HMS Connection

"Our differences are our strength as a species and as a world community. "

- Nelson Mandela

These words certainly rang true at the first-ever HMS World Culture Night held on Thursday, March 16. Families from all over Hingham gathered to share their cultures, traditions, and stories while enjoying foods from around the world. In the spirit of our most recent One Book, One School selection, Count Me In, HMS celebrated who we are and where we come from.

Special thanks to Mrs. Ciocca and Mrs. Goldman for spearheading this event, along with Mrs. Pollard, our World Language Department Director, Madame Swearingen, the generous support of the Hingham Education Foundation, the good people form the Wanderlust Food Truck, and the students and families who took the time to participate.

We hope to see this event continue on into the future!

Congratulations to all of the students who performed in All-Town Band and All-Town Orchestra Concerts last week. Each concert concluded with a fantastic grade 5-12 finale that involved over 200 students playing together.

An incredibly impressive accomplishment!

Bravo!

Our very talented students (and a few brave faculty members) will take the stage on Wednesday and Thursday evening of this week as HMS proudly presents . . . Shrek - The Musical!

Tickets are on sale now, and will almost certainly sell out, so don't delay! Buy your tickets here!

The curtain goes up at 7:00 PM for both evenings, so be sure to arrive early and get a good seat.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from HMS!

Friday was a day filled with fun and trivia for students in grade seven.

Students showed off their knowledge of grade seven material and pop culture in exciting rounds of friendly competition.

The only thing more impressive than the students' wealth of information was the creativity shown in their costumes.

Thanks to all who got in the spirit and had fun!

Hingham Middle School has an awesome opportunity to help children in need in our state! In coordination with Project 351 (which is a leadership group for 8th graders across Massachusetts), HMS will be holding a kids’ clothing drive for the Cradles to Crayons organization from Monday, March 20 through Friday, March 31.

Please drop off donations (sizes: infant to adult medium) in the bins in the lobby outside the main office.

Please donate new and like-new clothes and double-check for holes, stains, or rips to make sure that every child can be confident in their outfits.

About 1 in every 3 kids in Massachusetts will experience clothing insecurity at some point in their lives. Let’s join together to help reduce that number and get clothing to children in need.

What about that shirt that your grandmother got you for your birthday that you haven’t worn because it’s three sizes too small? Donate it!

Those pajamas from your aunt that you never wear because they have Hello Kitty on them? Donate!

Go through your closet and see what you can give because every item counts! Thank you so much for your participation!

Nora Christofferson, 8th grade

Attention all parents of 8th Grade students traveling to Washington DC. An email has been sent including a link to a form for you to complete prior to April 7. This form provides you with necessary trip information as well as provides the trip nurses and admin team with information to ensure the safety of your child on the trip.

The link can also be found here:

https://forms.gle/wdbq6nHnR551e8iG7

In addition, there will be a mandatory meeting for travelers and parents at 7pm on Thursday, April 13 in the Middle School auditorium to go over travel arrangements and last minute details. Please plan to attend.

Mrs. Gustafson's students showoff their knowledge of Ancient Egypt through the recreation of artifacts from this incredible civilization. Ask your sixth grader to tell you more about it!

The school year is only 180 days long, but the memories can last a lifetime . . . if you have a yearbook!

Use the link below to purchase a yearbook!

Please contact Ms. Ciulla and Ms. Yindra with any questions.

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1065913/Hingham-Middle-School/2023-Yearbook/2022083011334245075/CATALOG_SHOP/

In addition to supporting Cradles to Crayons, we also have students who are working to support Catie's Closet.

From March 20 through April 3, we invite you to donate clothing and toiletries to a great cause- Catie's Closet. Catie's Closet transforms unused areas inside schools into safe, welcoming spaces where students in grades preK-12 can discreetly shop, free of charge, for clothing, toiletries, and other necessities. Catie's Closet serves schools where 50% of the student body lives in poverty and endures challenges such as homelessness, foster care and refugee transitions, mental and emotional health struggles, and isolation. By providing free, in-school access to clothing and basic necessities, Catie's Closet builds student confidence and improves school attendance. Bins for donating items will be located inside the front doors of HMS. Please click the attached flyer for needed items and more information.

As a reminder, course recommendations have been posted for students and parents to review.

The course selection window will remain open to families until March 19. Please be sure to complete and post student selections within that timeframe.

Please note, in some instances you may receive a message when posting that reads "Too many request for subject XXXXX". You can safely disregard this message. Posting will still take place.

Any HMS student (grades six, seven, and eight) who wishes to override a teacher recommendation MUST complete and submit the Hingham Middle School Parental Request for Recommendation Override form found on our school website under "Resources". This form must be completed by April 6, 2023. You can find the override form for all middle school students by clicking here.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this process.

Week-at-a-Glance and After School Opportunities

Please take a look at the attached Week-at-a-Glance document to get an idea of what we have to offer next week, as well as our comprehensive list of activities, when they usually occur, and how to obtain additional information about them.

We also want to remind students and families that we provide late buses for students staying after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Please remember to pay your activity fee if your middle-schooler plans to take part in these programs.

We hope to see you after 2:00!!!

March 22 - Shrek: The Musical, 7:00 PM

March 23 - Shrek: The Musical, 7:00 PM

March 27 - School Council Meeting, 2:30 PM

March 30 - Coffee and Conversation with the Principal, 7:45 AM

PTO Meeting, 8:30 AM

Our next PTO meeting will be held on Thursday, March 30 at 8:30 AM in the HMS cafeteria. We hope you can join us to learn more about what we have planned for the remainder of the school year and how you can get involved.

Prior to the meeting, Mr. Smith will host Coffee and Conversation starting at 7:45.

We hope you can join us!

Hingham Maritime Center is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide "Boating For All". Our center allows for youth and adults to enjoy the watersports of rowing and sailing on the protected waters of Hingham Harbor. You don't have to choose sailing or rowing; you could give both a try. For example, our Intro to 420 sailing class 9:45 am-12:15 pm could be followed up with a 1:00pm-2:15pm youth rowing class. Whichever you choose, we can assure you there will be water-based fun involved. Too choppy to row? No wind for sailing? Our new paddleboards will ensure that we can play in even more conditions. Join us this summer and find out for yourself what a joy life on the water can be.