H-M Happenings (February 17, 2023)
Girls Alpine Ski Team Makes Hill-Murray History
The Hill-Murray Alpine Ski team took home the school’s first-ever state title at Giant’s Ridge on Tuesday, February 14! Freshman Taylor Voigt won the individual state title and sophomore Kate Reardon finished 6th overall. Five Hill-Murray skiers placed in the top 23. Great job, Pioneers! Click here to read the article.
A pep fest will be held Tuesday, February 21 to celebrate the team’s accomplishments. Students may dress out of uniform in Hill-Murray spirit wear to honor the team.
Alumna Inspires Students
AMM Alumna Dr. Pat Barrett Wolff ’65, Founder and Senior Advisor of Meds & Food for Kids, presented at the Founders Speaker Series Monday night. She also spoke with students this week in the science classes that participated in the “Big-Mac-Meal” Project, in which students created nutrient-rich bars to assist in addressing world hunger.
Dr. Wolff shared her work in Haiti and brought samples of the food she uses to treat and prevent malnutrition. Meds & Food for Kids has saved the lives of over 700,000 children in Haiti and has helped support the local economy of the Cap-Haitien region. By sourcing peanuts locally and employing Haitians from the community, they are able to create a sustainable change.
On behalf of Hill-Murray School and the Hill-Murray Foundation, Dr. Wolff was presented with $10,000 to further the mission of Meds & Food for Kids and allow Haitians to continue transforming their lives.
ValLimar Jansen Educates & Celebrates Black History Month at Hill-Murray
Professional recording artist, ValLimar Jansen, delivered an engaging and inspiring history lesson for Hill-Murray students during Black History Month. The presentation, “Six Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood,” focused on six influential men and women in the Catholic Church. Jansen engaged the students in an interactive performance, incorporating song and dance as she retold history. Click here to read more.
One Act Play 3rd Place Winners
Congratulations to the 2023 4AA One Act Play 3rd place winners and their hilarious production of Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer.
Metro East All-Conference Choir
Congratulation to our seven High School Choir students who participated in the Metro East All-Conference Choir on January 30. Seniors Benjamin Davis and Owen Hawkinson along with juniors Henry Clark, Aniya Davis, Lucy Blaney, Riya Paul and Raegan Pearson worked with Stephanie Trump, Music Director and Conductor from Armstrong High School. Our students, and other selected students from the Metro East Conference, prepared and performed five challenging and beautiful pieces at St. Andrew’s Church in Mahtomedi.
Middle School News!
Writing Contest
Students in 6th and 7th grade were presented a writing Contest for the Archdiocese Center for Mission. Student essays are due February 24 with the prompt; “How do you share your gifts with your community and does this help you live out Christ’s mission?” Cash prizes are awarded for each winner in their age group. Click here for more information.
Letters of Love
All Middle School students wrote letters of love and support to someone special as part of the WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) transition program with their upper school student mentors.
Upcoming Year End Activities
7th grade is heading to the St. Paul Saints game on May 2! 8th grade will be going to the Twins game on May 24th. More information will be shared with 7th and 8th grade parents in April.
Pioneer Investors News
Members of our Pioneer Investors co-curricular club attended a Catholic investing conference at the University of St. Thomas this past week. Students learned how to better understand the world of Catholic investing. They will share the information they obtained with the other members of our Pioneer Investors club. Our Pioneer Investors club manages a small portfolio for Hill-Murray School. 
Pictured: Sophomores Eveny McNulty, Harrison Smith, Dane Paul, Kaden Walker
New Daily Schedule for 2023-24
Our Go Boldly Strategic Plan outlines a clear vision for learning that puts the student experience front and center. Providing our students with transformational learning experiences grounded in excellence is a hallmark of a Hill-Murray education. In order to deliver on this experience, we need a thoughtful, carefully planned Daily Schedule that prioritizes the Mind-Body-Spirit, one of our core values.
Our students deserve a Daily Schedule that supports their well-being, engages them academically, maximizes opportunities for growth and enrichment, and implements the latest adolescent research and best practices.
There are six significant and exciting changes to the Daily Schedule that will be starting this fall. All of the changes are designed to enhance and improve the learning experience for every Hill-Murray student.
Those changes are:
- Consistent 70-minute class periods
- The introduction of a Pioneer Period for High School
- Expanded elective opportunities for Middle School
- More regular WIN time for both High School and Middle School
- Late start for students on Wednesdays
- School day extended to 2:40 pm. Each of the changes is explained in greater detail in this document. We highly encourage you to review the document and reach out to Guidance and Counseling to help you through the course selection process.
Register for Spring Sports!
Click here to learn about the sports offered this spring.
Star Students
Click here to view the 2022-23 Semester One Honor Roll
World Language Department Star Students for January
Preseason H-M Softball Parent/Player Meeting
There is a preseason H-M Softball Parent/Player Meeting Sunday, February 26th @ 3:00 p.m. in the HM Commons! All students in grades 7-12 interested in playing softball this spring are required to attend this informational meeting. Any questions or concerns please contact Coach Kotzmacher.
The Nicholas Center at Hill-Murray School, in partnership with Youth Advantage of Stillwater and The Good Neighbor Center of the East Side of Saint Paul, invites all struggling readers entering grades 1st-6th in the fall of 2023 to join us for the The Nicholas Center Summer Reading Program at Hill-Murray. The Summer Reading Program is a 6-week program that focuses on boosting literacy skills in students, including phonological and phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, morphology, comprehension and fluency. To learn more and to register, please click here.
Anthony Garofalo Hill-Murray Scholarship
The Garofalo Scholarship application is now available for seniors to pick up in the Guidance and Counseling Office. This is a significant scholarship opportunity that the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, the Anthony Garofalo Education Fund, and Hill-Murray have partnered for Hill-Murray graduates who will attend the U and major in a STEM-related field. Click here to learn more and to apply.
Junior College Planning Meetings
Juniors are strongly encouraged to set up their college planning meeting with their college counselor now! We’d like to schedule these meetings during WIN, study hall or before or after the school day. We will do a graduation credit check, talk about your hopes and wishes, come up with a college list, and talk about course selection for next year. Mr. Reid’s students have the last names A-L, and Mrs. Egan’s students have the last names M-Z. Don’t wait until May to schedule this very important meeting!
Pioneer Premier Auction
You still have time to donate to the Pioneer Auction coming up in April. Get creative and share a donation of your choosing by March 1st! To donate an item or experience, fill out this form and send to auction@hill-murray.org. Items can be dropped off at Hill Murray. As always, thank you for your support.
Bussing and No School Schedule
There will be no busing on Friday, March 3rd and the week of March 13th – March 17th.
Please find alternate transportation for your students on those days.
No School – February 20th
