HRHS Faculty Newsletter
Sept. 4-7
This Week's Calendar
- 9:00: Fire Drill
- 9:41 (Advisory): 12th Grade Class Meeting in cafeteria
- 2:30-3:30: Program Leader Meeting
Wednesday 9/5:
- 9:41 (Advisory): 11th Grade Class Meeting in cafeteria
Thursday 9/6:
- 9:41 (Advisory): 10th Grade Class Meeting in cafeteria
Friday 9/7:
- 9:41 (Advisory): 9th Grade Class Meeting in cafeteria
Safety
Go Bags/Neon Vests: In conjunction with our school safety plan, all rooms should have a Go Bag as well as a blue plastic bucket. Neon vests should be worn by all staff during fire drills for quick identification by students. Our first fire drill will be Tuesday at 9am. Please email Kristen for any of these items.
HRHS Access Cards/Lanyards: If you would like an access card (a keyless entry into the school), please complete the two forms listed below (under "Documents") and place them in Mark’s mailbox. Email Mark if you need a lanyard as well and it will be placed in your mailbox.
Hampshire is Still Nut Safe! This is a friendly reminder that HRHS is completely nut safe. This includes goods sold after school/at evening events, on the bus, and in all classrooms. We have many students who need your support to adhere to this policy in order to remain safe and healthy. Students will need reminders of this policy, so let’s work together on this. Cleaning supplies are available for you to wipe down desks and surfaces. Please contact Gary if you need supplies.
For Your Information & Action:
Parent Portal: Student and parent portals are both open!
Tardy Lunch Detentions: Mark & Lauren will be holding lunch detentions for excessive tardies. These rooms were chosen because these teachers have lunch duty. Here are the room assignments for this quarter.
Day 1: Levreault's room
Day 7: Levreault's room
Day 6: Lashway's room
Day 5: O'Connor's room
Day 4: Wiemokly's room
Day 3: Ramirez's room
Day 2: Seymour's room
Office Detention Assignments: All teachers and counselors are responsible to hold after school office detention throughout the course of the year. The list of dates and assignments is linked below (under "Documents"). Most staff have one day assigned; the people who have two days assigned only had one assigned last year.
Bake Sales: Per district policy that went into effect over the summer, bake sales are no longer allowed in school (during the day and after school).
School Committee Principal’s Report: Each month, Kristen submits a report to the school committee about events and issues at Hampshire. She will share this report with the staff. If you have ideas or submissions for the principal’s report, please email Kristen. Click here to see the August 2018 Principal's Report.
Calling Out Sick: Leave a voicemail on Sue Bresnahan’s phone (437-5596). Leaving school early requires the permission of an administrator.
Library: The library will open to study halls at the end of September, exact date TBD. For classes who want to use the space, please schedule the time with Andrea.
Building & Fire Inspection
Recently, the Building Inspector and the Fire Chief did their annual school walk through. These are there recommendations/requirements based on regulations:
All windows need to be clear of any material.
Tops of cabinets should not have items on them. There needs to be an 18 inch clearance between the ceiling and any storage or additional material for the sprinkler system operate effectively.
All paint needs to be in a vented, locked cabinet (drama room).
All fire extinguishers need to be clear of any furniture or other items that may block it.
Fridges and microwaves are permitted, but must be plugged directly into the wall.
Extension cords and surge protectors are not permitted.
All means of egress from classrooms need to be clear.
Heaters should not have anything on top of them and should be free of debris.
Bean bag chairs must meet fire code regulations (Chief Norris will provide additional language around what this means).
All mats in the gym need to be clear of the door.
There should not be anything hanging from the ceiling including mobiles or banners or curtains.
All science room wash stations should be clear of all materials and flushed 2x a year.
No weights used to prop doors open.
It is your professional responsibility to make sure your classroom is meeting these expectations.
Extracurricular Advising
There are also mini-grants available in the amount of $400. The primary goal of the mini-grants is to support start up costs for new clubs, but any club is welcome to apply for funding. The Extra-Curricular Mini-Grant Activities Application is linked below.
Please send John Plourd and Jen Reagan a copy of your roster at the end of your first meeting. This is imperative so that we can hold kids to the revised expectations for all extra-curriculars and athletics and so that we can share the rosters with all staff.
Reminders
- The Quarter 1 end date was changed to Nov. 2. Nov. 2 is now a Z day.
- If you need a college sign for your door please email Sue Bresnahan.
- Please send any feedback about the new hall pass policy to admin.
- Open house is Tuesday, September 25.
Staff Shout Outs!
Thank you to everyone who sent in shout outs for your colleagues! Feel free to send me shout outs to include in upcoming newsletters (deadline is Friday at 11 each week).
Responsibility and Perseverance:
- Thank you Karen Milch for persevering to get students' IEPs back signed so they can start the year off with the correct schedule!
- Sarah Jablonski is in a new position that plays a pivotal roles in our Hampshire community and is doing a phenomenal job!
- Jen Reagan effortlessly makes you feel like you always have someone on your side. Her unwavering kindness and patience are a real gift to the community of HRHS.
- Bozena Jaworowski carries multiple different classes to prep for. One of those classes is the year-long Art Explorations which has short lessons and the students tend to repeat the class so she is creating all new lessons this year. There isn't a text or any prepared program to follow-- this is all her. And it’s great! Last June it was arranged with the Westhampton library and Special Ed teachers to bring the students to the library to view their art on display and enjoy a gallery reception.
- Ben Snyder has put in a lot of late nights and really gone the extra mile to make sure all of our technology in the building is up and running. Thanks Ben!
- Thank you to Sue Bresnahan and Alesia Estabrook for being super organized and on top of all of their work to make the new year start off smoothly.
- Kim Hallett is always in the hallways helping and directing students during passing periods.
Collaboration and Engagement:
- Many people sent shout outs to the 9th grade experience teachers (Tonya Aitken, Matt Geertsma, Geoff Casey, Amy Adamski, Kirsti Wiemokly, Mike Braidman, and James Belcastro, Todd Bryant, Tara O'Brien, and Sarah Pietrzak) for role modeling superb and thoughtful collaboration as we roll out a tight, structured 9th grade year for students. Specific shout out to Kirsti, Mike, and James from the English program leader for putting in so much energy and effort, being open to new ideas, showing excitement to revise curriculum, and being dedicated to personal improvement!
- Greg Reynolds is the kind of person you want on your team. His enthusiasm and straight-forward thinking make him one of the most collaborative and engaging staff at HRHS.
Respect and Compassion:
- Thank you to anyone who helped new students navigate their way around the building yesterday to help new students feel welcome and supported. All teachers were kind and helpful and helped put our new students at ease.
- Shout out to the 7th grade teams for already making kids feel at home at HRHS. When asked on a questionnaire yesterday who his favorite teachers have been (up to now in his life) and why, a 7th grader said, "all of you guys, you're all so cheery and nice!"