HUSKY HEADLINES October 25, 2018

Important Dates

October 25 6th Grade Dance

October 26 Picture Re-Take Day

October 31 Spirit Day: Halloween Theme!

November 2 Coffee with the Counselors: Art It Out PNC Bank – Make a deposit!

November 6 Student Holiday/Teacher Workday – Election Day

November 8 CONCERT: 7-1 Orchestra 6:30 CONCERT: 7-2 Orchestra 7:30 Chick-Fil-A Biscuits November 13 Band & Orchestra Fundraiser Pick-Up Day 1:00 - 7:00 pm

November 14 CONCERT: 6th Grade Band demonstrations – see Director e-mail for times

November 14 - 16 Scoliosis Screening – 6th & 8th grades

November 15 CONCERT: 7-1 Band 6:30 CONCERT: 7-2 Band 7:30

November 16 PNC Bank – Make a deposit!

November 19 - 23 NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break

From the Principal

Hello Hightower Trail Parents,

We are fast approaching that time of year when we celebrate with family and friends and are thankful for the time we get to spend together. I love the cool air and the colors it brings in the leaves. Fall is truly one of my favorite times of the year. It is hard to believe that school-wise we are in the second nine weeks.

Just some reminders about different things that are going on here:

Box Tops – every Box Top turned in is worth $.10 to us. We are able to use that money to enhance what goes on within the school.

Big Green Bins – clothing recycling, for every pound of clothing that is placed in the bin, we receive $.07. We have received checks of up to $100 in the past. This money is used to recognize students and faculty.

October 31 is a School Spirit Day. School appropriate costumes, no masks, and we will have a wonderful day. Students, please be careful out there if you choose to go Trick or Treating.

Beginning November 5th, Beta Club is collecting pet supplies for agencies that rescue animals. Watch for a list. The collection goes through November 16th.

Seventh grade parents will receive a letter inviting you to come and eat lunch with your child during the months of November/December. Sixth and eighth grade parents will receive your invitation after the beginning of 2019 – can you believe we are saying that!

A fence goes around our property line from one side of the property to the other side. We are again in the process of having that fence repaired. Sadly, it is being cut after each repair. There will be more information later about specifics. As of right now, students should not walk behind the school to go home.

At the end of the second nine weeks, we give exams at each grade level. We will publish that schedule in the next newsletter.

Sincerely wishing you a great rest of your week,

Laura Montgomery

School News

Students at Hightower Trail were treated to a high-energy performance by Reignite Monday!

PRICE INCREASE NEXT WEEK! There won't be a cheaper time to order your child's copy of the yearbook. Order by

Wednesday, October 31 – Halloween for $40 at www.yearbookordercenter.com using the school code 13932.

BOX TOPS COMPETITION! – WE NEED YOUR BOX TOPS!!! This is the first Box Tops competition of the year! The homeroom in each grade level that turns in the most Box Tops will win a “Breakfast Party” to be catered by our very own HTMS Café!

This contest will run until Friday, November 16, the day before the Thanksgiving break. So bring in those Box Tops and turn them into your HR teacher!

1 – Make sure the Box Tops have not expired! 2 – Trim neatly and as close as possible. 3 – Count out 50. 4 – Get a snack sized baggie. 5 – Legibly write your name and your homeroom teacher’s name on the baggie. 6 – Turn in to your homeroom teacher by Friday, November 16. SCOLIOSIS SCREENING INFORMATION Parents of 6th and 8th grade students received a letter pertaining to scoliosis screening the week of October 1st that contained the following information:

On November 14, 15, and 16, Hightower Trail Middle School will participate in a scoliosis screening program to identify students with signs of a possible abnormal curvature of the spine. It is known that two children out of every 100 may have scoliosis. If this condition is detected early and appropriately treated, progressive spinal deformity can usually be prevented.

This procedure for screening is a simple test in which the trained screener looks at the child’s back in the standing position and while bending forward. Boys and girls are screened separately. Girls should wear a bra, sports bra, or bathing suit under their clothes on the day of screening. A second screening will be held on a separate date to screen students that were absent or found to have a possible curve during the initial screening. Initial screenings are conducted by your child’s PE/Health teacher. If the need for a secondary screening arises, this will be done by the Cobb/Douglass Public Health Nurses and/or Cobb County Consulting Nurses. In order to minimize any uneasiness, a video on scoliosis screening in the schools will be shown to the students prior to the screening date.

If your child has a suspected curvature, you will be notified, by mail, with recommendations regarding further evaluation of your child. If your child is currently under the care of a doctor or if you do not want your child to be screened, please complete the section at the bottom of the letter that you received last week and return it to the school. PARENTVUE Mrs. Harper is the contact person for all things StudentVUE and ParentVUE. Please contact her through email at Sandra.Harper@cobbk12.org. HTMS BOOK FAIR COMING SOON Mark your calendars for the Book Fair! Monday, December 3 – Friday, December 7 in the 8th grade commons! Teacher Wish Lists on display at the fair! Great holiday gift idea! Book Fair hours and volunteer opportunities coming soon!

From the Nurse

DON’T FORGET YOUR FLU SHOT Protect yourself and your family. The CDC recommends that you get your flu shot before Halloween!

Grade Level News

6TH GRADE DANCE – TONIGHT! The first ever 6th grade only dance at HTMS will be on Thursday, October 25 right after school from 4:30-6:30. Cost of ticket is $7.00 which includes slice of pizza, drink, and admission. Permission form needed to purchase a ticket. Candy for $1.00 will be sold at dance. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Students will be dismissed at 6:30 through the front doors. Pick up will be like afternoon car pool duty. Come have a good time with your friends!

8TH GRADE TRIBUTE AD FOR YEARBOOK 8th Grade Parents - don't forget to order and design a tribute ad to honor your student. They must be completed by December 31 to be printed in the yearbook. NO EXCEPTIONS.

From the Counseling Department

Coffee with Counselors

Art It Out

Friday, November 2nd @ 8:30AM

Art It Out Therapy Center will be discussing anxiety and our teens.

CCSD Magnet School Information and Informational Sessions

Wheeler HS Center for Advanced Studies in Science, Mathematics, & Technology 375 Holt Road | Marietta, 30068 | 770.578.3286 - Dr. Cheryl Crooks, Coordinator

The Center for Advanced Studies in Science, Mathematics, & Technology at Wheeler HS was the first program in

Georgia to become both STEM and STEAM certified. Our program is nationally recognized and has accelerated

and rigorous classes in multiple academic areas. The curriculum presently includes 26 AP and 7 Post AP courses. In

addition to the focus on advanced Math and Science classes, areas of emphasis in engineering and medical

biotechnology are offered. Students culminate their studies with a senior internship and research experience with

universities, local practices, and industry partners.

Prospective Magnet Student Night - Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.

Wheeler Arena, Wheeler High School

From the PTSA

DUTY FREE LUNCH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED HTMS staff members eat with our kids every day. Duty free lunches provide our teachers with a day off from eating with students. The next Duty Free lunch is Wednesday, November 14.

If you have 45 minutes to volunteer in the lunch room, please sign up below. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D4AA8AA2AA75-htms

Teachers love this small indulgence and are grateful to the parents that can volunteer! ELECTIONS The mid-term elections are on Tuesday, November 6. We encourage all PTSA members to become informed about candidates and issues.

Early Voting Begins: Monday, October 15 General Election: Tuesday, November 6

You can find information regarding voting location, absentee ballots, and more by following this link: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do

HEALTH & WELLNESS COMMITTEE

From the HTMS Café

CLASSROOM SNACK PACKS! You can now order special event snacks for your student’s class through the Café! Fresh Baked Cookies? Cream Filled Chocolate or Iced Vanilla Cupcakes? White Cheddar Popcorn? Rice Krispy Treats? Ice Cream Sandwiches or Cookie Cones? Click HERE for the order form. Please contact the HTMS Café at 770.578.7226 or contact Jennifer Turpin at Jennifer.turpin@cobbk12.org if you have any questions.

Club and Organization News

Math Counts will be competing in our first tournament on Monday, October 29 at Kennesaw Mountain High School. We expect 15 students from the club to be there to represent us. Go math team!

ECOACTION CLUB EcoAction recycling club meetings are held every Wednesday at 8:15 in room 8A4. FCA Large Group meets Fridays in the 6th grade commons at 8:15. Thursday Girls Group meets in 8B3 at 8:15. Thursday Boys Group meets in 8C4 at 8:15. (Not a school sponsored event.)

THROWBACK THURSDAY GAME CLUB Friendly Chess/Checkers club is now expanding to include a variety of games (from the past and present) New Name will be Throwback Thursday - Game Club! Bring a friend and join in a friendly game of your choice. Meets every Thursday at 8:15 a.m. in room 7B1

From the County

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT CHEF COMPETITION The Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Program, as part of the Shake It Up in School Nutrition initiative, is holding its 3rd annual Farm to School Student Chef Competition in 2019. The 2019 Georgia Student Chef Competition has a new Middle School Competition.

The Middle School Student Chef Competition is open to student teams in grades 6-8. Teams will compete to develop a nutritious, student-friendly vegetable side dish recipe that includes local foods and is easily incorporated into the school food service program. The competition consists of a Recipe Contest only.

2019 GA Middle School Student Chef Competition Guidelines GA Student Chef Application 2019

Along with the above documents, the following resources are posted on our Student Chef Competition webpage:

Step-by-Step Instructions to Complete the Application 2019 Student Chef Competition Tips and Frequently Asked Questions National School Lunch Program Guidelines – 2019 (Tip Sheet) Student Chef Competition Overview PowerPoint

Important Dates: Application deadline for Middle School Competition: February 11, 2019.

Please contact me or Paige Holland at StudentChef@gadoe.org with questions.

Community News

Help Students & Families Affected by Hurricane Michael

As you know, 13 counties in Georgia were declared major disaster areas because of the impact of Hurricane Michael. As we have been in touch with school superintendents in those areas, we have heard there is a need for very basic items such as personal hygiene products, non-perishable food items, bottled water, cleaning supplies, diapers, baby wipes and formula.

Would you consider making a donation of any size to help our students and their families in these 13 counties?

Please visit the Georgia Foundation for Public Education's website https://gfpe.org/invest/ to make a secure, tax-deductible donation that will go directly to those affected by Hurricane Michael. In the field that reads, "please designate this donation to the following project", please enter "Disaster Recovery".

Thank you so much for supporting our students and their families.

Richard Woods State School Superintendent

Dates: October 25th 6pm-10pm October 27th 6pm-10pm October 28th 6pm-10pm Tickets purchased at the door. Tickets may be purchased at any time between 6-10pm. Tours will be ongoing during those times! Ticket cost - $5.00

Pope Theatre presents “The Circus” – a Haunted Theatre. Who doesn’t love the Circus? The popcorn, the clowns, the tigers, the horrors – sorry, I mean, the behind-the-scenes action. Your journey begins when you meet the Ringmaster, your guide to the Circus and all of the scares – um, I mean, the wonders it presents. In our Circus you will meet many different fiendish – er, I mean, friendly clowns and performers. Come meet the bearded lady, the contortionist, the two-headed human, and other amazing performers! Pope Theatre invites you to take a trip through our interactive walk through theatre! Come join your Ringmasters as they take you to The Circus. Step right up and join us on October 25th, 27th and 28th from 6:00pm – 10:00pm. Bring a friend…even better, bring two! It will increase your odds of survival - sorry, I mean, enjoyment of the night immeasurably! Happy Hauntings!

Join the Pope Band on November 3rd at their second annual Day of the Dead themed 5K

race/walk on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018. The race will be held at 7 PM at the Mountain

View Aquatic Center. We will have loads of community, family-friendly fun, including raffles,

stretching led by the Pope color guard, drum line start by the percussion section, and live on-

course music by band students. We will also have free glow items, food, face paint, tattoos,

balloon art, and photo ops. There will be medals for top runners overall and standard age group

divisions as well as a costume contest with prizes for the best Day of the Dead costume. Come

on out and celebrate with us!

POPE JUNIOR WRESTLING Registration is now open for Pope Junior Wrestling. Wrestling is a great sport for both mental and physical development. Everyone wrestles at the meets with kids within 3-4 pounds and 1 year of age. There are also beginner tournaments for new wrestlers. In the past 10 years we have had 103 State Placers (1st-35, 2nd-22, 3rd-18, and 4th-28). Wrestling is for girls, too! There is a separate state tournament for girls. Girls’ Wrestling is now an official high school varsity level sport in Georgia. For more information please go to Popejrwrestling.com or call 404-797-4276.

ARDUINO STEM CAMPS East Cobb Robotics is hosting two hands-on Arduino/S.T.E.M. camps for kids ages 9 to 13. Campers will have fun using Arduino boards and learning basic electrical concepts, microprocessor programming, and problem solving skills .Campers get to keep all components used in camp to practice with at home.

Saturday, November 10, 2018 Morning Session (Beginner): 9:00am - 12:30pm Afternoon Session (Intermediate) 1:30pm - 5:00pm PLACE: East Cobb Robotics Outreach Center COST: AM Session: $75; PM Session: $85; Both Sessions: $135. Register by 10/29 for $10 discount! REGISTER AT: http://www.eastcobbrobotics.org/arduino-s-t-e-m-camp/ East Cobb Robotics is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization