HEMLOCK MIDDLE SCHOOL
Nov. 14th - Nov. 20th
Week 12 Update from our Superintendent
This is our 12th week of the 2020-2021 school year. It remains our goal to provide you with regular updates. Our team is developing a COVID-19 Dashboard with data updates in real-time and a location that brings pertinent information together into an easy to access place.
Please do not send children to a school with any sickness symptoms, cough, fever, etc. Please make sure you are completing the health screener with your child every school day. Sending children sick to school places our face-to-face instruction program at risk and creates inconvenience for you when we have to send your child home before the end of the school day.
At this time, we have conceded that it is unrealistic under current circumstances to plan for a regular five-day week of face-to-face instruction before the new year. Also, we added some additional remote days with Monday, November 23rd, and Tuesday, November 24th, as remote learning days. This will provide our students with a ten-day break from face-to-face instruction, allowing us to do additional deep cleaning, and to attempt some improved protocols for remote learning on Monday, November 23rd, and Tuesday, November 24th.
I do need everyone to dial in their expectations to the realities of 2020 and understand we are doing everything we possibly can on our end to provide the highest quality education, services, and school experience to everyone involved. There will be disruption to face-to-face instruction and specific services from time to time, so please plan to be inconvenienced at times.
We still remain cautiously optimistic that we can continue our positive trends. Still, we need everyone to do their part by doing daily health screeners, keeping sick children home, and following the 3 W's: wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance.
We can currently report that we have had two students, and one staff member test positive for COVID-19 that generated close contact situations since my last update. It feels like it may only be a matter of time for us, but please know we will do everything we can to safely keep our face-to-face options available for our students and families.
This week we worked to consolidate a bus run to help reduce the need to disrupt services due to the lack of substitutes; however, we will still have situations that will require specific buses not to run. We also added a texting feature to our bus routing system that allows us to communicate to parents of students that utilize our transportation services.
We continue to follow our return to learn plan and guidance from the health department, the department of education, and other oversight that has been provided.
Please continue to encourage your child to utilize our free breakfast and lunch program for all; it makes your morning easier knowing that breakfast and lunch are already taken care of.
Please rest assured if there are any concerns specific to you or your children that either a building principal or myself will contact you directly.
If you should have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at 989.642.5282.
All the best,
Don Killingbeck, Supt.
HMS PICTURE DAY!!!
Let's go HUSKIES!!!!
District Final tickets are on sale now! The Hemlock Huskies take on the Cass City Red Hawks this Friday, November 13th at 7pm on Wallace Field.
Buy tickets here -> https://gofan.co/app/events/150212
Volunteer with the Sports Boosters
LAST CHANCE TO ORDER
HMS CAFETERIA NEWS
The Hemlock Huskies school color of blue continues to be a shade of green. The Hemlock Public School District is committed to sustainable efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The school district has investigated and implemented several things to reduce the district’s overall environmental footprint.
Superintendent Don Killingbeck said, “We are committed to forward-thinking and doing the best possible for our students, staff, community while reducing any environmentally negative impact.”
In recent years, the district has:
- Partnered up with MDEQ to implement recycling across the district.
- Partnered up with Consumer Energy and other partners to reduce energy consumption.
- Awarded and became a member of a select club of schools, with Green Schools.
- Enhanced awareness of recycling programs and efforts.
The district continues to be a leader in innovation, collaboration, and education. The school district is advocating to reduce waste, reuse materials whenever possible, and to recycle.
Josh Chase, Hemlock Middle School Principal, said, “This continues to be a great opportunity for our students and staff. It helps cultivate the stewardship of the environment and community that we want to instill in the next generation.”
Athletic Department Fundraiser Ordering DEADLINE is December 11th
EXPECTATIONS
At Hemlock Public School District, we are all about high expectations and holding ourselves accountable to deliver the highest quality education and services possible. The hard-working people at Hemlock Public School District have made the impossible look easy to many of us, and it simply isn’t. Our staff district-wide has come together to provide our students and families with options, with face-to-face and remote learning, with services like food service and transportation, and our students with extracurricular activities as able. We have done this with little disruption up to this point, but we face unknowns as COVID-19 cases rise and generate close contact quarantine situations for staff and students.
A wise person once said, “unrealistic expectations are premeditated resentment.” We need to make sure you understand the road ahead has lots of potential for inconvenience, frustration, and uncertainty. The good news is we are not in this alone; the whole Huskie Pack is in this together, and we will continue to make great things happen together for our students and families no matter the challenges we face together. We ask that everyone dial their expectation meters with the realities we face in the coming weeks and months. No doubt, there will be potential opportunities for inconveniences, frustration, and uncertainty.
"Festival of Wreaths"
Wreaths can be viewed online at the Hemlock Business Association Facebook page or in person at the participating businesses and organizations.
To purchase tickets you can either visit the local businesses that are participating or attend the Holiday Market at the Richland Township Park on December 4th starting at 4:00 pm. Winners will be selected at 6:30 pm and attendance is not required to win. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5.
Proceeds from this event go back into the community. For more information, please call 989-642-2097 or email: hemlockba@gmail.com.
YOU'VE GOT MAIL
GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE
From our HMS family to yours...............
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
Abygail Mason, 11/14
Brady Nichols, 11/16
Devin Zoromski, 11/16
Seth Mills, 11/17
Jeremiah Dietrich, 11/18
Conner, McDowell, 11/20
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT ..................
- Friday, 11/13: Virtual 1/2 Day for Everyone!
- Monday, 11/16: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Standish. Games start at 4:30 pm.(Bus at 2:50 pm)
- Wednesday, 11/18: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Bullock Creek. Games start at 4:30 pm.(Bus at 3:30 pm)
- Monday, 11/23: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Home against Carrollton. Games start at 4:30 pm.
- Tuesday, 11/24: School Pictures and Sports Pictures!
- Tuesday, 11/24: Girls 7th & 8th BB at St. Louis. Games start at 4:30 pm.(Bus at 3:20 pm)
- Wednesday, 11/25 - Friday, 11/27: No School. Thanksgiving break!!!
- Monday, 11/30: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Home against Millington. Games start at 4:30 pm.
- Wednesday, 12/2: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Nouvel. Games start at 4:30 pm.(Bus at 3:30 pm)
- Monday, 12/7: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Home against Ithaca. Games start at 4:30 pm.
- Wednesday, 12/9: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Ithaca. Games start at 4:30 pm. (Bus at 3:10 pm)
- Friday, 12/11: Virtual day for Everyone!
- Monday, 12/14: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Alma. Games start at 4:30 pm. (Bus at 3:15 pm)
- Tuesday, 12/15: Girls 7th & 8th BB at Home against Swan Valley. Games start at 4:30 pm.
- Monday, 12/21 - Friday, 1/1: No School. Christmas break!!!
HEMLOCK MIDDLE SCHOOL
Email: kienitz.kris@hemlockps.com
Website: hemlockps.com
Location: 525 North Maple Street, Hemlock, MI, USA
Phone: 989-642-5253