Hocker Grove Family Newsletter
August 17, 2022
SECTION 1: NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION THIS WEEK
Great Start!
All students received their MacBooks, 8th graders on Monday and 7th graders on Tuesday. We are following up with any students that did not receive their Mac this week to make sure everyone is prepared for learning.
Over the first days of school, we have focused on learning school-wide expectations and setting students up for success. A few of the presentations that we have covered with students are linked in below to give families an idea of the topics covered so you can reinforce at home if you'd like to do so.
School Pictures and Yearbooks Coming Home
Eighth graders that ordered last year's yearbook should have received it yesterday as well. Any families that haven't already ordered this year's book can do so by calling our book keeper at 913-993-0200. The cost of the hard copy yearbook with 100 pages of full color pictures is just $20.
Student Arrival and Drop Off for Car Riders
While we encourage car riders to take advantage of the car rider loop here on campus, which usually clears about 10 minutes after dismissal, some families choose to drop off at the Shawnee United Methodist Church parking lot just to the west of Hocker Grove or on a side street, allowing their student to walk the rest of the way. This is typically quicker and is certainly allowed, but please keep in mind that we aren't able to provide off campus supervision.
How Can the School Office Help You? (Or How Can You Help The Office?)
It is our desire to provide you with friendly and positive assistance when you contact the school. You can help do that by remembering the following:
- The switchboard will be open for incoming calls from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Phones are available for your student’s use before and after school. During the school day, students may use the office phone for important reasons with a pass from a teacher.
- Students need to bring notes requesting permission to leave school to the front office prior to 8:45 a.m. Parents must come into the building to check their student out at the main office.
- If your student is ill, please call the attendance line (913-993-0212) before 8:45 a.m. Instructions will be on the recording and you simply need to follow the instructions. To talk to the nurse during the school day, please call 913-993-0207.
- In the case of forgotten lunches, gym uniforms, etc., please bring these items to the office with the student’s name written on it and we’ll notify the student.
- Please confine personal calls to your student to matters of true emergencies during the school day and be sure to call the school office (993-0200) to ask for your child. Cell phones are expected to be put away during classes in order to respect the educational environment. We ask your cooperation in supporting this school expectation.
- In the event of inclement weather, please listen to the local radio or TV stations regarding the closing of school rather than calling the school office. Families who have signed up for SM Alert will receive text messages about school closings.
- All visitors, including parents, must report to the office with their driver’s license to secure a visitor’s pass upon entering the building. Your cooperation with this policy is greatly appreciated and will help maintain a safe and secure learning environment for our students. Please remember that this is for the safety of your student. Visitors desiring to observe classrooms will need to make the request at least twenty-four hours in advance to ensure appropriate arrangements. Approval of school visitation is ultimately at the discretion of the school principal and is determined by need. Visits may be limited in order to preserve the educational process.
- Students wishing to ride home on another students bus must bring a note from their parent and from the other students parent and bring them to the office in the morning to get a bus pass.
Hocker Grove PTA Facebook Page
Student Lockers
If your student would like to have a locker to keep their coat, backpack, lunchbox, etc., we have announced for them to share their request with their Eagle Hour teacher, who will coordinate getting a locker assigned to them.
Some Important Dates for the First Months of School
August 18 Volleyball Parent Meeting 5:30 pm, HG Cafeteria
August 23 HG Back to School Night, 5:30-7:00 pm
September 1 First Late Start Day, School Starts at 9:19 am
September 2 No School- Professional Learning
September 5 No School- Labor Day
September 29 First PTA Meeting 7:00 pm, Hocker Grove Library
Panorama Survey Information
The Shawnee Mission School District would like to thank you for being valued partners in the education of your children. This school year, in addition to focusing on core subjects and classes, building student’s Social-Emotional Learning skills will also be an important goal. Social Emotional Learning, also known as SEL, is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve goals, feel and show empathy for others, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. These skills help students (and adults!) succeed in school, careers and life. To help collect and organize student’s Social Emotional Learning skills, the SMSD will once again use the Panorama Social Emotional Learning Survey. The Panorama Survey measures student’s understanding and use of characteristics such as Growth Mindset, Grit, Self-Management and Social Awareness, as well as their perceptions about school climate, teacher-student relationships, school safety and sense of belonging.
The Panorama survey will take students approximately 40 to 45 minutes to complete and will be administered once each semester. The 1st Semester survey window is scheduled for September 19, 2022. All Panorama Survey results stay in the district and help building leaders and teachers determine areas where student SEL is strong, but also where more instruction or skill practice is needed. Following each survey, a summary of your student’s data around grit, growth mindset, school climate and teacher-student relationships will be available to parents and guardians through their school.
The Shawnee Mission School District is asking that all students in grades 3 through 12 participate in the Panorama Social Emotional Learning Survey. However, participation is entirely voluntary. Additionally, if a student doesn’t feel like they have enough information to answer a question, they are able to skip the item altogether. And, most importantly, all student responses will be completely confidential and stay in the Shawnee Mission School District.
To ensure that your student participates in this important survey, when you see the Approvals and Agreements form during the registration process, please mark YES next to the Panorama Social Emotional Learning Survey and then mark YES at the very bottom of the form where it says Statement of Consent. Leaving either one of these blank or failing to submit a Yes in each section will prevent your student from taking the survey. Also, before the 2nd Semester survey is given, an additional consent form will be sent home with students and require a parent/guardian signature. The 2nd Semester consent form must be signed and returned before the survey can be taken.
For more information about SEL and the Panorama Social Emotional Learning Survey, visit this site and/or reach out to your student’s teacher, principal, counselor or social worker.
Survey questions can be viewed here:
SECTION 2: Previously Announced, Still Relevant, Information
Does Hocker Grove Have a PTA?
· Fund Teacher Grants Applications for materials not provided by the SMSD
· Provide support for school field trips
· Assist with events for student and family activities
· Host Staff Appreciation Events for our AMAZING faculty and staff
There is no wrong or right way to be involved – anything you can give, whether it’s time or money, will support your child’s potential. We invite you to join because we can do more together than apart. It only takes 5 minutes: https://hgms.new.memberhub.store/store
What Are School Hours?
Earliest Students may arrive to school 8:20 a.m.
Office opens 8:20 a.m.
First hour begins 8:45 a.m.
Teachers on duty to assist students 3:45-4:05 p.m.
Building closed. 4:05 p.m.
(Students still in building after 4:05 must be involved in a supervised school activity.)
Middle school students will not be allowed to be on school property prior to 8:20 am unless they have prior approval of a staff member. School personnel are not available for supervision until 8:20 am. At the end of the day, all students are expected to be off of school property by 4:05 pm unless attending a tutoring session or other school sponsored activity. Limiting student access to middle school property to the hours of 8:20 am to 4:05 pm will help ensure the safety and security of the students. Parents will need to make arrangements on a regular basis to have their student arrive and depart within these designated times. Students will not be allowed to congregate or wait outside of the buildings, as these are unsupervised areas.
New Late Start for 22-23 School Year
At the May 23 Board of Education meeting, middle school PLC time was made official. The committee that developed the plan focused on finding essential time for teachers to collaborate without overburdening families. Full details of the board presentation can be found here, but some important highlights for families can found below.
Beginning on the same date that high school PLC starts, September 1, 2022, each Thursday morning will be an optional late start for students. Here is the breakdown:
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Eagle Hour - our homeroom period (mascot hour) will not take place Thursdays from 9/1/22 - 4/27/23, and school will begin with 1st hour at 9:19 a.m. Teachers will meet in PLCs from 8:05 - 9:05 a.m. each Thursday.
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Students may still arrive at the normal time to be supervised from 8:20 - 9:10 a.m. until released to go to 1st hour at 9:10 a.m.
Breakfast will still be served for students that want to take advantage of that option at school.
Buses will continue to run at the exact same time as they do on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Your student will show up at normal time (8:20 - 8:35 a.m.) if they choose to take the bus on Thursdays.
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Although not required, your student has the option of taking advantage of a late start each week because the school day will technically begin at 9:19 a.m. each Thursday.
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A tentative weekly schedule is pictured below:
Hocker Grove Middle School
Email: ChrisKase@smsd.org
Website: hockergrove.smsd.org
Location: 10400 Johnson Dr, Shawnee, KS, USA
Phone: 913-993-0200
Facebook: facebook.com/HockerGroveMiddleSchool
Twitter: @HockerGroveMS