The Falcon Connection
Your link to Quail Hollow Middle School | December 13 2016
The Simple Gift of Appreciation
Important Dates
Events listed are current as of the date of publication. Always check the QHMS website and social media for updates.
DECEMBER
- Wed 14 Winter Sport athletes team photos, 4:15pm
- Wed 14 Citizen Schools WOW event, 4:45pm
- Thu 15 Talent Development / AIG parent meeting, 7:45am
- Thu 15 Basketball @ South Clt, 5:00 girls; 6:00 boys
- Fri 16 Hat Day fundraiser for 8th grade field trip - $1in the Cafe during arrival
- Mon 19 Basketball @ JM Robinson, 5:00 girls; 6:00 boys
- Tue 20 Spirit Wear order deadline
- Tue 20 Winter Concerts: Orchestra 6:00pm; Bands 7:00pm
- Wed 21 Last school day of 2016
- Wed 21 Annual Holiday Cookie Extravaganza for QH Staff
- NO SCHOOL Winter Holiday Dec 22-Jan 3
JANUARY
- Wed 4 Back to School
- Thu 5 Choral Concert, 6:30pm
- Fri 6 Hat Day fundraiser for 8th grade field trip - $1in the Cafe during arrival
- Mon 9 Basketball HOME v Carmel, 5:00 girls; 6:00 boys
- Tue 10 Dance Performance, 6:00pm
- Wed 11 Future Falcon Parent Open House, 5:30pm
- Thu 12 Basketball @ AG, 5:00 boys; 6:00 girls
- Fri 13 EARLY RELEASE, school day ends 1:15pm
- Mon 16 NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Jr Holiday
Donate Baked Goods for Annual Staff Holiday Cookie Party
Holiday Cheer for Falcons in Need
NJHS Seeking Donations for Care Packages
AIG Update for Parents of TD Students
Thursday, December 15 at 7:45 AM - 8:45 AM
#ChooseQuail - There's a Lot to Talk About
Many families with future 6th graders are thinking about why they should choose QH as their middle school home. Let's show our Falcon Pride and help spread the word about these good things happening at our school:
- We are successfully growing academic proficiency! In 2015-16, we EXCEEDED EXPECTED GROWTH on EOGs and NCFEs! The range for meeting growth is between -2.0 to 2.0, and QHMS scored a whopping 6.14 growth on EOG/EOCs and 11.82 for all state tests!
- We are nurturing healthy bodies, minds, and attitudes! Our Health & PE Department is a model for the district and state! QHMS has a one-of-a kind Fitness Lab to help promote a healthy lifestyle for students, ...and no other CMS middle school has anything like it.
- We benefit from mutually beneficial, positive partnerships with organizations and people in our community, including Forest Hill Church, Elevation Church, and area high school honor societies. Our partners support us in many ways including one-on-one mentoring with students through the North Star reading program!
Do you have friends that want to know more? Private tours are now available - a great way to get answers to YOUR questions! Contact Deidra Nava, Assistant Principal
Prospective parents are also invited to get a snapshot of life at QHMS at our Future Falcon Open House, Wednesday, January 11, 6:00pm. Hear it straight from leaders, teachers, students, and parents.
And remember...Future Falcons are always welcome on campus - invite them to attend a sporting event, a performance, or arrange for a school day visit. Save the date for a special spirit night January 26 and cheer on our Falcon Basketball teams with students from other feeder elementary schools!
Questions about any events for Future Falcons, contact Deidra Nava, Assistant Principal
Keeping Up with The Falcons: Facebook, Instagram & Twitter
Children's Theatre of Charlotte comes to QHMS on Anti-Bullying Tour
6th grader Lanie Kupreanik reflected on the performance for the Falcon Connection:
On Tuesday, December 6th, all 6th and 7th graders saw a play about the “new kid” and how you can handle being bullied. This play showed all of us that everyone is different. “We are as strange to them as they are to us.” This quote tells us that everyone is special in their own way.
I thought this play was funny because the language was different and it made the play more interesting. I also thought this play was inspiring because it taught you how to get through tough times in life, (being the “new kid”). This play also helps kids who want to make new friends or want to learn another language.
Overall this play was funny, inspiring, and exciting, and can teach you many life lessons.
For more information about CTC's "New Kid" as well as tickets to future performances at CTC's ImaginOn theatre uptown, click here.
8th Graders Explore "American Dreams" through Poetry
8th Grade Language Arts students are exploring different definitions of the American Dream by studying poetry. Classes discussed different definitions of the "American Dream" and developed as a class their own working definition of the term. Poems were selected that spoke to the students about various promises of the American Dream (such as “The New Colossus,” a poem about the Statue of Liberty) and examples in American history of how those dreams hold up for different groups (Native Americans, immigrant children, Syrian refugees, African Americans, etc...).
The students gain experience identifying an author’s perspective and the impact of that perspective on his/her writing along with the time period. This analysis of the author also helps students determine how the author felt about the attainability of the American Dream. In the words of Langston Hughes:
O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
QH Musicians Earn Seats with CMS Honors Orchestra
Congratulations to the following QH orchestra students who recently auditioned for coveted positions with the CMS Honors Orchestra: Audrey Evans, Cannon Honbarrier, Eun Hong, Jordan Meyer, Melanie Moo, Amore Nunez, Lillian O'Donnell, and Daniel Wilk. Auditions were held Novemebr 19 at East Meck High School. The Honors Orchestra will perform at Waddell Academy the weekend of February 10th and 11th. Yay Falcon Strings!
Basketball Season: Concession Stand Help
Volunteer Opportunities:
The QH Booster Club sells a wide array of food and snack items during all home basketball games. But we can't open the concession stand without help from parents! Make it a new year's resolution to volunteer for a shift, and catch some awesome basketball action! Contact Booster Club president, Jill Armstrong, jdnarmstrong@hotmail.com if you can help any time from 5:00 - 7:00pm at the following games: Jan 9, 17, 26, 30 and Feb 9.
Sports Spotlight on QHMS Volleyball Spikers!
By student-athlete correspondents Julia Kanos and Addy Aceveda
Our volleyball team consisted of 12 players from both 7th and 8th grade and 2 coaches, Ms. Williams and Ms. Weissert. They are both 8th grade teachers. Ms. Williams teaches 8th ELA, and Ms. Weissert teachers 8th Science. Coach Williams and coach Weissert taught us how to continue to getter better at the small things (passing) so that we could eventually get better at the big things (hitting). Our team was full of encouragement and support which was a definite strength.
The bus rides were always fun. Olivia, one of our team captains, would bring her bluetooth speaker and put on music. It would get us really pumped and ready for our game. This helped us bond and become even more of a team.
One of our most special moment was when we got to play in the Breast Cancer Awareness game at Southwest Middle in October. It made us realize that playing a sport that we love to play can also help us help others. We felt very lucky to be a part of it. We even got to play against parents that night!!
Some teammates were recognized for the hard work on the court. Cami was the most improved player because she put in a lot of effort to get better in her first year ever of playing volleyball. Addy was the Shining Star because she was always cheering on her teammates and kept everyone pumped up and positive. Julia was the Most Valuable Player because she picked up the skills very naturally and helped us to get better.
Playing on a team taught us to never give up and to work together. In volleyball, like other team sports, there is no “i” in team. So we depended on one another and really showed what it meant to work hard as a unit.
QH Spirit Wear - Perfect Gifts for Your Falcon
The QH Booster Club has spirit wear available just in time for holiday gift giving! Apparel was on display Tuesday, Dec 13 during lunch periods and will also be available to preview on Wednesday Dec 14 to pick up a few items or place orders. Look for the order forms that your student may have picked up! Order forms will also be available in the front office. Orders are due December 20th. Items will arrive in January. Items range from $15 (t shirts) to $25 (hoodies). All profits benefit QH Athletics.
NEW NAME: Amazon Smile *Quail Hollow School PTA*
Get SMART About School: CMS News & Education Events
A New Reality: High Poverty and High Performing Schools
Three-part series hosted by Teach for America
This Thursday, December 15, the Charlotte chapter of Teach for America hosts the 2nd in it's 3-part speaker series "A New Reality: High-Poverty and High-Performing Schools". This session will be led by two dynamic, nationally acclaimed speakers: David J. Johns (Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans) and Terrell Hill (Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for Windsor Public Schools). The event is free and open to the public to join the discussion about efforts across the nation to empower communities to change how students in high poverty schools are perceived and supported.
6:30pm-8:00pm, UNCC Center City Campus Uptown, 320 East 9th St. Click here for more details.
CMS Names New District Superintendent
Clayton Wilcox of Hagerstown, Maryland has been named CMS' new superintendent to succeed Superintendent Ann Clark, who has been in the role since Jan. 27, 2015. Clark, who replaced, continues as superintendent through June 2017. CMS thanks the many parents and community members who participated in the feedback sessions that helped shape the search and selection process. More information about the new superintendent will be available soon!
Keep Learning on Winter Break
Math Xtra - Your Questions Answered on LIVE TV
STEM meets Aviation
Aviation Camps of the Carolinas Inc will conduct its next aviation career camp Dec 27th for grades 4-8 and Dec 28th grades 9-12 with Aviation Merit Badge blue card completion.
This fast pace single day of amazing and secret careers in aviation is built just for the enjoyment and interaction with young people from all over our region. This quarter, Aviation Camps will be held at Concord Regional Airport, in Concord NC.
This Program is for motivated aviation enthusiasts as well as those who are just curious about airplanes or unknowingly seeking a new perspective on life. The goal of Aviation Camps of the Carolinas is to show that aviation is a fun and interesting career. Once its secrets are revealed, it becomes a practical and exciting option for students.
Registration: Class size each day is limited to 35 (unless coordinated through ACC). Lunch and T-shirts are included. Chaperones may also register, limited to 3 per day.
Click the appropriate link to register: grades 4-8 or grades 9-12 and Boy Scouts
Lend A Hand: QHMS Volunteers
North Star Reading Buddies – Can you spare 45 minutes / week?
QH Booster Club – Join Us!
Bring Back Your QH Spirit Wear!
Do you have extra QHMS spirit wear or PE uniforms going unworn and taking up space in your closet? Please consider donating to the PE department – we can put that Falcon flair to good use for deserving students. Items can be dropped off in the front office or given to Coach Rose or any member of the PE staff.
Backpacks, Backpacks!
Tell ‘Em QHMS Sent You! “The Rusty Onion” Gives Back!
Link your Harris Teeter VIC to QHMS
Sabre News
Drop your receipt in the SMHS bucket when you eat at Carolina Pavilion Chick-Fil-A through12/22 to help the Sabres win $1,000!
Our Quail Hollow Falcons are “Future Sabres” at South Mecklenburg High School. Start building that South Meck Sabre pride now and get to know your future school home!
South Meck School Website | South Meck Sports Schedules | South Meck PTSA | Follow South Meck on Facebook and Instagram
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Email: qhfalcon@gmail.com
Website: http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/quailhollowMS/Pages/Default.aspx
Location: 2901 Smithfield Church Road, Charlotte, NC, United States
Phone: 980-343-3620
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuailHollowMiddleSchool
Twitter: @QuailHollowMS