Parent Newsletter March 8, Dear HMS Families,

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Blaise Boone
5 years ago
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The video was a big hit with the students, as I continue to hear positive feedback from them about it.

Carulli, Ms. Cloutier, and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Mr. Zach Waddicor.

1 Parent Newsletter March 8, 2019 Dear HMS Families, This was a busy week at HMS both inside and outside of the classroom. On Monday, we had our first Snow Day of the year, and enjoyed Dr. Drolet s Snow Day Rap Video featuring students and staff. The video was a big hit with the students, as I continue to hear positive feedback from them about it. On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to travel to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) for the 2019 Project Lead the Way Grant Convening with STEM teachers Mrs. DeLeo, Mr. Carulli, Ms. Cloutier, and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Mr. Zach Waddicor. We learned more about the logistics of receiving our grant through PLTW, as well as some best practices to keep in mind when rolling out the new programming next year. I am so proud that our school is one of only 58 schools across the commonwealth to receive the grant. I will keep everyone up to date with information as we plan for our new STEM programming as part of next year s program of studies.

On Wednesday, March 6th, I met with our School Council. The council meets monthly to work on the school improvement plan, and I also update them on the FY 20 budget process.

Bouchard joined us as well to talk about the school safety trainings that staff and students have participated in this year.

2 On Wednesday, March 6th, I met with our School Council. The council meets monthly to work on the school improvement plan, and I also update them on the FY 20 budget process. At the meeting, I provided the council with an update on our PLTW grant, and described each of the STEM courses that will be included in next year s program of studies for students at HMS. Ms. Bouchard joined us as well to talk about the school safety trainings that staff and students have participated in this year. Next month, she will join us once again to present revisions to the student handbook for the school year. Last night, SRO Keith Perry gave an informational presentation to parents and guardians about school safety and the ALICE Program. The presentation focused on prevention strategies as well as provided an understanding of the safety drills that students and staff have been participating in this school year.

Students on our Unified Basketball team competed against other schools in the Massasoit League this week in home games vs. Berkley Middle School and Joseph Case Junior High School.

Thank you to Coach Melissa Skodras as well as the other teachers that have been supporting her with the unified program for all of their hard work. Also thank you to Mrs.

3 Students on our Unified Basketball team competed against other schools in the Massasoit League this week in home games vs. Berkley Middle School and Joseph Case Junior High School. The HMS team was successful in both games, and all of the students seemed to have a lot of fun. I was fortunate to be able to attend and enjoy both games. Thank you to Coach Melissa Skodras as well as the other teachers that have been supporting her with the unified program for all of their hard work. Also thank you to Mrs. Kenney and Seekonk High student Laurel Barbosa for their work with HMS Dance Team. The dance team has been performing during halftime of the games, and has done an awesome job entertaining the crowd. The spring sports season is just around the corner. Required paperwork for students and their parents to complete in order to be eligible to tryout has been made available in the cafeteria during lunches. I also ed a link home this week to all parents for their convenience so that they could print the paperwork and complete it at home. The required paperwork for students trying out for lacrosse is due on March 11th. The required paperwork for baseball/softball is due by March 13th. All students must have a current physical on file with the nurse in order to be

eligible. Tryouts for lacrosse begin on March 14th, with tryouts for baseball and softball beginning on March 18th. We are not able to accept any paperwork after the deadline.

Dawn Loomis at seekonklacrosse@gmail.com. This morning I had the opportunity to spend time in Mr. Carulli s sixth grade Technology/Engineering class. Students were working on their Maglev designs.

4 eligible. Tryouts for lacrosse begin on March 14th, with tryouts for baseball and softball beginning on March 18th. We are not able to accept any paperwork after the deadline. The head coach for the baseball team is Mr. Drew Brum. The head coach for our softball team is Mr. Jim Troiano. Any questions about lacrosse can be directed to Mrs. Dawn Loomis at This morning I had the opportunity to spend time in Mr. Carulli s sixth grade Technology/Engineering class. Students were working on their Maglev designs. This is a system of transportation using magnets. Students used the design process to create working maglev vehicles using both propellers and sails during the time that I was there. They had to build, test, and make necessary adjustments in order to get their final project to meet a given criteria. I was very impressed with the high level of engagement shown by the students as I watched them collaborate together with guidance and support from Mr. Carulli.

5 This week s edition of the newsletter includes the official MCAS testing schedule for Spring We are currently working on our 2019 End of the Year Calendar, which will be published some time at the end of this month. I will include the finalized, official calendar in our newsletter, on the Principal s Page of our website, as well as in an attachment for parents. The final regular school dance of the year for students in all grades is scheduled for next Friday, March 15 th in the gym from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Eighth grade students that participated in the DC Calendar Raffle Fundraiser received a slip today indicating how much they owe for the next installment for the trip, taking the money raised from that fundraiser into account. The next payment is due March 19 th. Sincerely, I hope that everyone in the HMS Community has a wonderful weekend! Dr. William V. Whalen III Principal Professional Development for Teachers Wed. March 13, 2019 Early Release Day Students will be dismissed at 12:10

8 World Language News - Dilworth edition World Language students in grade 6 have finished their study of body parts and are now working on weather vocabulary; their weather quiz will be at the end of next week. I ve been very impressed how well most of the 6 th graders have been applying themselves recently, by the way. Seventh grade Spanish students have been working with the verb tener, which means to have and is used in a lot of idiomatic expressions. They ll have a quiz on it at the beginning of next week. This week they also learned about the founding of Mexico City by the Aztecs by reading a text in Spanish and watching a short English-language video. Ask one of them what sign the Aztecs looked for to know that they had reached the place they should settle. In Portuguese class, 8 th graders have been learning how to talk about leisure time activities. They ve learned the verb estar (one of the two verbs we translate as to be ), and are now learning some new weather terms. The last topic in this unit that we will address will be how to talk about obligations using the verb ter ( to have ).

9 Gray Team ELA:-Our thanks to Nicole Kach, SHS junior, who presented information on the Iditarod. This was a presentation she made as a 7th grader and has continued to share with our 7th graders every year since.. We all appreciate her boundless energy and enthusiasm for her passion! Science: As an introduction to our new unit on physics, the students are participating in the Army Launch Challenge. Their goal is to get an army man to launch the farthest using ONLY the materials provided; spoon, string 2 rubber bands, 6 popsicle sticks, string, cup, and 1 m of tape.. This activity will start them thinking about how energy is used, transferred, and the general motion of an object. The students really enjoyed the activity and their designs showed promise for future engineers. We ended the week discuss all the different forms of energy and identifying points of potential and kinetic energy.

10 Math: In Math class, we have been studying the characteristics of triangles and quadrilaterals. Students have learned how to classify triangles and quadrilaterals using the relationships between the sides and angles. At the end of next week students will have a Unit Test which will cover angle relationships, triangles, quadrilaterals and scale factor. Social Studies: Students learned all about the Olympics and Greek gods this week! At the beginning of the week, students undertook an independent webquest where they were asked to uncover aspects of the Ancient Greek Olympics and then create their very own invention that could be used to enhance either the viewing or athletic performances during the games. Towards the end of the week, students took a tour of Mt. Olympus as they worked together in teams identifying the major Greek Gods. Looking ahead: there will be a quiz on Ch 3 early next week and students will start a Greek God project next Tuesday.

Physical Education News Ms. Skodras & Mr. Pellegrino Net Games 6 th grade - Pickleball Pickleball is similar to tennis and ping- pong!

We will also set up a video projector to watch and analyze a regulation pickleball singles/doubles match.

Students will learn and practice the forehand/backhand/clear shots, and underhand serve.

11 Physical Education News Ms. Skodras & Mr. Pellegrino Net Games 6 th grade - Pickleball Pickleball is similar to tennis and ping- pong! The ball must bounce once and players have one shot to return it over the net. We will discuss the history and practice some skills such as the forehand and backhand shots. We will also set up a video projector to watch and analyze a regulation pickleball singles/doubles match. 7 th grade - Badminton We will discuss the history and set a video projector to watch and analyze an Olympic badminton singles and doubles match. Students will learn and practice the forehand/backhand/clear shots, and underhand serve. 8 th grade - Volleyball We will set up a video projector and watch an indoor and beach volleyball game to analyze the game play and differences. Students will have the opportunity to track different objects in the air and keep it up working on adjusting to the objects and communicating with each other. Students will learn the bump, set, spike, and serve. We will also discuss the history of volleyball and game concepts.

HMS Heart Healthy Week On behalf of Mrs.

12 HMS Heart Healthy Week On behalf of Mrs. Latimer, Ms. Skodras, and Mr. Pellegrino, we would like to thank everyone who participated, and donated to our first HMS Heart Healthy Week. In total, we raised over $480 for the American Heart Association!

BAND NEWS 3/8/19 Thank you to all taking part in the Panera Bread fundraiser. Every little bit counts to help defray the cost of the end of the year band trip.

14 BAND NEWS 3/8/19 Thank you to all taking part in the Panera Bread fundraiser. Every little bit counts to help defray the cost of the end of the year band trip. SHS Marching Band will be performing for ALL band students on Thursday, March 14. This is a wonderful way to see and hear what your children will be doing when they get to that level. I am sure your child will enjoy it! JAZZ NIGHT is set for Thursday, March 28 from 6:00-7:00. This is an evening of music and light fare for all. The HMS JAZZ BAND will be playing some of their favorites. Plan to join us. The suggested donation is $5.00 per person and $20.00 per family. The remaining jazz rehearsals are: Tuesday, March 12 at 7:15 Monday, March 18 at 2:35 Tuesday, March 26 at 7:15

15 8th Grade Band presenting the WETTEST NOODLE It is a band joke. Ask your child about it!

DANCE RESPONSE CARD Adult s Name: = $30 Adult s Email: Phone: Student Name(s): To the Moon

Friday March 22 nd (#1) Grade: = $25 (#2) Grade: = $10 (#3) Grade: = $10 TOTAL: $ Please

16 DANCE RESPONSE CARD Adult s Name: = $30 Adult s Phone: Student Name(s): To the Moon and Back The HMS PTO invites you and your father/father figure to enjoy an evening of dinner and dancing! Saturday, April 6, pm to 10pm The Ramada Inn 213 Taunton Avenue, Seekonk, MA RSVP by Friday March 22 nd (#1) Grade: = $25 (#2) Grade: = $10 (#3) Grade: = $10 TOTAL: $ Please deliver your RSVP to the Main Office along with full payment by FRIDAY, MARCH 22 ND Please make checks payable to HMS PTO. Please contact Kim Becher with any questions at kimbaab@aol.com.

17 Warriors Baseball/Softball Schedule Tuesday, April 2, 2019 HMS Thursday, April 4, 2019 Middleboro Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Norton Thursday, April 11, 2019 Rehoboth Tuesday, April 23, 2019 HMS Thursday, April 25, 2019 HMS Monday, April 29, 2019 HMS Thursday, May 2, 2019 Case Tuesday, May 7, 2019 HMS Thursday, May 9, 2019 Coyle Cassidy (Baseball Only) Tuesday, May 14, 2019 Dighton Thursday, May 16, 2019 HMS Thursday, May 23, 2019 HMS Tuesday, May 28, 2019 Somerset Head Baseball Coach Drew Brum Head Softball Coach Jim Troiano

18 Away Game Locations / Baseball and Softball Fields Berkley Middle School 21 North Main Street Berkley, MA Bridgewater Softball Bridgewater Middle School 166 Mt. Prospect Street Bridgewater, MA Baseball Bedford Street / Rt. 18 Bridgewater, MA Coyle Cassidy (baseball only) Hopewell Park 15 Hamilton St Taunton, MA Dighton Middle School 1250 R Somerset Avenue Dighton, MA Joseph Case Junior High School, Swansea Veterans Memorial Park/Swansea Little League Complex Route 6 Swansea, MA J.T. Nichols Middle School, Middleboro J.T. Nichols Middle School 112 Tiger Drive Middleboro, MA 02346

19 Norton Middle School Baseball Norton Middle School 215 West Main Street Norton, MA Softball Henri. A. Yelle Elementary School 64 West Main Street Norton, MA Raynham Middle School 400 Titicut Road Raynham, MA Beckwith Middle School, Rehoboth Baseball: Beckwith Middle School 330R Winthrop Street Rehoboth, MA Softball: Martin Street Field 42 Martin Street Rehoboth, MA Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School, Seekonk 650 Newman Ave. Seekonk, MA Somerset Middle School 1141 Brayton Ave. Somerset, MA 02726

20 Seekonk High School Auditorium May 10 at 7 pm May 11 at 2 pm Information on Ticket Sales to be Announced Soon

Parent Newsletter March 20, 2015

Parent Newsletter March 20, 2015 Dr. William V. Whalen III Principal Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School 650 Newman Ave. Seekonk, MA. 02771 508-761- 7570 www.seekonk.k12.ma.us Mrs. Mary C. Westcoat Assistant Principal Dear Families, Parent