Hickory Creek Newsletter
September 2022
School Goals 2022-2023
- We will continue to provide rigor and opportunity for academic growth to all students in grades 6th - 8th.
Social/Emotional Goal:
- We will support staff and student social and emotional needs and enhance the opportunity for growth in relationships.
Communication Goal:
- We will increase opportunities for family engagement both during the school day and through extra-curricular activities.
Safety Goal:
- We will provide a safe learning environment for staff and students in grades 6th - 8th.
Hickory Creek August Pictures
Important Dates
September 2nd - No School, Teacher Institute Day
September 5th - No School, Labor Day
September 13th - Fall Fastbridge Screening for Reading
September 14th - Fall Fastbridge Screening for Math
September 14th - FSP Hot Lunch
September 21st - Education Foundation Hot Lunch
September 28th - Chorus Booster Hot Lunch
6th Grade ELA
Welcome to 6th Grade ELA! This year we will begin reviewing basic elements of a story and how to determine a theme. We will begin the quarter with our novel, I Will Always Write Back. This novel really expresses the importance of friendship and kindness, and how one person can impact the lives of others.
Honors ELA classes will read the first of a two-part author novel series, by Vince Vawter. Paperboy, the first novel, is set in the 1950’s, narrated by a young boy, with a severe stuttering disability. How does a young boy find his voice, when he can barely speak a complete sentence without stuttering?
A friendly reminder that students need a pair of headphones that can remain at school. (No wireless)
6th Grade Math
6th Grade Science
6th Grade Social Studies
7th Grade ELA
7th Grade Math
7th Grade Science
7th Grade Social Studies
8th Grade ELA
8th Grade Math
8th Grade Science
8th Grade Social Studies
Spanish
¡Bienvenidos!
8th grade Spanish 1
Students are starting the year off with a review of vocabulary (free time activities, personality traits, school) and grammar concepts (subject pronouns, the verb “ser”). We will then dive into Capitulo 2B: Tu sala de clases (Your Classroom) where students will learn to talk about the location of different supplies and items in the classroom. Srta. Vallejo, Sra. Bartolomeo, and Sra. Black are so excited to guide our students on their Spanish journey this year!
7th Grade Spanish
We are reviewing vocabulary from last year (free time activities, personality traits) and will begin Capitulo 2A: Tú dia en la escuela (Your Day at School) as our first unit. Students will be assessed on their communicative writing skills. We are looking forward to a great quarter!
6th Grade Spanish
We have begun our first unit Capitulo 1A: ¿Qué te gusta hacer? (What do you like to do?). Students will work in the domains of reading, listening, speaking, and writing to practice their interpretive and communicative language skills. We are looking forward to a great quarter!
Art
The new 8th Grade Adapted Encore class has been exploring art so far this year. We’ve created two paintings, inspired by the artists Wasily Kandinsky and Georges Seurat. Our theme has been “Circles”, which we will continue to explore with a textured coaster ceramic project and some connections to music about “Circles”. Lots of things to explore in this new class!
8th Grade Sculpture and Design students have started their semester by exploring how Alexander Calder captured nature and movement in his mobile sculptures. They are using problem solving skills to design their own nature inspired mobiles. In the coming weeks they will experiment with adding color and the building process in sculpture.
7th Grade Art students will explore the design elements of balance, emphasis and color as they create their own radial design drawings. Later they will experiment with emotional expression as they design and build a clay mask.
6th Grade Art students are diving into the world of color and exploring how color is used to communicate ideas and feelings in works of art. They will be planning and creating their own abstract drawing using a variety of color schemes. Next, they will build and decorate ceramic pottery.
Music
Welcome to Music Class!
8th Grade has two different classes, Video Production and Instrumental Music. The video production class has been working hard to create scripts, features, and graphics for our first few episodes of Tiger TV! The instrumental music class is starting with a quarter long guitar unit and are well on their way to playing Melodies and chords.
6th Grade and 7th Grade classes are starting the year off with a rhythm unit, where they will use world hand drums to learn how to read, write, and play rhythms!
STEM
Welcome to STEM!
8th Grade is starting off strong with reviewing the Engineering Design Process and SMART Goals. They will use these concepts to begin their first unit of Coding using various programs.
7th Grade is learning how the Engineering Design Process will help them with their first projects. They used the steps to build spaghetti towers. Then, they used their creativity to design and build with materials of their choosing.
6th Grade has embraced STEM by learning the Engineering Design Process and completing 2 labs to practice the steps. They made a laptop stand and a spaghetti tower. They will move on to their first topic of Computer Basics to get ready to code!
PE
- Flag Football
- Frisbee Golf
- Tennis
- Fitness Room Heart Rate Monitor Orientation
Fitness Fridays are in full effect!
Health classes will start in the 2nd Quarter and the PE teachers participating in health during that time are: Ford, Purpura, and Ziemba.
Tiger Time Advisory
Tiger Time
- Monday - Tiger Time TV viewing
- Tuesday - Executive Functioning Skills
- Wednesday - "WIN Day" - What I Need Help With Day
- Thursday - SEL Lessons based on the Second Step Curriculum
- Friday - Team Building
Second Step Social and Emotional Lessons for Quarter 1
6th Grade Lessons
Lesson 1a: Starting Middle School
Summary
This week’s lesson will introduce your child to Second Step® Middle School. Your child will identify challenges they might face when starting middle school and identify resources in their school where they can get help.
Question
Tell your child about something that made you nervous when you started middle school. Ask what makes them nervous and who they can go to for help at school.
Lesson 1b: Helping New Students
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will help brainstorm ways to support new students.
Question
Tell your child about a time you helped someone new in any community you belong to. Ask your child how they wish someone would have helped them when they started middle school.
Lesson 2: How to Grow Your Brain
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn about the brain’s ability to grow and change when they practice challenging things. Having a growth mindset supports your child’s success in school and in life.
Question
Tell your child about a time you had to learn something new. Explain whether it was hard to learn and how you learned it. Ask your child if there’s anything they would like to learn to do this year.
Lesson 3: Trying New Strategies
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will brainstorm different strategies they can try when they’re having trouble learning something new.
Question
Tell your child about a time you needed to change your approach in order to learn something new. Ask your child to tell you about something they’re working hard to learn and how you can help.\
Lesson 4: Making Goals Specific
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to identify and set achievable goals by making them specific.
Question
Ask your child to tell you about a specific goal they’re interested in working toward and what makes it specific.
Lesson 5: Breaking Down Your Goals
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will practice breaking big goals down into smaller, short-term goals.
Question
Think of a time you achieved a big goal, such as learning to drive or graduating from school. Tell your child about your goal and the series of smaller steps you needed to take to achieve it. Ask your child to tell you about a goal they have.
7th Grade
Lesson 1a: Starting Middle School
Summary
This week’s lesson will introduce your child to Second Step® Middle School. Your child will identify challenges they might face when starting middle school and identify resources in their school where they can get help.
Question
Tell your child about something that made you nervous when you started middle school. Ask what makes them nervous and who they can go to for help at school.
Lesson 1b: Helping New Students
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will help brainstorm ways to support new students.
Question
Ask your child what feelings they had when they started middle school. Did they get support from other students? Ask your child how they can support students who are new to their school.
Lesson 2: Creating New Pathways in Your Brain
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that intelligence is not fixed; their brain actually makes new connections and their skills and abilities develop when they practice difficult things.
Question
Tell your child about a time you had to learn something challenging and explain how you persisted in learning it. Ask your child if there’s anything they would like to learn to do this year.
Lesson 3: Learning from Mistakes and Failure
Summary
In this week's lesson, your child will learn how to learn from mistakes. When your child does difficult things, they may initially make mistakes and fail, but these mistakes can be chances to learn and grow.
Question
Tell your child about a mistake you made in the past and what you learned from it. Ask your child to tell you about a mistake they made and what they learned from it.
Lesson 4: Identifying Roadblocks
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will identify and distinguish between internal and external obstacles (or “roadblocks”) that can get in their way when working toward goals.
Question
Tell your child about a roadblock you encountered when you were working toward a goal, and if you had control over the roadblock.
Lesson 5: Overcoming Roadblocks 1
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to use If–Then plans to overcome roadblocks. If–Then Plans help your child anticipate potential roadblocks and come up with plans for addressing them.
Question
Ask your child to explain to you what an If–Then Plan is. Work together to make a plan for how your child can respond positively to a difficult situation they might encounter at home.
8th Grade Lessons
Lesson 1: Welcome!
Summary
This week’s lesson will show your child how Second Step® Middle School can help them navigate physical, social, and emotional changes in adolescence.
Question
Have a conversation with your child about what you felt was the most difficult part of being an adolescent. Ask your child about any changes they’ve noticed in friends and what they think about these changes.
Lesson 2: Who Am I? My Identity
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that their identity is complex. They will create an identity map that names unique and important aspects of their identity.
Question
Share your response to the following questions with your child. Then have your child and any additional family members share their responses.
- Who am I?
- What are the most important aspects of my identity and why?
Lesson 3: My Interests and Strengths
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will reflect on how they have used their personal strengths to develop an interest, skill, or ability.
Question
Tell your child about a skill, interest, or ability you have and how you developed it. Discuss the skills, attitudes, or people who helped you along the way.
Lesson 4: Harnessing My Strengths
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will choose something they’d like to get better at and think about how they could apply their unique strengths to do that.
Question
Help your child make a list of strengths they have. Ask your child about how they could use these to get better at a new skill.
Lesson 5: Pursuing My Interests
Summary
In this week's lesson, your child will identify and respond to positive and negative influences that may affect them while pursuing a goal.
Question
Tell your child about something positive or negative that influenced you as you were working toward a goal. For example, a friend who helped you find a job or learn a new skill. Ask your child about positive and negative factors that may influence them.]
Nurse Updates
From the Desk of Nurse Tammy
Welcome back!
- All incoming 6th graders and NEW students are required to have Eye, Dental and IL Health Exams on file. Please forward these to my office at your earliest convenience
- Students that do not have the required immunizations and the IL Health Exam will be excluded from school after October 14th. All parts of the form must be completed for your student to be compliant. Please call the nurse with any questions. All forms can be found on the district website.
- Please call to update any health care plans for your student if you have not had a chance to do so already.
- Over summer, additional filling stations were installed in the building, remind your child to bring a water bottle to school.
- We have several new students this year, kindly ask your children to help make them feel welcome.
- Students, please be careful when walking or riding your bike. Do not assume drivers see you!
Hope all the students are off to a great start!
Library News
From the Desk of Mrs. Raynes
Welcome back! As classes have started their weekly library visits, we’ve talked about the exciting events happening in the library.
Our Library LitWits book discussion group meets the last Friday of every month at 7:15AM in the library—our 1st book is Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart—and our 1st discussion is scheduled for Friday, September 30th.
Thanks to the FSP we are excited to host 2022 Caudill winning author Dan Gemeinhart at HCMS on November 3rd! We hope our students, staff and community will read some of his books so we can all have the most meaningful experience from his visit. More details to come!
Extra Curriculars
Chorus
The HCMS Chorus program is ready for a great year!
6th Graders have signed up for Varsity Chorus, which meets on Tuesdays from 2:15-3:45 and every other Thursday from 2:15-3:30.
7/8th Graders have signed up for Advanced Choir, which meets on Mondays from 2:15-3:45 and every other Thursday from 2:15-3:15.
If your child did not sign up for one of these groups, they are still welcome! Please have your child come to a rehearsal on the day that matches their grade level or contact Mrs. Walton for more information.
We had some wonderful auditions for Show Choir –thank you to everyone for sharing your talents. The list will be posted on Friday, September 2 on Mrs. Walton’s teacher page and on a Microsoft Team that has been set up for everyone who has joined chorus. Show Choir will rehearse on Wednesdays from 2:15-4:00 and Thursdays from 3:15-4:30.
It’s going to be a great year!!
Drama Club
Calling all HCMS actors! The Fall Drama Club season is beginning, and we are looking for HCMS students to join our award-winning team, as we prepare for the IESA State Speech Contest. Friday, November 11th. Students will have a variety of 5–10-minute scripts to choose from, ranging from monologues, humorous duets, small group acting, etc.. Don’t miss the opportunity to build confidence, develop friendships, and experience the rewards of accomplishment after an impressive performance on November 11th.
When: September 7th
Where: HCMS Library
Time: 2:20-3:00 p.m.
Sign-ups close September 12th. (This is an IESA team, so there are registration deadlines to meet.)
Feel free to connect with any of our amazing HCMS coaching team members: Pam Swierczewski, Renee’ Grady, Rebecca Schumacher, Dave Wonder, and Megan Drozd. There is a $40 activity fee for this club.
Band and Orchestra
Student Council
Applications to join HCMS Student Council are now available on Tiger Time TEAMS pages. Please submit applications by September 2nd.
Informational meetings will be held in September and students will receive a chat with those dates after they apply. Questions? Please send a chat to Mrs. Bakke and Mrs Ament.
Best Buddies
- Information about how to join Best Buddies will be distributed at lunch during the week of August 29th.
- Our first meeting is September 19th
National Junior Honor Society
- Our first member meeting will be Friday, September 16th from 2:15 – 3:00.
POZ Squad
Girls' Basketball
Our first home game is Thursday September 22 starting at 4:30 against Minooka. Go Tigers!