HMS UPDATE
October Newsletter
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
October has been a busy and exciting month at HMS. All of our 4th graders attended our annual trip to Sterling Mines (see the pictures in our Photo Album and information about a mining-related event at the Sparta Historical Society below). We have also received very positive feedback from students and teachers about the 5th grade Pass It Along workshops that focused on the themes of self-awareness, gratitude and service. In addition, our 5th grade LEAD program (Law Enforcement Against Drugs) started this week for six homerooms (the other four are scheduled for early 2020). LEAD is taught by officers from the Sparta Police Department and the program provides a great opportunity to get to know our friendly partners in law enforcement and discuss issues such as bullying, healthy choices, and peer pressure.
I encourage you to open the PDFs below this message. Next month, Sparta Middle School students will be attending an assembly on the dangers of vaping. The following evening, Tuesday, November 12th, there will be a parent program at Sparta High School. For more information about this presentation, please open the first pdf that is below this message (the correct date of the event is 11/12). Based on my experience as the HMS principal for the past five years, vaping is not a major issue for students age nine to eleven. However, vaping has quickly become a national epidemic with teenage children. You can read/see how Sparta High School has received local, national and international attention for tackling teen vaping, an issue for schools everywhere. This presentation aims to inform parents about this serious issue that our students will be confronted with soon. The second flyer is an infographic on vaping from the American Heart Association.
Proudly,
Doug Layman
Principal, HMS
973.957.1HMS
UPCOMING EVENTS
October
25- 5th Grade Pass It Along Service Club, 4:30 pickup
28-5th Grade Cross Country Invitation at SHS
29-Picture Retake Day
30-5th Grade Halloween Party 6:30-8:00
31-4th Grade Halloween Hoopla (in school)
November
4-6, 11- Parent Conferences, Early Dismissals (including SMS and SHS on the 11th)
7,8- Schools Closed
Halloween at HMS
HMS Halloween Guidelines:
-HMS students are welcome, and encouraged, to wear a costume. We do ask that all costumes are appropriate for the age of our students, are not overly scary, and do not include costume-related weapons. Examples include: fake blood, fake wounds, characters from horror movies.
-Please have any hair coloring or similar sprays and make-up applied at home.
-As per Sparta’s Elementary Student Handbook- class parties will feature creative, theme-based activities and we will strictly enforce our “no food” policy.
-If you will be visiting our school for any reason that day, adults will be held to the same expectations as above.
Your cooperation with the Helen Morgan School procedures is greatly appreciated.
5th Grade Halloween Extravaganza:
The flyer for this event is linked below. Tickets ordered after 10/25 are $18.
FROM THE HMS PTO....
Happy Fall! The HMS PTO has lots of fun activities planned this month as well as many ways to raise money for the school.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello, purchase Spirit Wear and drop off Student Donations at our Back to School Nights last month. Spirit Wear purchases should be sent home by the end of the month. It’s also not too late to send in your Student Donations. We accept Venmo (@HelenMorganSchool-PTO) as well as cash and checks.
The Fall Catalog sale is currently underway and ends Friday October 25th. Shop online and have the items shipped directly to your home. It’s an easy way to get a jump on your holiday shopping and support the school!
October PTO Calendar
Fall Catalog Sale- Oct 7th to 25th
Fall Book Fair- Oct 21st to 25th.
5th Grade Halloween Extravaganza- Wednesday Oct 30th 6:30 to 8 pm.
Thank you for your continued support!
The HMS PTO
HMS Ski and Snowboard
Tuesday Evenings: 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4 and 2/11 as a makeup.
Power Outage Procedures
-let Central Office know
-send all parents/guardians a notification that power is out and phones are down
-if power does not return by 3pm we would then cancel all after-school activities and unless otherwise notified students will go home on the bus.
-in our e-mail to parents we will let parents know how they can let us know if a child who was planning on staying after school needs to be picked up. If we aren't contacted then we send the student who was staying after for chorus, explorations, any other club on the bus by default.
FROM THE SPARTA EDUCATION FOUNDATION
My Most Favorite, Recommended, Can't Go Wrong Website for Parents
Did your 4th Grader enjoy the trip to Sterling Mines?
"Sparta Underground: Men, Mines and Minerals
Public Exhibit Opening: 1-4pm
Guest Speaker: 2pm
Check out the Sparta Historical Society's website by clicking here.
HMS PHOTO ALBUM
5th Grade Back to School Night
MAKING BOWLS at PAss it along service club
LEGO ROBOTICS
WORLD LANGUAGE CLUB WITH SHS
EXPLORATIONS
4th/5th CHARACTER BUDDIES
STERLING MINE TRIP
SPARTA COMMUNITY FLYERS
PREVIOUS BLACKBOARD EMAILS
SUGGESTION BOX
Where to find these on the HMS website
Helen Morgan School
Email: doug.layman@sparta.org
Website: www.sparta.org
Location: Sparta, NJ
Phone: 973.729.5770
Twitter: @bulldogblasts