T-Bird Times
April 26, 2024
Calendar
April:
30-- iReady Math Testing (6th-8th) (taken in Math class)
May:
1 - Orchestra Rehearsal @ BVNW - 6:30pm (7th & 8th)
1-2 - iReady Math Testing (6th-8th) (taken in Math class)
2 - Track Meet @ OMS - 3:25 pm
2 - 7th grade Suessical show - 9:00 am
3 - Theater/Choir field trip to BVNW Rep show (8th)
6 - Track Meet @ HMS vs BVMS - 3:25
6 - Fastbridge testing (6th-taken in ELA class)
7 - Stax of Wax @ HMS (6th) - 7:30pm
8 - Track Meet (location/time TBD - 8th grade only)
9 - 6th grade band festival @ OMS - 9:00 am
9 - Husky showcase @ BVNW (7th/8th Choir/Theater)
10- 5th grade Tour 9:50 am
14 - 8th grade show - 1:45pm
15 - Spring Band Concert @ HMS (6th, 7th & 8th)
16 - MS/ES Spring Orchestra Concert (4th-8th) @ HMS - 7:00pm
16 - WOF Band Rehearsal (7th & 8th) @ HMS - 3:00 pm
17 - WOF Choir/Theater trip (7th & 8th) - 9:00 am
17 - WOF Band trip (7th & 8th) - 8:00 am
21 - 8th grade Marching Band Parent Meeting @ BVNW - 4:45 pm
22 - 8th grade catered lunch
22 - 8th grade Class Picture - 1:00
22 - 8th grade ceremony practice (after picture)
23 - 8th grade celebration 8:00 am
24 - Last day of school release at 10:50 am
PRINCIPALS NOTE
HMS Families,
It was a rainy week at HMS, but students and staff still managed to make it a productive one. Please see the information below about Yearbooks for this year and information on ordering School Supply Kits for next year.
The 4th quarter is moving along and students are working hard to get to the finish line of the 2023-24 school year. Please encourage your student(s) to stay on top of their academics. Checking canvas with your student(s) is a great way to do this.
Below this note you will find the following information:
Yearbooks
School Supply Kits
Register for the 2024-25 School Year Today
Spring Testing
Honor Code
HMS Volunteer Service Hours Reminder
Help Wanted: Paraprofessionals
Carline Reminders
Safe Schools Reporting
Student Code of Conduct
Athletics
Clubs
Band, Choir, Orchestra
Harmony Middle School Handbook
PTO News
Student Services Update
As always, thank you for your support of HMS. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Nate Winslow
Principal
Harmony Middle School
YEARBOOKS
As the end of the year is approaching, I wanted to send a quick reminder about Yearbooks. Students will receive their Yearbook on Friday, May 24. Friday, May 24 is the last day of school with a 10:50 AM dismissal. Yearbooks will not be distributed prior to this date for any reason. If your family is traveling and will miss the final day of school, your student’s Yearbook can be picked up at a later date. If you have not already purchased a yearbook for your student(s), please bring $30 cash or a check made out to HMS for $30 to the front office.
SCHOOL SUPPLY KITS
Ordering link: https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks
School code: HAR784 (3 letters/3 numbers)
Orders will be accepted through June 2nd. They will be delivered to the school by the end of July, and given to students during Locker/Picture day in August.
REGISTER FOR THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR TODAY
Middle school registration for the 2024-25 school year is open and online now for current students and families. Registration is required annually and is the time to update your child’s information (phone, email, emergency contacts, health information, etc.). At this time, you have access to pay all required fees except for course fees. Course fees will be assigned in September.
Completing registration now confirms that your child will attend school in August and helps the district appropriately staff classrooms. Thank you for providing important information as part of the registration process. For more registration information, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/registration.
SPRING TESTING
See the testing schedule below to ensure that your TBird is present and ready to show what they know!
iReady (aMath if Alg) (6-8th)- April 30th-May 2nd; taken during math class periods
Fastbridge- taken during ELA class periods
6th grade- May 6th
HONOR CODE
HMS VOLUNTEER SERVICE HOURS REMINDER
Just a reminder that all student volunteer service hours must be submitted by April 15, 2024. Please email the tracking form to eswilson@bluevalleyk12.org or bring a hard copy to the front office. Service hours, as well as the names of students who have completed the top number of credible community service hours will be sent to the district office for recommendation to receive the Blue Valley Volunteer Service Award.
HELP WANTED: PARAPROFESSIONALS
Come help us out at HMS!!
CARLINE REMINDERS
Please remember to follow our carline rules at all times to ensure efficiency for all.
Use the east entrance to the front circle. The west entrance is for buses only.
Pull forward all the way before allowing your student to exit the car.
This is extremely important. Do not stop until you have pulled all the way up as far as you can in front of the school.
Please have your student exit the car quickly. One slow car can back up the entire carline.
Pull to the left after your student exits your car. (this is extremely important to ensure traffic continues to flow)
Turn right only when exiting the parking lot. Waiting to turn left completely halts our carline.
Also, please DO NOT park along 141st street during pickup or dropoff. This is a no parking zone as it is a safety issue for our students trying to use the crosswalk. Please enter the HMS parking lot to pick up your student after school.
SAFE SCHOOL REPORTING
Blue Valley Schools is committed to promoting and fostering a safe environment in and around all of our schools. Through the convergence of physical and intellectual security measures, we are continuously working to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from a wide range of emergencies. Please check out available ways to report safety concerns.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
The Blue Valley Board of Education approved updates to Board Policy 3500 - Behavior and Discipline at the August 14, 2023 Board of Education meeting. As part of this approval, there is a Student Code of Conduct document. We ask all families and students within our school community to review the contents, policies and procedures within this Student Code of Conduct.
Administrative actions taken as a result of a violation of the code of conduct are determined following proper investigation, review, and/or consideration of the age/grade of the student, context, and situation in which the behavior in question occurred. The scope of authority of the Blue Valley Student Code of Conduct applies at all times when students are on school buses or other vehicles used by the district to transport students, school district property, or engaged in official school activities. Additionally, this code of conduct applies to any student whose conduct at any time or place has a direct and immediate effect causing substantial disruption impacting the order of school operations and/or the sense of student and staff safety that exists in the school or school-related environment.
Students at HMS will be made aware of behavioral expectations and the Code of Conduct through grade level talks next week. Every student at HMS also has our handbook in the front of their student planner.
ATHLETICS
7th and 8th Grade Track-
Let’s go TBirds, Let’s Go! Come out and enjoy the beautiful (hopefully) weather and support our TBird Trackers!
Upcoming Meets
Monday, May 6th @ HMS; 3:25pm start for all events
8th Grade Only Meet- Wednesday, May 8th @ BVNW; 2:00pm start for all events
CLUBS
Club info is here ! You can also check out the HMS All School Canvas tile→Clubs.
BAND, CHOIR, ORCHESTRA
If your student is taking a music course at any point this year, please complete the registration information in rSchool. No physical is needed (unless participating in athletics), but completion of the registration will allow us to access emergency information/use as a permission slip when traveling to festivals and field trips.
When signing up, the system will say athletic registration. Please click continue as band, choir, and orchestra are KSHSAA sponsored. There will be a section for you to select band, choir, or orchestra.
https://bluevalleysd-ar.rschooltoday.com/familyaccounts/autopopulate/160
Tutorial links for rSchool- https://bluevalleysd-ar.rschooltoday.com/
HARMONY MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDBOOK
Please use this link to view the HMS Student Handbook. This handbook will be available for students through our All School Canvas page and can be found at the beginning of the student planner.
PTO News
PTO Staff Appreciation Week Donations Needed:
Please join us in honoring our amazing teachers and staff during the upcoming Teacher Appreciation Week, which is 5/6-5/10. The HMS PTO Staff Appreciation committee is planning a fun Royal Themed event and we would love your support in making it successful. We are providing a breakfast, two snack days and two lunches. Most of the meals will be catered but we could use help filling in the gaps. If you are able to help give our teachers the Royal Treatment, please consider signing up for an item. Most items are needed by Friday, May 3 by 2:00. Other items are needed later in the week. Please see notes as to drop off date and time. Thank you in advance for helping to spoil our teachers! If you have any questions - please email Candace King at cking220@yahoo.com. Please click on the Sign-up Genuis link to volunteer:
8th Grade Ice Cream Social Topping Donation Sign Up:
We need your help providing toppings for the 8th Grade Ice Cream Bar. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Please bring all donations to the HMS Front Office by Thursday, May 23rd at 12 PM. We also need volunteers to help from 12:30 - 2 PM. You will be able to see the parade around the track if you volunteer. Thanks in advance for your help and time!
HMS PTO COMMUNICATIONS & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR OPENING:
The HMS PTO is looking for a parent to take on the Communications & Volunteer Coordinator position for the 2024- 2025 school year. This is a very rewarding volunteer opportunity and you don't have to attend any PTO board meetings! The position involves managing the HMS PTO Sign Up Genius Account (creating and sending out sign ups), the HMS PTO Gmail account, HMS PTO Concession Stand volunteers, and the PTO information for the weekly T-Bird Times. If you are interested - please reach out to Katie Scheibel at katie_scheibel@hotmail.com.
STUDENT SERVICES
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs. The next Take Back Day is April 27, 2024 from 10am-2pm at locations nationwide.
Mark your calendars! The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 27, 2024, from 10am-2pm at locations nationwide.
This event, which happens twice a year, is a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs at locations in communities throughout the country. Find a location near you.
The October 2023 Take Back Day brought in 599,897 lbs. (300 tons) of medication. Get more details about the most recent Take Back Day numbers.
This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to more than 17.9 million pounds of medication.
Learn more about ways to properly dispose of your meds below.
What Should You Do With Your Unused Meds?
Most people who misuse prescription drugs get them from family, friends, and acquaintances.
You can make a difference by keeping track of the medicine you have, by rethinking where and how you keep your medications in your home, and by safely disposing of any unused medications. Read more about ways to secure your meds and safely dispose of them at home.
Step Up
On Tuesday, 20 seventh grade girls and their female role models and counselors celebrated the completion of the STEP Up program with pizza and presentations centered on the skills they developed in the last month. We couldn’t be prouder of the journey of sharing and trust these girls were able to master!
New Resource
New Resource available online for parents from Understood.org
Are you wondering why your child is struggling? Figuring out what’s going on can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’re here to help. Introducing a simple step-by-step tool to help you spot signs of learning and thinking differences.
This tool is not a replacement for a diagnostic evaluation; instead, it’s designed to empower you to gather the information you need and seek support from practitioners.
Powering Familiies
A Learning Series from Children’s Mercy
Each month Children’s Mercy will offer a free online educational event. These events will offer parents and caregivers a chance to connect with Children’s Mercy Kansas City experts and partners on a variety of topics. Each event will include information provided by the expert followed by questions from attendees submitted via chat and addressed by the experts.
Webinar topics will include: healthy eating, financial resources, anxiety and depression, kids’ safety and more. Be sure and check back as new events will be added each month.
More information can be found at; https://tinyurl.com/2ep4sj7n