Good things are happening at J. Frank Hillyard Middle School and the school is hosting a special night to show off some of their students’ accomplishments! On Thursday, February 22 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm, students will have a chance to showcase their work at the annual Hawks Highlight night.
Activities include the Scholastic Book fair, book bingo, family math games, geography bingo, face painting, volleyball, cornhole, and a special game to see who is smarter than a 6th grader! The music department invites all to come jam with them in the “Dupree Room” (aka the school auditorium) – the premier Rock Venue on the Sunset Strip and the main set of this year’s musical, Rock of Ages. Teachers will also showcase student work from the school year and/or host activities in their classroom. The Talon Store will also be open for 6th graders to shop. Dinner will be served between 5:30 – 6:45, and guests can purchase tickets outside the school cafeteria.
When students arrive at the building, they will register their families in the front lobby using a form on their Chromebooks. This will serve as their door prize entry. Many local businesses have donated items to give away. They include food gift cards from El Ranchero and Italian Touch in Broadway, Double Dragon. Rhodes Seafood, and Roman Pizza in Timberville, and Buffalo Wild Wings and Mr. J’s in Harrisonburg. Dairy Queen in Harmony Square is giving away a free ice-cream cake.
Other prizes come from Blue Ribbon Nursery, Broadway Bird Bath, Flowers Galore, and Evergreen Florist in Broadway. These local businesses also gave donations: 7-11, Agri of Virginia, J and B’s country store, The Cottage at Louisa, Creekside Boutique, Steel Mill Gym
Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone, Strickler Furniture, Fulks Run Grocery, Custom Air Solutions, and Randy’s Do-It-Best Hardware. Subway, Food Lion, Walmart, and Costco also helped with food donations toward the cost of the meal.
Students will be able to win prizes – including free dinner vouchers – beginning in early February. There are two ways they can win: First, by “getting caught” reading. Each time a teacher notices a student reading independently, they will give the student a bookmark with a “Caught you Reading” message. The bottom of the bookmark is an entry tag for a daily prize drawing. Students write their names on the tag and put them into a grade level box for their chance to win.
The other way students can win is by guessing the identity of the” masked reader.” Several JFH employees have volunteered to be recorded reading while wearing a mask. Students have the chance to guess which JFH staff member is reading the story.
Literacy committee chairperson, Karla VanGilder Dick, says, “We want families and students to feel connected to our school and teachers, and to enjoy the evening seeing their students work and participating in some activities and eating a meal with their students.” She adds, “most of all, we want to encourage kids to read.”
