Community Meeting Announcements October 18, 2024

Today’s After School Activities
Cross Country- Pick up at 4:45 pm

An additional Holiday has been added to the Hill Top Calendar
School will be closed on Tuesday, November 5th for Election Day. We encourage everyone to vote in this very important election.

Scarecrow Contest Results
Most Creative: Mother Earth Scarecrow

Best use of Theme: The Hockey Block Out Hate Scarecrow AND the Fishing for Friends Scarecrow

Best Teamwork:
This group started off strong, taking time to brainstorm their scarecrow design and bringing in all the materials they needed. When things didn’t go as planned at first, they worked together to come up with creative solutions. They divided up the tasks so everyone had a part in bringing the scarecrow to life. They supported each other every step of the way, making sure no one was left out. Congratulations to Ms. Jiminez and Ms. Lesser’s group- Jackson B, Naomi B, Lee B, Oliver B, Adi X, and Daemon L.

Congratulations to Ms. Fox, Mr. Clarke, and Ms. Lew’s group- Carly C, Laura D, True J, Maynard Webster Brown, and Owen Y. This group worked really well together to brainstorm ideas and remained positive. Everyone listened to each other’s ideas and all pitched in the entire time.

Congratulations to Ms. Wiederhold and Mrs. Trusty’s group- Jameson B, Peyton F, Justin B, Annie F, and Henry D. During the brainstorming session, collaboration and teamwork were evident for this group. The group quickly decided that each member would take charge of decorating a specific part of the scarecrow, leading to a structured and inclusive environment filled with positive interactions. They also all brought all of the materials themselves. They did great problem solving when things didn’t work and shared words of encouragement throughout.

Middle School Halloween Activities-10/31
On Thursday, October 31, Middle School students will be celebrating Halloween in the afternoon with a party that includes games and treats sponsored by the Middle School Student Council.
To prevent disruption in morning classes, students who wish to dress up are asked to bring their costumes in a bag, labeled with their name. They'll be given time after lunch to put on their costumes. We ask that costumes are appropriate for the school environment and that toy weapons stay at home.

Visiting College Rep Schedule
Tuesday, 10/22- Temple University (PA)
Wednesday, 10/23- Sweet Briar College (VA)
Thursday, 10/24- Penn State University (PA)
Friday, 10/25- Landmark College (VT)

All meetings will take place during mentor period in The Nest. Any questions...just ask Mrs. Gillespie.

Pretzel Sale to Benefit World Central Kitchen
As you may have seen on the news or online, areas in the southeast, United States, and particularly western North Carolina, were hit particularly hard by Hurricane Helene. And it looks like other communities will be hurt by Hurricane Milton, which is approaching the gulf coast of Florida. In response to this, Upper School Student Council will be holding pretzel sales through October to help raise money for relief organizations. Money from the pretzel sales will go to the World Central Kitchen, which provides water and fresh food to areas in need, and Beloved Asheville, a community organization in Asheville, North Carolina, providing not only food and water, but also healthcare and shelter for those most affected by Helene. Pretzels will be $1 each.

Annual Middle School Halloween Spooktacular!
This event for 6th-8th grade students will be held on Friday, October 25 from 6pm-9:00 pm in the Mansion at Hill Top.

It will feature a dinner of chicken tenders and french fries, the annual "Ghoul Games" competition, pumpkin decorating, snacks, and some spooky (but not too spooky) stories.

If your student is interested in attending, please complete the permission slip here: Spooktacular Permission Slip!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me or Mike Cohen ([email protected]).

Mitzvah Circle Donation Drive
Please consider sending in items for the Mitzvah Circle Donation Drive. The NHS and E/T classes are collecting the following from now until October 25th:

New and Gently Used - clothing, books, toys, shoes, essential household items.
New ONLY - socks and underwear, school supplies, personal hygiene items, hats, gloves and scarves.

Simply send your generous donations in with your student to be placed in the bins by the front desk. They will be delivered to the Mitzvah Circle when the E/T students visit in November. You can learn more about Mitzvah Circle and what they do, by clicking here.

Summer Trek 2025
Next summer's Adventure Trek will take Hill Top Upper School students to Belize. Belize was the destination of the first Adventure Trek in 2006 and offers a huge array of experiences and activities for our students including investigating Mayan ruins, world class paddling and snorkeling on the world's second largest coral reef, hiking and ziplining through a pristine jungle, interacting with diverse cultures including Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo and Maya, a night tour of the Belize Zoo (renowned for its protection of jaguars and other species) and more. The dates of the trip are June 14-21, 2025. Please contact Mr. VanDyke- [email protected], if you would like to attend the meeting.

HawkTalk

In case you missed our September HawkTalk Newsletter or want to look back at previous monthly issues, here's a link to view them.