Hixson Highlights - March 27, 2015

From the Principal, Dr. Smith

** Important Reminder** 8th grade students will begin MAP testing Monday, March 30. Students should bring headphones to school for participation in the test.

Happy Spring! Thank you to our students, parents, and staff for making Spring Conferences a wonderful experience at Hixson.  There was a lot of pride expressed in student growth and learning. Thank you for your attendance and support of your students!

A heartwarming thank you to our PTO for providing staff members with an incredible chicken dinner during conferences and for allowing each staff member to purchase from the Book Fair to benefit the library. We all also truly appreciate your generosity in approving grants for the students and teachers of Hixson! Thank you for continuously offering support to benefit our students- you are appreciated!!!

Don’t forget to vote on April 7th!!! 

Proposition S and  Proposition W, on the ballot April 7, will alleviate crowding in elementary schools, eliminate the district’s budget deficit, pay staff and teachers at or above the county median and provide tuition-free kindergarten. Proposition S is a 65-cent increase in the tax levy; W is a $28 million bond issue. What follows are some questions and answers about these ballot measures.

Why is Moss Field included in the Proposition W bond issue?
Expansion of Hixson Middle School to accommodate sixth grade students (about $19 million of the $28 million bond issue) will affect the field and stadium area. Citizens committees decided that now is the time to address significant safety and infrastructure needs at the ageing stadium, which dates to 1948. The bond issue would provide $6 million for Moss. Two million dollars of that amount have been designated for Metropolitan Sewer District issues, should they arise. The district set aside that amount based on the experience of Kirkwood School District when it renovated its field.

Renovation of the field and stadium has been a longstanding component of the High School’s master plan, which was developed by multiple committees and community forums. The field and stadium rose as priorities because little has been done to update it since it opened in 1948. Beyond rebuilding the stadium, improvements include installing an eight-lane track so that WGSD can hold meets and updating the field. The budget includes funding for grass (natural turf) on the field. Currently, a private group is raising money to be used for artificial turf. If that group reaches its goal, the district will analyze conditions to determine whether or not to use artificial turf. No tax dollars will be used for artificial turf.
Who will benefit from improvements to Moss?
Student athletes including football and track, community members who enjoy the opportunity to  exercise on the district’s track, musicians in marching band and physical education classes at Hixson Middle School. The field is also used for extracurricular events each year that include the Special Olympics. And, the school year ends each year at Moss with graduation exercises for seniors.

What follows is a list of some of the other school district groups that use Moss:
Athletic Training Club
Cheerleaders
Cross Country  teams
Field Hockey
Lacrosse team (girls)
Soccer
Softball
Baseball

Community groups who use Moss include:
Boys Lacrosse
Nerinx Hall High School
Webster University
Webster Recreation Center
Skatesmen Hockey
AAU Track Club
Jr Statesmen soccer and football
Holy Redeemer Track Club


What else does the bond issue include?
Besides construction of a new wing at Hixson so that sixth graders can move there and improvements to the Moss Field and stadium, the bond issue includes $1.3 million to address accessibility issues at four schools to meet federal standards, renovate Steger as an elementary school ($425,000) and $1.1 million for construction of a circular drive at Hixson that will improve safety of student drop off and pick up.

STATE MAP TESTING

Dear Parents and Guardians:
This spring, third through eighth grade students will take a new version of the MAP, the state standardized test, in mathematics and English language arts. The new tests include more challenging material and will be taken online. The questions are based on Common Core State Standards, which are intended to support students in becoming “college and career ready” upon graduation.
Because of the large technology component to these tests – requiring children to use computer tools to answer questions and solve problems– and the higher academic expectations, it’s difficult to predict how well students will do this year. Other states that have used the new tests have seen drops in scores in the first few years.  Please know that our students will be well prepared by our district curriculum and by opportunities to familiarize themselves with the technology used during the tests. Test scores will be available after the end of the school year.
It is important that students get plenty of sleep and proper nutrition each day in order to perform their best and demonstrate what they have learned. At HMS, our MAP testing dates are March 30th - April 20th for 8th grade and April 21-28 for 7th grade.
If you have any questions about the MAP, please don’t hesitate to call or email.  Thank you for your support of the Webster Groves School District.

Kindest Regards,
Dr. Stacie Smith


 Student Trivia Night
Hixson's student trivia night will be held on April 10th from 3:30 to 5:15. Students may register as an individual or in groups of 2, 4, or 6. The cost to participate is $5.00 and includes food and drink. For more information and to print a registration form, please click here. Registration forms are also available in the school office and are due by April 8th.

Summer Enrichment Program

Hixson's Summer Enrichment Program for incoming seventh and eighth graders will run from June 1st to July 2nd. Enrichment courses will be offered in the areas of reading, writing, math, science, cooking, and technology. For more information on course offerings and registration, please click here. Class size is limited; registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Reminders

Click on the links below for more information.