HMS  Parent  Newsletter  –  May  13,  2016      Dear  Families,       PARCC  testing  for  students  in  all  three  grades  is  now  well  underway,  and  has  gone  smoothly.  Today,  as  well  as  on  Monday,  our  sixth  grade  students  will  be  working  on  the  PARCC  assessment  for  math.  Also  next  week,  our  seventh  grade  students  will  be  completing  the  math  assessment.  On  May  20th,  as  well  as  May  23rd  and  May  24th,  the  eighth  graders  will  be  working  on  the  PARCC  assessment  for  math,  concluding  the  PARCC  testing  for  this  school  year.  Our  eighth  grade  students  have  also  completed  the  MCAS  assessment  for  Science  and  Technology/Engineering.       At  this  time,  all  eighth  grade  students  that  are  going  on  the  class  trip  to  Washington  DC  should  have  submitted  their  final  payment.  We  will  be  holding  our  pre-­‐trip  meeting  for  parents  next  Thursday,  May  19th  at  6  pm  in  the  HMS  Cafeteria.         The  final  School  Council  meeting  of  the  year  will  be  held  next  Wednesday,  May  18th.  At  that  time,  our  council  will  be  finalizing  and  signing  off  on  the  School  Improvement  Plan  for  2016  –  2017.  The  meeting  will  be  held  in  the  HMS  Library  at  4  pm.       The  HMS  Educator  Leadership  Team  will  be  holding  their  final  meeting  of  the  year  next  week  as  well,  on  May  19th.  The  leadership  team  was  established  this  year,  and  has  accomplished  quite  a  bit.  One  of  our  accomplishments  includes  beginning  a  chartered  National  Junior  Honor  Society  starting  with  next  year’s  incoming  sixth  graders.    Furthermore,  the  Unified  Sports  program  at  our  school  was  implemented  this  year,  along  with  additional  support  from  our  BASE  teachers.  The  Educator  Leadership  Team  also  collaborated  this  year  with  our  newly  developed  Student  Leadership  Team,  and  have  been  working  together  on  various  projects.  Specifically,  and  most  recently,  the  Student  Leadership  Team  is  involved  in  a  library  focus  group  for  the  Seekonk  Public  Library  along  with  one  of  our  educator  leaders,  Mrs.  St.  Michel.  The  students  have  also  been  involved  with  planning  and  presenting  at  the  State  of  the  School  Address,  reading  to  elementary  students,  participating  in  the  Unified  Sports  program,  and  will  soon  be  working  to  support  incoming  fifth  graders  with  the  transition  process  to  middle  school.  Aside  from  working  with  our  student  leaders,  our  educator  leaders  have  also  been  involved  with  planning  in-­‐house  professional  development  throughout  the  year.  This  year  we  have  held  some  Faculty  Meeting  Breakout  Sessions,  where  educator  leaders  and  other  faculty  members  have  presented  to  their  colleagues,  sharing  best  practices.  The  team  is  working  on  an  

effective  program  to  include  instructional  rounds  in  our  school  as  well,  in  order  to  observe  and  share  best  practices.  The  purpose  of  the  Educator  Leadership  Team  is  to  offer  faculty  members  an  opportunity  to  lead  from  the  classroom,  as  well  as  to  promote  a  culture  where  teachers  are  empowered  to  exercise  initiative  and  leadership  essential  to  the  improvement  of  the  school,  and  to  increase  students’  engagement  in  learning.  I  appreciate  all  of  the  time  and  effort  that  the  participating  teachers  have  given  to  our  leadership  team  this  year,  and  feel  that  moving  forward,  the  team  will  be  a  wonderful  resource  for  the  entire  faculty.  We  currently  have  ten  educators  on  the  team  that  have  volunteered  to  participate  for  this  year.  The  meeting  schedule  is  posted  on  the  Principal’s  Page  of  our  website,  and  all  members  of  the  faculty,  and  the  HMS  Community,  are  welcome  and  encouraged  to  attend  meetings.       The  final  PTO  meeting  of  the  year  is  scheduled  for  May  25th.  All  members  of  the  HMS  Community  are  welcome  to  attend.       The  8th  Grade  Semi-­‐formal  is  scheduled  for  next  Friday,  May  20th,  and  will  begin  at  6  pm.  Jeans,  sweatpants,  and  basketball-­‐style  shorts  are  not  considered  acceptable  dress  for  the  event.  Limousines  are  also  discouraged  for  middle  school  semi-­‐formal  dances.       This  evening,  the  HMS  Drama  Club  will  present  Something  Cursed  This  Way  Comes.  The  show  begins  at  7  pm.  The  performance  will  take  place  at  Seekonk  High  School  in  the  auditorium  this  evening,  as  well  as  tomorrow  afternoon  at  2  pm.  Tickets  are  still  available  at  the  door.       The  Eighth  Grade  Promotional  Ceremony  is  scheduled  for  Thursday,  June  16th  at  6  pm  on  the  front  lawn  of  our  campus.  As  I  mentioned  last  week,  Seekonk  High  School  graduate  Nick  Lancellotti  will  be  our  guest  speaker.  Students  will  receive  their  promotional  certificates,  in  addition  to  other  certificates  and  awards  for  academic  achievement,  and  participation  in  extracurricular  activities.  The  event  is  open  to  the  public,  and  everyone  is  encouraged  to  bring  their  own  lawn  chair.       Have  a  nice  weekend.    Sincerely,      Dr.  William  V.  Whalen  III  Principal              

 From  the  library…  

 

Just  a  few  spots  left!      The  RI  Computer  Museum  

will  be  in  the  HMS  library  on  Monday  May  23rd  to  lead  

an  afterschool  workshop  on  Sonic  Pi  Synthesizer!    

Students  will  use  a  credit  card  sized  computer  and  using  

it  to  create  digital  music!      The  session  is  limited  to  16  

students.    Permission  slips  are  available  in  the  cafeteria  

or  you  can  print  one  from  this  newsletter.          

Mrs.  St.  Michel      

stmichelj@seekonkschools.org  

 

Sonic Pi Synthesizer workshop

Build a synthesizer and rock out in the HMS Library! Dan Berman, of the RI Computer Museum, will unmask the mystery of making digital music with Sonic Pi Synthesizer software and the Raspberry Pi, a tiny credit card sized single-board

computer! All materials will be provided Raspberry Pi. Digital image. Barracuda Drive. Real Time Logic LLC, n.d. Web. 4 May 2016. <https://barracudadrive.com/images/RaspberryPi-Hand.jpg>.

Monday, May 23, 2016 HMS Library

2:30 – 4:00 (Late buses will NOT be available!)

Seating is limited to the first 16 students who return a signed

permission slip.   All Permission Slips must be returned to the main office by May

20. Students will be notified if they made the enrollment cutoff on

May 21.

Thank you to Seekonk Public Library for funding this program. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Permission Slip I am aware that my child will be staying for the Sonic Pi Synthesizer workshop after school on the date listed above. I also understand that there are no late buses available at the conclusion of this workshop – students must have a ride at the Tower Lobby at 4:00 PM. I agree not to hold KHMS or its employees responsible in the event of accidental injury/illness resulting from participation, pre-existing medical conditions/allergies occurring during this event. Student__________________ Homeroom Teacher: _________________ ____________________ ____________________ Parent Signature Parent Phone # during event Parent Email: ______________________________________________                                                    

Blue Team

ELA:-Students have been working on final projects for Gathering Blue. Periods C, D, F will be presenting on Friday and Period A will present on Monday. **Please note that Sp L 33 will be due on Monday, May 16, and Sp T 33 and Voc T 33 will be next Friday, May 20 due to math PARCC on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Science The focus of this week has been ENERGY! Energy is all around us and in everything that we do. The students discovered energy in everyday objects through a sorting activity. We quickly reviewed all the different forms of energy and how they can be converted into different kinds of energy. The main focus is on identifying potential and kinetic energy. We experimented with poppers and traveled through different stations demonstrating potential and kinetic energy. Math: Math classes have been reviewing for the PARCC exam, which is next week! We have taken the practice test and reviewed topics from earlier in the year. Supercore classes have been brushing up on data analysis. Social Studies: It’s hard to believe how fast the year is flying by! We’re already finishing up the second chapter of our LAST unit of the year...Rome! I’ve been stressing to all students the importance of finishing strong and they’ve really taken my advice to heart! We had a quiz on Friday on the Roman Republic, and students have made great connections as to how the Roman government, while quite different than the one we have here in America, shares some features of our own government!

The final Spotlight Pizza Party for all Dec-March recipients and their parents will be on Wednesday, June 1 from 5:30-6:30. Invitations will be issued next week. Please RSVP on the form being brought home by Wednesday, May 25, to Mrs. Dumas. We look forward to seeing you and honoring the lucky recipients!! Many thanks to author Matt Galeone and illustrator Bethany Farrell, 1990 graduates of this school, for speaking to Blue Team students on May 6 about the process of producing an illustrated book. Students were impressed with the time and effort that goes into the writing process before a book can even be published! Many of our budding writers and artists are inspired by their presentation and are determined to follow their dreams! Books may be ordered through Amazon! Special thanks to Mrs. St. Michel for all her help setting up for this presentation!

 

Art News from Mrs. Farrow

"Cardinal" Emily Pedro Tissue paper & glue

"Tulips" Madison Silva Oil pastels "Bunny" Jessica Kogut Oil pastels

"Butterfly" Lucy Codega Tissue paper & glue "Panda" Hailey Reynolds Tissue paper & glue

Band News from Mrs. Grande PLEASE ATTEND THE MONDAY MAY 16TH BAND PARENT MEETING at 6:00. Plans will be made for the swim club trip and end of year festivities. Please make sure your CORI form is up-to-date if you plan on chaperoning. FULL BAND rehearsal during the school day is as follows: Grade 6- Pegasus Band Monday May 16 and Tuesday May 24- Period A Grade 7-Intermezzo Band Tuesday May 17 and Tuesday May 24-Period B Grade 8-HMS Concert Band Tuesday May 17 and Friday May 20-Period C

These are the ONLY full band rehearsals we will have before the concert. Please remind your child to have music, instrument and a pencil at all rehearsals. Single- and Double-reed players should be breaking in a new reed for the concert now. Don't forget the Orange Leaf Fund Raiser on May 25! Computer Applications News from Mrs. DeLeo Grade 8: Thanks to all who donated towards our DonorsChoose.org project to secure 2 additional iPods giving our 8th grade Computer Applications students easier access to the necessary mobile apps used for our Social Media Unit! Grade 7: Students are working on finalizing scripts to start filming their book trailer projects. It is very important to each group that each member be present during filming. If your child knows they will be absent due to a pre-scheduled appointment or other absence they should be sure to let their group members know ahead of time so they can plan to film scenes around them. Filming schedule is as follows: B&E135: 5/24, 5/26, 5/31; B246: 5/25, 5/27, 6/1 (which is also a Band Festival Day so band students really need to check schedules to see if their presence in our class will be affected). Grade 6: Students are working independently on Geography-based newsletters as an extension to the project they worked on in my class using ThingLink (an awesome site you will enjoying checking out!). Health Education News from Mrs. Latimer 6th Grade: Two grade 6 classes are still working on or finishing up with Nutrition. My 6/Gray class is beginning with our Mental Health Unit. The other classes will pickup with this unit once they finish the Nutrition Unit. Students will begin learning about different emotions; healthy ways to deal with them and how to maintain healthy relationships with people they care about. We will finish up the unit with a little practice with those skills by performing role-plays in class. Showing me they know the skills on paper is one thing…let’s see how well they can demonstrate these skills! Students will be able to:

o Identify and describe common emotions & feelings and how they effect daily functioning

o Analyze healthy ways to express emotions

o Describe the importance of a personal support system to good mental health

o Identify those they can turn to in time of need to deal with troublesome emotions

o Apply attentive listening, feedback & assertive skills to enhance positive interpersonal communication

MA Frameworks Standards covered: o Growth and Development (1.8) o Mental Health (5.7, 5.10, 5.11) o Family Life (6.7, 6.8) o Interpersonal Relationships (7.5) o Violence Prevention (11.9)

National Health Education Standards: o Standard #1: Core Concepts o Standard #4: Interpersonal Communication o Standard #7: Self-Management o Standard #8: Advocacy

7th Grade: Students are finishing up with our Mental Health unit. Students have been learning about Stress Management. We will be discussing quite a few things regarding the physiology of stress and healthy ways to handle stress. Students have identified their stressors. This week they will receive their Stress Management Plan so that they can now be proactive in working on coping/eliminating them. Due dates for this project will be posted on Edline. In this unit students will be able to: StIdentify stressors in their life

• Identify symptoms of stress • Explain healthy and unhealthy ways to reduce stress o Explain the effects of long-term stress can have on our bodies o Identify who should be in their own personal support system

MA Frameworks Standards covered: o Growth & Development (1.8) o Mental Health (5.8, 5.8, 5.11, 5.16, 5.17, 5.19) o Violence Prevention (11.2)

National Health Education Standards: o Standard #1: Core Concepts o Standard #5: Decision Making o Standard #6: Goal setting o Standard #7: Self-Management o Standard #8: Advocacy

8th Grade: By the end of the school day today I will have updated and post grade 8 grades to Edline. I will continue to do this every Friday until the end of the semester. Students are continuing with our Substance

Abuse Unit. We will continue learning about various drugs including over the counter drugs, prescription drugs, club drugs, street drugs and narcotics. We will also be discussing the difference between responsible drug use, drug misuse and drug abuse. Of course, we cannot discuss all of these substances without practicing decision-making skills. Students will be able to:

o Explain the difference between responsible drug use, drug misuse and drug abuse

o Identify the different classifications of drugs o Explain the effect of marijuana on the brain, particularly the

adolescent brain o Accurately respond to scenarios using the decision-making model

taught in class o Explain the difference between “snitching” and reporting o Describe the stages of addiction o Identify internal and external factors that influence decision to use or

not to use drugs. o Identify physical, emotional/psychological and social effects of using

drugs MA Frameworks Standards covered:

o Tobacco, Alcohol & Substance Use/Abuse Prevention (10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, 10.9, 10.13

National Health Education Standards: o Standard #1: Core Concepts o Standard #4: Interpersonal Communication o Standard #5: Decision Making o Standard #7: Self-Management o Standard #8: Advocacy

                       

NEWS…………..  Hello  Hurley  Families,  This  visual  serves  a  reminder  of  our  dress  code  policy  regarding  warm  weather  clothing  on  page  20-­‐21  of  the  student  handbook.  Teachers  have  also  reviewed  this  with  students,  and  it  posted  in  classrooms.    

 Have  a  nice  weekend  &  enjoy  the  warm  weather!  Ms.  Bouchard  Interim  Assistant  Principal          

         

The  HMS  Baseball  Team  defeated  Coyle  and  Cassidy  yesterday  by  a  final  score  of    13-­‐0.    Jack  Murphy  made  his  debut  on  the  mound  getting  the  start,  with  Chalie  Lehouritas  appearing  in  relief.  The  game  was  played  on  the  varsity  baseball  field  at  Seekonk  High  School.  Seekonk  High  School’s  Head  Baseball  Coach,  Joe  DeMello,  provided  us  with  some  pictures!