Hampton Bays Middle School
Monday Memo #17
Progress...
Dear T.E.A.M. :
So, here we are, facing another "New Year". This past week, we had a number of special events that sustained our focus on what's most important, during any time of year.
One community partnership in particular, sponsored by our Kiwanis Builders Club, resonated personally with me. It captured both the passage of time, as well as the importance of "living in the moment"; two concepts we tend to experience as educators as well as this time of year, at home for the holidays.
A batch of spirited members of the Hampton Bays Senior Center visited our school last week, to be interviewed by our students and to receive honorary awards, presented by our Builders Club members. The event took no more than 20 minutes (the recess portion of our 5th and our 6th grade lunch period) and it happened flawlessly, thanks to the involvement of all staff members in attendance. It was amazing to realize how much octagenarians (and one nonagenarian) have in common with adolescents! It's a lot more than you might think!
So what does this have to do with progress?
Well, the conversation about bringing our seniors together with our students began 7 years ago, when a Pre-K program was initiated at the elementary school. The current fifth graders were members of that inaugural Universal Pre-K class, and the current 6th graders were in Kindergarten. Back then, we thought it'd be great, for both our students and our seniors, to come together to celebrate, share stories, and find our what we have in common.
Well...seven years later, it happened for these students!
Each of our visiting seniors were at least 80 years of age, and one of our guests was 91 years young. Our student leaders presented our guests to their classmates, seated in the pod, and then awarded each senior with an award, recognizing their lifetime achievements.
Best of all?
This is only one of countless snapshots of how our middle school students are partnering with members of our community. And, the joy continues this week. Student leaders who are members of our SADD Club and OWL Club visit local seniors as part of an annual tradition on Monday afternoon.
Then, on Tuesday morning, we welcome our seniors back to the middle school for our annual tradition of the holiday concert. And...new for this year, we've invited our current 4th grade class, to be part of a new tradition. It's exciting to think that we can bring our future middle school students together with our current students and our neighbors.
We'd love for anyone who is available to join us in celebrating our students and living in the moment. You won't regret it.
Before we know it, we'll be in 2016, asking, "Where does the time go?"
We will certainly see each other throughout this coming week, but in the meantime, thank you for your unwavering dedication to our students and our middle school program this year.
Happy Holidays,
Dennis
Holiday Music Performance
Tuesday, Dec 22, 2015, 09:30 PM
Hampton Bays Middle School, Ponquogue Avenue, Hampton Bays, NY, United States
5 Articles to Push Our Thinking
4 Blogs for Reflection
3 Images to Discuss with Kids
2 highly effective instructional tools
1 must-watch video clip (9 m : 59 s)
hbms photos of the weeK
Let's keep sharing and celebrating the great things happening in our classrooms and school.