September 30, 2022
Dear HMS Parents and Guardians,
We hope this update finds you well. Our students have been enjoying the new playground equipment purchased through PTO funds, and we continue to be grateful for our community’s support. Wiffle ball, basketball, soccer, ping pong, and four square balls have made a huge positive impact on our fresh air breaks!
We also want to express our gratitude for those who were able to join our open houses. It was wonderful to open our doors and share our school again with you! We recognize that families are balancing many commitments during their evenings, and thank you for including us as part of that.
In this update you will find information about the following topics:
New HMS Administrative Assistant
Virtual Club Fair
One Book, One School - Update
Magazines Needed
Fall MAP/MEA Assessment
Merrill Memorial Library - Events
Dates to Date
HMS Update #5 will be sent on October 14, 2022. Please continue to reach out with any questions.
With Gratitude,
Mandy Lewis and Tom McDowell
HMS Administrative Team
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HMS Administrative Assistant
We are excited to share that Brenda Van Dzura has joined HMS as one of our Administrative Assistants! You will often hear her voice when calling HMS for attendance purposes, and you will see her as the first person in the HMS Main Office. She has been a great addition to our HMS community.
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Virtual Club Fair
Students had a chance to review information through our Virtual Club Fair to learn about the variety of activities available at HMS. We wanted to share this information with you as well. Linked here you will find information about each club. We are excited to share that the Drama Club will begin again (hooray!) after a two-year hiatus. Drama Club will meet on Tuesdays after school from 3-4 PM, starting on October 4. Rather than completing grade level productions as have happened in the past, all students in grades 6-8 who join the Drama Club will explore theater and all of its elements throughout the year, culminating in performances in the spring. We look forward to seeing our students engage in our extracurricular activities.
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One Book, One School - Update
All HMS students have engaged in Varsha Bajaj’s Count Me In. During this past week, teachers reached the part of the book where a hate crime is committed (Chapter 9). Teachers are aware that students may be feeling a variety of emotions based on their reactions to this scene. As we work through this text together, we are being mindful of how our students may be experiencing the storyline.
We are also excited to share that we are approaching the first mid-book discussion point. This is a chance for students from all grades to come together in small groups to discuss the text, and all staff members are involved as well. Our students seem to really be enjoying Bajaj’s book, and we look forward to sharing more with you as One Book, One School progresses. If you are interested in reading the book with your student, please reach out. There are additional copies available at HMS and Merrill Memorial Library.
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Magazines Needed
As part of the One Book, One School project, teachers are preparing for an activity that involves repurposing unwanted magazines. If you have any magazines that you no longer need, please send them in with your student or drop them off in the Main Office. We would like to repurpose your magazines for you!
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Fall MAP/MEA Assessment
As we previously shared, HMS students will participate in the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) this October. On Monday and Tuesday, October 3 and 4, all HMS students will be participating in the MAP fall testing. If a student is absent and misses the scheduled test, make-up opportunities will be provided on October 6, 11, 12, and 13.
The scores help teachers check student performance by measuring achievement and growth. MAP Growth tests are unique, as they adapt to your student’s responses to measure their skill level. The results provide a picture of what your student knows and is ready to learn. Similar to a height growth chart you may use at home, the MAP assessments are used to measure each student’s progress or growth in school, specifically in mathematics and reading. This is just a snapshot as we think about your student as a learner.
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Merrill Memorial Library - Events
YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD: Now accepting applications for teens in grades 6-12 interested in creating and running programs and events at the library. Volunteer hours earned for those who need them. To apply: https://forms.gle/g9gBpkxoqqUbrg5EA
MINECRAFT CLUB: Mondays, November 7, 14, 21, 28, 2:30-3:30pm Grades 6-8. Devices provided. Limited to 10 participants. Registration required for the lottery to get a spot. Register HERE.
CLIFFHANGERS: First Thursday of the month, October-April (with possible May meeting), 3:30-4:15pm. Grades 4-7. Book Club plus project. Register HERE.
STORY TIME with MIHKU PAUL: Friday, October 7, 10:15-noon. Join Mihku for a morning of storytelling and art. All ages are welcome. Register HERE.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Wednesdays, starting October 12 at 3:30 in the library. Sessions will run every two weeks until November 23. Grades 4 and up. Register HERE.
DANGEROUS THINKING CLUB: Third Thursday of the month, October 20, 5-6pm. For grades 8-12. Book Club with an edge.
ORIGAMI WITH AUGUST: Saturday, October 22 and December 10, 10-11. Drop in at the MML foyer to fold with an origami master. All ages.
AUTHOR NIGHT! Friday, October 28, Time TBD. Join three teen authors, including YHS senior Leela Hidier, as they read from their books and answer questions. In collaboration with The Telling Room.
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Dates to Date
October 3-4: MAP Testing
October 7: Professional Development Day for staff - no school for students
October 10: Indigenous Peoples’ Day - no school for students and staff
November 4: One Book, One School Author Visit at HMS