Academy of Science Field Trip

In the beginning of this year our class ( 5-7 grade ) went to the Academy of Science. The Academy of Science has three floors a planetarium, aquarium, and a tropical rainforest. Asiana, Clair, and Christen all liked the planetarium because it looked very realistic. Kennedy liked the aquarium because she wants to be a marine biologist. Angela and Andre liked the rainforest dome, Angela liked the the tropical birds and butterflies and Andre liked Claud the albino alligator. The Academy of Science took ten years to build and opened in 2008. The Academy  of Science cost $500 million to build.

The Krazy Kats.com

I made a new blog called, The Crazy Cats. So far there are two posts and one post that has all pictures of cats. The one post is the one and only post of a sweet and playful dog, Max! In that post, I talk about what his favorite toys are now an what his favorite toys were when he was new to the school, and, when he was a puppy. there are a few other things that I wrote about on him. Another post that was also, my first post as well, is called Compeletly Random Facts on Cats. it basically has plain facts on cats. The last post that I put on there just has funny pictures and cute pictures of cats. The website is called thekrazykats.blogspot.com!

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

Dumbledore Video

Make your own photo slideshow at Animoto.

           Unlike other schools, classes in Hillwood school eat in their classes. Miss Marta, the cook, passes out meals to kindergarten-4th grade in the middle classroom. Mrs. Westmoorland calls on the quietest students to come up to get food first.
            Upstairs, Mrs. Woods passes out food to the students, girls first of course. In the past, soup was served twice a week which no longer happens.
     Miss Marta is the wonderful cook at Hillwood Academic Day School. She has worked here for 8 years.

Ms. Caine

Ms. Samantha Caine is the head of after school activities. She also is in charge of the walk-a-thon. She works with the middle through upper grader with current science. Her son is a graduate of Hillwood and is a junior in Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep. She created all of the fundraisers that the school has. She comes to classes in study hall to give teachers a break. She greets the parents when they come to get their children.She helps prepare for all of the talent shows.

Anna Seven The Art Teacher

"Pet"

"Dame in a Hat"

      Anna Seven is the art teacher at Hillwood. She is a parent volunteer. Every Friday, she comes and does art with all of the classes.


"Dame in a hat" is an acrylic painting on canvas. To see more artwork, go to www.annaseven.com.


Mostly she does art projects and sometimes we have to write a report on some artist.



Me: Do you enjoy working with the children?

Anna:

Me: What style of art do children enjoy the most?

Anna:

Me: What artists do the children enjoy the most?

Anna: What kind of art medium do children like to use the most?

Me: Do the younger children like to draw more than the older teacher or is it the other way around?

Anna:

You can also follow Anna on Facebook.com.  Anna Seven is her name.

Written By: Rubina H.

Let's have fun at the Overnight!

Every year the 4th graders to 7th graders have a sleep over at the cabin the Grantz's own in Muir Woods, over the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin. All the girls go separately from the boys just in case we catch "Cooties." The girls go on Friday and get dropped off by Mr. Grantz and the boys go on Saturday and have to get driven by their parents. The boys and the girls are asked to bring a certain food or drink for the sleepover. And your supposed to bring your your own sleeping bag, pillow, pajamas and clothes for the next day. We usually play, hang out with friends, make smores, and watch movies such as Pirates of The Carribbean and Ponyo in Japanese. In the  morning for breakfast,  we have breakfast food such as eggs, pancakes, cinnamon buns, pancakes and more! On Friday the girls leave at 11:30 right at lunch and then we have lunch at the cabin. When it is time to leave and its the boys turn on Saturday we pack all of our bags and wait for the person who is picking us up to come. Then we leave and wait for  the next cabin sleepover! Rubina a 7th grader whose been to the cabin sleepover twice she says she likes to go into the forest, her favorite food at the cabin is egg salad!

Interview With Mrs. Westmoreland

        Mrs. Sybil Westmoreland is the kindergarten through frist grade teacher. Jordyn B. and I interviewed her. The interview proceeds below:



Me: What do you like most about this class?

Mrs. Westmoreland: I like that I have helpful students. They want to help each other, learn and they love to read to each other. They care about each other. 




Me: How do you keep your class studious?

Mrs. W: I try to not give them too much work at once and give them breaks and fun things to do.



Me: What kinds of books do you read with the class?

Mrs. W: I typically read books that have to do with what we are studying but this class is really into chapter books. So, we've read tons of Junnie B. Jones books.




Me: How do you keep your students from forgetting what they just learned?

Mrs. W: We do a lot of review work so once we've covered a topic, we review it often. Important concepts like addition and subtraction, we practice daily. 



Me: Do you do second grade work with the first grader?

Mrs. W: Sometimes. If the first grade students mastered the concepts of first grade, we'll go ahead and I'll introduce second grade material. 




The students in the room were truly very studious and obviously loved Mrs. Westmoreland.



Written By: Rubina H.

Doyle Drive Demolition

As many people have heard, the Doyle Bridge is being demolished in 2 days (Friday). The Doyle Bridge is the bridge that connect you to the golden gate, of course its not the only, but whether it is or not, going across the bridge will be the closet thing there is to impossible. It will be closed from 4/27 to 4/30, or, to be exact, from 8 pm Friday to 5 am Monday. This will be a great weekend to go to the mountains cause you certainly wont miss much here.

            Doyle Bridge, being the narrow and seismically fragile approach to the golden gate it is, is not exactly adored by the people who cross it to work everyday. Officers are worried that those who don’t make the commute and barely know a feather or a fig about the Doyle Bridge will ignore the warnings of the 57-hour closure and extreme traffic likely hood which will cause even more of a traffic tangle on 19^th Avenue and Highway 1, the approaches to the Golden Gate that will remain open.

            Explosives may not be used thus the Doyle Bridge will be demolished in a slightly more complex, yet far safer way. Demolition crews will go to work on the elevated concrete structure. Using 40 hydraulic hammers, cranes and other heavy equipment hauled in from across the country, they’ll punch holes in the 10 football fields worth of road deck, then rip apart the girders and support beams and chop down 280 concrete columns.

            If your going to attempt to enter the traffic here is a hint of advice: If your traveling between the north bay and south bay you can avoid going on the Golden Gate by taking the ferry, which will be running additional services, or head to the east bay and take the bay bridge, because with all the traffic, it will be much, much quicker. As for tourist, bicycle across the bridge. You’ll see more and enjoy it more. If you completely insist on taking the bridge, it is suggested to take California street or Geary Boulevard across town to highway 1 and then should be prepared for a slog.

Mrs. Okamoto Day

Mrs. Okamoto Day is when we celebrate a huge fan of the San Fracisco Giants baseball team, Mrs. Okamoto. Mrs. Okamoto's full name is, Hatsuko Okamoto. Mrs. Okamoto started supervising at hillwood in 1953. Mrs. Okamoto was super popular because she was a very loving person. Mrs. Okamoto retired from HIllwood School in 1996. Mrs. Okamoto was a huge fan of the San Fransicisco Giants because she loved them. Since she passed away we all celebrate her and the Giants because she was a big fan. During lunch we go downstairs and eat outside. For lunch Mr. Grantz does a barbeques hot dogs. It's really fun and exciting! I think we all have a lot of fun. Go Giants!

The History of Hillwood

Hillwood  Academic Day School has been a school for 61 years.  Mr. Grantzs' grandmother started the school.  Her name was Mary Libra.  The school's colors are forest green and dark blue.  Hillwood is not a typical school, for it is in a victorian house that was built in 1893.  Mary Libra started the school in 1949 and she started the summer program in Muir Woods.  In 1995, Libra passed away and Mr Grantz ran the school, with the help of his wife.  Mr. Grantz now runs the school. 

Even after 61 years, the outside of the the school still looks almost the same.  The desks in the school are still the same, too.  Mr. Grantz attended this school for kindergarten and first grade, and then graduated here.  Mr. Grantz went to Bridgepoint high school in Newark for six months, then he took a test for his high school diploma.  He passed and then went to the University of San Francisco. 

Hillwood Fund-raising

This article is all about Hillwood fund-raising. There are many ways that Hillwood helps fund-raise. There is the Walk-a-thon, the Math-a-thon, the Bake Sale, and Pennies for Patients. The Walk-a-thon is where the school walks to the Marina Green and back. The Math-a-thon is where each class does their grade level Math. The Bake Sale is where everybody brings their own goods and money to buy the goods brought by each family. The Pennies for Patients is where we put money in a green box and donate it to the school, where it goes to children with leukemia.
Hillwood is a great fund-raising school, and it is amazing because Hillwood is so small! This is all because of the helpful students.  
       
                                                       Thank you all Hillwood students! --Andre :()

Living In The City

People who were born or raised in the city might think that San Francisco is not a big deal, but for people who just seen the city it is a big thing. San Francisco has many places to visit. There are a lot of malls. As someone who is from a Davis (a college town) these are amazing stores.   All of the malls here is great. My family had to go to Sacramento  to go to a mall. Also the amazing sites there are is also great. One of my favorite site is The Golden Gate Bridge, because it is a beautiful site and has a  lot of history to it, and just to learn all of the hard work put into the bridge. That is also one of the most popular sites.

Another site is Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz Island  is one of the most popular tourist attractions of San Francisco, offering a close view of the former federal prison, oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast of America along with gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and breathtaking views of the coastline. Another site is Lombard Street. The Lombard Street  is the most crooked street of America and is a popular tourist attraction due to its location and unusual sharp curves. Paved with bricks, it is a steep, hilly street with Victorian mansions on either side. Millions of tourists come here every year to see this popular street, built with eight switchbacks on a 40 degree slope. Another one is Chinatown. The popularity of Chinatown mainly lies in its inexpensive and unique merchandise and food that is not found any place else. It consists of Chinese temples, art, culture, shopping areas, events and much more. It gives the feeling of being in one of the markets of Hong Kong. Chinatown is said to be drawing more tourists than the Golden Gate Bridge making it a must see attraction of San Francisco. Another one is Golden Gate Park.It is one of California's most beautiful urban parks and is 3 miles long by 1/2 mile wide, it is larger than New York's Central Park. Once covered with sand dunes, the Golden Gate Park consists of millions of trees today. The Park is composed of hundreds of attractions including Gardens, Lakes and Museums that are linked by wooded paths. It also has several fly casting pools and a lily pond within its borders. Being home to art, culture, scientific exhibits and lots of recreation, the Golden Gate Park is the third most visited park in America with over 13 million Visitors each year.

Another one is Fisherman's Wharf. Fisherman's Wharf of San Francisco is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, well known for its historic waterfront, delicious seafood and beautiful bay views. Watching the California Sea Lions, Shopping, world class dining, a long coastal row of seafood restaurants, street vendors, talented street performers and beautiful bay views are some of the things that have made Fisherman's Wharf a top attraction of San Francisco.

San Francisco is an amazing city and people are lucky to live or visit here.

Let's Go To The Hillwood Show!

Hello! My name is Asiana. I'm going to be talking about The Hillwood Holiday Talent Show! Our show is small yet big. There is a sheet of paper hung in every classroom and you write down what you are doing for the show in advance. You are supposed to wear formal clothes unlike jeans and t-shirts. And each class preforms a song with the music teacher and the spanish teacher. Parents, friends and family are invited for an adult party in the Grantz's home. The show is from 1:00-2:30. There is a snack table and students can get snacks and refreshments after the show. In the Grantz's home there is food that students can eat after parents have a chance to talk with other parents.

         by:Asiana

Mrs. Woods

Mrs. Woods is our 5th through 7th upper grade teacher. She has done a great job, and everyone is honored for her service.

Mrs. Wood grew up in San Fransisco and is married with two grown-up kids. She has taught in San Fransisco for more than 25 years. We are assigned Math, Science, History (my favorite!), Grammar, and Current events. The 7th graders are doing algebra, and Anya and Rubina are doing the hardest, most advanced math. The 5th graders are dividing decimals for Math, and the 6th graders are doing fractions. The whole class does Science all together. With sports, we like to play at the park. Kickball and Capture the Flag are our favorites.

Ice Berg: The One and Only White Killer Whale

      If you've ever heard of a killer whale, you probably know what they look like. Killer whales have incredible pigment, i must say. They have a pure black coat with two white blobs surrounding their eyes, usually. Ice berg is a killer whale that is entirely white. It was first thought that it was by a disease called Chediak-Higashi syndrome, a rare disease of the immune and nervous system that effects coloration, but that theory was soon proved wrong because most animals with this disease don't make it to adulthood, and Ice berg is estimated to be a male killer whale at the age of about 16. It may be a true albino whale, but because he has a small  amount of coloring on the back of is dorsal fin, it is not fully proven. Ice berg may not be the only white killer whale. In 2000 and 2008, a white killer whale was spotted of the coast of the Alaskan Aleutian islands and in far east Russia, although it could be the same one. According to the witnesses, they all were quite similar.

      Ice berg is a handsome, and likely healthy killer whale. Things like Ice berg remind us that there are still great things that have yet to be discovered. Maybe Ice berg will influence people not only to save its species, but its habitat, The ocean.
                                      -Kennedy S.

Ben the Saviour Of the Drowning Men

Ben, one of the first graders in our school, saved three drowning men. Ben is only 6-years-old.

As you may know, Ben's mother owns a ferry company.  The crew of the ferry spotted a capsized boat with three men holding on to the hull.  While the crew pulled the men onto the ship, Ben communicated with the coast guard.  The men were saved on October 22, 2011, in Marin.  You can learn more about this here.

Local Hero in Rescue Hails from Hillwood!

Let's write up a blog post on Ben — a Hillwood hero.

Here is a link to the news story.

Mr. G

 Mr. G. our 5th through 7th grade substitute teacher grew up is San Francisco but always wanted to live in     Tuscany, Italy, for he wants to import wine, and Tuscany full of it. In school his favorite subject was
Greek and Roman history. His favorite place in S.F. is fishermens warf, because,   "their is a lot of walking." His favorite lunch at hillwood are ham and cheese. He describes himself as a nerd because he likes playing educational games online. He went to college at UC Santa Barbra, in Itally. He's smart too! He has a girlfriend named Silvia who lives in Italy. His favorite book is Game of Thrones and his favorite movie is Gladiator.
He loves to play sports, and his favorite sport is kickball. He loves watching sunsets and his favorite color is blue. He believes that technology is taking over the world and one should go outside more. He doesn't have the skill but would love to design computer programs. He knows how to speak Italian and used to know how to speak spanish.
Mr G. is kind and everyone likes him.

The New Science Teacher

 Auritte is this year's science teacher. She comes every week on Friday to teach us about aerodynamics. Auritte is the head of an organization called "Celsius and Beyond". Celsius and Beyond is a science enrichment program serving children in grades K-9 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Teachers and scientists from Celsius and Beyond teach physics, chemistry, biology, mechanics, and math. Students from 5-7 grade build planes and gliders and are taught how planes are built to manipulate air currents. Our latest project is a motorized plane.