From the Desk of the Principal:

As many of you know the students at Spring Hill High School are putting together a great year. The Football Team is in the play-offs again, playing Pittsburg at Mt Pleasant, Friday at 7:30. Go Panthers!! Both the boys and girls won the District Championship in Cross Country.  We also sent two students to State in Cross Country, Amber Moore and Jeff Chandler. Amber finished 14th in the State and received  All-State Honors. Our Math/science Team that is taking up where our outstanding team from last year left off.  Also we have a brand new debate team and they are already doing extremely well under their new Coach, Jennifer White.

The 2006/2007 AEIS report is out and Spring Hill High School received four Gold Performance Awards. These awards represent outstanding achievement in the prescribed area. Our awards were as follows: Gold Performance in Percent of Attendance, Social Studies TAKS, Texas Success Initiative in Math, and Texas Success Initiative in English Language Arts.

This is great information for the community to know that the students of the high school are getting a quality education. A special congratulations to the faculty for the great work they have done to prepare our students for success!!  The year is going well, and I expect more good news from academics, co-curricular and extracurricular activities in the near future.

We have a lot to be thankful for!!! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Bobby Watkins

Wall of Words
submitted by Nancy Green

The high school English department is trying a different approach to vocabulary development this year.  Each student is responsible for learning 200 vocabulary words that are guaranteed to be on the SAT college entrance exam.  The same 200 words will be used at all four levels of English – freshman through senior.  It is the goal of the department that once a student has graduated from Spring Hill High School, he/she will have internalized these words and will be utilizing them in their everyday conversation.  For bonus points on their vocabulary test, Miss Green’s AP classes illustrated each of the vocabulary words from the first list.



Art of Character
submitted by Bud Dunn & Laura Jordan

Spring Hill Art Department and BIMM (Business Image Management & Multimedia) students recently participated in the Partnership of Longview Adopt-A-School Art of Character art competition with schools from all over the area.  The winners were as follows:

In the Fine Art Category:
First Place
Nicole Parr    $100.00
Second Place
Allyson Handy    $75.00
Third Place
Miles Peloquinv    $50.00
Honorable Mention
Saad Shams        $25.00
Honorable Mention
Cris Peterson     $25.00
Honorable Mention
Scott Carter    $25.00

In the Graphic Art Category:
Second Place
Stephen Redman    $75.00

Students were asked to depict, in fine art or graphic art medium, any of the Chick-fil-A character traits for the current year. This contest is conducted yearly to promote character at the secondary school level. This school year's character traits are initiative, respect, uniqueness, peace, orderliness, kindness, courage, joy, and patience.



Merritt Tool Co. Donates Vertical Mill to SHHS Metal Shop
submitted by Guy Fuller

Mr. A. P. Merritt, Jr. of Merritt Tool Company in Kilgore, Texas recently donated a Bridgeport Vertical Milling Machine to the Spring Hill High School Metal Shop class.  The machine shop part of the class has four lathes and three drill presses but was lacking a milling machine. For a student to have a good working knowledge of the machining processes he or she must have some experience milling.

A Vertical Milling machine can mill metal parts using various cutting tools. Flat surfaces, angled surfaces, vertical surfaces, key-ways, slotting, sawing, boring, and dove-tails are the most common types of milling that can be done on the Vertical Milling Machine.

Several Skills-USA members will be competing with other schools in the District 5 Precision Machining Competition in Waco, Texas on February 1-2. Thanks to Mr. Merritt's generous donation our students will be more proficient in their machining skills.



Academic UIL
submitted by Laura Jordan

Accounting students, Melissa Thompson, Louden Barnes, Jessica Nichols, and Megan Eades participated November 10th in the Daingerfield Academic UIL Invitational meet. The team placed second, and Melissa Thompson earned second place individual honors. Melissa returned to this year's team after qualifying for state last year.



Krupa Commits to Texas State
submitted by Staff

Kelsey Krupa, a 5'9" senior and outstanding performer for the Lady Panther basketball team the last three years, has verbally committed to Texas State University. She averaged more than 20 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season, and she was a first-team All-East Texas selection of the Longview News Journal. Additionally, she was honored with Academic All-District and District 15-3A MVP titles.

Texas State, second in the Southland Conference last year, had been trying to recruit Kelsey for the last two years. She plans to major in elementary education and is impressed with Texas State's College of Education.



Line Classic
submitted by Karen Hagler

The Vicki Bowden Mobbs Majorette & FLag Line Classic was held Saturday, November 3, at Kilgore's Dodson Auditorium. Each Auxiliary Line performed two routines.  The twirlers performed a Dance Twirl to "Let It Whip" and a Novelty Routine to "Proud Mary."  They won Best In Class 3A for the Dance Twirl "Let It Whip."  The Flags performed two Flag Routines "Let It Whip" and "Proud Mary."  They won Best In Class 3A and Best Overall in class 2A through 4A for the routine "Proud Mary."

On November 10th the U.I.L Solo & Ensemble Twirling Contest was held at Pine Tree Jr. High School.  Entries for Solo Events were Amber Boswell, Laney Peterson, Taylor Haney, Rachel Baker, Charlynne Heydon, Chelsea Mulkey, Jessica Billingsley, Michelle Donaldson, Mallorie Anderson.  Trio entry - Laney Peterson, Taylor Haney, Rachel Baker.  Trio entry - Charlynne Heydon, Chelsea Mulkey, Danielle Jones.  The Quartet entry was Nicole Parr, Kaitlyn McFadden, Michelle Donaldson, and Danielle Jones.  Each of these girls received a First Division Rating on their performanes.  Quartet entry with Nicole Parr, Chelsea Stephens, Kaitlyn McFadden, Michelle Donaldson received a Second Division Rating on their performance.



YBA Paints Holiday Cheer & Completes 1st Sweatshirt Order
submitted by Fran Scott

The Young Business Associates, club for the work program DCP, are painting the local Dairy Queen and Midway Food Mart's store fronts for the holiday season. Students have an opportunity to learn an inexpensive advertising tool for business while learning a free-lance skill to help them earn extra income in the future. The service project is undertaken to promote sales and holiday goodwill for local businesses. Students create design ideas, present sketches to the managers, enlarge sketches to the glass dimensions, and paint with watercolors the outside glass of the businesses. Store products or sales are sometimes incorporated into the themes. The project allows for students to provide service to businesses, learn a life-long skill, be creative, and have fun while learning. A real plus is when other businesses call and offer free-lance jobs during the holidays.

The YBA recently received their sweatshirt order and are planning on dispensing shirts before classes are out for the holidays. People are beginning to call inquiring as to whether a second order will be placed this year. If there is enough interest in a second order, the club will place order forms in each campus office for parents to pick up. Those interested in ordering can email or call the YBA sponsor. This year the club offered four colors of sweatshirts - royal, black, white, and brown. Funds from sales help support service projects. YBA will be supporting several children this year by providing toys, clothes and shoes for Christmas.


All-Region Choir
submitted by Laura Langham

Amber Thompson placed 6th chair out of 70 in treble all-region choir auditions Saturday, November 10. Portia Parks placed 28th in the contest. We are proud of these girls for their impressive showing in this extremely tough competition.