Eagle Eye
HVMS E-Newsletter
HVMS Update - 10/26/2020
Hello, HVMS Family!
We have officially finished our first 9 weeks of school, and we could not have done it without the support of everyone in the HVMS community! Thank you to all of our staff members, parents, and students for working through the first quarter together. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Hidden Valley Middle School
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Red Ribbon Week
Monday, 10/26: Hippie Day – “Peace Out To Drugs”
Tuesday, 10/27: Decade Day – “Drugs Are Old News”
Wednesday, 10/28: Wear Red – “Red Ribbon Day”
*Take a picture wearing red and email Mrs. Cook or Miss Spanfelner your selfie!
Thursday, 10/29: Twin Day – “Join Together To Be Drug Free”
SCA Elections
From 7:00 a.m. on Monday, October 26, until midnight on Wednesday, October 28, the polls will be open for students to vote for SCA officers. The candidates' speeches and ballots for voting can be found in the HVMS Library Organization in Blackboard. Students are asked to watch all the available campaign speeches before voting. This year, students in all grades will be able to vote for all three officers.
Beta Club
Socktober!
Beta Club Members:
As a reminder, new socks will be collected through the end of October. The goal is to collect as many socks as possible as socks are considered one of the top needs in homeless shelters. You can also earn up to 5 service points for participating in this. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Hundley at ahundley@rcps.us
Show Your School Pride
Our Library is Open!
Attention, all virtual students!
The HVMS library is here for you! You may request books and pick them up during regular school hours on Wednesdays. If interested, go to the HVMS library organization on Blackboard. Under content, you will find a folder for virtual students. This folder includes passwords and directions for using the Follett Destiny catalog. You will also find information and passwords to our databases. If you need assistance, please email Mrs. Caldwell at jcaldwell@rcps.us.
CELEBRATIONS
SOAR Card Recipients
Students can receive SOAR cards at HVMS by meeting our school-wide expectations of being safe, organized, accountable, and respectful. Our entire matrix of school-wide expectations is posted to the right. This year, we will be distributing SOAR cards to both hybrid and remote students by email, and recipients will be entered into monthly drawings for prizes. The following students have received SOAR cards since our last newsletter:
6th Grade:
Mahee Bhagat
Owen Bingeman
Vincent Croteau
Kaya Kingery
Stephen Neale
Jiya Patel
Penny Simmons
Addison Strom
7th Grade:
Lillian Stanley8th Grade:
Hannah Bain
Noah Donaho
Harmony Hall
INSTRUCTION
7th Grade Art
Wednesday Work Sessions
- Beginning Wednesday, October 28, middle and high schools will begin offering a help day for students who need additional support, are failing a course, or have excessive missing work from 8:20 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
- Teachers will identify students who need additional support and the school will contact parents each week to ask that the student attend on a week-by-week, as-needed basis.
- Students will be supervised by support staff in a quiet area to provide a structured environment in which to complete assignments. Teachers may work directly with a student for a portion of the time as needed.
- A grab-and-go lunch will be available.
Burton Center for Arts & Technology
The Burton Center for Arts & Technology will hold a virtual meet and greet session on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. More details will follow in a robocall, or you can simply check the BCAT website on the 28th!
Please watch the video below for an overview of the programs offered at BCAT.
DISCLAIMER: Much of this footage had been shot prior to the current pandemic. BCAT follows current CDC and VDH guidelines in all classes and programs.
TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Blackboard for Phones
For students, the best way to access Blackboard from a cell phone is by installing the Blackboard app. Unfortunately, the Blackboard app will not work for parents, so these documents will show you how you can access Blackboard from your cell phone without using the app. This method will also work for students if they log in as a student.
Click on the picture to the right for Step 1.
Technology Support
We ask that parents and students direct their technical support requests to hvmtechsupport@rcps.us. This email account is intended to serve our students who are either online only or off campus when the request is sent. Students attending school should notify their teachers of any technical issues so that we may resolve those problems at school.
Please keep in mind that our IT support staff works regular school hours and that requests made after hours or during the weekend will not be addressed until those hours of operation.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Report Cards
The end of the 1st 9 Weeks was Tuesday, October 20. Here is the distribution schedule for report cards:
- Thursday, October 29 - Group 1 students will receive report cards during last block
- Friday, October 30 - Group 2 students will receive report cards during last block
- Friday, October 30 - Group 3 (100% online) students will be able to view their report cards in ParentVUE/StudentVUE
Virtual Eagle Advisory - Upcoming Dates
Please encourage your students to log in to their Blackboard accounts and follow their student advisors' instructions for checking in for a Virtual Eagle Advisory session on Wednesdays from 2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Here is a list of upcoming Eagle Advisory sessions:
Wednesday, October 28 – 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 11 – 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18 – 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 2 – 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 9 – 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 16 – 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Important Dates:
Tuesday, 11/3:
Schools closed: Election Day
Tuesday, 11/24:
Interim midpoint
Thursday, 11/26 and Friday, 11/27:
Schools closed: Thanksgiving
Schools closed: Winter Break
SCHOOL SAFETY
ATHLETICS
Middle School Sports Update
The Roanoke Valley Middle School League has been hard at work making changes to our sports schedules for the upcoming year of athletics. Please understand that in order to move forward with athletic competition, Virginia would need to move beyond Phase III guidelines. The following timelines are simply to give you all a better idea of when to expect certain sports, and the dates are subject to change.
Season 1 (Basketball, Cheerleading, Wrestling): December - February
Basketball
First practice: December 7
First game: January 7
Final game: February 4
Sideline Cheer
First practice: December 7
Wrestling
First practice: December 14
First match: January 6
Final match: February 3
Season 2 (Football, Volleyball): February - April
Football
First practice: February 8
First game: February 25
Final game: TBD
Volleyball
First practice: February 8
First match: February 22
Final match: TBD
Season 3 (Baseball, Softball, Soccer, Track): April - June
*The Roanoke Valley Middle School League meets again on Wednesday, November 11 to finalize the schedules for Season 2. Once that happens, we will be able to begin working on Season 3 activities. Generally speaking, these sports will not begin with official practices until after Spring Break (March 29 - April 2).
Out-of-Season Practices
Coaches in Roanoke County middle schools may begin hosting out-of-season workouts as early as Monday, November 2, 2020. Before resuming athletic activities, all coaches must be trained on safety protocols, and the head coach must submit a Return-to-Play plan to the school's administration for review. Not all sports will choose to begin conditioning activities at this time, but information regarding workouts for specific sports will be sent through email, posted on the school website under "Athletics," and put in this newsletter when applicable. Please click here for more information on RCPS Phase 3 Return to Play Guidance.
All students who wish to participate in sports this year must have a VHSL sports physical on file with the front office before beginning any kind of athletic activity. A direct download is provided below if you would like a copy.
RESOURCES
United Way
Social Emotional Wellness
HELPFUL LINKS
ABOUT US
Website: http://www.rcps.us/hvms
Location: 4902 Hidden Valley School Road, Roanoke, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 772-7570
Facebook: facebook.com/HVMSConnect/
Twitter: @HVMSConnect