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WARRIOR WORDPrincipal’s Message

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Henderson Happenings

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Counselors Corner

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Calendar of Events

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First Quarter Down, Three to Go

As a Warrior, I am… Willing to help Always positive Respectful of myself and others

Ready to learn Invested in my future Orderly and safe Responsible for my success

THOMAS H. HENDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

The

Call to all Warriors, time to huddle up! There are three (3) quarters left in the school year and we believe at Henderson Middle School that all students have an innate ability to live and learn with dignity, energy, self-management, community and awareness. So to help you excel and make your friends and families proud, please remember you possess the following:

A which stands for Awareness – You will show evidence of concentration, observing, listening, thinking, noticing, evaluating, creating and attentiveness.

S which stands for Self-Management- You will make appropriate choices, and will guide and persistently stay on task.

C which stands for Community – You will display much sharing, cooperation, kindness and interdependence.

E which stands for Energy - You will keep engaged, active and busy focusing on learning.

N which stands for Navigate - You will develop a plan to follow to get you across the goal line.

D which stands for Dignity – You will work with full dignity and sit and walk tall and self-assured.

So, Warriors let’s get busy becoming true learners who possess the ability to be outstanding learners.

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Greetings Warrior Families:

I am truly honored to be the new principal of Henderson Middle School. I have been working hard the last several months to get to know the community and students served at Henderson. I am looking forward to a continued partnership as we work together to make a positive impact on the future of our children.

As a former assistant principal and most recently, interim principal, I have learned a lot about building relationships, establishing effective communication and putting in place protocols that will positively influence teaching and learning. I bring these lessons to Henderson with the utmost enthusiasm and highest expectations for both students and staff. I hold myself to these standards as well and want only the best for the students and community being served at Henderson Middle School.

I take my role as principal very seriously and encourage you to contact me with questions and concerns. My goal is to ensure that everyone feels valued, safe and welcome in this building. You will find that my door is always open and I look forward to working collaboratively with you to offer the best educational experience for your children.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Heckstall, Principal

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGEThomas H. Henderson Middle School Administrative Team

Mrs. C. Heckstall, Principal

Grade 7 ckight@rvaschools.net

Mrs. M. Jamison, Assistant Principal

Grade 6 PBIS New Teacher Testing Administrator

mjamison@rvaschools.net

Mrs. V. Wilborn Assistant Principal

Grade 8 Expanded Core Exceptional Education Designee

vwilborn@rvaschools.net

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Mission Tomorrow…Career Expo

On Friday, October 28, 2016, 71 of tour 8th Grade students at Henderson Middle School traveled to Richmond International Raceway to participate in the statewide Mission

Tomorrow Career Expo. The overall purpose of the event was for students to be exposed to a wide range of careers that are available in the Richmond region. Students had the opportunity to explore interactive exhibits where they could get more information on the

careers in several of the 16 career clusters. Students were encouraged to have conversations with the exhibitors about the wide range of careers that are available within

a particular field. To facilitate those discussions, students were provided with a card listing the major career clusters represented at the event; and for each representative that

they spoke with, they were to receive a signature.

Our students were extremely engaged and excited to participate in this experience.

HENDERSON HAPPENINGS

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HENDERSON HAPPENINGS

Family and Consumer Sciences students along with enrichment classes will be holding a canned food drive from November 2nd - Nov. 16th. Food will be donated to a local organization or organizations within the city.

A big congratulations goes out to 8th grader Kemyra Brown for her artistic abilities. Her pathway through the woods painting was chosen to represent Henderson Middle School in the 2016-17 Metro Student Art Exhibit. Kemyra’s watercolor painting will be on display in the VCU School of Education for the entire year! We encourage everyone to stop by Oliver Hall on VCU’s campus to view artwork of students from all over the Richmond area, including Kemyra’s. Great work Kemyra!!!

On Saturday, November 5, several of the 8th grade young men attended the Young Men's Conference at Capital One. During the conference they discussed career planning, financial literacy, and were treated to a wonderful meal. The young men who attended look forward to attending again next year. Great job Joshua Green, Jayson Dunigan, Hezekiah Mombrun, Shyheim Holmes, Josiah Olivis, Mekhi Kirven, Dante’ Ballard, James Godbold, and Jaheim Wilkes,

The young men are pictured here doing the #MannequinChallenge

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The Henderson Middle School Girls Basketball Team was under the leaderships of Coach McAllister and Coach Robinson. Each member brought a different flavor to the mix to create the perfect ingredient list for an athletic success. The coaches were able to see insurmountable growth in several of the young ladies; especially those who had never even touched a basketball or played organized sports before.

The members of the Lady Warriors were: Ja'Nia Barnes, Chaunte Early, Kemyra Brown, Shavonte Harkless, Ebony Henderson, Meyahia Lawerence, Mikayla Robertson, Tysheanna Seldon, Lailah Shabazz, Keonna Trent, Chyna Williams , Jade Williams, Nakeria Peay , and Chyna Blakley.

Our Warrior squad made it to the playoffs and ended the season with a record of: 3-6, losing to Elkhart-Thompson in the first round.

WARRIOR SPORTS - GIRLS BASKETBALL

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WARRIOR SPORTS - CHEERLEADING

We have some very talented students at Henderson who deserve recognition!!! All of our participants gave their all and represented that Warrior spirit at their recent track meets on October 19th at the Arthur Ashe Center and on November 2nd at Armstrong High School.

The following students deserve special recognition for placing in their heats and/or events:

Doneisha Wilson-3rd place shot put Boys 4x200 team-2nd place (they got a raw deal because they won their heat by half the track but lost to a "B" team from another heat by 0.01 seconds) Sincere Gray, Victor Andrews, Keyonte Goodman and Kevin Williams Jr.

Boys 1,000m-1st place Victor Andrews Girls 1,000m- 2nd place Jaila Blue Long Jump- 2x DEFENDING CHAMPION with a jump of 14’3" Jaila Blue

WARRIOR SPORTS - SOCCERThe Henderson Middle School Soccer Team was under the leaderships of Coach Short and Coach Dillard.

The members of the Soccer team are: Tiante Thompkins, Reggie Robinson, Joseph Yates, Taron Carlyle, Antione Carroll, Keyonte Goodman, Damon Brooks, Nathan Robinson, Demon Pitchfork, Quinton Wallace, Raquan Smith, Rakeem Jones, Douglas Bland, Gabriel Heilman, and Luis Flores.

Our Warrior squad made it to the playoffs and ended the season with a record of: 3-5, losing to Franklin Military Academy in the first round.

WARRIOR SPORTS - TRACK & FIELD

Congratulations to the newest members of the 2016-2017 Warrior Xplosion Cheering Squad:

Joshlin Murphy, Kalasia Kenney, Daleshia Baskerville, Monet Cook, Kamiylah Fleming, Michelle Hudson, Chaziyah Jones, Jayla Ramirez-Gonzalez, Nachelle Shelton, Armani Waller, and Jamya Williams.

The Warrior Xplosion will be under the direction of Ms. Mitchell and Ms. Harris (coaches).

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The Henderson Middle School Parent Teacher Association continues to support Henderson Middle School Events and is passionate about supporting our students and teachers. Our

membership goal for this year is 100 members. Highlights: • On Friday, October 29th PTA sponsored a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot of the school.

There were bike clubs present to showcase their motorcycles and give away candy to our students. The weather was perfect and provided for a great evening of fun!!!

m e d i a c e n t e r n e w s

Henderson Media Center Book Discussion Group Learners at Henderson are enjoying the Book Discussion Group that meets during lunch time bi-monthly. Students have read the following novel:

“Nothing But the Truth” by Avi

Currently, we are reading the book entitled "Hive" by Mark Walden. Our readers are blogging on KidBlog.org about each book we discuss.

ATTENTION!!!! Richmond Public Schools middle and high schools will be assigned email accounts available on January 1, 2017. The Media Center has new E-books available for readers. Interested students may come in and check them out. The User Name (the student’s ID#) and the Password is mm/dd/yyyy.

Brainpop.com has new log-in information: User Name: rpschools Password: richmondpub1

Remember to start thinking about our Annual Poetry Slam in March, 2017. We are interested in all Warriors who have a poem within just waiting to come out. Start working on your poetry and your presentation for the Slam. Until I see you in the media center, “May the Learning Be With You!”

Keep Learning 4-Life, Dr. Foster Media Specialist

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C O U N S e L O R S C O R N E R

Prejudice Awareness Summit written by Tyra Thomas (Grade 8)

Prejudice awareness is pre-judgement or forming an opinion before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case. This word is used when someone judges another person because of their gender, beliefs, sexuality, race, language, or even education.

On October 20, 2016, Mrs. Branch-Wilson gathered a group of seven students from Thomas H. Henderson Middle School to go to VCU’s Harris Hall for the Prejudice Awareness Summit. Dr. Foster also chaperoned the field trip. Students from different counties, all 8th grade students, also joined the presentation and conversation.

One student from each school gathered in different break out sessions; there are two adults in each room to help facility the discussions. We mostly spoke on the definition of prejudice, what it looked like, and how we could be advocates for change. The conversations explored how a students and either walk away if someone was being bullied or tell a trusted adult. The groups also discussed what we thought the person bully, the person that stands by and doesn’t attempt to intervene and the victim felt about the situations.

At the end of the conference, we met back with our school groups and had a discussion on what we learned from each of our individual break-out sessions. From this discussion, we decided at Henderson Middle School we will establish a group called “B-4….Be More”. The B-4’s are: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Be Kind. Stay tuned to more about this group.

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c o u n s e l o r s c o r n e r

Keys to Homework Success

Students 1. Select a quiet place to study

2. Don’t wait until the last minute

3. Use your daily planner for assignments

4. Dedicate a space for every class

5. Stay organized

6. Make study cards

7. Make your own study guide

8. Talk about assignments with friends

9. If you are struggling, ask for help

10.Make academics the focus of your life.

Parents 1. Communicate your belief that homework is an

important part of learning. When you show that you're serious about homework, your child will take it more seriously.

2. Make an agreement with your child about how much after-school time will spend doing homework each day. For middle-school students between 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Work with your child to establish a homework schedule and do your part to honor it.

4. Provide a place where your child can work. It should be comfortable, lit, and free from distractions.

5. Create a "homework kit". Include: pencils, erasers, dictionary, rulers, etc. Include anything they may need and put it into a plastic container.

6. Remember that your child's homework is his/her responsibility, not yours. You are only responsible for providing a place where he/she can work.

7. What if your child forgets his/her homework? Or what if the teacher doesn't give any homework on a day? Your child should use the time to work on some other type of learning activity. Example: looking at a newspaper, reading a book, writing a story, or learning about a new topic.

Refresh…….for Success! As the second 9-weeks gets underway, please be mindful that your students may need a refresher on their school supplies. Please ensure that they have proper writing utensils, paper, folders, binders, markers, crayons, colored pencils, notebooks and backpacks to maintain being successful in the second, third, and fourth marking periods!

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Meet the School Counselors

Mrs. S. Branch-Wilson Grade 6 -8 (A-M)

School Testing Coordinator

NJHS Advisor

sbranch2@rvaschools.net

Ms. A. Baylor Grade 6-8 (N- Z)

Child Study Chairperson

NJHS Advisory Council

abaylor@rvaschools.net

Mapping Out Your Future

The same way we program and rely on the GPS on our smartphones to lead us in the right direction when venturing into unfamiliar territory; that’s what Specialty School options and Program Planning does for you, leads you in the right direction.

The Open Enrollment and IB/ Specialty School process for the 2017-2018 school year is now open and can be accessed through Registration Gateway; which is found on the RPS homepage (www.rvashools.net), under the enrollment link. It is a stream-lined, self-guided, online application process; however, the school counselor’s are here to assist with ensuring that all components are completed and uploaded.

Per the RPS guidelines, Open Enrollment refers to the process of applying to school “out-of-zone (a school zoned for an address other than the physical address in which the student resides) The open enrollment deadline was November 11th at 4:30 PM. The deadline for MLWGS and ARGS is December 1, 2016. Please ensure you have submitted all required documents to Ms. Baylor or Mrs. Branch-Wilson so that your applications will be complete and ready for submission.

Program Planning is a time when school counselors meet with students in the classrooms and individually to discuss schedules for the next school year; where we will continue to create your academic road map. Though this process takes

place throughout the entire school year, it begins formally in March.

c o u n s e l o r s c o r n e r

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c o u n s e l o r s c o r n e r

SPECIALTY SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE DATES RICHMOND COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT

November 14, 2016 @ 6:00 - 7:30 PM (201 E. Brookline Park Blvd. l Richmond, VA 23222)

MAGGIE L. WALKER GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT

November 15, 2016 @ 6:30 PM (1000 N. Lombardy St l Richmond, VA 23220)

FRANKLIN MILITARY ACADEMY INFORMATION NIGHT

November 16, 2016 @ 6:00 PM (701 N. 37th St l Richmond, VA 23223)

OPEN HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT

November 17, 2016 6:00 - 8:00 PM (600 S. Pine Street l Richmond, VA 23220)

***Transportation will be available for parents and students to ride with Higher Achievement. Bus boarding will begin at 5:15 PM each evening and projected return to HMS will be 7:30 PM.***

Career Cruising is a self-exploration and planning tool that helps students achieve their potential in school, career, and life. Each year, we have a team of Career Coaches come to work with our students (focus grade is Grade 7) to take an interest inventory which will assist the students in developing their career plans. Students receive log-in information where they can access the program at home to share with parents, work in Study Skills periods, and/or with either of their School Counselors to continue to develop their plans.

This year’s schedule is as follows (during History classes):

Tuesday, November 29th - 7th grade

Wednesday, November 30th - 7th grade (morning) / 6th grade (afternoon)

Tuesday, December 6th - 6th grade

Wednesday, December 7th - 8th grade

Tuesday, December 13th - 8th grade

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WARRIOR PERFORMANCE

Thursday, December 15, 2016 5:30 PM - Cafeteria

Performances by:

Henderson Middle School Chorus Henderson Middle School Band

Next-Up Participants and Higher Achievement Scholars

****This is also an opportunity for you to pick up your ASPEN Parent Portal access; you will need your ID to receive a log-in.****

F A L L 2 0 1 6What does Communities In Schools of Richmond (CIS) do?

CIS supports Henderson students through various early interventions and enrichment opportunities, such as AMP! Metro

Richmond mentoring program and NextUP. We also provide direct case management, basic resources, and support school wide

initiatives, in hopes of helping students stay on track. If you’d like to know more about CIS, please contact Shelley Thompson

svthompson@cisofrichmond or Charles Meadows

cmeadows@cisofrichmond.

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS November 2016 14 - Report Cards distributed 15 - Mathematics benchmark testing begins 17 - Awards Assemblies during elective periods 17 - Geography Challenge / Next-Up 22- Richmond Technical Center visit for 8th grade students 23-25 - Thanksgiving Break

December 2016 1- Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School applications due 1- Appomattox Regional Governor’s School applications due 6 - Boys Basketball Season Kick-Off (Boushall @ Henderson 3:30 pm) 13 - Boys Basketball (Henderson @ Albert Hill - 3:30 pm) 14 - Second Interim Reports distributed 15 - “Warrior Winter Wonderland” - Music Department Winter Concert & Next Up/Higher Achievement Winter Showcase (5:30 pm) 19-30 - Winter Break

January 2017 2 - Return from Winter Break 5- Boys Basketball (Henderson @ MLK - 3:30 pm) 10 - Boys Basketball (Binford @ Henderson - 3:30 pm) 12 - Two hour early release 16 - MLK Holiday - no school 17 - Boys Basketball (Henderson @ E-T - 3:30 pm) 19 -Boys Basketball (Henderson @ Brown - 3:30 pm) 24- Boys Basketball (Franklin @ Henderson - 3:30 pm) 26 - Boys Basketball (MLK @ Henderson - 3:30 pm) 31 - End of 1st Semester 31 - Boys Basketball Playoffs begin