and 7th grade class
42 min	1:33- 2:15	8th period
71 minutes	2:19 - 3:30	4th period	4th period Final Exam & 6th grade recognition ceremony        Cafeteria
			Student/Faculty Basketball Game 3:45-4:45PM in the Gym
	Thursday, June 2, 2016
70 minutes	8:20 - 9:30	7th period	7th period Final Exam
70 minutes	9:34 - 10:44	8th period	8th period Final Exam
20 min	10:48-11:08	ADVISORY	ALL students report to Advisory	Grades 6-8
40 min	11:12 - 11:52	4th period	6th grade lunch only /no advisory	7th and 8th grade class
40 min	11:56 - 12:36	5th period	7th grade lunch only/no advisory	6th and 8th grade class
40 min	12:40 - 1:20	6th period	8th grade lunch only/no advisory	6th and 7th grade class/ retest/correct exam
71 minutes	1:24 - 2:35	6th period	6th period Final Exam & 8th grade recognition ceremony       Cafeteria
51 minutes	2:39 - 3:30	yearbook	yearbook signing	ALL grade levels
YEARBOOK SIGNING LOCATIONS: 6th - upper commons/7th-gym/8th-cafeteria
		1	Students will be released from those yearbook signing locations at 3:30
		2	ALL STAFF in yearbook signing locations to help monitor students

PTA NEWS:

END OF SEMESTER AWARDS

Thanks to TAP "The Award Project" for partnering with the PTA this year to provide certificates and Mighty Fine meal vouchers for all those students who will receive an End of Semester Award from their teachers at the ceremonies over the next week.  PTA will also be providing the Spirit Sticks for A Honor, AB Honor and Perfect Attendance recognition for all students in these categories.  Congratulations to all students for their achievements in the 2015/16 school year.

ANDY'S CUSTARDS

Thanks to Andy's Custards who have donated a number of gift vouchers for students and teachers for an end of year treat.  PTA appreciates all that our Sponsors offer us as a way to recognize and reward our kids who work so hard all year.

GO GREEN

Our final Go GREEN celebration will be held on June 2nd, 2016. PTA would like to thank all those parents who have volunteered at this year’s Go GREEN events and ask you one last time to help out if possible.  Turn up at school between 11:15 and 1:45pm and help supervise this final fun activity for the year.

Information about School Supply Kits for the 2016-17 School Year:

School Supplies.PNG      95014 Hopewell - Online Only RM [701600].pdf

PTA NEEDS YOU!

There is no better way to show your support for your child and their school than by being part of the school's success. We are still looking for people to help out on PTA next year.  Take a break over summer, think it over and come back refreshed for a new school year. We have many board positions and committee chair positions open. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming more involved or have any questions about open positions then please email Laura Chambers, PTA Vice President at chamberslaura87@gmail.com.  Get a group of friends together and all offer to help out.  We will welcome any parent who is interested in joining the PTA board for the 2016-17 school year.

BOXTOPS 

It's summertime but don't forget to save those boxtops for the fall contest.  Visit BTFE.com for sweepstakes to enter, great coupons & recipes.  We are going to get really creative with prizes!

DON'T FORGET TO SHOPAROO!

We have passed the 110,000 Roo point mark and have raised $220.00 so far for HOPEWELL!  That's free money for HMS!  We would love it if MORE parents would download the app and snap pictures of their receipts. Just download the app today and take pictures of your receipts.  No catches, no gimmicks, nothing extra to buy or be enrolled in.

http://app.shoparoo.com/charity 

Put in the code NONK5922 to earn an extra cash donation for your school when you submit your 1^st receipt.  Do this now and especially over the summer months.  Shoparoo checks will be sent out in August so plenty of time to RACK up MORE points.  You receipts can be as little as a $1.00 and it can be ANY receipt. Help us raise MORE money for your child’s school. 

IF YOU ARE FEELING GENEROUS...

The Concessions Stand needs a new refrigerator before the end of the school year so it's ready to go for when school starts back in August. This is an expense that we had not budgeted for this year so we need our school community to help us out. We need just under $600 to purchase a basic refrigerator for the Concessions Stand and your donation would be greatly appreciated. Simply click on this link and donate now!
https://www.razoo.com/us/story/Concessions-Stand-Refrigerator-Fund

Summer Fun:

Westwood Robotics Robocamp Flyer.pdf     Mel's Lone Star Lanes Flyer Round Rock16.pdf

Waggoner's Word - May 23, 2016

Monday, May 23, 2016

Dear Parents,

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

Monday, May 23^rd: Band Spring Concert 7PM in the Gym

Tuesday, May 24^th: Educators from Driscoll Middle School from San Antonio visiting Hopewell 8:30-noon

Tuesday, May 24^th: Orchestra Spring Concert 7PM in the Gym

Wednesday, May 25^th: Hopewell Annual Fun Run for students and teachers10AM – 1PM

Wednesday, May 25^th: Choir Spring Concert 6:30PM in the Gym

Wednesday, May 26^th: 6^th and 8^th Grade Locker Clean out during Advisory classes

Thursday, May 26^th: Orchestra trip to Fiesta Texas in San Antonio

Friday, May 27^th: 7^th Grade Locker Clean out during Advisory classes

Friday, May 27^th: 8^th Grade Field Trip to Spare Time Texas ALL day

Monday, May 30^th: Memorial Day Student & Staff Holiday

PTA NEWS:

 THANK YOU TO OUR HOPEWELL MS STAFF & THOSE WHO HELPED MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK FOR THEM!

A big thank you to everyone who donated or wrote a note or brought a small gift for their teacher or staff member this week!  Our HMS teachers and staff and families are the best!


BE ON THE FINANCIAL RECOGNITION COMMITTEE:
Are you a PTA member with a head for numbers, are you an attention to detail person?  We need three members of our PTA to form a financial reconciliation committee to go over the PTA books in July and make sure that everything is shipshape for the new school year.

We have someone who will lead the process; we have checklists to follow and a list of things to look out for.  We need three people to help with the process.  The reconciliation will take place in the second week of July and take approximately 2-3 hours. If you can help with this process, please email our President, Joanne Georgeson at hopewellptapresident@gmail.com.

THE PTA CONCESSIONS STAND NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The Concessions Stand needs a new refrigerator before the end of the school year so it's ready to go for when school starts back in August. This is an expense that we had not budgeted for this year so we need our school community to help us out. We need just under $600 to purchase a basic refrigerator for the Concessions Stand and your donation would be greatly appreciated. Simply click on this link and donate now!  https://www.razoo.com/us/story/Concessions-Stand-Refrigerator-Fund

2016/17 SCHOOL SUPPLY KITS FOR PURCHASE SOON...
YIPPEE School Supply KITS are coming to Hopewell.  You will ONLY be able to order online. This will be an easy process - no tax & only quality products like Crayola & Elmers will be used. We will send a small flyer home with your child soon with info and the online Schoolkidz link. Prices will vary per grade level but you will have exactly what your child needs for core classes & advisory.  The kits will be delivered to the school and will be in your child's advisory room on Back to School Night! 

 HOPEWELL MS NEWS:

TONDA HOLLAND-MAY HOPEWELL MS TEACHER SPOTLIGHT:

Each month beginning this May and throughout next school year, I will be randomly selecting a Hopewell MS Staff member to spotlight for the community.  This month, we will be spotlighting Tonda Holland-6^th Grade English Language Arts teacher. Tonda is always seeking ways to make learning relevant for her students.  She builds positive relationships with her students and is a talented teacher.  See our website this week for more on Mrs. Holland to get a better understanding of this incredible Hopewell educator and who she is as a person.  I hope you enjoy this teacher spotlight each month.

National Junior Honor Society Induction Wednesday Night:

We inducted 21 seventh graders this past Wednesday evening into the National Junior Honor Society for next school year. Mrs. Kelsey Roach, our NJHS teacher sponsor did an incredible job putting together a special and memorable ceremony for both the students and their families in our cafeteria.  Our current NJHS 8^th grade officers conducted the heart of the ceremony and did an exceptional job leading it.  Following the induction ceremony, picture taking along with cake and punch were provided.  Induction into the NJHS is by application requiring a certain grade point average coupled with community service and citizenship.  Next spring 2017 we’ll be inducting a new batch of student leaders into NJHS.

First Annual Spring Hopewell Art Exhibition Wednesday Night:

In conjunction with the NJHS Induction Wednesday night, our two creative art teachers, Christiana Kim and James Gallardo put on display incredible artwork done by our talented students in the lower commons.  It was very well attended by parents and patrons who admired the great work of our Hopewell MS art students.  Thanks to both Art teachers for putting this on and we look forward to additional work next spring. 

MORE HOPEWELL ART NEWS:

JR VASE

Congratulations to the following students for receiving ratings of 3s (second to highest rating) and 4s (highest rating) at this years JR VASE: Mercedes Soria (rating 4), Vivianna Mueller (rating 4), Marcos Chance (rating 4), Aracely Arriaza (rating 3) and Paulina Rodriguez (rating 3).  All students worked extremely hard on their art pieces and performed well during their artist critique!  Well done!

Art Show: The Creative Journey:

Thank you to all students, parents and members of the community for coming out to Hopewell's annual end of the year student art exhibition. The show consisted of Hopewell's 6th, 7th and 8th-grade art work that was created throughout the year.  The artwork selected for the exhibition was dependent on craftsmanship, composition, effort, concept and creativity!  There were at least 80 pieces that were shown.  The show couldn't have been a success without all the support. Hope to see everyone next year! 

LOCKER CLEAN OUT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK!

Parents, please help us out by checking at home for any textbooks or library books that need to be turned in this week.  We will be holding our annual locker clean out this Thursday for 6^th and 8^th graders and Friday for our 7^th graders.  It will be interesting to see all the old sandwiches that have turned into “Science Projects” over the course of the school year!  It will be amazing what we’ll find inside some of those lockers!  Also, if your child has an outstanding negative balance in their lunch account, please make sure that it is brought up to zero at least by the end of the school year.  You may make that payment online or have your child bring in a check for our cafeteria manager during their lunch period. Thanks!

HIRING SEASON IN FULL SWING!

I have been busy hiring vacant positions this spring and am impressed with the quality of candidates I have screened and interviewed.  A committee of 7 Hopewell MS staff interviewed candidates Friday for our vacant Assistant Principal position and found an incredible leader that we are all very excited about!  I will tell you that they are of the highest integrity and character, are student-centered, have a very calm demeanor, and are a talented instructional leader.  We are VERY lucky to have found this experienced administrator.  As soon as that person is officially hired, I’ll let you know who we hired. 

ALGEBRA ONE STAAR END OF COURSE EXAM RESULTS:

Parents, we just got great news that 100% of our students that took the STAAR End of Course Exam met the standard and passed!  That is an incredible accomplishment and all students are to be congratulated for that successful result.  What makes this result additionally special, Ms. Moyer and I dissolved an Enriched Pre-Algebra course last fall for those students that did not qualify under the “old” criteria, and placed those students into Algebra One with some additional support.  ALL those students that were originally not placed in Algebra met standard and all but two met the Commended level! Our philosophy is to give those students an opportunity to succeed at a higher level by providing tutoring before and after school and also during Advisory to help them master Algebra One concepts. That is a true testimony to their teacher Ms. Moyer.  She is an absolute “rock star” Algebra and Geometry teacher who not only a talented math teacher but she also builds positive relationships with her students.  She makes Algebra relevant and fun.  It paid off!

OTHER STAAR SPRING RESULTS DUE IN MID-JUNE:

More information will be coming on how you will be informed regarding your child’s 6^th and 7th-grade math and reading as well as 8^th grade Science and Social Studies STAAR scores. An online portal and/or mailing of the results will be set up as soon as we get them in.  We are anticipating more incredible and positive news regarding our current positive trajectory with student achievement at Hopewell MS.  The hard work by our teachers and instructional coaches with our new PLC and TEAMING structure is beginning to show positive results, we are cautiously optimistic.  Thanks for your support of these critical changes the past two years, it means a lot to me as the principal that you are with me and our efforts here. 

DRISCOLL MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS VISITING HOPEWELL TUESDAY:

Our student achievement and success is being noticed.  Just prior to Spring Break, a team from Belton ISD visited Hopewell to benchmark ideas and now a team of English Language Arts teachers and administrators from the San Antonio area will be visiting our school this Tuesday, May 24^th.  They will be discussing and sharing instructional strategies, assessments, and tricks of the trade in grade level ELA department meetings.  They will also be in 6^th-8^th grade Language Arts classes observing instruction to take ideas back to their school and district.  This is a great compliment to our teachers and the positive path our school is currently on. 

LASTLY…:

I will not be at Hopewell the afternoon of Thursday, May 26^th and all day onFriday, May 27^th as my youngest daughter Kendall will be graduating from high school at the Frank Erwin Center Friday night.  This is a very proud moment for her mother and me and will be entertaining family and friends that will be in from out of town helping to celebrate the graduate.  It’s a bitter-sweet time and one that you all will be experiencing in the near future.  You’ll have random flashbacks of that first day of Kindergarten, graduating from 5^th grade, moving on to those unpredictable middle school years, taking that big step to 9^th grade and then planning their high school graduation celebration.  All those highs and lows of growing up to be an independent young lady and it all goes so very fast-too fast actually.  Enjoy your time with your middle schooler, let them learn from those bumps, grinds, and disappointments, and give them a supportive hug every day.  After graduation, she’s off to the University of Missouri to study nursing- her mom and I both know that the best is yet to come for her! 

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karl

Twitter@KarlWaggoner