HDHS Hillcat Newsletter
December 19, 2024
Shout Outs from the Athletic Department
Attention HDHS Class of 2025 Seniors and their Families!!
HDHS Class of 2025 Seniors and Families: The class voted on the destination for the senior class trip happening May 21 - June 2 and the winner was New York City. Anyone planning on attending the senior class trip must have a $50, non refundable deposit turned in to Mr Boucher or Mrs Perrin no later than Friday January 3rd so we can send the number of anticipated attendees to our travel agent. If any seniors or their parents have any questions please email Jocelyn Perrin at jperrin@hdsd.org or Michael Boucher at mboucher@hdsd.org. Thank you!
Hillcat Trades/Career Fair
Join us for the Construction Careers Fair at Hillsboro-Deering High School, where students and the local community can explore exciting opportunities in the construction industry. This event will feature representatives from construction companies, hands-on demonstrations, and insights into various career paths, from carpentry to plumbing and HVAC. Discover how the construction field is evolving and the skills needed to build a successful future. Don't miss this chance to connect with industry professionals and learn about the diverse career opportunities. Stay tuned for more information!
HDHS Jiu Jitsu Club
The HDHS Jiu-Jitsu club is having a great year. We had roughly a dozen students begin training at the start of this school year. We continue to add new members. The students training here are rapidly improving in their skill in and knowledge of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Newcomers are always welcome.
The club has been in operation since 2016. We train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which is an art that emphasizes using leverage and position to take down an opponent, pin them, and submit them using strangles and joint locks. Mr. Denslow has been training since 2008 and greatly enjoys sharing his knowledge of this martial art.
If you have questions. Please contact Noah Denslow at ndenslow@hdsd.org.
Greece Trip Spring 2026
Hello, happy holidays!
I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to notify you that the price of our tour, Grecian Odyssey, is increasing for anyone enrolling after January 1st.
If you are planning to join us, I highly recommend enrolling by the end of December using this link: www.eftours.com/2842710HR
If you would prefer to enroll over the phone, please contact EF’s Traveler Support Team at 800-665-5364. Please keep me posted if you have any questions!
Best,
Jeramy Thompson
The National Honor Society hosted its annual Breakfast with Santa event, and it was a huge turnout. Thank you to all of the families who attended, had breakfast, made some crafts, and took pictures with Santa himself! A special thank you to Neena and CarolAnn, from the kitchen staff, for their enthusiastic work behind the scenes.
Getting Ready for the Craft Fair
Students at the Hillsboro-Deering High School were hard at work making various items to sell at the Festival of Trees that was held on December 7th in our school gymnasium. These crafty items required students to think about marketing, cost analysis, and making an appealing display. They also used this opportunity to learn basic sewing, ironing, and cutting skills by making a variety of bowl cozies from fabric donated to them by the Monadnock Quilters Guild. Staff donated supplies to make ornaments that are adorable additions to any holiday tree. Monies raised through this craft fair will be used to support the Collaborative Life Skills and Autism Programs at the high school and enable students to continue to go into the community to practice their vocational, independent, and money management skills.
Get Outside!
Mrs. Harnois applied for and was awarded a $2,000 Get Outside grant from the New Hampshire Environmental Educators organization. This nonprofit supports NH educators wanting to expand outdoor learning opportunities, increase experiential learning, and foster environmental literacy for students. Mrs. Harnois plans to use these funds to purchase equipment for a small mammal behavior study that will be conducted in her zoology course. This includes tracking tools, humane traps, and field cameras to observe wildlife close to HDHS campus.
Physical Science
We were thrilled to host the Lander Build Activity, an exhilarating hands-on learning experience that ignited creativity and engineering prowess! Each student crafted their own unique lander, designed to protect their precious astronaut (an egg) during daring drop tests.
The excitement soared as landers faced the first challenge: a 1.5-meter drop. Those that triumphed moved on to the 2.5-meter drop, with anticipation building at each stage. The ultimate test was a heart-pounding 15-meter drop, where only the most innovative designs prevailed.
In the end, four talented students emerged victorious, successfully landing their astronauts and proving their exceptional engineering skills. The winners were Devyn, Addie, Ali, and Dillion. Congratulations to all who participated in this exciting adventure!
On December 17th, the HDHS Class of 2024 valedictorian and salutatorian paid a visit to the sophomores in this year's AP United States History class to discuss success strategies for high school and college. Both Megan and Michael Denslow are freshmen at the University of Vermont. They shared invaluable knowledge on topics including: advanced placement courses, the Concord Regional Technical Center, Skills U.S.A., extended learning opportunities, National Honor Society membership, taking online classes, serving as a school board representative, college searches, and the scholarship application process. Their time and wisdom was greatly appreciated by all present.
The Mythology classes held mock trials over the fate of Hercules last week, with the prosecution and defense arguing over how he should spent his afterlife. Students used characters and evidence from the text to make their cases in a lively courtroom debate, even dressing up for the occasion!
The AP Language class also conducted their own mock trial of Poe’s narrator in “The Black Cat,” with the prosecution pushing for a conviction of second degree murder and animal cruelty, while the defense pleaded for guilty but mentally insane.