First Gazette of the 2024- 2025 School Year

Happy New Year families!

Happy Thursday and welcome to the Glen Hills Gazette! For our new families this is Glen Hill's bi-weekly parent update that comes directly from our staff and students. This will give you an update on all the ongoings from 4th-8th grades and different departments throughout our building. Please scroll through all the important news from around the school. Have a great Friday and weekend!

In partnership with you,

Willie Williams Jr. and Leon Williams

Directions For Parent Portal Set Up For Infinite Campus

Link Here For The School Calendar

8th graders practiced teamwork and effective communication while reviewing classroom expectations.

8th Grade

Written by: Bria R. (8th Grade Student)

8th grade can be a tough year. Between homework, projects, and after-school clubs, it can feel like a lot to juggle. It’s also a year when people start to change—mostly for the better. So, why not check in to see how everyone’s feeling during these first few days of school?

I interviewed three 8th-grade classmates to see how they felt about the first few days of school. All of them basically said, “School’s okay right now.” When I asked what they were looking forward to, ⅔ said the 8th-grade Washington, DC trip. I also asked what they’d change about the school year. Some of the responses included “more time to get to class,” “having lunch earlier, around noon instead of 1:00,” and “breakfast should be free.”

One of the upcoming trips students are most excited about is the canoe trip, where they’ll get to paddle down a river and soak up some sun. Another very exciting trip in May is the DC trip, giving students a chance to see firsthand how the history they’ve learned in social studies has come to life.

Important Reminders:

Mr. Johnikin is collecting donations for daily snacks for 8th graders. Please contact him at Kevin.Johnikin@gdrh.org.

Permission slips for the canoe trip are due by Friday, September 13, 2024. The field trip is scheduled for Friday, September 20, 2024; students need a bag lunch.

If your child has not yet signed up for the Washington, DC trip, there will be a parent/guardian meeting on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM. For any questions, please contact Mrs. Michelle Young at michelle.young@gdrh.org.

8th Grade Transition to High School

Written by: Ms. Gleba (7th-8th Counselor)

Important dates and deadlines are fast approaching for our 8th grade scholars as they transition to High School. Check out the 8th Grade Transition Newsletter for more details and reach out to our School Counselor, Carrie Gleba with any questions.

The MPS High School Enrolment Fair is Saturday, September 28th at South Division HS, 9am - Noon. See the MPS Enrollment Website for more details.

And check out this updated list of High School Open Houses and other enrollment info.

Save the dates for future Nicolet Knights Parent 101 sessions. See their website for more information.

7th grade students building towers in social studies.

7th Grade

Written by: 7th Grade Team

Some students feel nervous on the first day of school, but not this group of 7th graders. The students were excited to see their friends, meet their teachers, and explore the building. This week we discussed norms, expectations, and set our goals for the school year.

Important Reminders:

Please return class syllabi to each content teacher. Science and social studies syllabi are due on Friday, September 13. The math syllabus was due on Tuesday. The ELA syllabus was due on Monday. Please sign and return ASAP.

Math STAR testing begins on Thursday, 9/12.

6th Grade

Written by: 6th Grade Team

Sixth graders are doing an awesome job getting used to their new schedules that require lots of moving around the building! We are so proud of their maturity as they manage new responsibilities. We have been working on various routines and procedures in their classes. Please make sure to continuously check Infinite Campus throughout the trimester. We appreciate all of you!

5th Grade

Written by: Lume S. and Brynn O. (5th Grade Students)

Fifth graders have been working on building relationships and community building activities.

In Math, students are working on multiplying 2 digit by one digit numbers using standard algorithms.

In Reading and writing, students are learning the expectations of what makes a good workshop. Students are enjoying allied arts and other side activities.

Important Reminder:

ELA STAR TESTING 9/16

4th Grade

Written by: Ms. Betka. (4th Grade Teacher), Ben E., Afsheen M-L., Luca W., and Alia B. (4th Grade Students)

Our fourth graders began their adventure at Glen Hills. Four fourth graders are contributing to our newsletter. Enjoy the snapshots of fourth grade.

“My first few days in 4th have been great. I made some new friends and learned some new things. Here is a day in the life of a 4th grader. We put our backpack and lunch in our lockers. We get our materials and bring them to class. We have our morning greeting with the class. We then have math, then we have writing and reading. After lunch and recess, we have Resource, PE, Tech Ed, STEAM, or music. Finally, word study and social studies. At last, departure.” -Afsheen

“My favorite class is Mrs. Betka’s classroom. My favorite subject is ELA. I think Glen Hills is the best school that I’ve been to. One reason is because my gram and poppy work here. Another reason is the amazing experiences I get to do. I love lunch, it’s way better than Parkway’s food.” -Ben

“I like independent reading time, it’s fun and quiet. I get to read my books.” -Luca

“STEAM is my favorite, we get to play with robots.” -Alia

Important Reminders:

ELA Star Testing Monday 9/16
Please keep a sweatshirt in your locker, bring a water bottle; water only, and pack a healthy snack everyday!

Una estudiante del 6°grado

World Language

Written by: Maestra Wege (Spanish Teacher)

¡Feliz año escolar! Happy school year!

In the sixth grade Spanish classes it has been a pleasure to see and feel the enthusiasm they have for learning a language. For many this is their first structured experience in learning a second language, so it’s exciting to observe their willingness to engage in the class and take risks to try new skills.

For the seventh and eighth grade classes it is always nice to have the opportunity to work with students from previous years and observe students’ language development across various years. As a reminder, seventh and eighth grade Spanish classes are designed to prepare students to be successful in their high school language courses. This point is emphasized by the fact that eighth grade students will be taking a cumulative exam before winter break. The cumulative exam is one tool used to determine high school placement recommendations in early January.

So far, we have been busy practicing our routines, expectations, and preparedness in order to establish a foundation for a successful year of language development.

Important Reminder:

All Spanish students should have turned in a folder that will be kept in the Spanish classroom.

Mrs. Francis, Choir

Mrs. Heal, General Music

Mrs. Day, Orchestra

Ms. Miracle, Band

Music

Written by: The Music Department

Welcome to a new school year! The music department is busy getting our musicians situated for an active year of learning. Our 4th graders are starting their first of four 9-week music units this year - Band, Choir, General Music & Orchestra.

Please add the following dates to your calendar for our 5-8th grade performances. Consider these dates as you plan future doctor appointments and family vacations.

October 22 North Shore String Festival 7:00 PM @ GHMS

December 10 North Shore Band Festival, Grades 7-8 Band 1:00-8:30 PM @ Nicolet HS

January 10 Admirals Game Anthem Performance, Grades 7-8 Band & Orchestra 7:00 PM @ UWM Panther Arena

January 22 Winter Concert #1, Grades 7-8 Band, Choir & Orchestra 6:30 PM @ GHMS

January 23 Winter Concert #2, Grades 5-6 Band, Choir & Orchestra 6:30 PM @ GHMS

February 27 Black History Month Program, Grades 7-8 Band, Choir & Orchestra 6:00 PM @ GHMS

March 15 WSMA Solo & Ensemble 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM @ Homestead HS

April 2 North Shore Vocal Arts Festival @ Nicolet HS

May 19 Spring Concert, Choir 5-8 6:30 PM @ GHMS

May 20 Spring Concert, Orchestra 5-8 6:30 PM @ GHMS

May 21 Spring Concert, Band 5-8 6:30 PM @ GHMS

Important Reminder:

Please be sure you have all supplies and instruments necessary for class. Complete the Instrument Rental Agreement if you have not already.

Physical Education

Written by: Mr. Kauffman, Mr. Higgins, & Ms. Sanders (PE Teachers)

Dear Glen Hills Parents,

We are excited to kick off another year of fun and fitness in our PE classes! Our program is designed to help students develop healthy habits and enjoy being active. As a reminder, please ensure your child brings the appropriate PE clothing and athletic shoes to class each day. This helps them participate safely and fully in all activities. The PE department suggests that students bring : t-shirt , shorts ,jacket, sweatpants, an extra pair of socks, and athletic shoes that can get dirty. Students are receiving their PE locks and lockers this week and will be expected to change starting September 16th when classes start their first unit of the year.

Units:

Sanders:

All classes : Tennis / Pickleball

Kaufmann:

4th, 6th, 8th :Soccer

5th / 7th : Speedball

Higgins:

4th/5th/6th : Swimming Students will need a swimsuit and a towel. PE dept. recommends googles, swim cap, and flip flops.

7th / 8th grade : Flag Football

Important Reminders:

Higgins’ PE Class reminders:

4th/5th/6th : Swimming Students will need a swimsuit and a towel starting september 16th. PE dept. recommends googles, swim cap, and flip flops.

Allied Arts

Written by: Mr. Savagian (Tech Ed Teacher)

4th and 5th grade students have been exploring computer science through Code.org's interactive lessons. They are learning to code by solving problems and working on engaging projects, which helps build valuable skills for the future. We're excited to see their enthusiasm and progress in this area!

Sixth-grade students are learning about project management and designing a suspension bridges. Students must track their budget, manage supplies, and build a suspension bridge to hold six sandbags.

7th-grade students have been learning blueprint design and scale drawing. They're developing skills in creating accurate plans and understanding measurements, which are essential for various fields. It's been great to see them apply these concepts in creative and practical ways!

The 8th Grade has jumped into the engineering design process by designing a gadget that will catch a ping-pong ball from 6 feet. Students are working with a limited amount of materials to complete this challenge. This is just the beginning of many more design challenges this year.

Student Services Team Update

Written by: Ms. Gleba (7th - 8th Grade Counselor)

Supporting Youth Mental Health at Glen Hills

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Glen Hills is committed to supporting youth mental health through Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Research shows that healthy self-esteem, coping, and problem-solving skills help prevent youth suicide. SEL is embedded in our classrooms daily.

Starting in October, we’ll have Wellness Wednesdays to focus on community well-being. Additionally, 7th and 8th grade scholars will participate in the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program in November, learning how to identify and seek help for themselves or a friend. Caregivers will be notified of the exact lesson dates to support students afterward or to opt students out of lessons.

The SOS program, used for over 20 years in schools, educates students about depression and suicide while reducing self-reported suicide attempts. Through this program, students will learn:

Depression is treatable—encouraging them to seek help.
How to identify depression and suicide risk in themselves or others.
To ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) if concerned about themselves or a friend.

Please visit www.mindwise.org/parents for resources on youth suicide prevention.

Talent Development

Written by: Liliana J. (8th Grade Student) and Mrs. Murali

We had a wonderful opportunity to design two experiments and send them through Sounding Rocket-10 from NASA’s Wallops Facility in Virginia during this past summer. Our first experiment was investigating ultra-simple, robust, triboelectric nanogenerators for use in space and near-space environments. Our second experiment tested the chemical composition stability of Asthma Drug MIDD 0301. We are hoping to collaborate with the UW-Milwaukee Chemistry Department to test our experiments in the next two weeks.

Three of us (Henry Berenz, Philippe Christophe-Geli, and Liliana Johnston) went with our parents and Mrs.Murali to Chincoteague Island from June 17-20, 2024. We had three full days of packed schedule. We participated in a poster presentation, attended workshops, and launched rockets. Watching the real rocket launch at 5 am on the 20th of June was one of the best experiences we had. We also went on a sunset boat ride and watched birds, wild ponies, dolphins, eagles, shorebirds, and marine life. One of the Battle of the Books that we read in grade 4 was The Misty of Chincoteague which was about the wild pony from this place. We were so thrilled to see a real wild pony during our trip.

We would like to thank our sponsors and Mrs. Murali for giving us this amazing opportunity that we will never forget.

Great opportunity for girls in grades 5-12 to join a free coding program at UW-Milwaukee for 10 Fridays. Please register at this link:

https://uwm.edu/engineering/students/future/k-12-students/girlswhocode/

Athletics and Activities

Written by: Mr. Kaufmann (Athletic Director)

The 2024 Cross Country season is underway! Two great practices last week with a full week ahead for the team. It is not too late to join! Please see the attached information/schedule if interested:

Schedule

Permission Slip

Parent Information Letter

The other clubs/activities that Glen Hills offers will be starting up VERY soon!

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