In the Loop

Upcoming Important Dates:

Friday, December 20 - Noon Dismissal (End of First Semester and 2nd Nine Weeks)

Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3 - Winter Holidays

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 - Students Return

PARENTS, Be a HERO in your student's success...remember ATTENDANCE MATTERS!

HTHS took 127 juniors and seniors to Shocco Springs this past weekend for the annual Student Leadership Retreat. They spent time learning about character and servant leadership, reflecting on leadership stories, and having lots of fun! Students who are nominated by faculty and staff may apply for the retreat each fall.

This week, our HTMS Drum Circle had a special guest drummer! Chris Fryar, the drummer for the Zac Brown Band, made a stop at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School to join in the fun. Thank you for volunteering your time to share your love of the drums with our students, Mr. Fryar!

Oh, what fun! We're overjoyed with how magical our Merry Market and Tinsel Trail turned out this year! It was a night full of smiles, creativity, and holiday spirit as we celebrated the amazing talent of our student artists.

From the colorful art show to the sparkling Tinsel Trail with many beautifully decorated Christmas trees, the event was bursting with festive fun! Families enjoyed strolling through our Merry Market, where local vendors, delicious food trucks, a silent auction, and fun activities made the evening even more special. The event was so full of joy, creativity, and community!

Thanks to your generosity, the funds raised from our successful art show will help us bring in clay and pottery supplies for the art room this spring! Our students can't wait to roll up their sleeves and create ceramic masterpieces with their own hands!

Mrs. Wilks third-grade class at Paine Elementary hosted Ms. Blank's special education class to participate in a fun reindeer Christmas craft! The students had the best time making new friends and getting into the holiday spirit!

Members of Magnolia's 5th grade choir, under the direction of Mr. Danny Moore, Music Teacher, recently visited Trussville's Ascension St. Vincent's East Hospital to perform Christmas songs for patients, nurses, and doctors in the atrium. The choir presented several festive sing-alongs as they shared the gift of music.

HTMS Band Christmas Concert

Including Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Honors Band

Sunday, December 15 3:00PM

Hewitt-Trussville High School Performing Arts Center

Kindergarten students from Cahaba Elementary brought holiday cheer to the residents of the Senior Citizens Activity Center at Trussville with a heartwarming performance of Christmas carols.

They have been learning the importance of giving, not just receiving this holiday season, and their sweet voices gave a blessing to everyone in the room. Dressed in holiday attire, the children sang classic carols like “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night". The event was a beautiful reminder of the power of music to bring people together during the holiday season.

The students in Mrs. Waylander's kindergarten class at Magnolia are participating in a kindness challenge throughout the month of December. As part of the challenge to show random acts of kindness, students created thoughtful notes and placed them in books in the library. When students check out these books, they will find these notes as a special surprise!

Part 1: A Journey Through Global Holiday Traditions

This December, the school’s Specials teachers came together to create a vibrant and educational Multicultural Holiday Celebration. Over two weeks, students explored holiday traditions from countries around the world through interactive and creative activities that showcased the unique cultural heritage of each nation. Throughout the week, classrooms also invited guest speakers to share their personal experiences and stories about holiday traditions. Speakers represented a diverse array of countries, including Germany, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, Malaysia, Korea, Ukraine, and Colombia. Visitors also shared Hanukkah traditions.

During the first week, students immersed themselves in the traditions of Germany, Italy, France, and England. In Art, students studied France by learning about the Eiffel Tower, blending culture and creativity in their projects. In the Library, Italy took center stage as students learned about the legend of La Befana and recreated a festive Italian scene using Legos. STEM classes highlighted Germany by teaching students to decorate digital Christmas trees, code German Christmas words, and create simple circuit 3D Christmas trees, emphasizing both engineering skills and cultural appreciation. Meanwhile, Music focused on England, where students learned and performed classic Christmas carols, connecting them to the rich traditions of an English holiday season.

Part 2: Celebrating Latin American Traditions

The second week of the Multicultural Holiday Celebration brought the vibrant traditions of Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia to life. In Art, students explored Mexico’s iconic holiday symbol, the poinsettia, and created stunning drawings inspired by its beauty and significance. The Library shifted focus to Venezuela, where students crafted paper hallacas—a traditional holiday dish—and completed a digital breakout challenge using Venezuelan cultural resources.

STEM and Music classes transported students to Colombia, where they learned about the joyous holiday of Día de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles). In STEM, students made colorful lanterns, while in Music, they practiced the lively Colombian dance “Velo que Bonito.” The celebration will culminate on December 19, when students will line the halls with their handmade lanterns, creating a beautiful display that symbolizes unity, creativity, and the spirit of the holidays.

This Multicultural Holiday Celebration not only taught students about global traditions but also fostered a deeper appreciation for diversity, community, and the joy of learning through culture. It’s a celebration that will resonate in their hearts long after the holidays are over.

The Trussville City Board of Education will hold its December monthly meeting on Monday, December 16, 2024 at 5:00pm. The livestream link to the meeting will be published on the TCS website (www.trussvillecityschools.com) at 4:45pm December 16, 2024.

Magnolia's cafeteria has transformed into a winter wonderland thanks to the hard work and dedication of Jamie Middleton, Cafeteria Manager, and CNP Specialists, Kathy Hedden, Paige Nobles, and Kari Petz. The decorations bring smiles to the faces of the children and faculty and make each season even more special in the lunchroom!

Don't forget to pick up your items from the

LOST AND FOUND

at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School

All items will be set out on display in the auditorium next week. Students will walk through during their PE classes to pick up lost items.

**ALL ITEMS LEFT WILL BE DONATED FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20TH AFTER SCHOOL.**

December 16, 2024 - 5:00 pm Board Meeting

January 27, 2025 - 5:00 pm Board Meeting

February 24, 2025 - 5:00 pm Board Meeting

March 17, 2025 - 5:00 pm Board Meeting

April 21, 2025 - Board Retreat

April 21, 2025 - 5:00 pm Board Meeting

May 19, 2025 - 5:00 pm Board Meeting

June 9, 2025 - 5:00 pm Board Meeting

All Meetings will be held in the Boardroom of Central Office.

The Board Meeting livestream link will be posted on the TCS Website (www.trussvillecityschools.com) 15 minutes before the meeting start time

on the day of the meeting.

Trussville Christmas Parade

Saturday, December 14 at 2:00PM

2024 Parade Theme:

"The Spirit of Christmas"

For more information, visit trussvillechamber.com

Trussville Parks & Recreation

Spring Baseball 2025

Registration Dates:

Early Registration - November - January 19 - $130.00

Registration - January 20 - February 2 - $150.00

Late Registration - February 3 - February 6 - $220.00

Last Day of Registration - February 6

Evaluations: Begin February 10

Key Points:

*Join us for the inaugural season at the baseball complex!

Opening Day Parade and Festival

Spring Tournaments

All Stars

For more information, contact Lawrence English, Director of Baseball at (205) 508-0358 or by email to LEnglish@trussville.org

Trussville Spring T-Ball

Registration: Open December 1 - March 16

Cost: $100.00 per person (jersey not included)

Practices will start the week of March 31. Games will start the week of April 21. Final games will be held on May 17. There will be one or two games a week. On weeks with one game, a practice will be scheduled.

For more information: contact Ben Dawkins at (205) 508-0629 or by email to ben.dawkins@trussville.org.

Come here from HTHS Career Coach, Mrs. Lisa Smith on Thursday, January 23 as she discusses financial planning tools in preparation for your student's post-graduation plans!

Shortcuts to important resources listed on the TCS District website:

• TCS Bullying Reporting Form
• Special Education - Parent Rights (Section 504)