FWHMS Family Newsletter
Connecting Families to School - November 2019
6 Gold - Mrs. Adamz - badamz@bmrsd.net
6 Purple - Mrs. Laren - nlaren@bmrsd.net
7 Gold - Mrs. Hannon - hhannon@bmrsd.net
7 Purple - Mrs. Dansereau - ldansereau@bmrsd.net
8 Gold - Mrs. Scott - lscott@bmrsd.net
Steps on How to Use SignUp.com
- Click on the view button of the team/teacher you wish to see.
- If you wish to only see open spots, click the button above the date to hide all full spots.
- Click the sign up button (if using a cellphone/iPad click the orange arrow) for the time spot you want.
- If not signing in with Facebook or Google, type in your email address. Double-check your email to ensure accuracy. *If you use Facebook or Google, it will prefill your name.
- Type in your name and your child's full name. *You can only have one spot per teacher/team.
- Click the save button towards the top of the screen under the menu bar to review the date and time you chose. *In order to keep a record of what you selected, you can either write down the day/time, take a screenshot, or click the print button to print it.
- Click the blue button that says to go back to all sign ups in order to get back to our school page and select another team/teacher.
Calendar of Events
- First Quarter Ends
Friday, November 8th
- 1st DC Fundraiser Ends
- 6 pm to 8 pm - Fall Ball - All School Dance
Monday, November 11th
- Veteran's Day - No School
Tuesday, November 12th
- Report Cards and STAR Reports Distributed
- 6th Grade National Grid Fundraiser Begins
Wednesday, November 13th
- 8 am - Regional SRO Meeting Hosted at Our School
- 2:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thursday, November 14th
- 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Parent/Teacher Conferences
- 6 pm - School Committee Meeting - FWHMS Media Center
Friday, November 15th
- 1st DC Trip Payment Due
- 8:45 am to 11 am - BVT Tour Grade 8 Only
Monday, November 18th
- 7th Grade Vision/Hearing Screening Begins
- 5 pm - School Council Meeting - Main Office Conference Room
- 6 pm - PTO Meeting - Lobby Conference Room
Wednesday, November 20th
- 8 am - 6th Grade Honor Roll Breakfast - Letters go home with report cards
Thursday, November 21st
- 5 pm - District of One dinner - BMRHS Cafeteria
Friday, November 22nd
- 8 am - 7th/8th Grade Honor Roll Breakfast - Letters go home with report cards
Monday, November 25th
- Hour of Code in all science classes with Amazon computer engineer employees
Tuesday, November 26th
- End of 6th grade National Grid Fundraiser
Wednesday, November 27th
- 11 am - Early Release Day
Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th
- No School - Thanksgiving Recess
October Students of the Month
Attendance Matters
According to Attendance Works, showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.
- Visit https://getschooled.com/dashboard/tool/343-attendance-counts?type=tool to use the attendance calculator to see the effect of the number of days your child missed this year so far.
Click here to read the latest research on attendance - 5 Key Findings of Middle Grades Attendance and Grades
October Attendance Rate
6th grade - 97%
7th grade - 96%
8th grade - 97%
Total Number of Tardies for October - 148
Total Number of Early Dismissals for October - 129
Out of our total 412 students, we had 242 students have at least one tardy, early dismissal, or absence for the month of October.
Scholastic Book Fair - SAVE THE DATE!
The HMS PTO will host a Scholastic Book Fair from November 12th-November 18th. All students will have the opportunity to visit the fair during one of their classes during the school day, and the fair will be open during parent conferences on November 13th and 14th. More information about the schedule will be sent home with your student the week before the fair.
PTO Sponsored SKI CLUB - SIGN UP NOW - Starts Jan 5th
Are you someone who loves to ski or snowboard? If so, then this club is for YOU! The Ski/Snowboard club travels to Wachusett Mountain every Sunday for 6 weeks starting January 5, 2020. The club takes a coach bus which leaves the middle school at 3:00 pm and returns at approximately 9:00pm.
Dates
January 5, 12, 19, 26
February 9, 16
There are options available for renting equipment, ski/snowboard lessons (offered at a variety of levels), and use of the Terrain Park for anyone interested.
Fees for the club:
-A MANDATORY bus fee ($120 for 6 weeks) - checks to FWHMS
-Lift badge fee to ski/board ($126 for 6 weeks before 12/4; after $140)
-Additional fees for rentals, badge insurance, lockers, etc .
Click here to view flyer and how to register through Wachusett Mountain. The bus fee is paid through the school. Make bus fee checks/money orders payable to FWHMS.
Grade 6 - Submitted by Abigail Loc
Science - We learned about the moon phases, and we created a model.
Math - We have learned to add, subtract, and muliply fractions and the greatest common factor.
Reading - We have had fun in reading using the Scholastic News magazines and having a Reader's theatre.
Grade 7 - Submitted by Brady, Haley, Kellan, and Keira
In world history, we have been learning about the ancient Greeks. At the beginning of the year, we learned how the ancient Greeks has had an affect on day-to-day life today. They created democracy, literature, entertainment, and sports. After that, we learned about the different parts of a Greek city-state or polis and the Trojan War. This was the longest and bloodiest war the Greeks ever fought. Next, we did a project called Operation Decorate 116. This was a small project for which we made a small colorful poster about something related to Greece. We learned that Spartans were brutal warriors and went through very cruel and harsh childhoods. We learned that Athenians were smart, attended school, and invented democracy. After this, we started our mock assembly. This was a fake assembly where we would elect leaders and vote. I was elected to be our president and the name that we chose for our assembly was Chargers Congress.
Lastly, we started learning about the Persian Wars. Persia was the biggest empire in history, and it wanted to destroy Athens because it had a democracy that they didn’t want to spread. We started our major project which was creating posters that convince someone to either join Sparta or Athens. This project was done with a partner and was very entertaining to create due to the fact that we got to learn about how ancient life was like and the differences and similarities between then and now.
-Submitted by Brady Folster
In math, we learned about negative integers, the order of operations and how to use the four operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division for rational numbers. We also were taught complex fractions and the start of algebra. We learned that addition with negative numbers is a simple subtraction equation. We were also taught the order of operations or PEMDAS (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction) for short. PEMDAS is a fundamental part of math, it tells you which way you should solve a problem. If you do not use PEMDAS then your answer will come out wrong. We then were taught about how you add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers. A rational number is that can be divided. So, everything from counting numbers to decimals and fractions are rational. For the unit, we mainly focused on how to use the operations on negative decimals and fractions.
-Submitted by Haley McKinnon
In ELA, we were learning about Greek myths. We first read Echo and Narcissus, then Orpheus and Eurydice, followed by Demeter and Persephone, next Prometheus, after that Phaethon, Son of Apollo, and lastly, we read Icarus and Daedelus. We then did comprehension questions for all the myths. After we read the myths, we did a project where we created a myth ourselves. We went through the entire writing project and then presented our story in front of the class. We also ended with creating projects on our summer reading book, Chains, Refugee, or Esperanza Rising, and presented them to a few people in rotation.
-Submitted by Kellan Shave
In science, we have been learning about the structure of an experiment. At the beginning of October, we focused on independent and dependent variables. Then as we got more comfortable with identifying the independent and dependent variables in experiments, we started applying those to our hypotheses. In Mrs. Dextraze’s science class we have been using examples of experiments to write hypotheses. Before we had our test we learned how to fill out EDD’s. EDD stands for the experimental design diagram. It is a chart that we complete for our experiments. This helps us create a hypothesis, analyze the problem question and the independent and dependent variables in experiments. We are finishing off the quarter with our test that included everything we learned about identifying and conducting a “good” experiment.
-Submitted by Keira Kelliher
Grade 8 - Submitted by Maeve Holmes
Math - In algebra one, we are learning about slope. In algebra, we are learning about symetry and lines.
Science - We are learning abour forces. These forces include friction and gravity. We hav also recently learned about motion.
Civics - We are learning about the American Revolution and are soon going into the US Constitution.
Español Happenings
6th Grade: The students have learned numbers up to 30 in Spanish, and they have learned about the Spanish calendar. Ask them to sing you the days of the week song in Spanish! (6E class) We are currently learning how to create basic authentic conversations in Spanish, and later this month we will be learning about the Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Don’t forget to check out my Google Site for important information, encourage your student to go onto our Google Classroom where lots of videos and practice games are available for him/her!
7th Grade: The students have learned how to make basic conversations with one another, as well as talking about what he/she likes and doesn't like. The students learned the numbers up to 100 along with calendar vocabulary in Spanish. We are currently learning about where in the world Spanish is spoken, as well as the capitals of those countries. Please encourage your student to go onto our Google Classroom where lots of videos and practice games are available for him/her! The song to remember the countries will get stuck in your head!
8th Grade: This year, your students have learned how to introduce themselves and others, indicate what they (and others) like and dislike, as well as describe themselves and others with adjectives. In the Semester class, students are working collaboratively to create review activities and games for the class for this unit. Students in the Quarterly class have learned numbers up to 1,000, calendar words, definite and indefinite articles in Spanish, as well as learning how to indicate their needs in the classroom in Spanish. They are currently learning physical and personality characteristics and will interview each other this week. Don’t forget to check out my Google Site for important information, encourage your student to go onto our Google Classroom where lots of videos and practice games are available for him/her!
Spanish 1: We have learned so much in these two months. Your students know how to count up to 1,000, give pertinent information about themselves, tell time in Spanish, give the dates, and use numbers in many different ways in Spanish. They learned how to say what activities they like and do not like, as well as those activities others like. We are learning about subject pronouns, and we will be conjugating verbs this week! This is a huge step, after learning to conjugate verbs, their conversational Spanish should skyrocket - it is a very exciting time! Encourage your student to go onto our Google Classroom where lots of videos and practice games are available for him/her!
Wellness Happenings
For parents/ guardians whose children have had wellness this first quarter, on October 25th, you should have received an email update that summarizes the topic areas that you child learned about and links that might be helpful to you if you want to continue the discussion on particular topics at home.
You will receive a brief Parent Survey via email on November 4th that will take you less than three minutes to complete. I appreciate your feedback.
Students will be starting the new quarter on Tuesday, November 5th, and for those students who have wellness you should receive a course overview email that includes topic areas that will be explored, procedures, expectations and grading protocols.If you do not receive the email, please reach out to me at mblanchard@bmrsd.net.
News from the School Nurse
Sports Physicals
Any student trying out for a winter sport must have had a physical within 13 months prior to the first day of tryouts. If the physical expires (it is good for 13 months) during the season they will need to have another one prior to that date in order to continue participation. I need to have a copy of the physical exam in order to sign the athletic eligibility form. Students are not allowed to try out for a sport if the eligibility form is not signed, so please check these details. Dr. Perriello, our school physician, will be here on Wednesday, November 13, to give sports physicals for those students who need one and are not able to get one through their personal physician. Please have your son or daughter come see me before Tuesday, November 12, if they need to have a physical by Dr. Perriello.
Vision and Hearing Screenings
During the month of November I will be giving state mandated vision and hearing screenings to all 7th grade students. These tests are not diagnostic, however they may indicate a problem with vision or hearing. If I have any concerns I will send home a letter requesting a follow up evaluation by your child’s medical doctor or a specialist. If you would prefer for your child to be excluded from these screenings please send in a written note by Friday, November 8.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sue Wiegers BSN, RN, NCSN
School Nurse
508-876-0193
Guidance News
HELP! I HAVE A TWEEN ……..
A MONTHLY COLUMN THAT ADDRESSES EITHER QUESTIONS SUBMITTED OR SIMPLY SHARES ARTICLES THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO STUDENT GUARDIANS. THIS COLUMN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY FWHMS GUIDANCE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A QUESTION PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL BMIGNANELLI@BMRSD.NET OR SRIELLY@BMRSD.NET.
How Using Social Media Affects Teens
Adolescence is an important period of rapid development for teenagers. Experts worry that the social media and text messaging that have become so integral to teenage life are promoting poor sleep, anxiety and lowering self-esteem.
Social Media Impacts Teens Learning Social Skills:
The teen years are all about socialization and extending yourself outside your family circle. At a time when teens should be experimenting, trying out skills and succeeding and failing in tons of real time interactions that help promote social skills, teens are missing out on this very critical piece of development. The modern teen is learning to do most of their communication while looking at a screen, not another person. according to clinical psychologist and author of the big disconnect , Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, “ in a way, texting and online communicating- it’s not like it creates a nonverbal learning disability, but it puts everybody in a nonverbal disabled context, where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible.”
Learning how to make friends is a major part of growing up . You need to learn how to communicate your feelings, hear what the other person has to say and know you can disagree without jeopardizing the relationship. Social media skews this skill for teens as it is teaching them to do it in ways that are more extreme and do jeopardize the relationship. It is easier when you aren’t hearing or seeing the effect that your words are having on the other person. Disagreements on line can also be carried out longer than if you were in person. There is no end sometimes to what is going back and forth and teens often cannot escape situations even at home.
Kids aren’t getting enough practice relating to people and getting their needs met in person. Part of healthy self-esteem is knowing how to say what you think and feel even when you disagree with other people. If kids don’t get enough practice at relating to other people in person, many of them will grow up to be adults who are anxious with our primary means of communication, talking.
So what can we do to help our adolescent during these rocky years become more emotionally intelligent? We can help them to set personal goals, have feelings for others, be assertive about his or her needs, handle anger constructively and resolve conflicts peacefully. Role modeling is key during this time. It is important as a parent to show that disconnecting from our electronics is okay to do. We also need to stay connected to our teen and continue to monitor their social media outlets.
HMS PTO News
The holiday's are almost here! Hartnett gear is a great gift for your middle schooler. Click here to visit our school store. All purchases are shipped directly to you and a portion of the proceeds go directly to the PTO and our school!
The PTO is partnering with Jostens to bring you another excellent yearbook! Yearbooks are now on sale, and for the month of October, we are selling our yearbook for $32.00 - the lowest price of the year! The last day to order yearbooks this year will be February 28th, so order yours early!!! You can order online here, or fill out the attached form and bring it, along with payment, to Mrs. Tasker in the Library Media Center.
Thanks to all who participated in the Color Run. Because of your efforts, we were able to raise over $5,000! We funded three cubs for the fall - Yoga Club, Basketball Club, and Flag Football Club. All clubs were filled to the max! We are hoping to be able to fund even more clubs as the year goes on. In addition, the PTO is looking to purchase Ping Pong and Foozeball tables to make our socials even better! We will host the first quarter Honor Roll breakfasts, and we are supporting our Science teachers as they bring Amazon employees into the school for a day of coding!
Please join us at the next PTO meeting on November 18, 2019 at 6pm in the Library Conference Room. Like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fwhmspto/.
8th Grade - Washington DC Trip - May 23rd to May 25th
On Friday, October 25th all students received the first fundraiser packet, letter about the trip, and the itinerary.
Cost
Price $585.00
Trip price includes:
Bus, Hotel, Meals, Museum Costs, custom T-shirt, professional panoramic group photo
Additional Costs
Students will need to bring an additional $30.00 on 5/23 (CASH-NO CHECKS 2- $10 bills and 2 - $5 bills) for lunch on the way down and dinner on the way home.
Payment Plan Schedule
**Make checks payable to: Hartnett Middle School
Payment #1 195.00 Due Date: 11/15
Payment #2 195.00 Due Date: 02/07
Payment #3 195.00 Due Date: 04/06
All students attending must be paid in full by April 6th.
Fundraiser #1
Start Date: October 25th
End Date: November 8th
All profits will be applied to students' trip cost. Families will be personally emailed of the total profits made.
Capital Tours
Food Allergies and Dietary Restrictions
In an attempt to address the increasing number of requests by school representatives and parents to help with students that have allergies to certain foods and other dietary restrictions, Capital Tours, Inc. will provide to schools or parents the contact information for food service establishments so that alternative menu items can be prepared. Where food courts or buffet style restaurants are used parents may find choices that will allow for students to have a well balanced meal and avoid foods that might cause a problem.
However, neither Capital Tours, Inc. nor its representatives can guarantee or certify that foods are prepared without additives to which students will react negatively and, therefore, Capital Tours, Inc. will not assume liability for any reaction to foods prepared by restaurants used on tour. Clearly only the preparers of foods at the various restaurants can attest to the ingredients. Also, we must rely on the good judgement of teachers and affected students to choose their foods wisely at venues where choices are available.
Trip Insurance Information
Click here to download the packet.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Hotel Rooms will have no more than 4 students per room
Parent Meeting will be scheduled early spring to cover any additional questions, discuss finalized information for the trip, medical concerns and communication lines.
Please email Mrs. Curt-Hoard at tcurt@bmrsd.net with any questions.
Homework Website
Pay Online for School Lunch
You can view the account balance, see what was purchased, and schedule automatic payments if you wish.
Calendar of Events
ABC's of Student Success
If children are to show respect for others, they need to understand what it is to be respected. Author Michelle Borba emphasizes these parent practices that nurture respect.
- Treat your child as the most important person in the world
- Encourage your children to have high -- but achievable -- expectations of themselves
- Give love with no strings attached
- Listen attentively and respectfully
- Enjoy being together
- Tell kids often why you love them
Math @ Home
Simply Symmetrical
A shape is symmetrical when two halves of it are exactly alike. For example, a heart and a butterfly are symmetrical because, when folded in half, their left sides mirror their right sides. How many symmetrical things or designs can your child find in your home? Encourage your child to look at wallpaper, floor tiles, pictures, bedspreads, appliances and more.
-EducationWorld.com
Parent Pointers
- Each day, ask your child about how school went. If you make this a habit, your child will be expecting the question and know that you expect a thoughtful reply.
- Let your child speak openly to you -- and listen to him or her. You might just learn something.
- Ask your child for an opinion. Then give him or her a fair opportunity to think it through and share it.
School-wide Ongoing Fundraisers
BoxTops - You can find the tops on participating products. Cut out the top and have your child bring it to school. We earn 10 cents for each top collected. Visit www.boxtops4education.com for a listing of products.
Stop & Shop A Plus Program - Register your rewards card to help us earn $$. Log on to www.stopandshop.com/aplus to register online USE SCHOOL ID: 07080 or dial 1-877-275-2758 to register your card over the phone.
Amazon - Please click here to shop on Amazon.com. A small percentage of what you purchase will go to the Hartnett Middle School PTO to help support field trips, assemblies, special events, and after school programming. It is the same Amazon.com you may use, with a small percentage supporting middle school students.
FWHMS Communication and Happenings
Our website is the main hub of information. The following is key information you will find:
- Daily Intercom Announcements
- Monthly School Calendar
- Homework Page
- Monthly Family Newsletter Links
- After-school Program Information/Registration
- BMR Athletes Information/Registration Details
- Staff names and emails
OneCall will be used in the following ways:
Robocalls
For Emergency only - such as unplanned early dismissals or information on an emergency in the building. They will be sent after 3:30 pm and end before 8 pm.
Roboemails - On Tuesdays and Fridays only (as needed)
For standard communication - such as portal access to progress reports, report card distribution, the monthly newsletter release, registration information for sports/after-school clubs, field trip information, and other information as needed. The emails may be by whole school or by grade level depending on the communication needs.
Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat
We use all our social media to share special happenings after they have happened so that families can see what we are doing. You can find us on all platforms at @fwhms2003
About FWHMS
Email: tcurt@bmrsd.net
Website: http://www.bmrsd.net/frederick_home.aspx
Location: 35 Federal St, Blackstone, MA, United States
Phone: 508-876-0190
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolofwoonsocket
Twitter: @fwhms2003