6th Graders Make “Sweet Connections”

Kevin Suchinski, Principal
April Mahy, Dean of Students
Christine Mullin, Interim Assistant Principal
Volume 10 Number 7
March, 2012
6th Graders
Make
“Sweet Connections”
The Frankfort Terrace Nursing home residents received a special surprise from the Hickory Creek Middle School sixth grade students when 120 Valentine bags were delivered to the facility on February 13th. As part of the sixth grade Character Counts program, focusing on both the pillars of “caring” and “citizenship,” sixth grade Advisory classes reached out to the elderly as part of
their “Sweet Connections” initiative. To the delight of the nursing home residents, the sixth grade students decorated 120 bags and
filled them with items made by the students in advisory classes.
Throughout the months of January and February, each Advisory class worked on numerous projects, including constructing homemade note cards, which were then assembled into stationery sets. In addition, the students assembled and decorated little candy
boxes for a Valentine's Day treat for each resident. What would Valentine’s Day be without homemade cards by students and
thoughtful Valentine messages? The students, parents, and staff donated items to fill the bags with the remaining goodies (decks of
cards, chap stick, lotion, word search books, pencils, pens, pudding, applesauce, crackers, Teddy Grahams, suckers, etc.).
This project touched the hearts of not only the Frankfort Terrace Nursing Home
residents, but many of our students made connections, as Advisory classes discussed the common problems associated with aging. Sixth graders viewed the
film, Pictures of Hollis Woods, a film based on a former Rebecca Caudill novel by
Patricia Giff. One of the main characters in the novel battles the tragic onset of
Alzheimer's disease.
The sixth grade would like to extend a special thank you to Mrs. Howell, Mr. Tenza, and Mrs. Kruer for their help in distributing the bags at the nursing home. It is
our hope that this project helped the students realize the rewards of showing compassion and caring for others.
Hickory Creek Middle School, 22150 116th Avenue, Frankfort, IL 60423 Phone 815-469-4474 FAX 815-469-7930
In January and February, sixth grade students also honored Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History month through their core
classes, as well as Advisory classes. Students reflected on Martin Luther King’s, “ I Have A Dream” speech and discussed the
speech in different classes. The students participated in brainstorming activities that stimulated conversation about their personal
dreams for their community, country, and the world. As a culminating activity to Black History month and an introduction to
the novels Maniac Magee and The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963, we watched The Ernest Green Story, a film based on the
true story of Ernest Green. He was one of the nine students to integrate Central High School in Arkansas. Sixth grade students
then participated in activities related to the movie as part of our Black History Unit. Students enjoyed the movie and the activities associated with the movie.
CELL PHONE USE PROHIBITED IN SCHOOL ZONES
Per Public Act 096-0131 (effective 1/1/2010) cell phone use
(including but not limited to talking, texting, internet browsing,
etc.) is now prohibited in school zones when operating a motor vehicle. Fines and/or suspension of one's drivers license is possible,
and while the law has been in effect for over a year, we are still
seeing significant numbers of individuals using cell phones while
driving through a school zone, dropping off or picking up children,
and generally coming and going from our schools. Per the law,
hands free devices are allowed in some instances, but virtually all
other hand held uses are prohibited (with a few extreme exceptions). For the safety of our
children, staff and other motorists, please do not use cell phones in school zones (unless
your car is parked and your engine is turned off)!!! We will be asking the Frankfort Police
to ramp up enforcement of this law, so please be advised to not use cell phones in a school
zone. Thank you for your cooperation.
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Please send a baby picture (infant - toddler age) to Mr. Smit for the graduation
slideshow. You can send in the photograph to be scanned or scan one yourself and e
mail it to [email protected]. All pictures will be scanned and returned to the student. Thanks!
Is your child entering 6th or 9th grade next school year?
Beginning the 2012-13 school year, a Pertussis vaccination Tdap immunization will be required by the State
of Illinois for all students entering 6th and 9th grade, regardless of the interval since the last DTaP, DT or Td
vaccination (other Pertussis vaccines). Your child may be excluded from school if he/she is not in compliance.
Why is the Pertussis vaccination (Tdap) important?
The Pertussis vaccine (Tdap) protects your child against 3 diseases: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (also
known as Whooping Cough).
Illinois has seen an increase in Pertussis cases over the past two years. Pertussis causes terrible coughing
fits that can last for months. Not only will your child be sick, but they can also make their friends and family sick. This can be dangerous if there are younger brothers and sisters in the home.
Vaccines aren’t just for little kids!
Your child received a vaccine similar to Tdap when they were younger, but it’s protection has likely worn
off and they need a booster dose to provide more protection from these diseases.
If you have proof that your child has already received a Tdap vaccination (on or after their 7th birthday) they
do NOT need another one to attend school. The immunization MUST be in the form of the Tdap vaccine.
If your child needs to go to the doctor for their Tdap vaccination, ask if they need any other vaccines. They
may need the Meningococcal, HPV, Chickenpox or Flu vaccine. You can expect they will continue to need
vaccines to protect them from deadly diseases throughout their lifetime.
Don’t forget their vaccination record!
You will need to get written proof from the doctor that your child got the Tdap vaccination. This written
proof should be sent to school prior to the first day of the 2012 – 2013 school year.
The Tdap is also required for all 7th , 8th , 10th, 11th, and 12th, grade students. These grades will not be enforced until the 2013-14 school year, however, we highly recommend that you check with your doctor and
get your child the immunization as soon as possible.
In addition a physical, performed by a licensed Illinois physician, must also be turned in, prior to the first
day of the 2012-13 school year for ALL 6th and 9th GRADE STUDENTS.
Please remember to call the school nurse at 815-806-3707 with any significant changes in your child’s
health status. Call the office, 815-469-4474 with any changes in address or phone numbers.
Arlene Pawlak, R.N.
When the weather is warmer, many students walk to and from school. It is important that students cross 116th Avenue with
the designated school crossing guard who is located the corner of Sandalwood Drive and 116th Avenue.
There is no designated crossing guard at 116th Avenue and Laraway Road. We highly recommend students utilize the provided bus transportation instead of crossing at this very busy unsupervised intersection.
We would like to encourage you to frequently check the Virtual Backpack on the district website www.fsd157c.org for school
and district handouts.
P- Pride
A—Attitude
FEBRUARY Awards
W—Work
S—Service
Abbey Fuqua
Alecia Albanese
Alex LaValle
Ally Chavez
Alyssa Bernal
Audrey Vanderpool
Austin Blakemore
Austin Erick
Austin Zavis
Billy Jonkman
Brennan Flaherty
Brett Jennrich
Brittany Chiuccariello
Brock Salgado
Caleb Wetzel
Cara Stanker
Caroline Barkauski
Charlestine Amacher
Cindy Clark
Colton Marks
Connor Alexa
Dan Kijowski
Delaney Martino
Dominic DiFoggio
Doug Barkauski
Emili Dobronics
Emily Koonce
Grace Neary
Hayden Bruns
Isabelle McCormick
Jake Juracka
James Ingram
James Vaughan
Jason Kasmierski
Jason Szara
Jessie Pavlacka
Joey Paliga
Jonathan Thomas
Jordan Perkins
Joshua Hill
Juliet Stearns
Kayla Groen
Kayla Reda
Kaylee Keegan
Kendal Pitlik
Krupa Patel
Kyle Zajac
Luis Aragon
Mackenzie Kuzlik
Madeline Vaughn
Madi Esposito
Matt Sobczak
Maverick Murray
Megan Cheney
Megan Hussey
Mitchell Bennett
Nate Briese
Peter Mitchell
Peter Walsh
Raven Whaley
Riley Clarey
Rosemary Pimpinella
Ryan Barrera
Sarah Rojas
Tom Dees
Trevor Carlson
Trevor Corcoran
The LMC is busy preparing for the 8th Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award Voting
celebration (which took place Friday, February 24, 2012). From early statistics, it looks like
we’ll have approximately 650 students and staff who read close to 3500 books! We’ll publish our voting results next time. In the meantime, the 2013 list is out and available at the
www.rcyrba.org. Start reading now for the 9th Celebration in 2013!
Happy Reading!
Marybeth Raynes
Stress is something everyone experiences. Even though kids do not have jobs and they are not responsible for many of the
things that place stress on adults (money, child care, etc.) they experience a great deal of stress too. Students often feel stress
regarding school and social situations. Students struggle to stay organized, keep track of their assignments, or they feel overwhelmed by too many due dates. Social situations also place a great deal of stress on students. They can become stressed if a
friend is giving them a hard time, more than one friend wants to make plans on the same day, or if two friends are engaged in
a disagreement.
Parents can help their children deal with stress. It is important for parents to wonder out loud to the child what is bothering
him/her. Making this observation lets the child know that you are there to listen and you are concerned for his/her feelings.
The next step is to be a good listener to your child. Avoid passing judgment or making accusations; listen attentively, calmly,
and with interest. After listening to your child, restate what your child said and assist by labeling the feeling. Many children
do not always have a positive way to express their feelings verbally. You can help by saying something like: “It must have
made you angry….”, “I can understand why that would upset you….” Next, help your child problem solve. By offering suggestions or alternatives you can help your child relieve some of the stress he/she is feeling. Sometimes it is important just to
keep your child company. If he/she is not interested in talking, engage your child in something you can do together. At times
your presence is enough, other times this will assist your child in discussing the stressful event during the task you are engaging in together. Finally, be patient. Try not to get frustrated with your child if he/she does not want to share information with
you; also be patient in helping him/her problem solve. This is a very important time to teach your child healthy coping strategies.
If your child seems to be suffering an undue amount of stress related to school, home, or peer issues, feel free to contact your
child’s counselor; eighth grade-Mrs. Susan Jacobowski (815-806-3715), seventh grade-Mrs. Karen Roach (815-806-3798),
and sixth grade- Ms. Richelle Schneider (815-806-3716).
Thank you to all the parents who helped at the HCMS Super Bowl Dance. Also many thanks to the students who brought in nonperishable items for the needy. Everyone had a fantastic time.
The members of Student Council will be stuffing and wrapping bunny cups for the children at the Guardian Angel Home in Joliet.
Each child will receive a bunny cup for Easter.
Many thanks to all the students who donated jeans for the Teens for Jeans program. Your generosity is very much appreciated.
On March 16th there will be the snow cone fundraiser at lunch time. The money has already been collected, but any student who
still would like to purchase a snow cone, may bring in the slip below with the money.
Friday, March 16th
Snow Cone Day
Circle the choice of snow cone:
Cost for each
$2.00
Root Beer
Blue Raspberry
Cherry
Orange
Total ________
Total Enclosed _______
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: FRANKFORT SCHOOL DISTRICT 157-C
All profits will go towards HCMS Student Council School Projects.
Return by March 12, 2012
The Everest students are looking forward to spring and third trimester. All of the Everest classes have been busy writing essays
connected to work that we are doing in literature, social studies and science. Writing, editing, and rewriting are good practice
for all of our classes and for the testing to come in March.
The sixth graders have finished their “digs” and are now amateur archeologists. We are currently beginning our Black Hole
studies; your child will create a simulated Black Hole project here at school in addition to other astronomy activities. We have
scheduled our trip to the Adler Planetarium for Thursday, April 19th and are interested in viewing the variety of exhibits as
support for our class work at school. During the third trimester, we will begin work on two new units in sixth grade: biodiversity and geology. Visiting the Hall of Minerals at the Field Museum last fall sparked our interest in geology. The students
were fascinated to view all of the diverse gems exhibited there and will be working on mineral research.
The seventh graders are looking forward to their trip to The Center at Governor’s State to see the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s performance of The Taming of the Shrew on Tuesday, March 13th. We have learned about London during Shakespeare
and Dickens’s time periods and studied writings of each; therefore, viewing this professional performance of a Shakespeare
play will be exciting. Also in March, we will begin working on a solar energy unit. Students will be working to complete many
“labs” giving them plenty of solar “exposure” – from the electromagnetic spectrum to the properties of light. We will also continue working on our literature circle choices this month.
The eighth grade students are planning their visit to Cantigny on Tuesday, March 27th. We are especially interested in the
War Museum at Cantigny as we prepare for our World War II studies. Some of the students viewed the U505 exhibit at the
Museum of Science and Industry during the recent eighth grade trip. In March, the class will be begin working on a variety of
projects concerning the War that coordinate with the students’ language arts and social studies core classes. We will also begin
reading the novel, Return to Manzanar, which centers on issues faced by a Japanese American relocated to Manzanar.
The eighth grade I.I. students had a fun time at the Museum Science and Industry where they were able to see a variety of science
concepts in action! In addition, the seventh graders presented their science projects that they have worked really hard on for the last
several months. Connor Anderson received 1st place and Brandon Anderson received 2nd place at the Science Fair. Way to go!
Last month, when the students visited the Transition House, they received a visit from the Frankfort Fire Department to learn about
fire safety.
For the upcoming month, students will continue working hard on activities and project for class and they will be visiting the Transition House on March 23rd.
Hello parents with children in seventh grade at Hickory Creek Middle School!
The students have been very productive in starting on some new activities this trimester. On team Ghost Busters, we started the
Constitution unit for Social Studies. In most classes we have been preparing for the ISAT tests, coming up in March. In Literature, we will be beginning a new novel called, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor.
The Science Fair was a huge success as well. The teachers are proud of us for coming on time and being prepared for classes. We
are looking forward to another great month!
By Sabrine Kayyal and Mia Pranckus
This month, the students learned of the Revolutionary War in social studies. We watched “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson. It was
about a man and his family and the hardships they dealt with.
This month in science, we learned about the Periodic Table of Elements. We also listened to “The Elements” by Tom Lehrer. Mr.
Wonder and some students performed another song for us. We saw a video in which a very creepy man told us that the Mad Hatter
(from Alice In Wonderland) had mercury poisoning. We also had the Science Fair. The students did very well, and many of then
made it to Regionals.
This month in literature, we learned about poetry by studying people such as Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe. The main focus
was “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. It is about a lonely man who has lost his love, Lenore. He hears a rapping on the door and
thinks it is her. It is actually an ominous raven that he chats with.
This month in algebra, we did our geometry test and our Chapter 5 test.
This month in Language Arts, we learned about roots and affixes.
And sadly, we bid adieu to Ashley, who moved to Singapore. We had quite an extravagant goodbye, with a flash mob and a video.
We hope you have a good time in Singapore, Ashley!
By Sam Passarelli and Ryan Clark
The Incredible’s have definitely earned their name this month. In Advisory, we have just finished our novel Knucklehead. It was
the final Rebecca Caudill book that we read as a team and we have just tallied up our sheets for the Caudill Party on February 24th.
We are currently getting ready for the second trimester award assembly hosted by our incredible students: Ricky Hesse, Paige
Spacek, Tom Wrigley, Anna Power, Raed Farhoud, Ololadi Ayoola, Connor Alexa, and Nicole Schipiour. We were told that the
theme is going to be tropical Hawaiian. We were also told that a striped object in a hula skirt may make a special appearance? Also, we just finished our math valentines for Mrs. DeHaan’s math classes. “Roses are red and violets are blue”… we studied poetry
in Literature class too. Another important event that took place earlier this month was the Annual Science Fair. Congratulations to
the students from our team who earned 1st place at the Science Fair and a special congratulations to Charlee Amacher for making it
to Regionals! Let’s hope we have a lucky March!
Written by Isabella Corso, Haley Shadden and Erin Czyzewski
In 2011 Mrs. Duff made it into the finals for the Month at the Museum contest at the Museums of Science and Industry. Even
though Mrs. Duff didn’t win, MSI gave her eighth grade students a field trip to MSI. The bus parked outside of MSI and everyone
walked into the museum with grins on their faces and was eager to see what the museum was holding. The exhibits, including Genetics, U-505, Science Storms, and many more were all fascinating to experience science rather than just learning about it in the
classroom. Most students said it was the best field trip they had ever been on and said they would visit MSI again in their free
time. All the students and even the teachers got to step into the shoes of a scientist and experiment with different interactive science activities in the exhibits. When it was time to go back to school everyone was smiling but was upset inside to leave the Museum of Science and Industry and all the amazing exhibits it held. This field trip will always be one to remember for all the eighth
graders. Thank you, Mrs. Duff for the awesome science journey, from: the eighth grade students.
By: Emma Albers-Lopez and Emma Eaton
Physical Education and Health
Mrs. Luther, Mrs. Rodgers, Mrs. Uelman, Mr. Rigoni, Mr. Perich
PE classes have been busy playing Speedball the last few weeks, and the kids love it! Our next unit is badminton, which started the last week of February. It will continue into the middle of March. Classes will then be doing floor hockey until Spring
Break. Mr. Perich's classes came back to PE from their Health rotation at the end of February. Mrs. Luther's classes are now
in Health throughout the month of March. With spring just around the corner, make a commitment to yourself to get outside
and BE ACTIVE!!!
General Music - Mr. Wonder
We are in the middle of the third quarter for encore! Sixth and seventh grade are working on Melody and Composition and
soon all students will be able to read, write, and play melodic and rhythmic patterns. All students have had the opportunity to
be involved in a multicultural drum unit and the seventh graders are currently working on a two week guitar unit in which we
will not only be working on guitar technique, but also use the guitar as a way to learn theory and many different musical styles.
The sixth graders will begin to also use ukuleles to accompany many traditional and popular songs. Instrumental music, and
Advanced Music and Production have been a blast! Instrumental Music has been working on reading melodies and playing
chords on the guitar. Advanced Music will be working on composing songs using the music recording and notation software:
Mix Craft 5. I am always excited to have community involvement. If you or someone you know has a gift they would like to
share with the children of Frankfort, or just have a question, I would love to talk to you. You can reach me by e-mail at [email protected].
Chorus - Mrs. Walton
Congratulations to the vocal soloists and ensembles that prepared and performed at the IGSMA Solo-Ensemble Contest! Hickory Creek had the most vocal entrants of any school, with 34 events and the students ended up with 7 Division II, "Excellent"
ratings and 27 Division I, "Superior" ratings.
The Varsity Chorus, Advanced Choir, and Show Choir will be competing at the IGSMA District Choral Contest on March
10th. Each choir has three pieces prepared for judging and have been working toward this event since the winter break. All
chorus members will then celebrate with a trip to Medieval Times for dinner and show.
The cast and chorus of the Spring Musical, "Once On This Island" are hard at work rehearsing scenes, songs, and dances. The
dates of performances this year are: May 18th @ 7:00 p.m., May 19th @ 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and May 20th @ 2:00
p.m. This beautiful musical told in the style of a folk story is not to be missed!
Band – Mrs. Shoemaker and Mr. Adams
Congratulations to all band students who participated in the Talent Showcase and the Solo and Ensemble Contest in February!
Technology - Mr. Smit and Mr. Vonch
All technology students are getting into green screen movie making in class. The students are learning how to properly use a
video/still camera, positioning of lights, and how to use green screen chromakey software to make it look like they are standing
on the streets of Paris or on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Art - Mrs. Rogers
HCMS will be participating in two arts events during March. The first will be the annual Lincoln-Way ArtWorks regional arts
event, on Saturday, March 24th, at Lincoln-Way East High School. Schools from around the Lincoln Way area attend the event
to display artwork, participate in arts demonstrations and musical performances. This year approximately 30 students from Hickory Creek will have their work on display at the event. The Second will be the District 157-C Creative Arts Showcase on Friday,
March 30th at Grand Prairie. Many students who have participated in art classes throughout the school year will have their work
on display at this event.
In class we will be busy as well. Eighth grade students in the Sculpture and Design Class will be working on their clay projects.
Eighth grade students in the Drawing and Painting class will be working on watercolor landscape paintings. Seventh grade students will be painting their masks and studying the concept of balance in art. Sixth grade students will be glazing their clay pots
and drawing realistic animals.
Spanish - Mrs. Justus and Mrs. Conroy
¡Feliz marzo! (Happy March!)
During the remaining weeks of third quarter, students in sixth grade Spanish will be continuing their focus on the vocabulary of
the classroom, colors, the body, adjectives of description with the verb ser, as well as the verb tener when describing age. Sixth
grade students worked very diligently on their country presentations in February, and will continue to review the geography
of Spanish-speaking countries this month.
Students in seventh grade Spanish will be learning to count from 100 to 1000, how to describe school supplies and articles of
clothing, as well as use adjectives of color. They will also be working on their personality bags (Bolsas de personalidad) which
is a great way to help them to summarize what they've learned during their 9 weeks of Spanish this year, as well as give them a
chance to express their personality in Spanish. We will be asking that each student bring in a small gift bag with handles to help
begin their project.
Students in eighth grade Spanish will be learning vocabulary to help them to comment on food, take an order and make polite
requests, talk about meals, and offer help and give instructions. In addition, they will also be comparing the verbs ser and estar,
as well as continue practicing with stem-changing verbs. Students will also begin their studies in using direct object pronouns
and affirmative informal commands. It will be a perfect time for students to practice their Spanish while dining at home or at a
restaurant. Please encourage them to communicate in authentic situations!
HICKORY CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL- March 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Winter Band Social @ HCMS 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Friday, March 2, 2012
NO SCHOOL - Teacher Institute
Saturday, March 3, 2012
FSP Market Day Pick-Up @ GP 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Monday, March 5, 2012
March 6 – Friday, March 9, 2012
NO SCHOOL – Casmir Pulaski Holiday Tuesday,
National Nutrition Week
Tuesday, March 6 – Friday, March 19, 2012 ISAT Testing and Make-Ups
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Regional Science Fair
Saturday, March 10, 2012
IGSMA Choral Contest @Summit Hill Junior High
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Daylight Savings Time Begins
Monday, March 12, 2012
Board of Education Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Hot Lunch – FSP
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Winter Sports Awards Night
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Spring Band Concert @ 6:00 P.M.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Band IGSMA District Contest at Manhattan JHS
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Hot Lunch – Chorus
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Scholastic Bowl @ Mokena JHS
Friday, March 23, 2012
Band – ISU Jazz Festival
Tuesday, March 27 – Friday, March 30, 2012 FSP Book Fair
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Bosco Snack – Athletic Boosters
Friday, March 30, 2012
Registration Packets Home
Saturday, March 31, 2012
FSP Market Day Pick-Up @ GP 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
To access athletic event information please go to the Athletic link
located in Hickory Creek Middle School.