Get Ready for the Christmas talent show!

Merry Christmas everybody! We will have a Christmas talent show on December 9,2011. We will have a Santa gift exchange and sing Christmas songs.Our Santa's deputy will be Anya J. Mrs Marta will help us serve coffee and cookies. The show will be from 1:30-2:30pm.Ms. Lydia and Ms.Schmitt help us preform a Christmas songs. You will expect Anya J. to play the piano, Claire P. to play the violin, Nikita K. to sing Jingle Bells in Russian and much more!

While all the kids and students play out in the school yard the parents will have their own little party upstairs in Mr. and Mrs. Grantz's home. In the past we have had break dancing, violin, singing and kindergarteners singing as a group. We all hope you can come!

by Asiana D.

Recycled Village

So far, our village has started. We are also making a Christmas time village so it will be snowy and with Christmas trees. We need more yogurt cartons for houses. We are going to bring cotton fiber for the snow on the ground. Next week, we are going to build a wind mill out of a 1 liter soda bottle and 1 foot wooden stake. Also, we are going to bring in pizza tables for picnic tables in the park. Angela made snow flakes out of cotton balls. We will also make a forest with Popsicle stick trees.

Next week, I am going to build a windmill. We are going to put the snowballs Angela made into plastic spoons used as blades for the windmill. Also, we are going to use a motor to make a fan to blow the windmill.

Even though we are not making a project that was assigned before, we are allowed to enter

this project because we are using a motor from the motorized challenge.

By Anya and Angela

Watch the Fun at the Talent Show!

For more holiday videos and news click to The Herald's Holiday coverage. 

The Hillwood Holiday Party Is This Friday!

Merry Christmas and lots of holiday cheer!

Now that it is almost Christmas day, Hillwood Academic Day School, its students and teachers, are preparing for the big party on Friday, December 10. So, now is the time to get read for the talent show and another free dress day. There will also a gathering for parents upstairs with lots of food that students and their families will be bringing in to share.

We will also be giving presents to one another with the Secret Santa event that we do at Hillwood each year. Students pick a name from a hat and then either make or buy a gift for that individual. Zack, an eighth-grade student, has been appointed the Deputy of Santa at the North Pole, and he will be assisted by the sixth-grade students. Zack will begin gift-giving first thing Friday morning.

Parents are welcome to join the Hillwood festivities from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The talent show will be from 1:30 to 2:30. Students will be singing songs in Spanish, performing skits, dancing, and playing musical instruments. Even the kindergarten kids and first graders will at the front of the center room performing. The parent gathering upstairs begins at 2:30.

Below is a holiday card for readers of The Hillwood Herald. Have a safe and wonderful holiday, and remember that the school will be closed until Monday, January 3, 2011.

Links: Animoto

By Jennifer and Angela

Happy Hanukkah and Best Wishes for the Holidays and New Year!

Holidays at the White House

Yesterday at the White House, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama had a gathering about Hanukkah celebration at the White House on the second night of the Jewish festival lights.

The gathering was held in the East Room Thursday, December 2 ,2010. The guest delivered traditional prayers while lighting menorahs, or a candle with seven branches. The Obamas looked on as the lighting took place.

For those that don't know, Hanukkah is an eight-day-long Jewish celebration. Over Hanukkah, people commemorate the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

The Obama family recently got a Christmas tree for the White House. The tree was brought to the White House by a horse drawn carriage. The Douglas fir is over ten feet tall and thirteen feet wide. It's known as the centerpiece of all decorations.

The following video is from the White House website, and it shows the entire process of decorating the tree through time-lapse photography.

Hillwood's Christmas Party

Every Christmas, Hillwood School has a party, where all of the students and the students' parentsget together and celebrate another year. There's lots of food, and the students of Hillwood have a talent show that they put on for their parents.

The upper graders are going to sing, "A Happy Christmas" by John Lennon and "Silver Bells." The upper graders are also going to pretend they are famous artists, and talk to the audience about themselves in Spanish. The little kids   are going to sing a song in Spanish.

In addition, many of the students are going to do their own thing in the talent show, from playing a musical instrument to acting out a skit.

Also every year, Hillwood has its Secret Santa tradition. During this event, one of santa's deputies comes down and uses reindeer antlers to see if all the students have been naughty or nice. If they are nice, they get a present. Then, they have to guess who gave them the present. Miss Schmitt, shown in this picture in Muir Woods at the Hillwood cabin, will be leading much of the musical festivities.

Helping Africa with Water

Residents in Africa need water. They are drinking contaminated rain water. Mother's and their daughter's would carry gallons of water from wells back to their family's.

Thanks to Playpumps National (shown in this video on National Geographic Kids), they are giving the Africans Playpumps. The Playpumps are fun for children in Africa because they sit on it and it spins like a merry go round. As they play, it pumps water.

For Christmas, my brother bought me a doll, which a girl in Africa made. The girl's name is Buhlebenkosi, and she is 14 years old and an orphan.

The dolls that she makes get to America by a man who brings all the dolls the orphans made. They use the money to buy food and drinks. The man also gives the girl your address so she can send you letters. Above is a picture of me and the doll.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Happy holidays from the Hillwood herald. Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah.

After this week, The Hillwood Herald will be on vacation until the New Year.

Hanukkah Lantern Card from Nicole Catrett on Vimeo.

Holiday Cards Made by Famous Artists

The Smithsonian has one hundred holiday cards made by famous artists. Only thirty five cards are on their site. The rest are on display in the Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C., where you can visit the exhibit.

Hillwood's Annual All-Day Christmas Party

Every year during the merry month, Hillwood throws an all-day Christmas party for our students and families. The day starts off as normal. At around 10 AM, the whole school gathers in the middle room downstairs. The appointed Deputy of Santa (Eighth Grader Brigette W.) comes along with her helpers (Irene T., Julian F., and Julien G.) to distribute presents around to everybody (the presents are part of a Secret Santa Draw we do in class. Will get on to that in a minute). The Deputy of Santa will use her special "reindeer ears" to determine if each student has been naughty or nice for the year by asking questions such as, "Did you eat your veggies this year?" or "Have you listened to your mommy a lot?" The child will respond with (of course) yes to every question and he/she will receive a present sent by an anonymous student. The party is followed by a short break and lunch. Afterwards, the students host a Talent Show with various acts from grades Kindergarten to Eighth. Parents are invited as the audience of these special performances.

Secret Santa
In each class, a draw for Secret Santa is used. The teacher writes each students' name on a piece of paper and folds it. She puts it in a small container and asks one student to come up one at a time to pick one. Whichever person this student picks, he/she has to present a gift for the child with a limit of $10 on the gift. It's fun overall as you try to guess who is going to give you a present and what it will be. Also, it doesn't leave out anybody who doesn't get a gift. During the Present Time when the Deputy of Santa distributes the gifts, each student will know the sender on the tag.

Talent Show Acts
Ms. Gayle Schmitt, the school's music/singing teacher, conducts a song for each talent show (two annually) with each class. The upper graders will be singing "Jingle Bell Rock", Fourth Grader Faryn D. and Jennifer L. will be dueting the Spanish song "Feliz Navidad", and Brigette W. will be playing a lovely tune on her violin. There is always a variety. Last year, Samantha played the hula hoop and played the harmonica--at the same time! Julien G. is also very musically talented. He was in a band over the summer as a singer and he plays the piano. Zack taught himself how to play the guitar while Anya can perform amazing backflips! Everyone has a chance to show off some kind of talent.

Parents Corner
Parents can look forward to seeing their kids perform in the Talent Show and the Parents' Party. Our wonderful staff of Hillwood will be there. They include: Mr. and Mrs. Grantz, Ms. Kathy Tom, Ms. Sybil Dawson, Mrs. Eileen Woods, Ms. Samantha Caine, Ms. Lydia Cortias, Ms. Gayle Schmitt, Ms. Anna H., and Ms. Martha Yow.

Party Attire
Kids can come in fancy-casual dress. No jeans, t-shirts, and graphic shirts. Otherwise, uniforms as usual.

Picture Source: Google Images

Christmas at the White House

Student: Camryn

What are the holidays like at the White House? Consult the White House website and then write a news story.

What's at the Zoo for the Holiday?

Student: Jay and Erion

What's happening at the zoo for the holiday? Write a story based on information from the zoo's website and the SFGate. Remember to include links, images, and source.

Tree-Lighting Ceremony at Golden Gate Park

Student: Nikita

Write about the upcoming tree-lighting service in Golden Gate Park. When is it? Include a link to and information from the park's website.

When you are done, you may make an Animoto video.

Preview the Nutcracker

Student: Rubina

Write a news story that previews the San Francisco Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker. Use information and photos from the ballet's website. Also, include historical information about the Nutcracker and where the word "nutcracker" comes from.

The Hillwood Holiday Party

Student: Zack

As the Deputy of Santa at the North Pole, write an article about Hillwood upcoming holiday party. Give all the important details (who, what, when, where and why), as well as your plans for the day.

Your article should include all of the information from flier sent home to parents yesterday.

Include images from last year's holiday party.