Battle of the Books – Wednesdays, 2:30-3:15 p.m. – Sponsor: Margie Smith

Elementary Battle of the Books is a county wide reading competition for students in grades 4 and 5.  Approximately eighteen books are selected each year to be featured in the competition.  Each team may have 12 team members.  Throughout the year team members read and become experts on the eighteen selected books.  Our team meets after school at least once per week to read, prepare and practice for competition.  Candidates for the team need to be avid readers who are willing to make a commitment to read the selected books. During the competition, questioned are posed to a team of 4-6 members and conferring occurs before the answer is given.  This is truly a team effort.  Approximately 40 teams compete in 5 days of preliminary rounds.  The top 2 finishers each day compete in the county finals.

Chorus – Mondays, 2:30-3:10 p.m. (Mandatory), Fridays, 7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. (Optional).
Sponsor: Stephen Levy

The Long Hill Chorus is made up of 2nd through 5th graders. Students audition to be in the chorus and practice after school. The chorus is involved in many performances throughout the year.

Girls on the Run – Tuesday & Thursdays, 2:45-4:00 p.m.

Mission
We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

About
Girls on the Run® is a life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development.

Objectives
The objective of Girls on the Run is to educate and empower girls at an early age in order to prevent the display of at-risk activities in the future. At risk activities include substance/alcohol use, eating disorders, early onset of sexual activity, sedentary lifestyle, depression, suicide attempts and confrontations with the juvenile justice system.

The Program
Girls on the Run® is a 501(c)3 positive youth development program which combines an interactive curriculum and running to inspire self-respect and healthy lifestyles in pre-teen girls. Our core curriculum addresses many aspects of girls’ development – their physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. Lessons provide girls with the tools to make positive decisions and to avoid risky adolescent behaviors

Vision
We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.

Jr. Beta Club

The National Junior Beta Club is a non-profit, leadership-service club for grades 5-9 whose purpose is to encourage effort and reward merit, and to promote those qualities of character that make for good citizenship.

Kids Council

Each classroom nominates and votes on a President, Vice-President, and Secretary for their class. These students run for office just like real politicians – they must state their platform, make speeches, campaign, etc. Real polls are used for students to vote – students must show their voter registration card to the poll volunteer in order to vote.

Once winners in the classrooms are declared, the council meets with the principal of the school monthly to voice their opinions on improving the school. Prior to the meeting with the principal, the council leads weekly class meetings to determine topics of concern.

Science Olympiad

North Carolina Science Olympiad’s elementary events were developed by North Carolina Master Elementary Teachers. The events align with the NC Standard Course of Study and what teachers are already doing in the classroom. Further, these events are well balanced between the various science disciplines, requiring knowledge of science facts, concepts, processes, skills and applications.

Strings

Our orchestra faculty presents a recruiting concert at the end of August/early September for the 5th grade classes.  During the recruiting concert, we explain about our “orchestra parent night” where the parents register their child into our Long Hill Strings Class.
Strings meets twice weekly for 45 minutes each class.
The parents can RENT the instruments at any of the local music stores.

Journalism

Our Journalism Club is open to 4th and 5th graders.  There is a application process as there will only be about 2o slots this year.  We do everything for the yearbook and we have loads of fun doing it!  Students interview teachers and get to write stories.  They design pages using pictures, clipart and text.  Technology is a huge part of what we do because everything we use is web-based.  I will be starting the interviewing and application process the first part of October so be looking for the information coming home! -Mrs. Pamela Ross