RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 1

Milton High School

114 W. High Street

Milton, WI 53563

Main Office: (608) 868-9300

Activities Office: (608) 868-9565

Attendance Line: (608) 868-9340

Counseling Office: (608) 868-9560

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Greetings from Milton High School,

As we move on into December, MHS continues to be as busy as ever. With the

winter season in full swing, the gyms are packed with practices and clubs and

activities line the halls after school. The weeks between Thanksgiving and

Christmas breaks seem to go by quickly, with many activities and events packed

into the Holiday Season.

Winter Weather and School Closings

Please remember that in the event of inclement weather, the School District attempts

to make the call as soon as possible. While when appropriate, the call might be

made the evening before, it cannot always happen that way. We attempt to have the

decision made by 6:00 am. In the event that schools are closed, we do post it on all

three network Madison Television Stations (Channels 3, 15, and 27), as well as

WCLO radio. It also is put on the district Facebook page and website. For those of

you on Twitter, that will likely be the fastest notice. I tweet at https://twitter.com/

MiltonPrincipal.

District Facilities Survey

As you have likely heard, the School District is soliciting feedback from all residents

in the District to gather insight on the direction of addressing current facility

needs. The deadline has been extended to December 14th for surveys to be

completed. For those who did not receive a survey the first time around, we

apologize. The company contracted to deliver the survey did not include three mail

routes in the city of Milton in the initial wave. Unfortunately, this has led to a large

degree of confusion for some. There is a strong desire to gather input from

EVERYONE. The missed surveys are being mailed out on Monday, December

7th. If you did not receive one initially, and do not this week, please contact the

District Office at 868 9200. Your opinion is wanted and appreciated.

Thank you,

J. Jeremiah Bilhorn

Principal, Milton High School

114 W. High St. Milton, WI 53563

Office: (608) 868-9300

Email: bilhornj@milton.k12.wi.us

Tweeting at: https://twitter.com/MiltonPrincipal

December Calendar of Events:

3rd: Academic Recognition

Breakfast—6:30 a.m.

10th: Mid-Term 2 ends

12th: MS Lock In 7:00 pm.—7:00 a.m.

14th: HS Band Concert 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 23—Jan. 1: Winter Break—

No school

Issue 4

DECEMBER 2015

RED HAWK

REPORT

NEWS YOU CAN USE. . .

Family Access Mid-Term &

Report Card Release Dates:

Grading Period Release Date

Mid-Term 2 12/16/15

Qtr. 2 & Sem. 1 1/29/16

E-mail notification will be sent to

parents after grades have been

posted to Family Access.

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 2

Peggie Sersch

The last week has been a very sad week for the staff of MHS. On

Monday, November 23rd, we lost a longtime friend and colleague,

Peggie Sersch. Ms. Sersch worked as an administrative assistant in

the District Processing Office, located in the MHS library. Her pass-

ing was unexpected and sudden. Her over 25 years of service to the

School District of Milton, which included all summer school adminis-

trative assistant duties, are going to be impossible to replace. She

was a very special person in the hearts of all who work at

MHS. Kindhearted, positive, and dedicated, she was an example to

all educators in Milton. She is going to be missed a great deal.

AUDITIONS for the 2016 Musical are coming January 11 & 13!

MHS is proud to partner with Music Theater International to present a musical written by John

Caird with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked, Pippin). The musical is

(loosely) based on the Book of Genesis. Act I tells the story of Adam and Eve, Cain, and Abel,

and Act II deals with Noah and the Flood. Performance dates are April 29, 30 and May 1,

2016. Look for information about auditions to come out soon!

2016 MUSICAL

SAD NEWS

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 3

BAND

On Monday December 14th, the Milton High School Band Department will present it's annual holiday

concert at 7:00pm in the Jon C. Platts Auditorium at Milton High School. Students have been working

hard in rehearsals for the past month and are excited to share their music with you.

The 92-member Symphonic Band will be playing the following:

-And He Shall Be Named Emmanuel - by Robert Longfield

-A Carmen Christmas - Arr. by Randall Standridge

-Christmas Pipes - Arr. by Micahel Brown

-Bonnie Eloise - Arr. by Ronald Knoener

The 39-member Wind Ensemble will be playing the following:

-Flourish for Wind Band - by R. Vaughan Williams

-A Celtic Christmas - by James Hosay

-Russian Christmas Music - Arr. by James Curnow

-Carol of the Night - by Richard Saucedo

-Nobles of the Mystic Shrine - Arr. by Fredrick Fennell

The concert is free and open to the public. Come out and support your Milton musicians.

In addition, the pep band will be busy supporting our winter athletics and will be playing at the

following games/matches:

-Tuesday December 1st - GBB vs. Elkhorn

-Friday December 4th - Wrestling vs. Oregon

-Friday December 18th - BBB vs. Edgewood

-Friday January 8th - GBB vs. Stoughton

-Tuesday January 12th - Boys Swimming vs. Oregon

-Tuesday January 12th - GBB vs. Waukesha North (8th Grade/Alumni Night)

-Tuesday January 26th - BBB vs. Edgerton

-Thursday January 28th - Boys Hockey vs. Stoughton (at Stoughton)

-Tuesday February 2nd - GBB vs Edgewood

-Friday February 12th - Boys Hockey vs. Monroe (at Stoughton)

-Tuesday February 16th - BBB vs. Baraboo

Nathan Pierce

Band Director

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 4

FRENCH CLUB NEWS

French Club was deeply saddened to hear the news of the Paris terror attacks on Friday,

November 13, 2015. The attacks included an attack at a Paris restaurant which resulted in a

shootout, a hostage situation at the Bataclan concert hall, and explosions near the Stade du

France which is north of the city. French president, François Hollande. was inside the stadium

at the time of the attacks. The attacks left 130 people dead and hundreds more injured. As a

result of the terrorist attacks, France declared three days of national mourning, there was a

worldwide moment of silence on November 17, and various countries around the world

showed their solidarity with France by coloring certain buildings blue, white, and red- the

colors of the French flag. French Club decided to show their solidarity with France by holding

a candlelight vigil in Veteran’s Park on Sunday night, November 22. Before school on Friday,

November 20, French Club set up a poster at the front of the school that students signed to

show their support for France. The poster will be sent to the mayor of Paris. French Club also

gave MHS students the opportunity to write messages of support and sympathy for the victims

in French during PLC on Wednesday, November 18. These messages will also be sent to

Paris. French Club is also hoping to plant a Peace Garden in Veteran’s Park come spring to

oppose terrorism around the world.

Madame Bratz, the French Club advisor, said in an interview with MHS Today, “I am so grateful

for the kindhearted, globally-aware, and compassionate kids here at Milton who took positive

action to send messages of care for the victims and the city of Paris, and to organize a vigil in

response. That was very comforting to me and gives me hope for the future. That Milton

students wanted to respond in these immediate ways, and also with a long-term solution to

fight terrorism with love, through our peace garden project, was so healing for me. It may

sound naive to ‘fight guns with flowers,’ and I'm not so idealistic to truly think that if we all just

hug it out, terrorism will go away; but anything that increases the amount of love in the world

automatically decreases the amount of hatred. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, ‘It is

better to light one small candle than to sit and curse the darkness.’

Erin Swope,

French Club Public

Relations Officer

Madame. Bratz,

MHS French Teacher

& French Club

Co-Advisor

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 5

COUNSELING OFFICE

Scholarships

Seniors, be sure to stop in the counseling office or check the MHS website to obtain information on

the scholarships that are available. Listen for announcements regarding new additions to the list.

College and Technical College Representatives Juniors and seniors should check the counseling office bulletin board and the student

announcements for the dates and times the college representatives come to visit our school. Ms.

Kurilla is the college contact person in the counseling office. She will answer questions regarding

college visits.

Seniors

Seniors who are college bound should be completing their applications. Transcripts must now be

requested through Parchment. Parchment is a secure transcript delivery service. The Parchment

link can be found on the high school web page. Seniors should also make sure their ACT scores

have been sent to the college or if the college accepts copies of the ACT report, they can request a

copy be sent from the counseling office.

Juniors

Juniors should be in the process of getting a clearer vision of their post high school plans whether

they are going straight to work, joining the military, or going on to further their education through

technical college or other college/university. This is the year they should be taking the ACT or

SAT if they are planning on attending a four-year college/university. The ACT scores are required

for admission to UW-System schools. All Juniors will be taking the ACT on March 1st & 2nd at the

high school. If students choose to take the ACT earlier they will still need to take the test at MHS

but the higher score is what the colleges will take. The ACT at MHS will be an official score that can

be used for college admission. ACT and SAT materials are available in the counseling office. The

next test date for the ACT is February 6 with a registration deadline of January 8. There will be

information being sent on a ZAPS, which is an ACT prep seminar that will be held at MHS on

February 22 and 23 from 6:30-9:00pm for $89.99.

Freshmen

During recent homeroom time, your son/daughter filled out a “Freshman Survey” for the

Counseling Department. Throughout 2nd quarter, counselors will be meeting with each freshman

individually to go over their completed survey and to develop a relationship with your son or

daughter. A copy of the survey will be mailed home. We encourage parents to review the survey

as it can be a helpful conversation starter about how high school is going so far, college plans, and

career interests.

Ms. Kurilla,

A-G Counselor

Ms. Wineke,

H-O Counselor Mr. Thies,

P-Z Counselor

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 6

This December/January, the Milton School District is taking part in the Wisconsin Online Youth

Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) sponsored by Partners in Prevention-Rock County. The survey

will be administered to all students in grades six through twelve and will measure students’

health behaviors. The YRBS includes questions that ask about behaviors that result in uninten-

tional and intentional injuries, social support, personal safety, tobacco use, and alcohol and

other drug use. Students will be asked to fill out a computer-based questionnaire that takes

about 25 minutes to complete during scheduled class time. Results of this survey will help

children in the future by influencing health and safety programs in the Milton School District

and community. We would like all students in grades 6-12 to take part in the survey, but the

survey is voluntary. More information about the YRBS will be communicated to parents

through email and/or postal mail. Please contact Carrie Wineke, MHS Counselor, if you have

any questions.

Interact Club Seeking Donations for Teen Gift Drive

Interact Club is currently working with the Milton Food Pantry to raise money for holiday presents for

needy Milton teens. Interact Club members have written letters, called businesses, and written thank

you notes. They have received generous donations from the UPS Store, Dave’s Ace Hardware, Bank of

Milton, Milton Senior Living, Jill Ayres of the Janesville Morning Rotary Club, Pelsue Orthodontics,

Hammer Chiropractic, Buffalo Wild Wings, and the Milton Public Library.

Interact Club is sorry if they have missed you or your business. There is still time to make a donation

for this project. Checks should be made payable to Interact Club, marked for the teen gift drive, and

mailed or turned into the Milton High School main office. Please contact Jennifer Ramsden at 608-868-

9300 ext. 1133 or email at ramsdenj@milton.k12.wi.us with any questions.

PARTNERS IN PREVENTION

INTERACT CLUB

Jennifer Ramsden

Math Teacher and

Interact Club Advisor

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 7

FFA NEWS

2015 Milton FFA

Poinsettia and Wreath Sale

November 27th & 28th from 9am-3pm

December 5th from 3pm-7pm

20” Wreath………….$15

26” Wreath………….$20

36” Wreath………….$30

48” Wreath………….$45

60” Wreath………….$55

36” Christmas Cane Wreath………. $20

Easels…………………………………. $5

Metal Door Hanger…………………...$4

8” Poinsettias………………………….$18

Thank you for your support!!

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 8

MATH NEWS

Learning Center Reminder

Please encourage your student to visit the learning center during study hall for help with math

questions. Students are welcome to visit when they have missed class and need help catching

up. This is also a great place to clarify what happened in class. Many times hearing something

a second time or in a different way can help new ideas click.

Shop Math

Shop Math, along with several Tech Ed students, took a tour of Blackhawk Technical College’s

Advanced Manufacturing Center this past month. During the visit, students were able to learn

about entrance prerequisites as well as hear from each of the program instructors to learn

more about the different programs that are available and what the job prospects for those

fields looks like. Afterwards, students felt more informed on careers in the technical areas

such as Welding, HVAC, CNC, MITS, and Robotics.

Jeanne Hergert

Math Teacher

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 9

A poetry slam is a new way of sharing poetry that asks students to write a poem and perform that po-

em for a live audience, usually at a coffee house or other cafe-type venue. In order for our 1st Annu-

al Poetry Slam to feel like a real slam, students brought in pastries and other treats, while I supplied

the coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

Jack Bumgarner served as the emcee for the slam, doing a wonderful job of introducing poets and

entertaining the audience.

Poetry Slam rules: 3 minutes maximum per poet, the poem must be own words, and winner (as

judged by classmates) receives a gift card. Each student shared a poem with the class, and seven

judges from the class were chosen at random to evaluate the poetry/performance. Using small

whiteboards and a marker, the randomly-selected judges scored the poets on a scale of 1-10, with

10 being the best. Poets were judged on the following criteria:

1) the quality of the writing

2) the quality of the performance

3) the audience's reaction

Overall, students really seemed to have a great time with our Poetry Slam. Tears were shed, laughs

were had, and coffee consumed, all while sharing student writing. It was possibly one of the most

memorable and powerful days of my teaching career.

POETRY SLAM

Andrea Kettle

English Teacher

RED HAWK REPORT DECEMBER 2015

PAGE 10

MHS DAILY BELL SCHEDULES

HOMEROOM DAYS: 1ST AND 3RD THURSDAYS

PLC DAY: WEDNESDAYS

NON-PLC DAYS: MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS & FRIDAYS

Warning

Bell Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4 Period 5 Period 6 Period 7 Period 8

7:30 7:35-

8:23

8:27-

9:15

9:19-

10:07

10:11-

11:01

Lunch 1

11:01-

11:27

5B

11:31-

12:19

6B

12:23-

1:11

1:15-

2:03

2:07-

2:55

5A

11:05-

11:53

Lunch 2

11:53-

12:19

6B

12:23-

1:11

5A

11:05-

11:53

6A

11:57-

12:45

Lunch 3

12:45-

1:11

Warning

Bell

Period

1

Period

2

Period

3

Period

4 Period 5 Period 6

Period

7

Period

8

PLC

Time

7:30 7:35-

8:18

8:22-

9:05

9:09-

9:52

9:56-

10:41

Lunch 1

10:41-

11:07

5B

11:11-

11:54

6B

11:58-

12:41

12:45-

1:28

1:32-

2:15

2:19-

2:55

5A

10:45-11:28

Lunch 2

11:28-

11:54

6B

11:58-

12:41

5A

10:45-

11:28

6A

11:32-

12:15

Lunch 3

12:15-

12:41

Warning

Bell

Period

1

Period

2

Home-

room

Period

3

Period

4 Period 5 Period 6 Period 7

Period

8

7:30 7:35-

8:18

8:22-

9:05

9:09-

9:45

9:49-

10:32

10:36-

11:21

Lunch 1

11:21-

11:47

5B

11:51-

12:34

6B

12:38-

1:21

1:25-

2:08

2:12-

2:55

5A

11:25-

12:08

Lunch 2

12:08-

12:34

6B

12:38-

1:21

5A

11:25-

12:08

6A

12:12-

12:55

Lunch 3

12:55-

1:21