Hoggard High School AIG Update
January 26th, 2026
Upcoming AIG events!
I need you to be on the lookout for these in future newsletters and in your email. . .
Grade Level meetings
9th - February 10th
10th - February 10th
11th - February 11th
New York Times "My List" contest: Deadline February 25th (grades 9-12)
Our “My List” contest, which runs until Feb. 25, invites students to choose three to five works of art or culture to group in some way, and then tell us why we should — or shouldn’t — check them out.
For last year’s contest, students created lists of middle-seat-approved films to catch on your next flight, iconic teen dramas that defined the 2000s, and the worst songs to play at a school dance. We’re excited to see what curated collections students create this year!
Playwriting Contest for Students (age 16+): Deadline February 14th
Interested in writing plays, and seeing your work performed?
Port City Playwrights Wants You!
https://portcityplaywrights.com/about/
Send your script (by Feb. 14, 2026) to the:
Port City Playwrights’
Playwriting Contest for Students
$250 Prize and Winning play will be considered for performance at Thalian Hall’s Bucky Stein Theater
Port City Playwrights (PCP) welcomes university and community college
students – as well as high-school AIG, ELA (preferably aged 16-26), to submit short
plays for a contest!
Submission Guidelines:
a) Cover page: Include play’s title, and writer’s email, address, phone number, and name
of high school, college or university
b) Page limit: 12 pages (not including cover page), in standard script format, 12-pt font,
with page numbers
c) Length: 10 minutes’ running time, or less
d) Format: The play script pages should be submitted in PDF; the cover page may be
in Word, or a separable PDF document
e) Play’s Cast: No more than four (4) characters
f) Topic / Scenario: All concepts are welcome; please keep themes and language appropriate
for a general audience (of adults)
g) Technical requirements / Staging: Keep it simple: minimal sets, basic lighting, limited props
DEADLINE: Noon, February 14, 2026
Send Submission(s) to: gopcpp@gmail.com , and cc: donnabuntingflake@gmail.com
Contest Process:
a) Send in your play’s script, following the above guidelines, to the emails indicated above, by noon, Feb. 14, 2026;
b) Scripts will be read and reviewed by PCP’s members – as all potential plays are by our community of scriptwriters;
c) Port City Playwrights will judge the submissions and select the winning play (if any);
d) If selected, the student’s play may be performed at Thalian Hall, in the Bucky Stein theatre, in May 2026, along with other short plays;
e) PCP intends to present the $250 check at the 1st showing of the performance.
Questions?
Send to: gopcpp@gmail.com , and cc: globalalain2@gmail.com
Financial Aid Assistance Webinars: College Foundation of North Carolina
Step-by-Step Guide on the 2026-27 FAFSA
February 5th at 6:00 pm
Evaluating Financial Aid Award Offers
February 19th at 6:00 pm
Miracle League of Wilmington
Miracle League of Wilmington.
The spring season schedule and volunteer sign up is available if you would be willing to participate. We welcome volunteers of all ages and just ask that anyone under the age of 14 have an adult accompany them.
The Miracle League of Wilmington is an accessible baseball league filled with joy, dancing and home runs for children and adults living with disabilities; Ages 3+. Currently, the Miracle League of Wilmington serves over 150+ All Stars through three types of teams: Tee Ball, Classic, and Competitive.
All games and practices are played at the Miracle Field located at 5510 Olsen Park Lane in Wilmington, NC. The specialized 33,000 square foot field is made of a flat, rubberized surface that is barrier free for all Miracle League All Stars!
For a full description of volunteer needs click here.
Volunteer sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084BACAC29A4FF2-61280984-volunteer#/
Scholarship Work Session
Date: Wednesday, January 28th
Time: 4th period
Where: Health Room
Details: This is a work session, not a presentation. I will be there to assist and answer any questions but you should come with plans to work on searching for and completing scholarship applications. I will be there to answer questions and provide any support I can.
This is ideally targeted to students that have early release but other students may attend as appropriate. There will be another session in February that takes advantage of FLEX time.
YOU WILL NEED YOUR LAPTOP CHARGED AND READY TO WORK.
If you'd like to attend, RSVP HERE.
Resume Building Session: February 6th (11th & 10th)
Date: February 6th
Time: 9:30-10:35
Where: Health Room
Details: This is a resume building session designed to help students either heavily revise or start from scratch putting together a resume that highlights students strengths. This is an academic resume merged with a more professional product.
Sign-up: 11th graders exclusively until January 23rd, then 10th graders may also sign up. This is first come first serve with a limited number of spots.
Sign Up Here
I'll send out emails next week with the sign up as well.
Science Olympiad Volunteers Needed: February 28th
Join the Fun! Volunteer for the Division A Science Olympiad Tournament
Are you ready to ignite the spirit of discovery and champion the scientists of tomorrow? The Elementary Science Olympiad tournament is just around the corner, and we need your energy and expertise to make it an unforgettable event for our elementary students!
Date: February 28, 2026 (Yes...it is a Saturday)
Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Ashley High School
This day of friendly competition will showcase student brilliance in STEM across events like engineering challenges, chemistry labs, and scientific problem-solving. We’d love for you to join the action as a volunteer!
Ways You Can Help:
Event Assistant: Assist event leaders, guide students, and celebrate their hard work.
Timers/Proctors: Keep the competition running smoothly by managing time
Hall Monitors: Assists competitors and volunteers as needed
General Support: Be the friendly face that ensures everything goes according to plan.
Perks of Volunteering:
5 Volunteer Hours - just make sure you sign in and sign out.
A front-row seat to students’ incredible creativity and knowledge.
A delicious free lunch (and coffee to fuel the day!).
The satisfaction of knowing you’ve inspired the next generation of scientists.
No prior experience with Science Olympiad is required; we’ll provide all the training you need. Whether you’re a science enthusiast, a team cheerleader, or just love seeing students excel, there’s a role for you.
If you’re ready to join the fun, please email Victoria Minshew: victoria.minshew@nhcs.net
Interdisciplinary Health Professions Summer Summit
A FREE day camp for rising 10th, 11th, 12th grade students in New Hanover County!
June 15-26, 2026* • 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Drop off: Between 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Pick up: Between 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Breakfast, lunch and snack included.
Have a desire for a career in health, medicine, social work, laboratory sciences, sports medicine or other health related areas? Interested in learning what it means to work ‘interprofessionally’ with other professions in the health and human services sector? The Interdisciplinary Health Professions Summer Summit (iHPSS) camp is for YOU!
What is iHPSS?
Interdisciplinary Health Professions Summer Summit is a two-week day camp for high school students in New Hanover County. At iHPSS, students will receive lecture and lab time with faculty and community partners to learn about health science careers and what it means to work with other members of the healthcare community for whole patient care. Students will learn about health disciplines, receive hands-on learning experiences, and participate in case-study discussions that demonstrate how different professions work together for the advancement of patient health.
The iHPSS experience can help you explore a health science path that is right for you and provides a great experience for college entrance essays!
*Camp participants must attend each day of the two-week day camps. Each day builds upon each other for the final camp activity.
AI and Scientific Discovery Intensive by Stanford Academics
Inspirit AI is a 25-hour live online research program taught by Stanford academics that allows students to learn and apply Generative AI to tackle topical challenges in climate systems, biomedicine, and astrophysics. Applications are due by January 31st.
Boys State
Girls State
Project Uplift 2026: UNC - Chapel Hill (11th grade)
Project Uplift will be held in-person for summer 2026. Join us at UNC-Chapel Hill for a day full of exploration of our campus, advice for applying to college, and opportunities to get to know other talented rising high school seniors and current UNC students. The dates for Project Uplift 2026 are as follows:
Session 1: Saturday, May 30
Session 2: Saturday, June 6
Session 3: Saturday, June 13
Applications to attend Project Uplift 2026 open January 7, 2026.
Project Uplift and Uplift PLUS Virtual Information Sessions
Current high school juniors, parents/guardians, and guidance counselors are invited to attend one of two virtual information sessions to learn more about the Project Uplift and Uplift PLUS programs at UNC-Chapel Hill. The information sessions will be hosted on Zoom and led by staff from the CHEOP office. You can join a session by clicking on the corresponding link below:
Wednesday, January 28th 2026, at 5:00pm – Zoom Link
Public Archeology Corps
Public Archaeology Corps is a non-profit organization consisting of professional archaeologists, historians, and private citizens united in their concern over the rapid loss of archaeological sites.
Our mission is to protect archaeological sites located on privately owned land.
Archaeological sites on public lands, such as military bases or state/national parks, are protected by state and federal laws. Sites located on private land are not under any protection, and many are lost to development each year. The careful study of an intact site by professional archaeologists often adds to what we know about history; when an archaeological site is lost, a piece of history is lost as well.
Our geographical focus is southeast North Carolina, in and around Wilmington.
Jennifer Crudeli - Gifted Education Specialist
Email: Jennifer.Crudeli@nhcs.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/nhcs.net/crudeliaig/home
Ashley Office: 405
Hoggard Office: 104B