The Hawks Nest #2
Hillview ASB, HawkTalk, & Mr. Darmanin - April 24, 2020
The Return of HawkTalk and ASB Elections!
This week's newsletter will focus on the return of HawkTalk and the ASB Elections as well as important information how to access the speeches and your ballot (6th/7th grade).
The rest of our newsletter will contain:
- Talent Show Update: Submissions are due May 4th (with new suggestions!)
- Photo Challenge Results from the Weekly Wag
- New Artsy Photo Challenge with a Disney twist
- New stay-at-home activities and games you can play to pass the time.
- Feel Good News you can use from Hillview ASB!
~Mr. Darmanin
HawkTalk Returns! Filmed on Wed, April 22, 2020
ASB Elections: 6th/7th Graders Can Begin Voting!
While any student can view speeches, ONLY 6th and 7th graders logins will work for the ballot. This ensures that only eligible voters will cast a ballot for the ASB elected executive board.
Why every 6th and 7th grader should vote!?
ASB Elections are a great time to ask yourself as a student, what sort of qualities do I want in my student leaders? What sort of activities do I want to see? What sort of vibe do I want created on campus? Taking the time to view all speeches and learn about the candidates will allow you to make an informed choice about the types of leaders you want planning school events and setting an example for others.
In addition, each position carries with it responsibilities. You can read about these job descriptions in our Hillview ASB Constitution. As you'll read, some jobs, like Treasurer and Secretary, require students to be able to organize information, record expenses, and tally votes accurately. Other jobs like Media and Photography Managers, Student Store Manager, and Activities Commissioners will require them to document our year, take care of inventory, and decide on themes that meet the needs of all students. The President and Vice President run the meetings, set the tone, and address the school weekly on HawkTalk.
Lastly, this doesn't have to be some "popularity contest"! In fact, only 50% of their candidate score comes from vote totals with the rest coming from their application. We ask you, the student body, to be thoughtful and considerate in their choices on who they believe is the best fit for the job.
This year's candidates who bravely put themselves out there all deserve our gratitude and respect. Thank you candidates for taking a risk and showing tremendous grit!
ASB President
Brooke Fehrenbach
Tessa Goldman
Stephen Halsey
Abbie MacLeod
Kate McBride
Will Miller
Corbin Nam
Lily Nye
Ella Thomson
Activities Commissioner
Maddie Blunt
Elizabeth Chan
Alaina (Lainey) Egnal
Hayden Frye
Kelsey Kraska
Lauren Mrva
Varsha Sripadham
Art Publicity Chair
Lilah Chen
Mackenzie Danzig
Miller Scott
Kaylie Tedesco
Media and Photography Manager
Luna Brosamer
Sara Djafari
Arden Margulis
Teagan Murphy
Lexi Nelson
Ameya Nori
Sophia Rennison
Shiloh Robinson
William Sherman
Secretary
Izzy Enerio
Zoe Fong
Student Store Manager
Charlotte Hayhurst
Callie West
Paul Whelan
Treasurer
Aliana Marakovic
Addison (Addy) McCombs
Celeste Zucker
6th/7th Graders: all you will need is your MPCSD login/password to vote.
For student privacy, the election speeches are posted to your Hawks Nest Google Classroom. If you don't yet have access to the Google Classroom Hawks Nest, please contact Mr. Chui or Mr. Darmanin for assistance.
The Ballot is open now to 6th/7th graders where you use your User Name without @mpcsd.org (ex: bdarmanin not bdarmanin@mpcsd.org) and your MPCSD password.
Link to Ballot: https://www.tallyspace.com/vote/hillview
Deadline to Vote: Friday, May 1st 11:59pm
Photo/Video Challenge #2: Disney Art!
Rules:
- You can submit a photo of you holding your finished artwork or a video time lapse of you creating the art!
- Please include YOURSELF in the photo if you want to be included in the newsletter.
See below for a tutorial on how to draw Disney characters or search YouTube for "How to Draw __(insert favorite character here)___". Good luck, Hawks!
Show us your creative "I'm Bored" videos?
Send us your short (under 1 minute) video clips of any random thing you have done while on shelter in place to pass the time. Use your phone or iPad to film/submit. Click the button below to send!
The virtual Hillview Talent Show: How does it work?
1. There are no auditions! Just submit your video using the links below or go to TinyURL.com/hvts2020. Attach your talent video and we'll put it in the talent show! This should be your FINAL DRAFT exactly as you want it to appear.
2. All videos will be introduced by our Talent Show ASB MC's and put together into one big video that livestreams on May 15th, 2020 6:30pm on YouTube [link TBD] and archived for future watching if you miss it!
3. Your video CAN be longer than 60 seconds...in fact, many acts are 3 minutes long on average, but we want to encourage SHORTER videos so we can make time for everyone. We also might need to shorten some videos to make everything fit together.
4. Videos can be obvious things like singing, dancing, and instruments. We need those! However, they can also be things like screen recording yourself creating art or filming yourself making art and doing a time-lapse. Perhaps you can do some clever video editing "magic"? Are you an actor? You could act out a scene with a friend from home and split screen. What ideas do you have? Send them!
5. Besides bringing our Hillview community together, we are also raising money for Second Harvest Food Bank. In fact, parents, you can donate BEFORE The talent show to help us hit our goal of $6000. We will be advertising this during the show similar to a telethon. Click Here to Visit Second Harvest Food Bank's Hillview Team Fundraising Page.
We hope you'll consider entering, watching, and/or donating to this year's virtual Hillview Talent Show benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank!
And now a message from Bertram Winkle from Disney Channel's JESSIE to Hillview students about this year's Talent Show
What's Streaming? Trolls: World Tour Mini Review By Sophie Robbins
Here’s some good news! With movie theaters closed, some are now releasing straight to on-demand iTunes/Prime Video. One such movie is Trolls: World Tour which can be rented for $19.99. Seems a little steep on price, but keep in mind that a family of four would probably pay double that amount to go to a movie theater.
This movie was brought to your homes early by DreamWorks because no one is currently allowed to go to the movie theaters. While most other spring and summer movies pushed back their release date, DreamWorks decided to bring this movie to everyone at home for some feel good entertainment. This movie will bring a smile to your face, and can be used as an excuse to get into your pajamas in the afternoon. Rent it, make some popcorn, grab a blanket, and enjoy a funny, entertaining movie night!
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Hillview Staff Meeting on Zoom!
Hillview Social Distancing Staff Meeting
Keeping connected while staying apart
We miss you all so much!
7th Graders: Apply to W.E.B. (Where Everybody Belongs!)
WEB (Where Everybody Belongs)
Hillview Middle School WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) program is recruiting! The program here is run by teachers Jacky Schlegel, Rob Lawrence, and Kara Connelly.
The program is seeking current 7th-grade students, to help lead the 6th-grade orientation and welcome all new students.
Join the Google Classroom with the code 6hnu2uj to learn more information about the program, the application process and requirements.
The Hillview Counseling Connection: THE POWER OF GRATITUDE
“As an important mental health principle, the benefits of gratitude extend far beyond what we may imagine.” - Lisa Firestone, Ph.D
Gratitude plays a critical role in finding success and happiness. Knowing what we appreciate in life allows us to have a better understanding of who we are and what matters the most to us and when we focus on what we are grateful for we find ourselves with a more positive mindset. According to research out of UC Berkeley, focusing on what we are grateful for is a universally rewarding way to feel happier and more fulfilled. Many studies have found that gratitude provides:
Increase in overall happiness
More optimistic and positive emotions
Better and more long lasting relationships
Better overall health
More progress toward personal goals
Less physical pain
More alertness and determination
Increased generosity and empathy
Better sleep
Improved self-esteem
In what ways do you practice gratitude? Here are a few ideas:
Practice Mindfulness
Keep a daily gratitude journal
Tell someone you love them and how much you appreciate them.
Include an act of kindness in your life each day.
Avoid negative media and movies with destructive content.
Volunteer for organizations that help others.
Don’t gossip or speak badly about anyone.
Commit to one day a week when you won’t complain about anything.
Say thank you more.
Share the benefits of gratitude with family and friends.
Sources:
1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/201511/the-healing-power-gratitude
2. https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/40-simple-ways-practice-gratitude.html
Take Care of Yourself and Reach Out If You Need Us - or even just to say Hello
Ms. Johnson: csjohnson@mpcsd.org
Ms. Raczkowski: kraczkowski@mpcsd.org
Ms. Watts: rwatts@mpcsd.org
Stay Well - HV Counselors
The Greatest Snickerdoodle Cookie By: Naomi Watson
If you like chewy, soft, and delicious cookies, you're in luck! I have found the most incredible Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe, EVER!!
To get started, preheat your oven to 400F degrees.
Mix ½ cup of Shortening, ½ cup softened butter, 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract, and 2 eggs all together in one big bowl!
After mixing all the liquids together, blend in 2 ¾ cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar. Mix all of the ingredients together, and boom! You have some delicious cookie dough!
Next shape the dough into round balls
After creating the cookie dough balls, mix together in a separate bowl, 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Dip your cookie dough balls into the dry mixture from step 4, then place your coated cookie balls on a ungreased cookie sheet
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until they are golden brown
After baking remove the cookies immediately from the cookie sheet
Now you have some delicious cookies to share with you and your family!
Source:https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10687/mrs-siggs-snickerdoodles/
Canines Vs. Corona by: Dylan Lanier
Dogs have helped humans sniff out bombs, drugs, cancer, and Parkinson’s disease. Now it’s time for a new challenge: COVID-19. An English medical charity, Medical Detection Dogs, is teaming up with Durham University and the Tropical Medicine and Hygiene School to start looking for promising pooches. Dogs have learned to smell malaria as well as other diseases, and researchers think it will definitely be possible. The goal is to have dogs determine whether someone should take the COVID-19 test or not. According to someone on the Medical Detection Dogs website, “... respiratory diseases like COVID-19, change our body odor so there is a very high chance that dogs will be able to detect it.” Although the use of dogs could be very beneficial, it raises some ethical issues. For one, the dogs would have to undergo many hours of training, and would have to work a lot. Is it fair for humans to decide that a dog should do that? Also, scientists are not yet certain which animals can get/spread it, so having dogs possibly being exposed to the virus could be harmful to their health. Should humans be allowed to put dogs in potentially dangerous situations for their own good? It’s important to remember questions like these when deciding whether or not dogs should be used as living test kits.
Source: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/dogs-joining-fight-against-covid/
Social Distancing Scavenger Hunt by: Miles Atchison
About the Author: Miles Atchison is a virtual 8th grader, Hawk’s Nest contributor, member of ASB, and science enthusiast. You could find him most days, pre-pandemic, at the skatepark.
Are you hunting for something to do during the pandemic lockdown? Desperate for new
ways to connect to others and satisfy that competitive spirit? Check this out. My family and I
created a digital scavenger hunt. We played this with our neighbors and friends across the
country. The game respects the rules of social distancing, all the items are found within your
home, and all you need to get started is your iphone.
Here's the link to the Scavenger Hunt Google Form Please feel free to share it with friends and family.
And remember, this too shall pass. Boredom is simply a matter of perspective.
“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it
destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” -Dr. Seuss
Making Boba Tea at home by: Lucy Higgins
Boba Tea, also known as Bubble tea, is one of my favorite drinks, but at this time, getting boba is more difficult. However, it’s really easy to make, so why don’t we just make it at home? Here is my easy recipe for making the tapioca pearls that go into boba tea from scratch:
Ingredients:
Tapioca Starch/Flour
Boiling water
Note: The exact measurements don’t really matter. Just have about a 2:1 ratio of flour to water.
Steps
Boil the water in a saucepan.
Place the flour into the water and mix into a dough. Try to avoid letting the flour clump into pockets of flour so work quickly! Some types of tapioca flour are fine with an off- stove method where boiling water is poured onto the flour and it will still turn into a doughy consistency but my flour requires the stove top way.
Once the flour is completely mixed with the water, you can take it off the stove and put it on a cutting board. Once it cools down, knead it but be careful not to burn yourself!
Roll the dough into long snakes and then cut them up into quarter inch size pieces. Then roll them into spheres. This approach makes it a lot quicker to produce large quantities of tapioca pearls.
Once you have your uncooked tapioca pearls, you can place them in a pot of boiling water until they reach your desired consistency, about 10 minutes. The water amount should cover all of the pearls.
When the pearls reach your desired consistency, drain them and place them in honey and brown sugar to sweeten them.
Note: These tapioca pearls will be a cream to white color, not the same as those typically found in store bought drinks. If you want to turn them black, adding black food dye when you are mixing the water and the flour will do the trick. Also, you can also sweeten them even more by mixing brown sugar with the water and flour in the saucepan.
If you would like more information, you can look here.
Slogans and Logos!
Like a good neighbor, ______________ is there? Do you think you know your brands if you only saw the logo? Do you know the brand if you only read the slogan? The things we’ve been hearing and seeing our entire lives, whether on the internet, on a billboard, or an ad on our favorite tv show, they’re there! The question is, can you recall ‘em? Take this fun trivia quiz to see if you can recognize them!
YouTube Recommendation: Some Good News with John Krasinski
Olivia Marsh here, your ASB V.P.
In tough times like these, it is crucial to spread good news and positivity. One great example of that is the happiness John Krasinski (yes, Jim from The Office) spreads through his “news channel” SGN (Some Good News). SGN highlights only the GOOD NEWS coming out of quarantine. One week he surprised a girl who was supposed to see Hamilton for the first time on her birthday. John set up a Zoom call with her so that she could meet his wife, Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins), but then surprised her with Lin-Manuel Miranda and the original Broadway cast of Hamilton who sang the opening song, “Alexander Hamilton” for her! And just last weekend John DJ’d prom for everyone missing their prom this year! He even had the Jonas Brothers and Billie Eilish perform! John Krasinski's “Some Good News” channel is exactly what we need right now, and can hopefully spread positivity to you while watching. Check out these links to watch the videos!
ep 1 (with Steve Carell) https://youtu.be/F5pgG1M_h_U
ep 2 (Hamilton) https://youtu.be/oilZ1hNZPRM
ep 3 (Baseball) https://youtu.be/Eg08rJGKjtA
ep 4 (Prom) https://youtu.be/VQLi2GYVULc
subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug
Photo Challenge #1 Results: The Weekly Wag (THANK YOU TO ALL!)
Eclair showing off her shades
Wolverine with his cat, Fifi
Ms. Garagozzo's new work BFF. (sorry front office, you have been replaced!)
Ms. Briot and Boomer. He smells good!
Ms. R's Fam
Mr. Darmanin, daughter and their newly adopted Lilly Belle
Library News: Battle of the Books!
Are you ready to cast your deciding vote? The Hillview Library is wrapping up Battle of the Books Distance Learning-style...Final round of Battle of the Books!
Chui's Wisely by Mr. Chui
Hello, Hawks! As another week of distance learning rolls by, we wanted to remind students about the new weekly schedule of class times and windows:
Mondays/Wednesdays:
9 am - 12 noon: ELA
12 noon - 3 pm: Science
Tuesdays/Thursdays:
9 am - 12 noon: Math
12 noon - 3 pm: Social Studies
Fridays:
All day: Electives, World Language, and PE
For many of you, your teachers have already pushed out what this schedule will look like in the forthcoming weeks, so you’re ready to go! If you’re not ready for the changes yet, you could prepare by setting your alarm clocks to a time probably earlier than when you’re getting up now to catch those early classes (if they exist). So, if you have a live session with Ms. Nguyen at 9am next Monday, remember to get yourself ready for some great learning bright and early! With every decision comes many choices. "Chui's wisely"
Social Distancing Bingo Board! by Hailey H.
Do you want to see what your fellow Hawks have been doing at home?! Cross off each square that you have completed, and then email it to hharris@mpcsd.org, or put it on your Instagram and tag @hillviewasb, or keep it just for yourself! How many squares can you get?
In the next edition of the Hawks Nest...
- Election update as ballots are set to close Friday, May 1st
- Results from the Disney art challenge
- Brand new challenges and polls
- Talent Show updates
- More news you can use from students like you!
...and so much more!