PTSA President s Pen. In This Issue

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1 Volume 2, Issue 4 December 2015 PTSA President s Pen I hope everyone had a restful break and was able to spend special time with family and friends. Now we re ready to gear up for the busy but wonderful holiday season! Thanks to all of you who donated a pie to our Staff Appreciation Pie Drive. We were able to give all Tex Hill staff including the cafeteria, custodians and bus drivers a delicious pie! They were so thankful, and we could not have done it without your generous donations. David Lee Tex Hill Middle School Rudy Jimenez, Principal Bulverde Rd San Antonio, TX In This Issue PTSA President s Pen Principal Jimenez Headlines Chili Cook-Off Results Tiger Tough Against Drugs At the recent NEISD Council of PTAs meeting, several Tex Hill volunteers were recognized for their volunteer hours served during the school year. Congratulations to Melinda Cox, Amy Staley, and Cindy Zagrzecki for their time and efforts. We appreciate everything you do! Our next PTSA General Meeting will be on Tuesday, December 8, at 6:30pm. We will be recognizing our PTA Honorary Life Members, and the Tiger Orchestra will be performing after the meeting. We hope you ll join us on December 8! As always, I appreciate your continued support. I wish you and your family a blessed and joyous Christmas and hope you have a great start to 2016! Tex Hill Honors Veterans What s Behind the Garden Gate? Tiger Watch Tex Hill Learning Commons PTSA Membership Bulletin Board Volunteering at Tex Hill PTSA Mission Statement PTSA Directory Monica Pipes Tex Hill Middle School PTSA President Monica Pipes PTSA President mpipes@satx.rr.com Suzanne M. Engle, Editor

2 Parents, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. The cooler weather at the end of the holiday week finally made it feel like Fall. Even though there are only three weeks left in December and the first semester, Tex Hill has several activities occurring. Boys basketball continues after beating Bradley two weeks ago, followed by a beginning of season tournament on 12/12. The girls basketball began their season against Bradley Middle School on 12/3. On Saturday, 12/5, the Dance team performed at the Winter Celebration held at the grounds of North Central Baptist Hospital. They continued their tradition in performing at this fun event after last year s successful show. Our region band members took part of a clinic and perform at Johnson High School on Friday and Saturday, 12/4 and 12/5. The entire band will perform in a Winter Concert at Tex Hill s Cafetorium on Monday, 12/7. Tex Hill s Choir program will be very busy with a Boys Choir performance in the Rampage game on Sunday, 12/6, followed by a choir performance at Johnson High School on Tuesday, 12/8. Finally, the entire choir will put on a Winter Concert on Tuesday, 12/15 at the Tex Hill Cafetorium. On Tuesday, 12/8, the Orchestra program will perform at their Winter Concert at Tex Hill. Later the same week, the Region members will have a clinic and perform at Tejeda Middle School. The Tex Hill Art program will showcase many of their students works of art at the Tex Hill Tiger Art Gallery on Thursday, 12/10 in the Encino Library. The next day, our debate and theatre students will participate in the Speech and Debate Festival at Lopez Middle School and again on Saturday, 12/12. There are plenty of opportunities in the next few weeks to support our Tigers. Our students would love to see you at their events. Respectfully, Rudy Jimenez, Principal

3 Sara and I want to take this opportunity to Thank you all who participated in our Chili Cook Off. It was an amazing chili cook off day and perfect weather for it. Everyone had an amazing time tasting and eating! Our winners were 1st Place - Dr. Jeffery Kahl 2nd Place - Debbie Ferrer 3rd Place - Tara Hoopes Each of our winners received a gift card to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema We also want to thank you for donating the HOLIDAY PIES. Everyone at Tex Hill staff received a pie even our bus drivers who works diligently to get our kids safely to and from school Monday thru Friday. All staff was very appreciative and grateful for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful community. As December is upon us Staff Appreciation is getting ready for our Holiday Staff Luncheon more info to come via . Please forward me an if you want to participate in this month event. Your Staff Appreciation Chair Nora Martinez Sara McRill

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5 Tex Hill Middle School encourages its students to be critical thinkers, lifelong learners and fearless leaders for a changing world. The campus also appreciates the importance of teaching and reminding students to make the right choices in their daily lives and to respect themselves and others. This Red Ribbon week message was prevalent throughout the campus during the week of October Red Ribbon Week began after the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in Agent Camarena had been working undercover in Guadalajara, Mexico for over four years. The Red Ribbon program serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. The importance of the week then became reality as speaker Peyton Grasso made her way to the middle of the gym floor. Peyton Grasso is an O Connor High School Senior. On June 14, 2014 Peyton was the victim of a near fatal traffic accident involving a drunk driver who lost control of their vehicle. The vehicle rolled over 3 times and slammed into a steel utility pole. Peyton lost her leg on impact, sustained a burst fracture of her C-2 spinal vertebrae, went into cardiac arrest twice, fractured both femurs and sustained an axonal brain injury. Peyton has endured 15 surgeries on the amputated leg, due to the traumatic nature of the amputation and several other very dangerous neurosurgeries to repair the burst fracture in her cervical spine. Hill Tigers participated in activities throughout the week to remind them to stand Tiger tough against drugs. School counselors and student members of the PALS club (Peer Assistance and Leadership Students) and the Tiger PTSA worked hard to decorate the school with red ribbons and posters. Students were encouraged to participate in the message by dressing in different Red Ribbon themes each day. Themes included students dressing up as twins as It takes two to tackle drugs and dressing up in Tiger spirit gear because These paws don t touch drugs. Atique and Schatz Orthodontics donated almost 1,000 red sunglasses in an effort to remind students they are too bright to do drugs. The Red Ribbon week activities ended on Friday with pep rallies for each grade level. The Hill campus, parents, PTSA, school administration and members of the community came together in the gym during three pep rallies to encourage students to stand tough against drugs and to make smart choices in their daily lives. Students were welcomed in by the Tiger band and UTSA cheerleaders and the UTSA mascot, Rowdy. Tex the Tiger, the new Hill mascot, was also introduced and helped get the students rallied up against drugs. PAL students made a run through banner and spoke to students about the importance of respecting yourself. Hill dancers brought the energy with a performance and the UTSA cheerleaders kept the crowd excited about the message. Coach Hebert focused students with his story of being true to yourself and staying strong. Peyton spoke to students during each of the three pep rallies to encourage the young audiences that they do have choices and that they should always stay strong to make the right choices even though it may be hard. "I made a bad decision. I went to a party and drank for the first time and I got in the car with someone who had been drinking and I almost lost my life. I made one bad choice and I will deal with this for the rest of my life, Peyton told the students who filled the bleachers in the gym. The energy, noise and excitement of the rallies quickly subdued as Peyton told her story. The messages of the week long Red Ribbon activities were all brought together in the words of Peyton s accident and subsequent story and journey. This was one student s story to a room full of students and the impact was measurable. Students were full of questions for Peyton and she answered them with the hope that she might be able to encourage these students to make the right choices. It s all about choices, Peyton said. I came to Hill Middle School to share my journey and my strength with the hope it would inspire others toward a path of success. The Tex Hill PTSA and Tiger campus are very thankful to all who participated in our second annual Red Ribbon Week events. The support from our parents, students, campus and community will continue to help keep our Hill Tigers Tiger Tough and prepared to make safe, smart choices.

6 TEX HILL HONORS WW2 VETERANS WITH A DINNER AND CELEBRATION H eroes and Hill students came together November 11 to celebrate Veteran s day with a dinner and program. Tex Hill Student Council, PAL students and the campus came together to organize the event which included Honor Flight WW2 veterans, Honor Flight staff and members of the faculty and campus who have served. Johnson High School JROTC students also participated in the event. Hill students Kasey Kickhoefer and Marin Mangiaracini sang the National Anthem and the Johnson High School color guard presented the flags. Tex Hill Middle School has partnered with the nonprofit organization, Honor Flight San Antonio de Valero, to help support the group and the veterans who make the Honor Flight trip. This group takes veterans, all expenses paid, to Washington D.C. to visit their war memorials and to thank them for their service and commitment to our country. Principal Jimenez and the Tiger campus wanted to thank the Honor Flight WW2 veterans by inviting them to dinner and a program in their honor. Members of the staff and campus who have served came for dessert and the program. Hill students and JHS JROTC acted as waiters for the veterans to serve them dinner and dessert and made sure the veterans had everything they needed. Dinner was followed with a Hill program which included a video students had put together with help from Mr Dolce thanking the veterans for their service, readings of poetry and quotes and stories from the veterans themselves. Each veteran was awarded a certificate declaring them a honorary Tiger and student council gave each veteran a goodie bag filled with Hill spirit items. The Honor Flight organization was then handed a check for over $1400.the cost of a one trip to Washington D.C. with the Honor Flight group. Student Council collected coins and dollars for over a month under their Seat for a Soldier campaign. The students raised awareness for the group, the veterans and enough money to send a soldier to Washington D.C. Tex Hill Middle School is honored to work with veterans and appreciates the dedication and commitment of every veteran and active military person. The campus looks forward to a continuing relationship with the Honor Flight group.

7 We have had plenty of rain behind the garden gate!! The tomatoes did not like the cold snap we got...and they probably will not ripen to red before we get a freeze. Of course, in south Texas it is 80 degrees one day and 30 degrees the next...being a farmer must be very tricky in the fall and winter. Tiger students will pick the green tomatoes and see if they can get them to ripen off the vine. Included is a recipe for chow chow which is made with green tomatoes. We have one little Tiger carrot out of the ground. A cauliflower has come up over the Thanksgiving break and there is recipe for cauliflower rice in this article. We are still waiting to see what the broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage will do. Remember you are always welcome to check in at the front desk and stop by. We now have a accessible gate to the garden Thanks Melinda Vp Programs Hill PTSA melmadcox@msn.com Ingredients 1/4 cup golden raisins 1 large head cauliflower, separated into 1-inch florets 1/4 cup olive oil 1 medium onion, finely diced 1/3 cup sliced skin-on almonds or shelled pistachios 2 tablespoons drained capers 2 small cloves garlic, thinly sliced Zest of 1/2 lemon Pinch red pepper flakes Kosher salt 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped Directions Soak the raisins in warm water until plump, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, trim the cauliflower florets, cutting Healthy Sicilian Cauliflower Rice Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen away as much stem as possible. In three batches, break up the florets into a food processor and pulse until the texture resembles that of couscous. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. At the first wisp of smoke from the oil, add the onions, and stir to coat. Continue cooking the onions, stirring frequently, until the edges are golden brown and the onions have softened, about 6 minutes. Add the almonds, raisins, capers, garlic, lemon zest and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until the almonds are golden, about 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower to the skillet, and stir to combine. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon the cauliflower into a large serving bowl, garnish with parsley and season to taste with salt. Serve warm.

8 Greetings Tex Hill Middle School students and parents, It s hard to believe that it is already November and our students have completed their first semester! PTSA Membership is doing well, but we sure would like to see participation from all students and parents alike. If you are a current member, thank you for your continued support, and please keep in mind that there are various discounts that you can receive as a member. You can find a membership form on our PTSA website, under the Join/Volunteer tab. If you are a member and would like to receive a PTSA membership card, please me directly with your name, address and your student's last period teacher's name (we will need this in order to send the card home with your student). Thank you in advance for your continued support, Sallie Garza Tex Hill MS PTSA Membership Chair jnstexas@yahoo.com

9 Tex Hill Students are collecting Toys for Tots. Please consider donating a new unwrapped toy. There are drop off bins located in the halls throughout the building. WANTED Library Volunteers Looking for a way to help out? The library is in need of volunteers!. If you would like more information khovey303@gmail.com PTSA General Meetings Tuesday, December 6:30pm Band Concert Tuesday, February 6:30pm Reflections Recognition Tuesday, April 6:30pm UIL Recognition

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11 We Recycle to Earn $! Help Tex Hill stay green and raise green by donating your empty printer cartridges! All donations can be dropped off at the main entrance to Tex Hill MS, or to the Learning Commons. Know a business or organization that may want to donate their cartridges? It s very easy for them to donate their printer cartridges on behalf of our campus, directly from their location! How to Get Started: If you work for a company or know of one that may be interested in supporting us, please contact FundingFactory toll-free at OR - go to their website Use our school identification number to earmark donations for our campus when setting up the business' account FREE prepaid shipping labels will be sent, free of charge, directly to any business, organization or other facility within the continental United States Business supporters simply need to load boxes, apply a FREE prepaid shipping label and leave them for the next UPS pickup! See this link for more information or contact Librarian Ms. Diaz: tdiaz4@neisd.net Follow The Learning Commons on Twitter! The Learning Commons now has its own Twitter account. to stay informed about great resources, events and activities happening 24/7. You can also view the latest Twitter feed on the Learning Commons Homepage

12 How can I sign-up to volunteer? Please come and be a part of the Tex Hill Community! We are always in need of volunteers throughout the school year! My name is Amy Staley and I am your PTSA VP of Volunteers. There are multiple ways to volunteer. 1. You can always contact me at amystaley.ptsa@gmail.com or at (210) Logging into our volunteer website called PTAvenue. Organization code: TexHillMiddleSchool Every parent/member can view Tex Hill PTSA s on-line calendar of volunteer opportunities, signup to volunteer, and read news and announcements. Volunteering at Tex Hill includes helping at special events happening throughout the year, for certain committees with specific areas of interest, and/or helping with on-going needs on a daily basis, such as the workroom, library, and Tiger Watch. Click on the link below and enter the code in the PARENT LOG IN section of the home page. What do I have to do to Volunteer? In order to volunteer at Tex Hill, you must be DPS cleared through the NEISD Volunteer Program. If you have been a regular volunteer at another school, you do not need to be DPS cleared again to volunteer at Tex Hill. However, if you have not been a regular volunteer in the district, you may have to go through the clearance again. To become DPS cleared or to check to see if your clearance is current, click to visit the NEISD Volunteer Criminal History Record Check. As you go through this quick process, it will ask you where you will volunteer - our school is listed as D.L. Tex Hill Middle School. Once you hit submit release, it will either send your information through or it will state that you are already a cleared volunteer. We look forward to welcoming and working with new volunteers as well as those who have volunteered in the past. Logging Volunteer Hours PVSA What is PVSA? The Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is an annual award, given in May, that recognizes volunteer service to help improve our community. Information on how to log your hours and receive recognition at Tex Hill can be found in the Tex Hill PVSA V-Volunteer Tex Hill PTSA member volunteers, check your Tex Hill volunteer hours at V-Volunteer. If you volunteer at Tex Hill, your time should be logged via the sign-in and sign-out log at Tex Hill, but the hours may not be accurate and may need to be adjusted at the V-Volunteer site. If you complete Tex Hill volunteer activities outside of Tex Hill, you should log your hours manually. Log into NEISD s V-Volunteer site. New to V- Volunteer? Check out the V-Volunteer site. What are other ways my child can volunteer in our community? 20 Ways Ways for Teenagers to Help Others by Volunteering

13 Tex Hill PTSA Mission Statement Our Slogan We are united. We are Tex Hill. Our Vision Every child s potential is a reality. Our Mission To create and foster opportunities that enrich and support our children, parents, school and community Our Goals Encourage parent involvement and ensure all parents feel welcome to volunteer at Tex Hill and to become an active member of the PTSA Strive to provide accurate information to our parents regarding our PTSA and to communicate effectively within our school community Lend volunteer support to our teachers and staff at Tex Hill Encourage students to make healthy choices in all aspects of their everyday lives both at school and at home Promote PTSA to students and empower them to be self-reliant, compassionate and leaders of their school by becoming involved in the PTSA programs and activities offered at Tex Hill Tex Hill. What is a PTSA? PTSA is an organization made up of parent, teachers and students whose objective is to create and foster opportunities that enrich and support our children, parents, school and community. It involves student participation, insight and perspective as they pertain to program development which aids in building student leadership. It also provides adult members with a better understanding of today s youth. Why Join Tex Hill PTSA? PTSA will sponsor programs that support parents, teachers and student. These programs will help enrich the education of the students, enhance the efforts of the staff and will become invaluable to our school overall. As a member, you and your child(ren) will have the opportunity to help establish the foundation for what Tex Hill can become. What is required of me as a member? You are ONLY required to sign up and pay the membership dues. You are ALWAYS welcome to volunteer your time and your talents by serving on or chairing a committee. There a many ways to get involved. However, we know not everyone s schedule allows them this opportunity. You can help by providing a voice of care and concern by attending the general meetings, which are typically scheduled in the evenings. Annual Tex Hill PTSA dues are $7.50. You are able to join at the first of the year through the Welcome Packet your student receives on the first day of school. Anytime after that, contact Sallie Garza, Membership chair at tamencke@satx.rr.com. PTSA membership dues help sponsor programs and more: Reflections Art Program Red Ribbon Week Staff Appreciation Website/Newsletter 8th Grade Activities Tigers Taking Care of Campus & Community service programs Tiger Watch (this is our version of Watch DOGs!) Presidential Volunteer Service

14 Principal Rudy Jimenez President Monica Pipes Council Delegate - Michelle Green Council Delegate - Nicole Mansueto Founder's Day Life Member - Renee Gamez Legislative Action (Special Committee) - Nicole Armijo Newsletter - Sue Engle Website - Leigh Anne Roeber Student Representative (NJHS) - OPEN Student Representative (PALS) - OPEN Student Representative (Student Council) - OPEN Tiger Team Rep - OPEN 1st VP Aide & Programs Melinda Cox District Lunchroom Liaison- Michele King Healthy Lifestyles- Jennifer Laskowski Red Ribbon Week - Carla Sims Reflections - DeLaine Mowad Watch DOGS/Tiger Watch - Gabe Mallen 2nd VP Ways and Means Christie Busenlehner Spirit Items - Stacey Powers Used Book Sale - Johvon Tidwell 3rd VP Volunteers Amy Staley Hospitality - Missy McKie Library - Kassi Hovey PVSA (special committee) - Eleanor Rodriguez Staff Appreciation - Nora Martinez Textbooks - Beth Rheney Workroom - Stephania Toney Treasurer Cindy Zagrzecki Membership - Sallie Garza 8th Grade Activities - Renee Golobay Secretary Tracy Benavides Parliamentarian Erin Blake Historian Maria Kusenberger