|
News and Notes
from the Hayfield Secondary School
Principal & PTSA
HSS Creative Collaborators
Over the past few years, the library has been working hard with teachers to create fun and new learning opportunities for our students. One of the most successful ways has been the introduction of Breakout Boxes. Teachers from several content areas have worked with the librarians to create a fun way for students to practice their skills, collaborate, and problem solve. The library orientation was completed by all English 9 students though this engaging method for the past two years, and this fall the English 9 teachers decided to utilize them to help students analyze Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart. Most recently, the Algebra 1 teachers worked together to open the boxes in a team meeting and then again with their students to review slope. Thanks to the numerous teachers who have stepped “outside the box” with this idea and created a fun learning experience for students.
Caring Citizens
We had the privilege of hosting 12 students from Korea for a little over a week. The students stayed at Hayfield families’ houses, including some of our own teachers. Thank you to the hosts and the teachers who welcomed these student visitors into your classroom. The students were able to learn about the American school system and be a part of our school for a few days. We had a potluck celebration for the students, the host families, and some guests last Wednesday night. At the potluck dinner, the Korean students presented on their country and their school experience. Some of our Hayfield students will be traveling to Korea over spring break to complete a similar program with the Korean students. I am so excited to see this cultural exchange in our building and look forward to having more programs like this in the future.
Critical Thinkers
In our day-to-day work as educators, I don’t often quote a research article but I do think about the impact that educational research has on the work that is done at HSS. I tend to read an article and focus on a few ideas to use in the future. Sometimes I find that reading research is a great way to see what is becoming a new best practice, or more often, coming back into style. Every year, Edtopia, an educational blog, compiles a list of the most powerful research that was published this year in the education field. Feel free to check out what is new on the research front and I hope you find it as compelling as I do. The article that sparked my thinking the most is under the subheading “How Mistakes Help Students Learn.” This article talked about the importance of feedback to help support students in their cognitive struggle. I know as educators and parents we have many opportunities to give our students feedback, I hope this is helpful.
Go Hawks!
Martin Grimm,
Principal
PTSA Update
PTSA February News and Updates
Thanks to your PTSA membership dues and donations, we began 2019 by awarding almost $3,000 in mini-grants to our classroom teachers and staff. Your generosity helped fund items such as moveable whiteboards, science education tools, educational robots, cooperative learning board games and document cameras for classroom use. Several grants will support Students Services programs including Attendance Circles, Student2Student, JrStudent2Student and the Caring Mentor program.
Your PTSA dues really does make an impactful difference in the lives and education of our students. It’s not too late to join the HSS PTSA. Visit our website at www.hssptsa.org to become a member. We have volunteer needs to fit every schedule. Are you interested in any of these volunteer opportunities?
- Collecting tickets during International Night on March 28 (evening)
- Proctoring an AP exam in May (daytime)
- Volunteering in the Hawks Pantry (daytime)
If interested, contact Nohelia Lewis, Volunteer Coordinator at nohelialewis@yahoo.com.
Attention Hawk Senior Families…
Did you know each year the PTSA offers four $500 scholarships to graduating seniors?
The 2019 Hayfield PTSA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION is available for download here. Completed applications can be turned in to the main office by Wednesday, April 24th.
Join us for our next PTSA meeting on Thursday, February 14th at 6:30 pm. Principal Martin Grimm will be speaking about student course registration and the impact on staffing for next year.
Go Hawks!
Heidi Frego, HSS PTSA President
president@hssptsa.org
|
