HMS October Newsletter
2019- 20
Holly Middle School
Haley Street, Assistant Principal
Mark Mattingly, Counselor (A-L)
Kristin Godoshian, Counselor (M-Z)
Phone: (248) 328-3400
Attendance Number: (248) 328-3426
Fax: (248) 328-3404
Parent - Teacher Conferences
Count Day is Wednesday, October 2nd!!
Ninety percent of our per-student money is accounted for based on Wednesday's attendance count.
On Wednesday, all students in attendance will participate in our LIM "At-Ten-Dance".
Attendance Awareness Month was a success!!
We are excited to announce our attendance incentives for the 2019/20 year!
Each week, we will be recognizing every student with perfect attendance. Twenty students from this list will be chosen to receive a treat!
Each month, 3 students (one from each grade level) with perfect attendance will receive a gift card!
Each trimester, 3 students (one from each grade level) with perfect attendance will receive a FREE CHROMEBOOK!
We look forward to partnering with you to have every student, every day, all year long!!!
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Bullying vs. Peer Conflict
One approach parents [and students] can use to distinguish between peer conflict and bullying is using the acronym RIP. There are generally three components of bullying:
R – Repeated. The action of the bully is generally a repeated action, occurring time after time.
I – Intentional. The target does not knowingly provoke the bully and, as such, the bully is intentional with their behavior/actions.
P – Power Imbalance. In bullying situations, there is a real or perceived power imbalance between the two parties. This imbalance can be physical strength, access to information, or even popularity.
In contrast, "normal" peer conflicts differ from bullying situations in the following ways:
- The children involved are of equal power or are friends.
- The conflict that occurs is occasional or often accidental.
- There is an equal emotional reaction to the conflict to both children and power or control is not being sought.
Having disagreements with peers is a normal developmental task of childhood; bullying, while it may be a common childhood experience, should not be tolerated. Trying to discern between the two may be difficult as a parent. It may be helpful to assess the situation closely – assessing if the action is Repeated, Intentional, and involves a Power Imbalance.
Using the RIP concept is a great tool to help parents distinguish between bullying and peer conflict, as the response to each differs. Conflict can be a good thing for children to experience – helping them to learn how to resolve conflict, how to give and take, how to come to an agreement, and how to problem solve. Developing conflict resolution skills in children can teach them how to listen to and work with others.
**Posted by Posted Karla Belzer, University of Illinois Extension
Leader in Me Habit of the Month - Be Proactive!
You're in Charge: I am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes, and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.
This habit is crucial in helping our students identify that they have the power of choice. Please ask your child how they are using this habit (or talk about how they could use this habit) in their daily lives!!
HMS Student's C.A.R.E
HMS is continuing a student initiative called C.A.R.E. (Civility And Respect Everywhere). We will be acknowledging students each week from all three grades who demonstrate CIVILITY and RESPECT in our hallways, classrooms and cafeteria. We will be on the lookout for politeness, thoughtfulness and courtesy in student's behavior and speech to each other.
HMS Student Agreements
- Act with civility and respect toward myself, my classmates and adults.
- Accept responsibility for my choices, my actions, my responses and my learning.
- Maintain a safe and clean school environment
- Give my personal best effort
Please Welcome our New Restorative Practices Facilitator
Sydney is a social science researcher and interpersonal conflict mediator from Southeastern Michigan. She has a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Intercultural Studies from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, and an MPhil (Master of Philosophy) in International Peace Studies from Trinity College, Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. Her master’s thesis centered on the concept of Cultural Violence, the theory that aggression and violence is socialized into cultures in latent ways.
Before coming to HMS, Sydney worked for Wayne State University as a Research Associate studying and tracking state-sponsored violence in the city of Detroit. Before that she worked for an NGO in Israel called Musalaha, working with adolescent Israelis and Palestinians, assisting in conflict transformation environments. Sydney is passionate about education, research, and peace - she is resolute in her work to help foster healthy, safe, and transformational environments and cultures. We're thrilled to have her as part of our HMS team!
How to request a meeting with a Teacher or Administrator
Please follow these steps if you are seeking to set up a meeting with staff at HMS:
- Contact the person you are seeking a meeting with via email/phone (you can also reach out directly to your child's counselor)
- Set up a mutually agreed upon time
- When arriving for your meeting, check in at the main office and the staff member will meet you there.
By following these steps we look to reduce the instances of families showing up to see a staff member only to find out that the staff member is not available to meet. Additionally, for the safety of our students all visitors must report to the main office to check in and should never directly go to a classroom to meet with a staff member.
NEW SIGN OUT OPTION
- Option 1 - Send a note in with your student on the day of the appointment and have them bring it to the office with the time you are picking them up. Please include your signature. We will give your student a pass to come to the office 5 minutes before your scheduled pick-up time. You will need to come into the office to sign your student out. Always bring your ID. If you have not arrived within 15 minutes of the scheduled time written on the note your student will be sent back to class. Then you will have to wait for us to call them back down to the office upon your arrival. It is the student's responsibility to turn in the note to the office and the pass to the teacher and to leave at the appropriate time.
- Option 2 - Come into the office with your ID and we will call for your student to come down ready to leave for an appointment. Please be patient, this can take some time depending on which class your student is in, especially if it's lunch time or the end of the day. The best option to avoid a long wait is to use Option 1. Send a note in the morning with your student.
- Please note that calling the office to have your child meet you outside will not be allowed. Also, please do not text or call your student to come to the office for an appointment. As our school policy states students are not allowed cell phone usage during the school day. This also includes your student calling/texting a parent from their cell phone when they are sick. Students need to come to the main office to make phone calls home if they are needing to go home due to illness.
Just a reminder Parents to please make sure your emergency contact list for your child is updated. We can not release students to anyone that is not on that list and we will NOT take verbal permission over the phone. This is a security issue and we require you to come in and update your list. Always bring your ID as well. Thank you.
HOLLY MIDDLE SCHOOL SPIRIT WEEK!!! September 30th-October 4th
- Monday: Marvel Monday - Dress up in your favorite Marvel gear
- Tuesday: PJ Day - Wear your favorite pair of pajamas
- Wednesday: Senior Citizen - Dress up like a Senior Citizen
- Thursday: Jersey/Sports - Wear your favorite jersey/sport clothing
- Friday: Class Colors - (wear your class color) - 8th Grade: RED, 7th Grade: WHITE, 6th Grade: GREY
Jamfest October 25th
Choices
If you are interested in having your child participate, please complete the permission slip!
Picture Re-Take Day is October 10th!!
The school code is LM729018Y1
Even if you are not buying pictures, students who did not get their Student ID at schedule pick-up should come down with their grade to get an ID made.
New Student Breakfast!!
CAREER CORNER
Welcome to the HMS Career Corner!
Career Development is important throughout the span of a student’s education. At Holly Middle School, we are committed to creating opportunities for students to consider their skills and passions, lifestyle goals, who they are as an individual, and how they see themselves as a contributing member of society. We are dedicated to providing career exploration in various ways at the middle school level and beyond.
We have a lot of exciting programs to introduce students to different career paths, but we need YOUR HELP! If you, or someone you know, are interested in presenting to students about a career path, please fill out the attached form. Samantha Burns, HAS Career Coordinator, will be in contact with you to follow up about your interest.
Free Breakfast!!
HMS STUDENTS IN ACTION!!
Morning Drop-Off
If you are dropping off students in the morning please pull all the way up in between the "Drop Off" signs. Our plan is to have cars let students out in "pods" of 6. We'd like to fit 3 cars in front of the crosswalk, then have those 3 cars and the 3 cars behind the crosswalk let students out. After students exit the next "pod" of 6 pulls up and follows suit!!
Following this system has made the morning drop-off move more smoothly!! Thanks for your help in making this a safe and efficient process!!
Remember students may enter the building at 7:15am
Afternoon Pick-Up
In the afternoon, please pull all the way to the end of the pick-up lane. At times our buses get stuck on N. Holly Road because cars in the pick-up lines have not pulled forward as far as they can.
Also, if you are using the parking lot to pick-up students at the end of the day instead of the car line due to loading large items (instruments, projects, sports gear, etc.), Please park in a designated spot. We have seen an increase in cars parked/stopped in various areas which creates an unsafe situation for our students.
Thanks for your help in making this a safe and efficient process for all!!
Parent Lighthouse Team
This month the PLT is asking for help with the parent teacher conferences. Please follow the link below to sign up for Fall Parent Teacher Conferences.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c45a8a828a6fc1-20198
Holly Athletics
Important Dates
10/4 - Homecoming Parade 5pm/ HHS Football game 7pm
10/7 - PLT Meeting 5:30pm (IMC)
10/10 - Picture retake day
10/15 - Parent-Teacher Conferences (4pm-7pm)
10/17- Parent-Teacher Conferences (4pm-7pm)
10/18 - No School for Students (Professional Development for Staff)
10/25 - Jamfest (2:45-4pm)
10/30 - Middle School Choir - "Spooktacular"
Follow HMS on Social Media
Website: hask12.org
Location: 14470 North Holly Road, Holly, MI, United States
Phone: (248)328-3400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Holly-Middle-School-Sherman-Campus-634705656664993/
Twitter: @HMSBronchos