HMS Connection

A Message from Mr. Smith

Greetings from HMS!

On Thursday, November 10, HMS had the privilege of welcoming over fifty service men and women to our school for our first school-wide Veterans Day celebration and breakfast. Over the course of the morning students heard from speakers who reflected on how their experiences in the armed forces shaped them and taught them the value of service, as well as from classmates who shared essays on the importance of our veterans and the sacrifices they made in order to serve and preserve freedom.

The morning was a reminder of why we observe Veterans Day, and the important role our service men and women play in our community. It is yet another excellent example of #HinghamTogether!

A huge "thank-you" goes out to Mrs. Jennifer Driscoll (grade 8 U.S. History and Civics) for making this happen. She and her team did a wonderful job in planning and executing this event and gave us much to be proud of.

Coffee and Conversation with the Principal

Once again, this month you are invited to join Mr. smith in the HMS cafeteria prior to the PTO meeting for "coffee and conversation".

Please join us at 7:45 on Thursday, November 17, for light refreshments and great discussion. This month's proposed topic will be "Term I Wrap-up and Planning for Term II", but we are happy to touch on other areas and answer any parent questions.

Come for the coffee, but stay for the PTO meeting!

Activity Fee - Reminder

As a reminder, families are asked to pay an "Activity Fee" at HMS each year. These funds help to defray costs associated with after-school clubs and activities. You can complete this process by clicking here.

Any student who takes part in after school clubs and/or extra-curricular activities is expected to pay this fee.

You can also use the attached form, if you prefer to pay by check.

If you need assistance with this or any other school related fees, please do not hesitate to reach out to either a school administrator, a school counselor, or any faculty member you feel comfortable with.

Notes from our Nurses

Please be aware that we will be performing our annual school health screenings as mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health during the weeks of November 14th & November 21st. These screenings are not diagnostic services but are performed to identify students who may need further evaluation by a healthcare provider. If your student has any questionable findings, you will be notified and will be asked to follow up with your family’s healthcare provider.

These screenings by grade will include:

6th Grade students: Postural only

7th Grade students: BMI/height weight, vision, hearing, postural

8th Grade students: Postural only

* If you wish to opt your child out of any school screenings, we must have your request in writing by November 14th, 2022. You may email us @ hmsscreeningoptout@hinghamschools.org to opt your child out of a screening. Please be sure to include in your email: your child's name, grade, and which screenings you would like to excuse your child from.

For Postural screenings: Female students are asked to bring a swimsuit or camisole/halter top (thin strapped only) to school on the days of the screenings to allow for more accurate observation of the back.

Please call us with any questions @ 781-741-1550 and press 2 for the nurse's office.

Sincerely, Susanne Hallisey, RN, and Jamie von Freymann, RN

Grade Eight Class Fundraiser

The 8th Grade students have voted to sell a hooded sweatshirt as their choice for this year's fundraiser, so we've done some research and found a high quality hoodie and have a design in mind. The hoodie will be black with the split Red/White H on the back and the ship's wheel on the front.

This will be our big fundraiser for the year and we are hopeful that each student will participate. The money will be used to fund as many of the year end activities as we can in conjunction with the PTO.

An order form is attached.

*If purchasing a hoodie is currently an economic hardship for your family, please reach out to Mark McCulloch at mmcculloch@hinghamschools.org, or any other faulty member you feel comfortable communicating with, and your situation will be handled in complete confidence to ensure your child receives a sweatshirt.

PTO Updates

Our next PTO meeting will be on Thursday, November 17 at 8:30 AM in the HMS cafeteria. Please join us to learn more about our PTO, the middle school, and how we can work together to make the most of our time here at HMS. Mr. Smith will host "Coffee and Conversation" immediately before our meeting, so please come early if you can!

There is one more day to shop at the Fruit Center and raise money for HMS (details below). Please consider taking advantage of this opportunity to support your PTO!

We are looking forward to seeing many of on Wednesday at Joanna Dutra’s presentation. If you haven’t signed up, you won’t want to miss it!

The HMS PTO would like to thank all Veterans in our community for their service and dedication. Enjoy the weekend!

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback (dalykare@gmail.com).

Parent Presentation

We are so excited we are able to have Joanna Dutra coming to speak to our parents and caregivers. If you have ever met Joanna or heard her speak, you already know how wonderful she is! If you haven’t, please don’t miss this free presentation. Joanna will be leading a lively discussion on ways we can communicate and connect better in our community. Our interpersonal skills took a big hit during the pandemic, she will be highlighting some methods for re-engaging with one other which will also help our kids. To register for this event, please fill out our Google Form.

Please note, this event has been moved to the Hingham High School auditorium. The date and time remain the same.

Register here

Cultural Enrichment: Brazilian Beats

The Brazilian Beats, an ensemble of drummers and dancers, will be performing for our students on November 21. This event is being cosponsored by the Hingham Music Parents Association. We are so grateful to have their support!

SEPAC Liaison

Did you know we have an HMS PTO SEPAC liaison? If you have any comments or comments, please email Stephanie Gertz at stephjlg@aol.com.

PTO Secretary Needed

Want to be more involved at HMS? The PTO Board currently has an opening for Secretary. If interested, please email Karen Daly at dalykare@gmail.com.

Annual Thanksgiving Pie Giveaway

In this season of giving thanks, the PTO would like to extend our thanks to our dedicated and hard-working HMS staff with a Thanksgiving pie for each staff member. That is approximately 150 pies (!!!) and we need your help! While you are baking or purchasing your Thanksgiving pies, please consider baking or purchasing an extra pie to give to a deserving HMS teacher or staff member. Please use our sign-up link, choose your pie, then deliver it to Molly Richards’ or Caitlin Shea’s house from Friday, November 18th through Monday, November 21st.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948A4AB28A0FD0-thanksgiving

Pies should be in disposable packaging, clearly labeled and should not need to be refrigerated. If you need to make other arrangements for drop off, please contact Molly Richards at mrichards0614@gmail.com. Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us! Thanks in advance!

Molly Richards (mrichards0614@gmail.com)

Caitlin Shea (caitlin.w.shea@gmail.com)

Fruit Center Fundraiser

The Thirteenth Annual School Fundraiser will take place the week of November 7-13. Twenty percent of your purchases will go to HMS. Whether you are doing your weekly shopping, stopping in for a few items or preparing for Thanksgiving, please present a voucher at checkout! Scan this code to download a voucher or print out vouchers in the attached pdf. Vouchers must be presented at check out. Thank you!

November 16 - PTO Parent Education Program with Joanna Dutra, 7:00 PM at Hingham High School (change of venue)

November 17 - Coffee and Conversation with the Principal, 7:45 AM, HMS cafeteria

PTO Meeting - 8:30 AM, HMS cafeteria

November 21 - Brazilian Beats Cultural Enrichment

November 23 - Early Release Day; 10:30 Dismissal

November 24 through 27 - Thanksgiving Recess

Week-at-a-Glance and After School Opportunities

Please take a look at the attached Week-at-a-Glance document to get an idea of what we have to offer next week, as well as our comprehensive list of activities, when they usually occur, and how to obtain additional information about them.

We also want to remind students and families that we provide late buses for students staying after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Please remember to pay your activity fee if your middle-schooler plans to take part in these programs.

We hope to see you after 2:00!!!

HMS On-line School Store

The HMS School Apparel store is open for all of your holiday shopping needs!!!

Please use the attached form to complete your orders, or use the QR code to order on-line.

All orders are due by November 23.

Merchandise will be delivered to Ms. Ciulla (room 200) for distribution.

Please contact Ms. Ciulla (cciulla@hinghamschools.org) or Ms. Yindra (cyindra@hinghamschools.org) with any questions or concerns.

Astronomy Night at HMS

Mark your calendars! The stars have aligned! Astronomy Night has been rescheduled for Hingham Middle School.

On Wednesday night, November 30th, members from the South Shore Astronomical Society are going to bring their high-power telescopes to HMS for a public viewing. All members of the community are welcome to come and check out the planets and stars with local astronomers. The SSAS will start off the night with a brief presentation inside at 5:15, followed by a viewing session with the telescopes outside on the athletic fields.

Hingham Holiday Fair

Save the date!

On Saturday, November 19, you are invited to attend the annual Hingham Holiday Fair at Hingham High School. This event, which runs from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, showcases a wide variety of products created by local artisans and home-based business owners. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Dana Farber cancer Institute.