News From The Hill December 2015

NEWS FROM THE HILL
Hopkinton High School
December 2015
Volume V, Issue 3
Yearbook ordering information…...pg. 9
Upcoming
December 3rd: Talent
Show 7pm
December 7th:
Grading Reports available on iPass at 5pm
December 8th:School
Council 2:30pm in A219
December 10th: Student Council presents
Mr. Hiller 7pm
December 14th: HS
Band Concert 7pm
Model United Nations
On November 14th, the HHS Model United Nations club attended a
conference hosted at Catholic Memorial High School. Model UN
conferences create opportunities for students to discuss and debate
real-life issues and challenges that face diplomats and politicians.
Students that attend are interested in developing a passion for
negotiation and an interest in international diplomacy. Committees
debate and negotiate resolutions to topics related to environmental
issues, science and technology, modern crisis simulations as well as
historical crises. Once again, Hopkinton High School was well
represented and did a great job!
Austin Black, Michael Karlis, Owen McNamara, Kyra Moed, Trevor
Perkins and Erica Stefano all won awards for their skills is negotiation
and diplomacy at the conference.
December 16th: HS
Chorus Concert 7pm
December 23rd: Last
Day of Classes
December
24th-January 3rd: No
School, Winter Vacation
January 4th:School
re-opens
January 5th: Grading
Reports available on
IPass
FROM THE COUNSELING OFFICEREMINDERS TO SENIORS
Seniors with January 1st deadlines should have transcript requests in the Counseling Office
ASAP. Counselors and support staff need time to process all requests before
December, 11. The Counseling Department will be closed December 24 through January 3;
no requests will be processed during that time.

Early Action and Early Decision letters should be arriving soon! It is important to let your
counselor know the results so that we can update Naviance.

If you receive a notice that some of your application materials are missing, such as the
transcript and recommendations, please do not panic. The likelihood that you will receive at
least one such notice is very good. Often college work-study students are hired to scan paper
documents into your application files and these can occasionally get misplaced, misfiled, or
lost. Even electronically transmitted documents can be misfiled at the college admissions office. Also, there may be a lag time between receipt of your documents and the scanning
in or downloading of your materials to the college's system. There may be a further gap between the time of receipt and the acknowledgement of receipt on the college's online portal.

If at any time you are worried about this or if you have received an alarming correspondence
about missing documents, please do not hesitate to contact your school counselor to follow
up. A phone call is usually all it takes to straighten out the situation. Similarly, you are encouraged to call the admissions office at any time if you have concerns about whether or not your
application is complete.
SOPHOMORE & JUNIOR STUDENTS PSAT RESULTS
PSAT test results should be available online at the College Board website mid to late
December. Students are strongly encouraged to make an appointment with their
counselor to discuss how to interpret test scores, as well as any questions or
concerns they may have regarding their test scores.
SAT Test Dates:
ACT Test Dates:
December 5, 2015
December 12th, 2015
January 23, 2016
February 6, 2016
March 5, 2016
April 9, 2016
May 7, 2016
June 11, 2016
June 4, 2016
Juniors ACT Free Practice Test Offered by KaplanKaplan Test Prep will be hosting a Free ACT Practice Test at Hopkinton High School
on Saturday January 30th, 2016 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to become familiar with the ACT before taking the actual exam. All students who take the practice
test will receive a detailed score report outlining strengths and weaknesses. To register
online please visit http://kaplan.formstack.com/forms/hopkinton_act to register by phone
please call 1-800-KAP-TEST and reference event code AKKA160001.
Parents of Juniors should watch for an email from Naviance inviting you to sign in to
our Family Connection site. We are in the process of setting up junior parent accounts that
are linked to your child’s account. This will enable you to explore colleges, assess your
child’s competitiveness at individual colleges based on GPA and test scores, and be included
in important emails from the Counseling Staff regarding upcoming deadlines and college visits. When you receive the email with a generic password, please sign in and change your
password to one you will remember. Have fun exploring the site. Be warned—it can be
addictive!
Scholarships with December Deadlines
Elks National Foundation – Dec 4
MA AFL-CIO Scholarship Exam- Registration Deadline- Dec 14
NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award- Dec 18
**Information on these scholarships can be found on the Naviance/Scholarship List.
HHS WRITING CENTER!
Have you heard about the HHS Writing Center? New to the school
this year, the Writing Center provides students with one-on-one
support to help improve their writing at any stage of the process,
from brainstorming to final drafts. Students can sign up for
appointments during the day when they have availability during
study halls, lunches, or after school. Sign-ups are first come first
serve, so writers should plan ahead and not expect appointments to
be available the day before a deadline. Stop by the Writing Center,
room 303A, for more information, or contact Kate Forsythe, Writing
Center Teacher, at [email protected]
Talented HHS Art Students at work!
Senior Class Fundraiser
The senior class will be selling “Alex & Ani Style” Hopkinton Charm bracelets for $20 at all
home basketball games this winter. These make a great gift for the holiday. One size fits
all. Contact a class advisor (Mike [email protected] or Mike [email protected]) or class officer for more information.
Book
Club Events
Our next meeting is Thursday, December 10th from 2-3pm in room 218 (off the
Library). We will be discussing the book The Martian by Andy Weir. All are
welcome!
The next book sale is Tuesday December 15th and Wednesday December 16th
during all lunches. All items are $1-$5. The proceeds help fund the purchase of
our upcoming book selections.
Project Just Because
Hopkinton High School, along with other schools in the district are
supporting “Project Just Because” in their collection of food for the
Hopkinton Food Pantry that assists our own Hopkinton families in need
of food each month. There is a bin located in the atrium at the High
School. Donations requested are listed below:
Gift Certificates for food
Muffin mix
Apple Juice
Sugar
Flour
Hot chocolate
Coffee
Stuffing mix
Peas
Carrots
Canned beets
Mixed vegetables
Instant potatoes
Canned cranberry sauce
Gravy
Canned Fruit
Salad dressing: Caesar, Ranch or Thousand Island
Italian
Bread Mixes
Jell-O
Pudding
Brownie Mix
Pie filling: Blueberry, Cherry
Pie Crust
Check out Hopkinton High School’s
completely student run online news
at—http://www.hhspress.org/
Music Notes
Massachusetts Music Educators Association Central District
On Saturday, November 14th, students from Hopkinton traveled to
Grafton High School to audition for the Massachusetts Music
Educators Association Central District Music Festival. Over 1000
students from the central part of the state auditioned for positions in the district band,
orchestra, or chorus.
Vocalists Bella Komodromos, and Jack McAuliffe, will be performing with
the Central District Festival Chorus. Representing Hopkinton in the District Band and
orchestra are Tiffany Hou (Violin), Rachel Chen (flute), Bronwyn Pappas Byers and Devon
Rancourt (cello), Jonathan Keeley and Daniel Moreno (clarinet), Olivia Handrahan
(french horn), and Andrew Keeley (trombone).
The Central District Festival performance will be held at Mechanics Hall in Worcester on
Saturday, January 16th, 2016.
YEARBOOK INFORMATION
Last Day to Purchase a Yearbook is January 15! Order your book today!
Q. Where do I go to order a book or a personal advertisement?
www.yearbookordercenter.com school code: 8904
Q. How much is a book?
$85 dollars. After January 1st the cost will be $99 dollars.
Q. If my child waits to order one on distribution day, will there be enough?
No. There will not be enough extra books for all of the seniors. PLEASE
order your book ahead of time.
Q. When is the last day to order a yearbook?
January 15th. This is a hard deadline.
Q. When do students get their books?
Seniors will get them on their last day of school and underclassmen will receive
them the weeks following.
Please communicate to your child if you have purchased a yearbook for them!
This will help with distribution at the end of the year. More information regarding
photos needed, advertisement purchases, and student voting forms found on the
yearbook website: http://hilleryearbook.weebly.com/ or follow us on twitter
@HillersYearbook.
beFREE!!
beFREE had a great turnout for
their fall Handball Tournament.
13 teams and more than 100
students showed up on
Tuesday the 10th for an
evening of fun and
competition. Special thanks to
our officials as well as the (2nd
place) staff team, and congrats
to our Champs: Cam, Jack,
Alex, Jake, Kyle and Sam!
Holiday
Giving Tree
The sophomore class is currently sponsoring A Giving Tree in
cooperation with Project Just Because. Ornamental stars with
specific gift needs will be available sometime next week, just in
time for Black Friday shopping. We will display the tree in the foyer
through December 11th or until all stars are taken. Unwrapped
items can be dropped off in the counseling office, and will be
delivered to Project Just Because.
Winter Holidays Concerts
The Hopkinton Music Department will be presenting a series of Winter Concerts December
14,15 & 16. December 14 will feature the 8th Grade Band, High School Repertory and
Concert Bands and Jazz Ensembles. The December 15 concert will be an all orchestra night
featuring students 6-12. The final concert will be be a choral night featuring the 8th grade
and High School Chorus. Refreshments will be served after each performance. Tickets are
$5 per person with a $20 dollar family cap. All proceeds go to the Hopkinton Music
Association Scholarship Fund and to help defray the cost of the refreshments.
In addition to the high school and 8th grade performances, our middle and elementary
groups will presenting their concerts in December. Please join us! the Hopkins and Middle
School concerts are free and open to the public.
MusicDepartmentDecemberPerformanceCalendar
Performing Group
Date
Day
Time
Location
Hopkins School
12/9/15
Wednesday 7:00pm
HS Athletic Center
Orchestra Night 6-12
12/15/15
Tuesday
7:00pm
HS Auditorium
HS Bands & 8th Grade
12/14/15
Monday
7:00pm
MS Auditorium
MS 6th Grade
12/8/15
Tuesday
7:00pm
MS Auditorium
MS 7th Grade
12/7/15
Monday
7:00pm
MS Auditorium
HS & 8th Grade Chorus
12/16/15
Wednesday 7:00pm
MS Auditorium
Hopkinton Music Association
It is still not too late to become a member of the Hopkinton Music Association.
Please consider membership and support our student musicians. Please visit the
HMA website for more information.
Junior Experience Update
Thanks so much to all the community members who have already stepped up to
help get our Junior Experience Program off the ground. Our students have had
some great opportunities already this year, but we still have many students in
search of job shadowing, internship and volunteer opportunities... can you help us
out? Contact the JEP Advisor, Kiely Murray.
News from the Class of 2018!
There are some events coming up, and as always, we’d like to keep you updated!
Mr. and Mrs. Hiller Baskets- We are having our Mr. and Mrs. Hiller raffle this weekend at these
locations:
-Before each of the High School’s production of 42nd Street on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday, 11/19-11/22.
-Basketball tap-off at the High School throughout the weekend, 11/19-11/22.
Make sure you buy a ticket for a chance to win some cool and fashionable merchandise from the
school store!
Project Just Because Giving Tree- For the second year, we are bringing back the Giving Tree!
On a small tree in the lobby, there will be hearts with items written on them hanging from the
tree. Anyone can take a heart and bring in the item written on it. Every gift will go to a family for
the holidays. The tree will be placed up sometime next week, so please be sure to take a heart!
Yogurt Beach- We wanted to thank Yogurt Beach and all of those who came to Yogurt beach
two weeks ago to support our class! We made over $150 in profit, and we couldn’t have done it
without you! We will be having another fundraiser at Yogurt Beach later in the year, so make sure
to look out for that!
Class dues- Just a reminder that the cost of dues will increase from $45 to $50 after
Thanksgiving. Please try to get these in as soon as possible!
Salsa Dancers visit HHS Foreign Language classes!
Thanks to the generous funding provided by HPTA, Hacha y Machete, a world renown Salsa Dance Company, visited Hopkinton High School for a day of dance lessons and demonstrations. Upper level Spanish
students were introduced to Meringue, Bachata y Salsa. Students had a great time trying out the steps! The
enthusiasm was unbelievable, and many students left wanting to learn more. Many thanks to Victor and
Burju Perez, the incredible dancers and to Lauren Polansky for planning this event for our students.
Thank-A-Teacher Program - Now thru December 15th
The Thank-A-Teacher program is a great way to tell your child’s teachers “Happy Holidays!” and let them
know how much you appreciate the work that they do! Each educator honored by a donation receives a
personalized card from your child and the Education Foundation thanking them for their work. Last
December, more than 200 educators received Thank-A-Teacher acknowledgements from families. It's a
popular program that recognizes teachers for their dedication, and helps to support their efforts to give
students the tools and motivation to become lifelong learners. All proceeds fund Hopkinton Education
Foundation grants in the schools.
To participate, download and complete the form from the Hopkinton Education Foundation’s website:
www.HopkintonEducationFoundation.org/images/TATflyer_fall2015.pdf.
Thank-A-Teacher donations will be accepted until December 15th. Any questions, please contact
Christine Coffman at [email protected].
HHS LIBRARY NEWS
The HHS Library will be hosting another movie night, Wednesday, December 2nd at 6:30pm.
Three movies will be playing on separate screens, movie titles TBA - stay tuned! Light
refreshments will be available for purchase, and a seasonal craft will be offered as well. All are
welcome!
The new HHS Makerspace (grant funded by the Hopkinton Education Foundation), located in
the library, continues to be bustling. The 3D printer has arrived and students have been busy
modeling and printing their own 3D designs. A makerspace, by definition, is a creative, DIYspace where students can gather to create, invent, learn, and discover, using a variety of
materials (OEDB.org). The HHS Library makerspace contains a 3D printer, sewing machine,
arduino, robotics, and electronic kits, as well as numerous craft supplies. As an extension of
our new makerspace, HHS students have formed their own “Craft Club,” which meets every
other Tuesday after school. If your high school student is a DIY-type, please encourage him or
her to join us at our next meeting!
December
Grade 9
The school nurse, with the support of administration, will be conducting the 9th grade state mandated
health screens during the week of finals in January. All 9th grade students must have their posture, vision
and hearing screened. If you do not want your child to be screened by the school you must submit a doctor’s note saying that your child has been screened by their physician within the last year. The final dates
and times will be sent out via Listserve, put on the school calendar and announced during your child’s
advisory in the weeks before finals.
Grade 10
All 10th grade students will have their BMI measured per state mandate during the second semester of the
school year. This will be done with the cooperation of the Wellness Department and prior notification will
be given to parents via listserve and class announcements. If you do not want your child screened please
notify the school nurse in writing and submit a doctor’s note stating they are followed by their physician.
Information regarding state mandated screenings in schools can be found at :
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/community-health/primarycarehealthaccess/school-health/school-health-screening.html
Please contact the school nurse, Sarah Patterson BSN, RN, NCSN at 508-497-9816 or by
email [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.
Hopkinton Parks and Rec. HS Ski & Board Program - SIGN UP NOW!
It is starting to get cold and the weatherman has said that there is Snow (hopefully mostly at the
mountain) in the forecast. So now is the time to sign up for the Hopkinton Parks and Rec. HS Ski &
Board Program! It is easier than ever this year as both the Parks & Rec bus and the Wachusett
sign up and payment are done on-line.
Sign up now so the Program will run again this year!!
REMINDER! SIGN UP is open & active on-line! SIGN UP NOW! !
Hopkinton Parks and Rec. HS Ski and Snowboard Program - 2015
Here is how to sign up: For the P & R Bus - Go to hopkintonrec.org – Click on “How to Register”
and follow the instructions. You are signing up for the Youth Ski Program - High School!
For Wachusett – Go to wachusett.com/schoolgroup and use HOPKPR for the code. Decide which
type of pass or badge you want and if you want lessons, rentals etc., then click on those choices.
The six week program choice is “Lift Badge”, or you may choose any type season pass. Please try
to fill out the same information here as you used on the P & R sign up!
DE-STRESS WEEK!
Just a reminder that next week is 'De-Stress' week (Nov. 23rd - 25th) followed by a homework free weekend over Thanksgiving. Teachers have been instructed to not assign any
homework, projects, papers or even schedule assessments on the Monday we get back from
Thanksgiving break (or the Tuesday if your don't have the class on Monday).
The purpose of De Stress week is to bring attention to the stressors we all have in our busy
lives and to experiment with strategies we can use to manage our stress in healthy
ways. We understand that De-Stress week will not eliminate your stress, but we hope that
during this time you'll be able to find stress-management techniques that work for you.
We take the well-being of our students and staff very seriously and feel it's extremely
important to create time for everyone here at HHS to find a healthy balance between school,
family and friends.
Click here to see the schedule of events next week.