HIDDEN RIVER HEADLINES 1/22/21
* Attitude * Integrity * Respect * Commitment * Service *
- Like us on Twitter @MonroeWASchools
- Like us on Facebook @Hidden RiverMiddleSchool and @MonroeWASchools (https://www.facebook.com/MonroeWASchools/)
- Did you know? The Hidden River Headlines are archived on the Monroe School District website:https://www.monroe.wednet.edu/hrms/about/hawk-news\
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Good afternoon Hidden River Families!
We are winding down to our final week of the 1st Semester of this crazy school year.
We are so proud of the work our students have been doing this Fall and Winter-- we know in the midst of this extremely challenging set of circumstances they are building a resilience and character that will shape who they are for a long time to come. We cannot thank you enough for your support and input along the way.
Here are some things to know for the last week of 1st Semester, next week:
Priority Work: For any students who have been struggling to pass their classes, they have been given a specific assignment or task in each class to focus on. Encourage them to complete the most important tasks this next week as we close out the semester. If they are unsure what the task is, please have them email their teachers directly. Finish strong and plan to attend teacher office hours each afternoon next week!
Schedule: Next Friday, January 29, is a non-student work day between the semesters for our staff. Students will not have classes on Friday, January 29.
iReady: Next week, students will be taking the iReady Math assessment during their math classes. If they still need to complete the reading assessment, they can do that during their iReady time in the afternoon.
2nd Semester Starts: 2nd Semester starts Monday, February 1, 2021. Students who are in semester-long elective classes will have one class switch. By grade level, the class switches are as follows:
6th Grade: Elective switch occurs between PE and Social Studies classes (If I have PE, I will go to Social Studies for 2nd Semester or vice-versa).
7th Grade: Elective switch occurs between DigiTools and PE (If I have DigiTools, I will go to PE that period or vice-versa).
8th Grade: Elective switch occurs between PE and Health (If I have Health 1st semester, I will go to PE or vice-versa).
***Please note, students should continue using their Canvas calendars to attend Zoom classes-- that will be the easiest way to get where they need to go on that first day of 2nd Semester.
2nd Semester Weekly Schedule: We have gathered input from students, families, and staff about our weekly distance learning schedule from 1st Semester, to see if there are any improvements we can make in the student experience of distance learning. We will be sending out a communication next week about some minor changes to our weekly schedule, in preparation for 2nd Semester (which begins February 1, 2021)
Health and Safety Update
As we continue to navigate the challenges of Covid 19, we are going to start putting brief updates about our work on creating a school environment focused on health and safety-- specifically related to our procedures related to Covid 19-- in this weekly newsletter.
This week’s update is that we are in the process of forming a team of staff members to review and examine all of our safety protocols, to ensure we have thought of the many possible scenarios around student and staff health and safety in the protocols that have already been developed. This team will be instrumental in helping put action to the ideas that are already in place, checking them to make sure they align with all of the different sources of information and guidance about how to maintain a safe, healthy school environment in the Covid era. More information to come about some of our health and safety protocols as they get revised and finalized.
Jonathan Judy
Principal
CARE AND CONNECTION
Second Step in Connection Groups
Linked here is an introductory letter published by the Second Step Curriculum developers. Please let us know if you have questions or you would like to have a more in-depth look at the information.
Preview of Lessons (Week of 1/25/21); Unit 3, Thoughts, Emotions, and Decisions:
Grade 6: How Emotions Affect Your Decisions
Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will analyze how strong emotions can influence their decision-making abilities, as well as how those decisions can affect their relationships.
Question: Ask your child what sorts of things trigger strong emotions in them. Ask them how you can show support when those things happen.
Grade 7: Unhelpful Thoughts
Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will distinguish between helpful thoughts, which are thoughts that can help them make good decisions, and unhelpful thoughts, which are thoughts that can lead to negative decisions..
Question: Tell your child about a helpful thought you recently had and the decision you made because of it. Ask them to share a helpful thought they had as well. If they can’t think of anything, point out something positive they did recently and help them identify the thought that went along with it.
Grade 8: Can Stress Help You Grow?
Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to reframe stressful situations as opportunities for growth.
Question: Tell your child about a stressful situation you were recently in and how you were able to use that stress to improve yourself or the situation. Ask your child if they have any stressors in their life that they need help with.
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Lunch Bunch via Zoom!
What: Lunch with peers
When: Next week @12pm
Who:
- 6th grade: Tuesdays
- 7th grade: Wednesdays
- 8th grade: Thursdays
Why: Social connection, fun, community building
Zoom links will be shared in our all-school canvas page, and an email will be sent to students with more information.
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Warm coats and socks: Warm coats and socks were donated to HRM, and are available! Please email me if your student needs a warm coat and/or pair of socks, and/or you would like more information. (shaferl@monroe.wednet.edu)
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ParenTeen Connect Info: Parent resource from the Committee for Children
MSD Wellness Resources for Families: English / Spanish
Lily Shafer
School Counselor
SCHEDULE INFORMATION
Next week’s schedule is linked here. Please note there is no school on Friday, 1/29/21.
Upcoming Events - Mark your calendar
January 28 - Hidden River End of Semester
January 29 - Semester Break, No School
February 3 - HRM Principal Chat, 10:00 a.m.
February 5 - HRM Picture Day, 1:00-5:00 p.m. (See info below)
February 12 & 15 - President's Day break, No School
PICTURE DAY UPDATE
It’s finally here!!! Picture day is February 5th from 1:00-5:00 pm. Come get your picture taken! Even if you don’t buy a packet, come and get it taken for the yearbook (more to come on this soon) AND see the teachers! Most of them will be here helping with picture day so it’s a great time to get to see them and SAY HI! Remember, you must sign up for a time slot. Please use this link - Sign Up Genius - and choose your time:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAAA62BA2F9C43-hidden
See you on February 5th!
OH! One more thing...if you want to purchase a picture packet but you don’t want to do it online on the Dorian Photography website, we have paper picture packets available. Just drive through at your convenience between now and picture day and pick up your packet - they’re just outside the front doors of the school on a table. Come grab one!
TIPS AND TOOLS FOR FAMILIES
Library Resources are Available for Check-out!
Your student’s ELA Class canvas page includes a video about how to check out books from the HRMS library.
Accessing Canvas as Observer
Check out this creative guide to accessing Canvas as a parent observer!
District Support for Distance Learning Page
This site is FILLED with resources! https://www.monroe.wednet.edu/covid-19/support-for-families
Need Technical Support for Chromebooks?
Call the Monroe School District Helpdesk at (360) 804-2520.
HRM LIBRARY JANUARY CHALLENGE
Sora Scavenger Hunt
Sora (by Overdrive) is used by students to read ebooks or listen to audiobooks. You may access Sora at www.soraapp.com or use the Sora app. The challenge this month is a scavenger hunt to discover more about Sora.
Go to the HRMS All-School page on Canvas. In Modules scroll down to the library section and select Sora Scavenger Hunt.
Read the directions about how to sign in to Sora with your school email account and answer the questions.
Submit your completed form for a chance to win a $25 gift card.
One winner will be drawn from entries for each grade level.
Entries need to be submitted by 1/31/2021.
Email Ms. O’Neill at oneilla@monroe.wednet.edu if you need assistance or have questions.
THANK YOU HRMS PTO
3 - $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Cards will be awarded.
Good luck hunting
INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES
Make sure your contact information is up-to-date!
It is very important that all families make sure all of their contact information is up-to-date with the school office. In the event of school delays and cancelations, or other emergencies, we need to be able to contact all of our families. When there are urgent messages to share with families, they are sent out via email and phone call. Messages are also posted on the district website, Facebook and Twitter.
If you would like to opt-in to also receive text messages, please send a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to our school's short code number, 67587. You can opt out of these messages any time by simply replying to our messages with "Stop".
Inclement Weather Procedures Reminder
Now that winter is upon us, we wanted to remind you of our inclement weather procedures. Even though it is an unusual school year, we will be following our typical inclement weather procedures just as any other school year. This means that if road conditions are deemed unsafe, we will be delaying or canceling school for that day, including distance learning. Canceled school days may need to be made up at the end of the school year.
While the majority of our students are currently in a distance learning model, we have many staff and students reporting to our buildings every day. Buses are running daily, transporting our preschool, kindergarten and other small groups of students to and from school; many of our teachers continue to work onsite in order to utilize district technology & internet; and many more employees report to work daily in order to provide necessary services to students. Our top priority is always the safety of staff and students when making decisions related to inclement weather and upholding our typical procedures will allow us to keep staff and students safe in the event of unsafe road conditions.
We recognize that canceled school days may disrupt family schedules and that the school year may have to be extended. The decision to close schools in the event of inclement weather is not an easy one and many factors are taken into consideration when making such a decision. It is important to understand that the road conditions of our entire district are taken into account when a delay or closure decision is made. The roads in one part of our district may be clear while other areas are struggling with snow and/or ice and we are unable to close some schools in the district while leaving other schools open.
How the decision to delay or close schools is made:
To help make the best possible decision, weather forecasts are consistently monitored and district staff drive our bus routes to evaluate road and parking lot conditions. We make every effort to make decisions regarding closings or delays in the evening, understanding that parents need time to make arrangements for the following day. However, if the forecast is uncertain and still developing, we wait to get the latest forecast and assess actual road conditions early in the morning. Morning decisions will be announced by 5 a.m. Additionally, if a delayed opening has been announced the night before, and the forecast or conditions worsen overnight, we may need to update the status in the morning and announce that all schools will be closed for the day.
Depending on the winter weather conditions, one of the following four options is decided:
- Schools start on time (no messages will be shared)
- Schools start on time with limited bus service
- Schools start two hours late (no a.m. preschool, no out-of-district transportation) - a delay would only be utilized if/when students and staff return to full days of in-person learning
- Schools are closed (When schools are closed, all after school activities and evening facility use are also canceled.)
If schools are delayed or closed, information will be shared through the following communication channels:
- Email and robocall: An email and automated phone call will go out to all staff and families. Please make sure your contact information is up to date in Family Access to ensure you receive these notifications. Families who have 'unsubscribed' from district emails and/or automated calls will not receive these notifications.
- Text message: A text message will be sent only to those families who have opted-in to receive texts from the district. Learn how to opt-in here.
- District website: A message will be posted to the front page of our district website.
- Social media: Messages will be posted to the district Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
- School schedule hotline: 360-804-2950
We will not send or post messages if schedules are normal. No news means that schools are open.
Snow bus routes are posted on the district website, here.
HRMS YEARBOOK 2020-2021
Hello Hidden River Hawks! We are really excited to let you know that we will be producing a yearbook this year. It is going to be a huge community effort to make this successful because we normally gather our photographs for the yearbook during school hours. We are asking the following from families:
8th GRADE PARENTS AND GUARDIANS, we need baby pictures of your students. It is tradition that a section of the HRMS yearbook is dedicated to our 8th grade students with pictures from when they were very young. Please help us make this successful by sending one picture of your student with both first and last name to hrmyearbook@monroe.wednet.edu Please do it as soon as possible.
ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS, we need pictures of your students. This could include your student working during class time or individually. Sharing pictures of any outside activities or hobbies, really anything that represents how your student is spending his/her remote learning time. Please send it to hrmyearbook@monroe.wednet.edu
STUDENTS, Send in your poems, art work (digital, hand drawn, painted, models), short stories, or any other piece of work you would like to share. Please send it to hrmyearbook@monroe.wednet.edu
We are excited to create a unique 2020-21 yearbook for our students. We look forward to all of you being a part of this. Please make sure all pictures sent in have the student’s grade and first and last name clearly marked. If there are multiple students in the pictures, please be sure to include all names.
Thank you so much!
Katy White and Christine Conradt
HRMS Yearbook Advisors
CHANGES DURING DISTANCE LEARNING
HIDDEN RIVER PURPOSE
Core Values: "Our Kids, Our Community"
- Have a Positive Attitude
- Act with Integrity
- Wholehearted Respect
- Keep our Commitments
- Serve our Community
About Us
Principal
Jonathan Judy
Counselor
Lily Shafer
Office Manager
Liz Holton
Attendance Secretary
Debbie Schelfhout
Health Room
Nurse
Sherah Bustamante
Health Room Assistant
Heidi Brennan
Fax
(360) 804-4199
Attendance Hotline
(360) 804-4101
HIDDEN RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL
9224 Paradise Lake Road
Snohomish, WA 98296
(360) 804-4100
District Notice of Non-Discrimination
The Monroe School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Title IX and Civil Rights Coordinator, Joanne Dickinson, (360) 804.2539, dickinsonj@monroe.wednet.edu
Section 504/ADA Coordinator, David Paratore, (360) 804.2603, paratored@monroe.wednet.edu
The Monroe School District will also take steps to assure that national origin persons who lack English language skills can participate in all education programs, services and activities. For information regarding translation services or transitional bilingual education programs, contact:
Kim Whitworth, (360) 804.2558, whitworthk@monroe.wednet.edu
Mailing address for all of the above: 14692 - 179th Avenue SE, Monroe, WA 98272