HMS Connection
HMS News
A Message from Mr. Smith
Greetings from HMS!
It seems like the stars are shining very bright here at HMS this time of year!
Over the coming days and weeks our students will be involved in a number of musical and dramatic endeavors which will show off just some of the many talents our students possess. First, HMS students will have a strong presence in the Hingham High School production of The Music Man (see more below), being held here this weekend. Following that, our chorus students will take the stage on Tuesday, December 6, with our band students tuning up for their concert on Thursday, December 8. We will then shift back to drama with two evenings of One Act Plays to be held on Tuesday, December 13 and Wednesday December 14, and we will wrap things up on Thursday, December 15 with our Orchestra's Winter concert.
We hope you can find the time to join us for any of these wonderful performances. They are always impressive and not to be missed!
The Music Man comes to HMS
Over the course of this weekend, Hingham High School will be staging their production of The Music Man here at Hingham Middle School. We are very excited to share that in addition to the many wonderful actors and actresses from HHS, this show will also include the talents of twenty-four of our very own HMS students as "the River City Kids"!
If you're interested in attending, shows are scheduled for Friday and Saturday evening, with a matinee on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or online at http://our.show/hingham/musicman
This Wednesday, December 7, will be the first in a series of lessons from the Second Step SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) curriculum to be implemented at HMS this year. Second Step is a research and evidenced based program designed for students in kindergarten up through grade eight, designed to improve students’ social-emotional skills, such as emotion management, impulse control, problem solving, and empathy. During the first lesson, our work will provide students with an introduction to Second Step and focus on the following at each grade level:
Grade Six - How to Grow your Brain
Grade Seven - Creating New Pathways in Your Brain
Grade Eight - My Interests and Strengths
We are excited to begin this program with our students and look forward to our future lessons
Executive Functioning Tips and Tricks
"Executive functioning" is a term we often use, but do not often take the time to define. Strictly speaking, executive functioning refers to the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, and juggle multiple tasks. While we know that these skills continue to develop well into early adulthood, the middle school years can be a time where we see the greatest challenges when it comes to executive functioning. Keeping that in mind, we will be offering regular "Executive Functioning Tips and Tricks" for parents in our HMS Connection.
This week's tip to help build executive functioning skills is to use a checklist with your middle schooler. A checklist will help breakdown tasks and activities into smaller, more manageable pieces, and allow your child to see what they've done and what they still need to do. This can be especially helpful for an adolescent coming home from school. They can be both exhausted and overwhelmed from their day and not know how to get themselves organized for what comes next. Have a checklist ready outlining what they need to do in the afternoon. You can also work together to develop the checklist so there is shared ownership. This can take some of the stress out of the transition from "school" to "home".
Keep an eye out for more tips in future HMS Connections!
Help is Here
HMS wants to remind all members of our community that we are here to help. We understand that it can be especially challenging to make ends meet at this time of year, so please reach out if you need assistance. You can contact members of our counseling staff, administrative team, or any adult connected with HMS with whom you feel comfortable.
Coming Events
December 6 - HMS Chorus Concert, 7:00 PM, HMS Auditorium
December 7 - Early Release Day; 11:00 AM Dismissal
December 8 - HMS Band Concert, 7:00 PM, HMS Auditorium
December 13 - Grade Eight One-Act Plays, 7:00 PM, HMS Auditorium
December 14 - Grade Eight one-Act Plays, 7:00 PM HMS Auditorium
December 15 - HMS Orchestra Concert, 7:00 PM HMS Auditorium
Community News and Announcements
Parent Connection Group
Do you have a student with learning needs? Would you like to connect with and talk with other parents who do? Then please join us at the Hingham Public Library in the Whiton Room at 7:00 PM on Monday December 5th. We hope to see you at this first meeting of our Parent Support and Connection group.
If you have any questions, please email StephJLG@aol.com