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The Stimson Spotlight
Weekly Newsletter for Families
November 12, 2024
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Stimson Middle School's First Highhold Games
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Henry L. Stimson Middle School hosted its inaugural Highhold Games on Friday, November 8th, bringing to life a 100-year-old tradition created by its namesake, Henry L. Stimson. This exciting event drew students, families, staff, local elected officials, community members, and the Board of Education to celebrate a day of friendly competition and community spirit. Students took part in classic games like barrel rolling, cornhole, pickleball, and egg-on-a-spoon races, but the highlight of the day was the thrilling flag football tournament that had everyone cheering. The event marked a memorable milestone in school history and brought the community together in the spirit of tradition and fun. |
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This week at Stimson Middle School was filled with excitement and anticipation as we counted down to our first-ever Highhold Games! Students and staff prepared for the big event, building up school spirit and teamwork, while families and community members looked forward to joining us for this historic day. Alongside these festivities, we took time to honor and remember the sacrifices of our Veterans on Veterans Day, reflecting on the importance of their service to our country.
In addition, members of our Stage to Page Club and No Place for Hate Committee had the opportunity to attend a special preview of Walt Whitman High School’s Fall Drama, *The Man Who Came to Dinner.* The performance inspired our students and showcased the incredible talent in our district, adding an artistic highlight to an already memorable week at Stimson!
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Stimson Students Preview WWHS Fall Drama Production
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Stimson students from the No Place for Hate Committee and Page to Stage Club visited WWHS to preview The Man Who Came to Dinner!
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As we prepare for the Thanksgiving season, we are organizing care packages for families in need within our school community. With your generous support, we can make sure every family experiences the joy and warmth of the holiday.
We are kindly seeking donations of non-perishable food, household essentials, and seasonal treats to fill these care packages. Here are some ideas for what you can contribute:
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Non-perishable foods: Canned vegetables, stuffing mix, boxed mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.
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Treats & Beverages: Hot cocoa, cookies, or pumpkin spice snacks.
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Household Essentials: Paper towels, foil trays, dish soap
Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference! Donations can be dropped off at Stimson Guidance Office from November 1st to November 22nd.
Let’s come together to make this Thanksgiving extra special for those in our community.
If you have any questions please contact Jonathan Sem at 631-812-3720. Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity!
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Fun Facts - Celebrating 100 years of SHUFSD!
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- In the early 1900s, Henry Stimson and his family lived at an estate in West Hills they called Highhold. The estate is no longer there, and the property has become a big portion of West Hills County Park. Every Thanksgiving Day, Stimson would invite the entire community for a day of food, fun and friendly competition called the Highhold Games. It started as a way to say thank you to his neighbors for allowing him to cross on to their property during his popular foxhunts. The games became an annual tradition that celebrated the togetherness of the West Hills community. Stimson Middle School successfully revived the Highhold Games last week - with a few updates - to celebrate our district’s 100th anniversary.
- In 1964, thanks to the efforts of Maplewood Elementary School and one of its teachers, a brass plaque was placed on the site of Henry Stimson’s former West Hills estate, Highhold. Stimson died in 1950. After his wife died a few years later, their property was transferred to the Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts and used as a camp. When Maplewood teacher Mr. Raymond Henry realized there was no marker explaining the important history of the property, he put his students on the project, writing letters and gathering information. Money for the plaque was raised by the students of Maplewood and Walt Whitman High School.
- Mount Misery Road in West Hills sounds like it probably has an ominous origin. But according to Huntington’s town historian, there are two theories about how the road got its name - neither one sounding too sinister. One theory says it’s named because a young couple built a house on the road in 1851 that burned down, then built another that suffered the same “miserable” fate - and also burned down. Another theory is that settlers gave it the name in the late 1600s because driving a horse and wagon up nearby Hartman Hill was such a “misery.” Some websites, though, do list Mount Misery Road as one of the Top Haunted Roads in America.
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- As the 1960s turned into the 1970s, things started to change in the South Huntington School District when we started to see a drop in the number of students enrolled - the first time that had happened in the history of our school district. The biggest decline was in elementary age students so the Board of Education decided to close two of our elementary schools in 1972. Pigeon Hill became an annex for Memorial Junior High (which was located right next door) and a Kindergarten center. And Central School became an annex for Walt Whitman High School.
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South Huntington SEPTA Holiday Photo Fundraiser
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November
11 Veteran’s Day (Schools Closed)
13 Photo Make-up Day Aux Gym (Lunch Periods only)
13 BOE Meeting - Stimson Middle School Presentation
14 PTA Night Out 7 PM
14 Quarter 1 Report Cards Posted
18 Winter I Sports Photos 3-5 PM Aux Gym
19 School Related Professionals Day
21 Parent Teacher Conferences 6-8 PM
22 Early Dismissal 10:45 AM
22 Parent Teacher Conferences 12-3 PM (Virtual Appointments Only)
27 K-12 Emergency Management Plan (15 Minute Early Dismissal)
28-29 Thanksgiving Recess (Schools Closed)
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Stimson Middle School Intramurals
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Please us the button to view the intramural offerings at Stimson Middle School. |
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Silent and Sustained Reading is EVERY Wednesday! We ask that all students have a book to read during homeroom and each Wednesday moving forward! If you do not have a book to read, please visit our library!
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Parent Teacher Conferences are 11/21 and 11/22. Please sign up for appointments!
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Khushpreet Kaur at the Nightmare on Main Street Art Exhibition
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Khushpreet Kaur showcased her work of art at the Huntington Arts Council "Nightmare on Main Street."
Students participated in “Nightmare on Main Street” this year's theme is based on "Vejigante" a Puerto Rican traditional mask used as a spiritual scare tactic or worn as an act of resistance yet has found itself haunted by its own ghosts.
“In a sense it has become a colorful and folkloric character despite the origins, that were meant to scare and represent evil, The vejigante costume uses very bright colors, and sometimes a cape adorned with various rhinestones. The costumes made in Loíza have masks made with coconut shells resembling a demon, while the ones created in the south of the island, in the town of Ponce, have dragon masks made with ‘papel maché’ that look more like a dragon.
Using the medium of Their choice, They created a work that exemplifies your culture as a vibrant tapestry. This tapestry should reflect the joys, fears, and traditions that make your community unique.
Our Stimson students that were selected to hang their work in the Huntington Arts Council Gallery showing Opening night are
Thomas Wasylyshn, Christopher Murray and Khushpreet Kaur
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Welcome to Breakfast at Stimson
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This school year our Nutrition Program will be providing both breakfast and lunch meals at no charge to all of our students. For school arrival each morning, we have placed kiosks at the different entrances to the building; each one stocked with breakfast choices for our students. The locations were chosen to make sure everyone can "grab" a quick breakfast and be on their way to homeroom in a timely fashion.
Make your family mornings a bit less hectic and join us for breakfast !!
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If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach out via the following links:
- (631) 812-3700
- https://www.shufsd.org/
- Instagram: @henrylstimsonms
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