From all of us at John Hill School, we welcome you and yours to our annual winter concerts next week. The 3rd-5th Grade Winter Concert will be held Tuesday, December 11th at 7 pm. The 6th-8th Grade Winter Concert will be held Wednesday, December 12th at 7 pm. We are proud of all the efforts our students have put into preparing for these performances and hope you are able to join us!

The JHS Middle School Choir will be singing some of the holiday favorites on 102.3 WSUS. The students will be live on air on December 17th at 8am. If you would like have a listen to the live program follow the link below:

https://www.iheart.com/live/1023-wsus-1377/

The John Hill School middle school students took part in the regional spelling bee last week. The students competed against several other schools in the area. Dylan Visioli took home 5th place for his age group. Congratulations to all our super spellers!

5th grade students completed an enrichment activity in which they worked in teams to create pumpkin catapults. As student teams progressed through the research and design process, they were entered into three categories to compete within. These included small scale, medium scale, and large scale catapult designs. This week, students put their creations to work during a fun-filled competition! Congratulations to all of our participants!

Be ready IKEA! JHS has some 4th graders ready to compete in the home furnishings market! Groups of 4th grade students recently completed a science performance task in which students designed chairs while accounting for a set of criteria and constraints. Students then created prototypes reflecting research findings, their personal design features, and efforts to meet the criteria of being both portable and comfortable. Well done young designers!

A group of eight 3rd grade students represented John Hill School at a Morris County STEM Adventure. The event was open to select 2nd and 3rd graders from throughout the region and provided students the opportunity to progress through learning stations in which they explored hovercraft technology, discovered levers and slides, partook in firework painting, cracked secret codes, and much more!

The 7th grade students had the opportunity to build a device that would prevent an egg from breaking on impact. The students used the properties of Newton's Laws to help them during their designs. The devices with the eggs were dropped from the science lab tables. The ones that survived were then tested to see if they can endure a drop from the top of JHS.

'Tis the season for charitable giving, and we are sincerely grateful for the considerable support that our community has provided for a variety of charitable causes taken up by our students. Causes included the JHS Holiday Toy Drive, "Donate Food to Change the Mood" initiative, and "Keep Them Warm From Head to Toe" clothing collection. The JHS Students for Change, Helping Hands Club, and Student Council are to be credited for leading such worthwhile efforts to benefit those in need while rallying the support of our extended Boonton community.

The JHS Student Council held its annual Movember fundraiser. The students purchased mustaches in support of men’s health. All donations will support research to help address some of the biggest health issues faced by men. Thank you to all our students who showed their support!

The boys and girls basketball teams began their seasons this week. The boys had a hard fought battle against Lincoln Park, but lost the game 64-49. The girls team is off to a fast start with a record of 2-0. Victories include a five point triumph over Villa Walsh and a thrilling double overtime victory to beat rival Lincoln Park 44-41.