Sea Cucumbers, Starfish, and Lobsters….Oh My!
November 30, 2011
Written by: Eric Coriale
Holding live sea cucumbers may have been the highlight of our student's afternoon! The Marine Biology Enrichment Bunch met today for their final session and made memories they will never forget. Colgate professor Damhnait McHugh shared her vast knowledge and live marine life with fourth and sixth graders who were able to touch animals most of us only see in pictures. As you can tell by the snapshots below, students were in awe of the life that often goes unnoticed in our oceans!
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
November 30, 2011
Written by: Mr. Coriale
Check out the link below to Mrs. Smith's first grade classroom. Each morning her students start the day on the right foot by singing, "Oh, What a Beautiful Day". As you can tell by the students' excitement, singing together sets the class up for a successful, positive day. Can you think of a better way to start each morning?
http://hcsbsmith.weebly.com/
http://hcsbsmith.weebly.com/
Cave Paintings
November 29th, 2011
Written by: Annie, Pat, and Zach
The 6th grade art class created cave paintings (using their own homemade paints) based on the Lascaux caves in Lascaux, France. The caves have been around for 18,000 years! One can find their artwork in the auditorium entrance near the copy room and, with a flashlight and the lights off, give themselves a small cave exploration experience. Check it out before it’s gone!
Renewable Energy for Homeowners
November 28th, 2011
Written by: Brandon, Jake, Logan, and Zach
Within the last week the Renewable Energy class has been working on a project dealing with solar energy. Our group consisting of Logan Bailey, Brandon Prince, Zach Dow, and Jacob Ballard wanted to address the homeowners all around Hamilton to consider possibly converting their homes to Solar Energy. Below is a list of websites with a Converter “Calculator” explaining the rough amount of what it would cost to convert their home to a green haven. Take an extra five minutes to browse through theses sites and see just how affordable and smart it is to go green!
http://www.astrumsolar.com/calculator/start
http://www.nyserdasolutions.org/form.php
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
November 22, 2011
Written by: Mr. Coriale
Pictures from: Mr. Hollis
As in any family, we are proud of one another when we achieve great things! The HCS Family is so proud of the HCS Boys' Soccer Team for their hard work, dedication, commitment, teamwork, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and love for their sport during their entire season! We are honored to, once again, call this team the New York State Class D Champions! Check out the pictures below, which are worth a thousand words! Please check back for more pictures to be added to this slideshow.
Thank you to Mr. Hollis for capturing the boys' journey on Radio Free Hamilton. You can check out many more pictures on his website!
Thank you to Mr. Hollis for capturing the boys' journey on Radio Free Hamilton. You can check out many more pictures on his website!
Tractor Drivers, Start Your Engines!
Event Date: November 18, 2011
Post Date: November 21, 2011
Written by: Sam and Barney
Over the course of last week, Mrs. Bossard's seventh and eighth graders have been learning how to drive tractors as part of their agriculture classes. Students learned various aspects of tractor safety and driving techniques. As part of their driving experience, they drove the tractor around a course, and even backed it up into a "barn". Check out the video below with some highlights from this experience!
Edible Plate Tectonics
November 21, 2011
Written by: Mr. Coriale
Pictures from: Mrs. Haskins
Remember the days when learning about science was done through a textbook? Not at HCS! Check out these pictures from Mrs. Hanskin's science lab on plate tectonics. It's no wonder students get so excited to go to science class!
Pancakes with PreK!
November 18, 2011
Written by: Mr. Coriale
Pictures from: Mrs. Roy
Who knew that HCS PreK students were such great chefs? Today, they hosted their families and the community for a pancake breakfast. They even made turkey headbands to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our youngest HCS learners!
HCS Soccer Send Off
Date: November 18, 2011
Written by: Mr. Coriale
Good luck to the HCS Boys' Soccer Team as they head off to Middletown in the NYS Semi-Finals. Game time is at 4:00pm on Saturday. Check out the video below with a short clip of today's send off!
French Students Tour Syracuse
Date: November 17, 2011
Written by: Hayleigh and Bailey
Yesterday, November 16th, Mr. Day’s French III and IV classes visited numerous sites in Syracuse to extend their learning experiences. First, they went to the Everson Museum of Art. They got a private tour from a guide who spoke French and the students could only speak French while they were there. It was an interesting experience! Then, they went to a French restaurant called L’adour, where they ate lunch. At the restaurant they also had to order in French. Some of the students had the soup of the season and salmon. For the dessert they had a delicious chocolate mousse. Their waiter was from France, so he was able to teach students about his language from first-hand experiences. Overall, it was a great learning experience for the students and they all had a great time. A huge thank you to the Hamilton Emerald Foundation for their support of this trip! Be sure to check out the pictures below!
NASCAR comes to HCS
Date: November 17, 2011
Written by: Eric Coriale
HCS alumni, Kevin King (class of 2009), spoke with high school students about his journey after graduation. Kevin recently graduated from NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina after spending two years focused on mechanics. Kevin now builds dirt cars for Terry and Bobby Labonte, a career that many could only dream of. Students had many questions for Kevin as they realized that there is yet another path for them to pursue after graduation. We would like to thank Kevin for taking the time to visit his al-matter and for introducing a career path to our students. Below is a picture of Kevin with his mom, Jill King (HCS high school secretary).
Spanish Class Reads with Third Graders
Date: November 17, 2011
Written by: Peter and Branden T.
Miss King’s Spanish IV class read to a class of third excited graders today in Spanish. One of the books read was Cuckoo. It was clear that third graders loved this book about a bird who goes on a crazy adventure to save his corn. Third graders read the page first of each book in English and the the Spanish IV students read the same page in Spanish as a way for students to begin to explore the Spanish language. As you can tell by the pictures below, this collaboration was a huge success! Thank you to Mr. Rains for sharing these pictures with us!
iPads get Organized in Sixth Grade
Date: November 16, 2011
Written by: Devin and Andrew
Earlier this week, sixth grade teachers Ms. Castillo and Ms. West recieved brand new iPad holders. These holders are not just any ordinary holder though. They were made by Mason Seitz and Greg Crossway in the Agricultural Science class, which is taught by Mrs. Bossard. The holders were built by hand in the HCS woodshop and also some of the construction was prepared at the Colgate woodshop. The project took about three class days before they were finished and could be given to the sixth grade classes. The teachers and students are all very excited for the new iPad holders they recieved. Thanks to the Agricultural Science for helping our fellow students and teachers! Below is a picture of the sync station. We wanted to get a picture with all of the iPads, but regardless of how many times we visited the classroom, students were busy using their devices.
Knights Ice Cherry Valley-Springfield
Date: November 14, 2011
Written by: Lauren, Juan, and Sam
Last Friday afternoon, the boys' varsity soccer team led by Coach Brian Latella had to battle through weather conditions that were unimaginable. Snow covered the field at Morrisville State as the boys took on Section 4 winner, Cherry Valley-Springfield. With 24 minutes left, the weather conditions got so bad the game was delayed. But with Robbie Keever’s lone goal in the first half, the boys managed to hold on and defeat the Patriots 1-0, allowing them to advance to the state final four. This game will be held in Middletown, NY on November 19th
and 20th. Below are pictures from the game.
and 20th. Below are pictures from the game.
Make Healthy Choices with Dr. Matt Bellace
Date: November 10, 2011
Written by: Tyler F.
On Wednesday, November 9th, Hamilton Central was graced with the presence of Dr. Matt Bellace. Bellace, who has been a youth motivational speaker and stand-up comedian since 1995, came to enlighten HCS about the “high life”. His comedic approach rang clear to the students and teachers alike, pursue natural highs and make healthy choices. His opening message was equally as important to embrace; surround yourself with a strong foundation of people who make healthy choices and act in positive ways. Below are some pictures from Dr. Bellace’s visit. There is also a video from YouTube from another school visit to check out. This may give you an idea of why students and teachers enjoyed Dr. Bellace's visit so much!
Visit Matt Bellace's website by visiting http://mattbellace.com/
Visit Matt Bellace's website by visiting http://mattbellace.com/
Bubbles in Earth Science
Date: November 9, 2011
Written by: Mrs. Haskins
Mrs. Haskin's ninth grade earth science students found themselves lost in bubbles during class today. They were hard at work comparing magma silica content and viscosity and gas flow in volcanic eruptions. As you can tell by the pictures below, this lab is one that they will always remember!
Hamsters, Rabbits, and Guinea Pigs-Oh My!
Date: November 9, 2011
Written by: Pat and Ann-Elise
Recently, the Ag room as gained a few new furry friends! There’s Noogie the rabbit, Doyle the guinea pig, and Kevin the hamster. These three were donated by the community. Be sure to give them a warm welcome-maybe even stop down to Mrs. Bossard‘s room during a study hall for a chance to pet and play with them!
Periodic Table Pumpkin
Date: November 7, 2011
Written by: Eric Coriale
Mrs. Orth was surprised by one of her middle school scientists this morning with a periodic table pumpkin. As you can tell by the pictures below, each of the elements are carefully carved into the pumpkin. Mrs. Orth was overjoyed with this surprise and is actively seeking for ways to preserve this pumpkin beyond this autumn season!
It's Almost Showtime
Date: November 4, 2011
Written By: Branden and Peter
As you may already know, the fall play rehearsals are coming to an end and the debut of Enchanted April will be next Friday and Saturday, November 11th and 12th in the HCS auditorium. The play is about several couples either falling in love or falling more in love with one another. Many HCS students get top honors for their roles in this play, including local star Noah Fry, who plays a big role in Enchanted April. Noah plays a gentlemen named Frederick Arnott who falls in love with Rose Arnott, played by Hannah Parfit. Come out and support the HCS Masquers as they travel to Italy in Enchanted April. It is sure to be an evening of love and adventure!
Movember at HCS
Date: November 3, 2011
Written by: Elena
Hamilton has been sporting hosting bake sales and contests week after week, creating awareness for various causes, and just making the world a better place. The field hockey team has held breast and ovarian cancer awareness games, TATF has sold ribbons for AIDS and the list continues on. But as one may notice, most of these support women’s health care problems rather than men's. Which is why Almeda is sponsoring, Movember. No, they didn’t make it up, its a world-wide campaign in which men shave their beards and mustaches on the first day of November and then grow a luscious moustache throughout the month. Faculty, seniors and juniors have men that have volunteered to participate and everyone is asked to vote for either one of the groups using loose change. Pennies, nickles, and quarters represent points gained but dimes are a loss of ten points. At the end of the month, whichever team has the most points will be crowned the Movember winner. All the money will then be donated to support men’s health issues. Below are pictures of the coin buckets for this great fundraiser!
HCS Dance Team Holds Fall Fest for CNS
November 3, 2011
Event Date: October 31, 2011
Written by: Bailey, and Hayleigh
On Monday October 31, the CNS After School Program enjoyed a fall festival presented by the HCS Dance Team as one of their fundraiser programs. The kids participated in events such as painting pumpkins, trick-or-treating around the halls of the school, face painting, creating leaf drawings, listening to stories being read aloud, decorating paper bags for trick-or-treating, and even played games in the gym. Parents bought gourds for the kids to paint, and they all turned out amazing. Mrs. Ford and the entire dance team would like to thank everyone at CNS, parents, and, of course, the kids for participating!
Rock Monsters
Date: November 2, 2011
Written by: Mrs. Rowland and Mrs. Latella
Third grade artists have spent the last few weeks turning ordinary rocks into "rock monsters"! Fourth graders "adopted" individual rocks after they searched them out in the library during media class. They took the rocks back to their classrooms, and created many different types of writing pieces including short stories, comic strips, scripts, first-person narratives, and many more. Each of these writing pieces told the story of the rock. Today, Mrs. Rowland's class got together with Mrs. Latella's class to meet the rock's artist and to share their writing pieces. Below are pictures from this collaboration!
HCS Cares Project 2011
Date: November 2, 2011
Written by: Ms. Jennifer Briggs
PreK teacher, Jen Briggs, is working hard to bring some much-needed relief to another community in need that was devastated by flooding as a result of Hurricane Irene. Below is the letter that Ms. Briggs sent home to all
PreK-12 students. This letter outlines the project and how our entire learning community can help! Ms. Briggs also created a video to outline the project, and you can find it below as well. Thank you, Ms. Briggs, for all of your hard work in organizing this project to reach out to another small community!
Dear HCS Families,
As you probably know, at the end of August, there was a lot of devastation throughout New York State due to flooding as a result of hurricane Irene and other storms. One particular school that was severely impacted by such flooding is the Gilboa-Conesville Central School District. It is a school that is slightly smaller than HCS and is located in a small, rural area of the Northern Catskills Mountains (near Cobleskill, NY). Like Hamilton Central, Gilboa-Conesville Central School is a PK-12 building. It is made up of students from various hamlets in Schoharie, Greene, and Delaware counties (including Prattsville, Blenheim, Gilboa, Manorkill, & Conesville, as well as four others). Many of the families in this school district were low-income families prior to the flooding and now they have lost everything. While the school building itself was not damaged, the families in the district have been affected tremendously by these events. Numerous families have had their entire houses float away and/or were without electricity and phone services for almost three weeks. The district decided that it was best to delay opening for the new school year until Sept. 14th, as many families were still struggling to get their feet back on the ground and some roads/bridges were still closed.
I have been thinking a lot about these children and families since this all began at the end of August. The photos and videos of the area that I have seen are mind-boggling. I can’t imagine being in their shoes and have our wonderful little village nearly disappear. I know how generous the families of the Hamilton community can be, so I have decided to organize a donation drive to gather some outdoor winter clothing for the children in the Gilboa-Conesville Central School District. I would like to help the children in this district get prepared for winter after having such a rough ending to their summer. I also think it would be a great way for our students to begin the school year, by thinking of others in need and showing that they care!
Each grade level at HCS will be adopting a grade level at Gilboa-Conesville Central School. I have talked to the PreK-5th grade children this week and students from the National Honor Society have addressed the older students throughout this week to explain the project to everyone. Beginning Tuesday, November 1st (thru November 10th), HCS classes will be collecting new or gently used winter items (such as hats, gloves, scarves, snow pants, etc.). The sizes can correlate to those of the students/families donating (for example: the family of a kindergarten student would donate something that would fit a typical 5 year old). Some students at Colgate are also joining us in our effort and have been collecting similar items on campus.
Donations can be dropped off at designated boxes located either next to the main office or in front of the elementary library and will be delivered to the students of Gilboa-Conesville Central School shortly before Thanksgiving. At the conclusion of this donation, each grade level will get to meet the students that they have helped, via Skype, and we are hoping that this will be a long-term connection between the two schools.
If interested, here is a link that has documented some of the damage in the area: http://www.rebuildgilboa.org/Pictures.html. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Sincerely,
Ms. Jen Briggs
PreK-12 students. This letter outlines the project and how our entire learning community can help! Ms. Briggs also created a video to outline the project, and you can find it below as well. Thank you, Ms. Briggs, for all of your hard work in organizing this project to reach out to another small community!
Dear HCS Families,
As you probably know, at the end of August, there was a lot of devastation throughout New York State due to flooding as a result of hurricane Irene and other storms. One particular school that was severely impacted by such flooding is the Gilboa-Conesville Central School District. It is a school that is slightly smaller than HCS and is located in a small, rural area of the Northern Catskills Mountains (near Cobleskill, NY). Like Hamilton Central, Gilboa-Conesville Central School is a PK-12 building. It is made up of students from various hamlets in Schoharie, Greene, and Delaware counties (including Prattsville, Blenheim, Gilboa, Manorkill, & Conesville, as well as four others). Many of the families in this school district were low-income families prior to the flooding and now they have lost everything. While the school building itself was not damaged, the families in the district have been affected tremendously by these events. Numerous families have had their entire houses float away and/or were without electricity and phone services for almost three weeks. The district decided that it was best to delay opening for the new school year until Sept. 14th, as many families were still struggling to get their feet back on the ground and some roads/bridges were still closed.
I have been thinking a lot about these children and families since this all began at the end of August. The photos and videos of the area that I have seen are mind-boggling. I can’t imagine being in their shoes and have our wonderful little village nearly disappear. I know how generous the families of the Hamilton community can be, so I have decided to organize a donation drive to gather some outdoor winter clothing for the children in the Gilboa-Conesville Central School District. I would like to help the children in this district get prepared for winter after having such a rough ending to their summer. I also think it would be a great way for our students to begin the school year, by thinking of others in need and showing that they care!
Each grade level at HCS will be adopting a grade level at Gilboa-Conesville Central School. I have talked to the PreK-5th grade children this week and students from the National Honor Society have addressed the older students throughout this week to explain the project to everyone. Beginning Tuesday, November 1st (thru November 10th), HCS classes will be collecting new or gently used winter items (such as hats, gloves, scarves, snow pants, etc.). The sizes can correlate to those of the students/families donating (for example: the family of a kindergarten student would donate something that would fit a typical 5 year old). Some students at Colgate are also joining us in our effort and have been collecting similar items on campus.
Donations can be dropped off at designated boxes located either next to the main office or in front of the elementary library and will be delivered to the students of Gilboa-Conesville Central School shortly before Thanksgiving. At the conclusion of this donation, each grade level will get to meet the students that they have helped, via Skype, and we are hoping that this will be a long-term connection between the two schools.
If interested, here is a link that has documented some of the damage in the area: http://www.rebuildgilboa.org/Pictures.html. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Sincerely,
Ms. Jen Briggs