Hocker Grove Family Newsletter
August 30, 2021
SECTION 1: NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION THIS WEEK
A Few Quick Items
- Starting next week, your student will report to a different teacher for Eagle Hour one day per week to allow your student's Eagle Hour teacher to collaborate with other content specialists. This process will result in better instruction for all students. We are using this week to practice where to go and when.
- Student Daily Announcements are posted on Hocker Grove's website each day by clicking About> Daily Announcements. We hope this will help families that are interested in the day to day operations of our building to stay in the know of what is being shared with students.
- After 12 days of practice moving between classes, we began tracking tardies to class today. We are encouraging students to walk with a purpose, plan their most efficient route, and especially avoid distractions during passing periods where they know they have the farthest distance to travel. Students get two free tardies per class per quarter. After that consequences including parent phone calls and detentions go into effect.
A La Carte Items in HG Cafeteria
Families can use the School Cafe website for a variety of purposes including limiting a la carte purchases. Other uses of the School Cafe website are:
- View your child's account balance anytime.
- Access direct certification information
- See exactly what a la carte items are being purchased.
View Menus with nutrient and allergen information
CORE
Core College Advising Program is a designated program created to help 8th-grade students in the entire district grow and expand their academic, social, and interpersonal skills. This program will prepare individuals to pursue their goals from mentors during these unprecedented times.
Who is it for?
The CORE College Advising Program works under SMN Coalition of Racial Equality, working to spread the impact of our mission to benefit diverse students in the SMSD school district. This program is designed for eighth-graders who seek higher education and benefit from the guidance.
Mission and Benefit
Our mission is to help eighth-graders grow and expand their academic, social, and interpersonal skills by preparing them to pursue their goals during these unprecedented times. The goal is to equip them with the tools to be successful in educational settings.
When and Where
This workshop will meet once a month - each month leaving the students with beneficial tasks to complete. The first month’s meeting will take place in person, following after, selected eighth-graders will receive a WebEx link by CORE mentors. The first meeting will take place on September 22nd from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Gilman at: KimberlyGilman@smsd.org
Here is some more information about the program
Kansas Teacher of the Year Nominations
Section 2: Previously Shared But Still Relevant
Pick Up and Drop Off of Car Riders
Students are allowed to start arriving to Hocker Grove at 8:20 am for school to start at 8:45 am. Thank you to all of our families who were so patient at both pick up and drop off last week. Our traffic the first few days of school are always the highest. While driving your student to and from Hocker Grove is always the safest option, some families choose to have their student walk to or from the Methodist Church located a couple of blocks to the West of our campus, which has a larger parking spot. If you choose to take this option, the law firm located next door (Gary Smith & Associates) has asked that families avoid parking in their lot due to the limited number of spaces.
Please see the picture below for guidance on where families should enter if you are planning to pick up or drop off via car. Note the entry and exit point are the same.
Update from Health Services
COVID Management for the 21-22 school year will look different from last year.
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SMSD COVID Team will notify JCDHE of all positive cases.
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JCDHE will manage all contact tracing and quarantine related to exposure to a positive case.
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Report all positive cases of COVID-19 to the school nurse.
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Keep your student home when they are ill and get a PCR test.
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PCR Testing – SMSD only accepts PCR COVID tests
SMSD offers free PCR testing Monday- Friday 8am-4pm when school is in session by calling 913-993-6218. Free PCR testing is also offered at community testing sites such as www.gogettested.com/kansas, CVS, Walgreens, etc.
If you or your student have a known exposure to a positive case of COVID-19 outside of school/school related activity, please contact JCDHE at 913-715-2819 for instructions.
Our School Day
Our bell schedule can be found by clicking here: https://bit.ly/hgbells21-22
Section 3: Important Resources
Join The Hocker Grove 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
School-based Health Partnership Clinic
Health Partnership Clinic has moved from Merriam Park to SMWest. It will be open Sept 2nd to serve all SMSD students and their siblings on Thursdays from 11am-3pm. Please see the flyers below in English/Spanish for more info. This is THE ONLY school based health clinic in Johnson County and we want to be sure our students to benefit from it.
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