Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! We are so excited to welcome your child and your family to our school family. Middle school is a fun and challenging time for students. Your child's middle school years represent a developmental phase where your child changes more physically, emotionally, and intellectually than any other period in their life other than infancy/toddler time. The staff at Hickory Middle School is committed to providing our children with opportunities to develop intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

As part of our commitment to ongoing excellence, we are in the process of updating our mission statement to ensure that our vision is in alignment with our school divisions and our stakeholders. Our proposed mission statement declares:

The Hickory Middle School family champions academic and personal excellence through innovative and inclusive learning experiences that empower every Hawk to thrive and soar to new heights. #thriveandsoar and #newheights

As part of our vision to support our children's needs, we have adopted a new practice for our counselor assignments. Our school counselors have moved up with their grade levels and will continue with the children through his/her/their 3 years with us to ensure smooth transitions between grade levels and provide a consistent school adult in your child's life.

Below are the assignments for quick reference:

Ms. Cindi Dashiell - 6th grade

Ms. Rene Green - 7th grade

Dr. Monisha Bynum - 8th grade

We are also excited to partner with our families with some volunteer opportunities. We will host a volunteer orientation on Tuesday, September 20 at 9:00 for general volunteer opportunities and a Watch D.O.G.S. kick-off on Thursday, September 29 at 6:00. General volunteers generally have availability for recurring slots around the school, such as the library, the cafeteria, and the office. Our Watch D.O.G.S. program invites male role models for our students to spend one school day with us as volunteers. All Watch D.O.G.S. are required to purchase a t-shirt as a uniform to be worn on any volunteer days. More information will be available during the kick-off event. Please consider these volunteer opportunities as you are able. While our children may tell us they do not want their parents around, I will assure you that they need your presence now more than ever.

There is lots of information in this newsletter to help us effectively partner to make this a great year for our Hawks. Please review it carefully. Additional information will be sent home on the first day of school. If you have any questions, please contact the school at 757-421-0468.

Kind regards,

Kim P.

As many of you know, the school board approved a proposal that is designed to assist with the ongoing traffic problems associated with the arrival and dismissal of the middle and high schools. By addressing this ongoing issue with a new tier that would allow a seventy minute difference between the two schools, we hope to make arrival and dismissal more efficient and safer for the community. Our new day for students is 8:15 a.m. - 2:53 p.m.

By implementing this change, we will no longer be able to accommodate middle school students that normally would ride home with their high school siblings. We simply do not have the personnel to provide supervision for the seventy-minute difference between the two schools. Therefore, it is imperative that you make transportation arrangements for your middle school student at dismissal during the 2022-2023 school year. Please see our arrival and dismissal procedures below for specifics. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

Morning Arrival: Morning drop-off of students will be conducted in the fire lane loop in front of the building. Vehicles arriving before 7:45 AM will line up on the far right side of Hawk Boulevard; vehicles are NOT to enter the Hickory Middle School parking lot prior to this time. At 7:45 AM vehicles will be directed into the parking lot and will follow the traffic pattern in the diagram. Students will be allowed to exit their vehicles on the RIGHT side when in the fire lane beginning at 7:50 AM. Drivers are asked to follow staff members' directions when in the fire lane pulling forward until asked to stop. We will be utilizing the entire fire lane to enhance the efficiency of the drop-off process.

Safety Notes: The following are implemented as a safety precaution due to the high volume of traffic during the drop of time.

• Students can only exit the vehicle while in the fire lane loop.

• Drivers are not allowed to park in the Hickory Middle School parking lot and have their student walk to the building.

• Students are not allowed to walk to Hickory Middle School from the Hickory High School parking lot.

Upon entering the building from the bus ramp or from being dropped off, students must report directly to their homeroom. Students may not wander the halls upon arrival at school. Students may not leave the school campus once they arrive at school.

Afternoon Dismissal: Students are to report directly to their bus or to the front of the building for pickup at dismissal. All families who regularly pick up students are STRONGLY encouraged to register for a Hawk Flighline Number below to help with efficiency. Vehicles picking up students will line up in the faculty parking lot beginning no earlier than 2:30 PM. Staff members will direct vehicles. Vehicles may NOT enter the fire lane loop until directed to do so by a staff member. For safety precautions, students can only enter vehicles that are along the curb. Drivers are asked to follow staff directions and pull forward until asked to stop.

Safety Notes: The following are implemented as a safety precaution due to the high volume of traffic during the drop of time.

• Parents are not allowed to park in the Hickory Middle School or Hickory High School parking lot and have their student walk to the vehicle; in addition, parents cannot walk to the front of the school to pick up their student during dismissal time.

Students need to know their bus route number. Parents may expect delays in bus schedules to and from school during the first week. We suggest you be at your bus stop at least ten minutes early until the bus drivers can establish a regular routine.

Unfortunately, our bus situation continues to be a challenge with a driver shortage. While the change in our schedule is expected to help our school, we may still be short drivers. To assist with this challenge, families who can transport their students are respectfully asked to consider doing so until the situation improves.

Students are only permitted to leave school grounds after officially signing out in the main office or clinic. Anyone who picks up a student must show photo identification. According to school board policy, students may not be released to anyone other than the custodial parent or guardian or their authorized designee. It is critical any custody orders are shared with the school.

If a student is being picked up by someone other than a parent, and that name is not in Synergy as allowed to pick-up the student, a note is required. The note will be confirmed with the parent. When a student is being picked up by someone other than a parent and the name is in Synergy, a note or confirming phone call is not necessary. If there is not a note from the parent and the person’s name is not in Synergy, the student will not be released.

Sixth Grade Sign-out Procedure: The schedule for sixth-grade students is unique; they are in elective classes (PE/Band/Exploratory, etc.) during the last bell and can be difficult to retrieve. This is a challenging time for pick-up, especially when the student is in PE or in music classes. Students can be in several areas during PE time (i.e., various fields outside.)

Because they are transient at that time of day, parents of sixth-grade students must be at school before 2:30 PM to get their child out of class early. After 2:30 PM, sixth-grade students cannot be called out of class. Parents may come to the office before 2:45 PM with proper identification and place their student on the “End of the Day Call List” and students will be called to the office during the afternoon announcements.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Sign-Out Procedure: For early release, parents of seventh and eighth-grade students must sign out their student in the main office by 2:45 PM. All parents must have photo identification.

Note for safety reasons, children are not allowed to get off the bus once they get on it.

Hickory Middle School utilizes ParentVue/StudentVue as its academic homepage

resource. ParentVue/StudentVue is specially designed to allow teachers, students,

and parents to work and communicate together more effectively. Teachers will

update ParentVue with grades, homework and classwork assignments, class

news, and other helpful information. Parents also have access to these pages,

allowing them to stay updated on a student’s academic performance, assign-

ments, and other important school details.

Please be advised that student passwords will be reset Monday, August 22, 2022 for all CPS students.

Students will use the following to log in:

• Username = Student ID #

• Password = First letter of first name + First letter of last name + last 4 digits of Student ID (Example: gb1234)

• Grades 3-12 will be forced to reset their passwords to a minimum of 6 characters

Chesapeake School Board Policy 9-33 Regulations – The Chesapeake School Board expects all students to dress in a manner appropriate for the promotion of learning.

Student appearance shall not be disrespectful, indecent, dangerous to the health and welfare of students, or disruptive to the school environment.

1. In an effort to ensure a safe, productive, and positive work and learning environment, clothing and accessories that present safety concerns or obstacles to the education environment are prohibited (i.e., clothing adorned with spikes or chains, unsafe footwear that may be a tripping hazard, etc.).

2. Clothing and accessories should be appropriate for all scheduled classroom activities including but not limited to physical education, science or food labs, wood shop, and other activities where individual hazards may exist.

3. Students are not permitted to wear clothing and/or accessories that advocate violence, profanity, alcohol, and other drug use and/or distribution. Clothing that displays gang activity and/or membership, displays disparaging or presents messages of hate or symbols associated with hate toward any group based on race, sex, ethnicity, gender ability, heritage, sexual orientation, religion or are reasonably likely to create a substantial disruption to the educational environment are prohibited.

4. Students must wear clothing that covers their skin from chest to mid-thigh with non-see-through fabric (in front, back, and on the sides).

5. The length of shirts and other tops must at least meet the top of the student's pants.

6. Shirts must be worn under sheer or see-through tops.

7. Clothing must cover undergarments, with the exception of straps, when sitting, standing, or bending.

8. All sleeveless tops must be securely connected over the shoulders by straps.

9. Students must wear bottoms of the appropriate length. the length of bottoms (i.e., shorts, skirts, etc.) may be no shorter than mid-thigh.

10. Pants, shorts, or leggings with rips, holes, or see-through mesh that expose skin above mid-thigh are not permitted. Students may wear shorts or leggings under garments with rips or holes above mid-thigh. Additionally, all bottoms must comply with the following requirements: All pants, skirts, and shorts must fit at the waist. Hemlines and slits above mid-thigh are not acceptable. Wearing leggings under shorts, skirts, or dresses is permitted if these bottom items of clothing are at least mid-thigh.

11. Headwear, including hats, hoodies, sweatbands, and bandanas are generally prohibited in the school building. Exceptions for headwear will be made for students to reasonably accommodate medical/health or disability-related issues (i.e., protective helmets), as an expression of sincerely held religious belief (i.e., hijabs or yarmulkes), or cultural expression (i.e., geles).

12. For reasons of health and safety, students must wear footwear at all times when on school property, except in instances when changing for practices, performances, or physical education classes. Athletic shoes that are close-toed, secured in the back, and have a rubber or hard sole will be required for participation in certain school-based activities (i.e., physical education classes, extracurricular sports or clubs, wood shop, or other technical education classes, science labs involving chemicals, etc.).

13. Students whose dress is considered contrary to good hygiene or in any way disruptive to the learning process will be required to meet the school division's standards for dress and appearance and shall be disciplined in accordance with the Chesapeake City Public School's Student Code of Conduct.

14. Exceptions to the above standards are outlined below: -School administrators shall grant exceptions to the dress code as previously indicated based on disability, health/medical reasons, or for sincerely held religious beliefs unless deemed a safety concern. -Exceptions may be made for spirit week celebrations or for extracurricular and athletic-related purposes, as approved by the school administrator.

If there is a doubt about a particular item of apparel, the student should contact a school administrator for a decision. When a student is in violation of the above guidelines, all efforts will be made to correct the situation at school. However, if an acceptable alternative cannot be found at school, parents will be notified to bring in appropriate clothing. Students who consistently violate dress-code standards will be issued discipline referrals.

https://cpschools.com/school-nutrition-services/free-and-reduced-meal-application/

Families that do not qualify for Meal Benefits should make sure you have access and have funds available in your MyPaymentsPlus account.

https://cpschools.com/school-nutrition-services/mypaymentsplus/

Meal Prices

Breakfast - $1.40

Lunch - $2.90

Lockers will also be required in the PE locker rooms, though dressing out will remain optional.

A medical order form (CS-405) must be completed by the physician and parent in order for medication to be administered at school. These forms are available from our school nurse, Mrs. Brooke Thompson, or on the HMS website. The parent must bring all medication with forms to school and deliver it to the nurse between 8:20 AM and 3:00 PM. If you need to make arrangements

for other times, please call the clinic. 757-421- 0474. The medication must be in a container appropriately labeled by the physician or the pharmacist. Students are not allowed to bring medication to school or be in possession of any medication except self-administered inhaled-asthma medication (requires medication order form to be on file). Parents or guardians of students with medical problems should contact Nurse Thompson at 757-421-0474.

Effective July 1, 2021, a booster dose of theTdap vaccine is required for all children entering the 7th grade. If a student under 11 years of age has not received a dose of the Tdap vaccine BUT has had one dose of a tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis containing vaccine (e.g., DTaP), they may be conditionally enrolled in school. If a student does not have one dose of such a vaccine, they must begin a catch-up schedule. Once a student turns 11 years of age, they should receive the booster dose of the Tdap vaccine and are adequately immunized for their age and compliant with the vaccine requirement.

Documentation must be submitted before the first day of class or the student will not be permitted to attend. Please call Health Services at 📞757-494-7628 if you have any questions.

Also, please be aware all mobility aids (crutches, wheelchair, scooters) must be physician ordered and a copy of the order must be provided to the school nurse upon the student's return to school.

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Parents are asked to submit notes through ParentVue within 4 days of the absences. CPS policy requires written notes for the absences to be excused.

Chesapeake Public Schools considers the following legitimate excuses:

• Sickness of a student

• Medical appointment

• Severe illness or death in the family

• Exposure to contagious disease

• Religious holidays

• Extenuating circumstances such as fire, accident

• Extremely inclement weather

Please remember that despite the ongoing pandemic, there is still a compulsory attendance law in Virginia that legally requires all children between five years old and eighteen years old to attend school. Schools are legally bound to address unexcused absences at 5, 7, and 10 days with 10 days possibly being a referral to truancy court. We ask you to partner with us to get our children here to meet this law and more importantly to be successful at school.

Cell Phones

• Just a reminder that cell phones should be off and in backpacks throughout the school day. We request that all parents and family members respect our students' learning time at school by not call or texting during the day.

Misc. Tips

• Make sure your emergency pick-up list is up-to-date. Changes can be made through ParentVue. Call the office should you need assistance.
• Be sure to bring your ID with you when visiting or picking up a child.

Below is a very broad supply list. Teams will share their specific requests on the first day of school. Please feel free to purchase only the essentials until you receive further information.

• #2 Pencils (1 dozen)
• Black/blue/red ink pens (1 dozen)
• Colored pencils
• Crayons or markers
• Loose-leaf paper (wide-ruled)
• Glue sticks (24 small or 12 large)
• Ruler (English & metric measure- ments)
• Highlighters
• Index Cards (3x5) 2 packages of 100 Scissors (blunt edge)
• Three-ring binder Dividers with tabs (1 set)
• Non-Perforated spiral notebooks -at least 6 (8th grade, college ruled) Zippered pencil bag with notebook holes
• Report folders with fastener and pocket (at least 5)
• Box of tissues
• Marble black composition notebook
• Dry Erase Markers
• Protractor (for home)
• Compass (for home)

Any student wishing to participate in the middle school athletic program must have a physical form on file. If your child is interested in participating with an athletic team anytime during the school year, it is advisable to have the physical done now. Please contact your doctor or a facility such as Now Care or Patient First to have this done. The Chesapeake Middle School League Physical Form is available on the CPS website. No other forms will be accepted. The following sports are available: fall: football, cheer and girls’ softball; winter: girls’ & boys’ basketball and wrestling; spring: girls’ & boys’ track, girls’ volleyball, and girls’ field hockey. The physicals are good for the entire 2022-2023 school year.

Football tryouts will be Wednesday September 7th, Thursday September 8th and Friday September 9th after school until 5:30 PM. Students must have a physical on file with HMS to participate. If you have any questions, direct them to Coach JuBray laron.jubray@cpschools.com or coach Underwood jason.underwood@gmail.com Physicals should be submitted to Mr. Black, Athletic Director prior to tryouts. Refer to the HMS Athletic Website http://hmsathletics.olinesports.com for any updates and changes.

Coach Smith will have softball tryouts Wednesday, September 7th, Thursday, September 8th and Friday September 9th after school until 5:15 PM. All girls trying out should be at the first practice with all softball equipment, including tennis shoes. Any questions should be directed to Coach Smith at the school @ 421-0468 or Shane.Smith@cpschools.com. Physicals should be submitted to Mr. Black, Athletic Director prior to tryouts. Refer to the HMS Athletic Website http://hmsathletics.onlinesports.com for any updates or changes.

Cheer tryouts will be held Wednesday September 7th and Friday September 9th after school until 6:00 PM. Students must have a physical on file to participate. If you have any questions please contact Coach Sullivan sarah.sullivan@cpschools.com. Physicals should be submitted to Mr. Black, Athletic Director prior to tryouts. Refer to the HMS Athletic Website http://hmsathletics.onlinesports.com for any updates or changes.

The 2022-2023 copy of The Nest is available for sale right now. The introductory price of $45 for the yearbook won’t last long. Don’t delay. Purchase your yearbook early and also receive free icons when you personalize your yearbook during the early bird sale. You can order by going to jostensyearbooks.com or calling 1-877-767-5217. Stay tuned to Hickory Middle School’s social media outlets in the coming weeks to see how you can submit pictures for possible publication in the yearbook.

1st Vice President - Kristin Fancher - kfanch24@yahoo.com

2nd Vice President - Kara Collot - kara.collot@outlook.com

Treasurer - Shauna Bowen - shaunabowen@gmail.com

Secretary - Angela Ladd - laddkids801@gmail.com

Communications - Heather Martinez - hmartinezs714@gmail.com

Arts in Education/Scholarhip - Keegan Daley - kdaley8349@gmail.com

Laila Swanson - Hospitality - nswan@yahoo.com

Back to School Open House - Thursday, September 15 @ 6:30 p.m.

Watch D.O.G.S. Kick-Off - Thursday, September 29 @ 6:00 p.m.

PTSA Family Engagement Event - Thursday, October 13

Picture Retakes and Club Pictures - Friday, October 21

End of the First Grading Period - Monday, November 7

Administrative Team

Ms. LaTricia Davenport, 6th-grade Assistant Principal

Ms. Jane-Marie Wieck, 7th-grade Assistant Principal

Mr. Ress Walker, 8th-grade Assistant Principal

Guidance Team

Ms. Stacey Vinson, Guidance Director

Ms. Cindi Dashiell, 6th-grade Counselor

Ms. Rene Green, 7th-grade Counselor

Dr. Monisha Bynum, 8th-grade Counselor

Ms. Mary Williams, Military Family Liason Counselor

Ms. Abbi Perry, School Social Worker

Health Services

Ms. Brooke Thompson, School Health Advisor

Ms. Jada Keller, Clinic Assistant

Library

Ms. Vicki Mayfield, Librarian

Ms. Cathy Timmins, Librarian

Learning Support

Ms. Mary Olsen, Algebra Readiness

Ms. Karen Queen, Reading Specialist

Ms. Lyndsey Walker, Technology Integration Specialist

Athletics

Mr. Kirk Black, Athletic Director