Jack Hille Middle School

Dear Jack Hille Middle School Community,

At Hille, we have high expectations for all members of the school community.  Thus, opportunities for our students involve exposure to a high quality, rigorous curriculum and provide challenging learning activities in each and every classroom.  

We are proud of the work that we have done relative to the Common Core Standards in the areas of English/Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Please visit our curriculum maps under “Curriculum Information/JHMS Curriculum Maps” to get a better understanding of our work relative to the Common Core Standards. Similarly, we have done a tremendous amount of curriculum work in all other subject areas, including social science and science. 

The emphasis of our mission is providing an education for all children that is defined by high standards and supportive practices that will enhance learning for all children. Therefore, we continue to work towards our goals of increasing academic achievement for each, individual student and providing appropriate support to every student within the learning process. We also create, provide, and support a caring learning community through P.B.I.S. (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) and S.E.L. (Social and Emotional Learning) standards. Finally, we strive to increase parent communication and provide an environment where parents are included in the learning process. We invite you to join the many avenues of communication through PowerSchool Parent Portal, grade level weebly sites, our school’s website, wikipages, and Dr. Orzel’s parent e-mail list. (If you are currently not on Dr. Orzel's parent e-mail list, please e-mail corzel@d142.org to be included in the parent e-mail list for the 2012-13 school year.) 

We believe every student should have an adult advocate. Therefore, as a result of our continued commitment to the social and emotional needs of our students, the "Connections program" (Advisory) continues to be an excellent opportunity for our students and faculty to engage in meaningful discussions related to various themes including: respect, bullying, diversity, stress reduction, trust, fairness, communication, and friendships. Advisory forges connections among students and the school community, creating conditions that facilitate academic success and personal growth.

"Connections" contributes to a positive school climate in several ways, including:

• Improved relationships between students and teachers
• An increased sense of trust and belonging
• Better communication among all members of the school community
• A strong atmosphere of equality

Each year, we continue to revise and improve the Connections program for our students.  We utilize a modified block schedule on every Wednesday for the Connections curriculum.  Students report to their Connections class each Wednesday and meet with their faculty Connections advisor for a 40 minute period to discuss the aforementioned topics. Student groups change each year so that students have opportunities to develop relationships with different groups of students and Connections teachers will be paired with student groups based on grade level whenever possible.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at (708) 687-5550 or at corzel@d142.org.

Sincerely,

Dr. Courtney L. Orzel, JHMS Principal