Eagle Eye
HVMS E-Newsletter
HVMS Update - 8/15/2022
Hello, HVMS Family!
We are excited to have kicked off the 2022-2023 school year officially! It has been great seeing students back in the building, and we are thrilled to see what the 2022-2023 school year brings.
The Eagle Eye E-Newsletter is an electronic newsletter that we send out twice monthly to communicate what is happening at HVMS. In this newsletter, we will share general school information, upcoming events, celebrations of students and staff members, and information about the instructional program at HVMS.
Please take a few minutes to read through the first edition for the 2022-2023 school year. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Hidden Valley Middle School
Helping Students Find Their Wings Since 1972
Our mission at Hidden Valley Middle School is to cultivate knowledge, to promote civic responsibility, to provide opportunities for the exploration of interests and abilities, to foster positive attitudes, and to develop essential skills necessary for all students to become productive citizens capable of thriving in the dynamic world of the twenty-first century.
HVMS Turns 50!
2022-2023 Yearbooks
Order by September 16 to save some money on your yearbook this year!
https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1119431/Hidden-Valley-Middle-School/
Additionally, parents/guardians may purchase yearbook ads through the link above to celebrate their students' milestones and successes.
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Administration
Our HVMS administrative team looks forward to working with your kids this coming year to help them develop academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. Each grade level has an administrator who will continue with the same group of students for the entirety of their three years here with us at HVMS.
- Principal: Chris Benson (cbenson@rcps.us) - 8th Grade Administrator
- Assistant Principal: Evan Noell (enoell@rcps.us) - 7th Grade Administrator
- Assistant Principal: Heather Riganti (hriganti@rcps.us) - 6th Grade Administrator
School Store
Want to purchase some school spirit wear? Please visit the link below to shop at our school store. A portion of all proceeds comes back to the school!
Home | Hidden Valley Middle School - Eagles (fuzzypickletshirts.com)
Tardies to School
Titan Parent Portal
Free/Reduced Meal Program
Meal applications for school year 2022-2023 are now being accepted! Online applications are available here.
FAMIS/Medicaid
For the 21st year, the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) is sponsoring the annual Back to School campaign. Please see the information below regarding Virginia’s low-cost or no-cost health insurance through Medicaid and FAMIS.
CELEBRATIONS
SOAR Card Recipients
Students can receive SOAR cards at HVMS by going above and beyond our school-wide expectations of being safe, organized, accountable, and respectful. Our entire matrix of school-wide expectations is posted to the right. We will be distributing SOAR cards to students and parents/guardians by email, and recipients will be entered into monthly drawings for prizes. The following students have received SOAR cards since the start of school:
6th Grade
Mason Baba
Daelyn English
Dillon Godfrey
Tanner Polakowski
INSTRUCTION
S.O.A.R. Expectations
The Hidden Valley Middle School culture is based on collaboration between the teachers, staff, administration, students, and school community. We strive to create a safe learning environment that is conducive to student learning and the creation of positive relationships. Please see our student handbook below for more detailed information regarding our expectations.
Gifted Screening
The gifted screening process is underway for students in grades K-12. The screening process is ongoing throughout the year, and parents/guardians who feel their child should be screened for placement in the gifted program should contact the school’s counseling department to request a referral packet.
Library Materials
The video below explains how to access the newest books added to your child’s school library catalog. If you have any concerns regarding a title, please email your school librarian with the title, author, and any restrictions you would like placed for your child. If the 22-23 new book list is not showing, our librarian has not recently added books.
COUNSELING
School Counselors
Mrs. Farley and Ms. Long, our school counselors, are here to help our young Eagles succeed as students and citizens. Students are assigned to counselors alphabetically by last name. If you have questions concerning your child during the school year, please contact the appropriate counselor as follows:
- A-K: Melinda Farley (mfarley@rcps.us)
- L-Z: Maggie Long (mlong@rcps.us)
LIFE Counselor
The role of the LIFE counselor is to lead individuals and foster empowerment with our students. LIFE counselors provide individual and group counseling to students. Counselors also provide education on approved mental health, trauma, and substance topics to our students, staff, and parents. LIFE counselors focus on prevention and intervention to promote academic, personal growth, and well-being.
- LIFE Counselor: Ashley Spanfelner (aspanfelner@rcps.us)
HVMS PTSO
Our PTSO is instrumental in providing support to our entire school community, and the success of the program depends on you! Dues are $5 per individual who is joining. 100% of our membership fees go directly to supporting our school community. If you have any questions about membership, please contact Meredith Burrow: mereburrow@yahoo.com
Please click below to learn more about our HVMS PTSO:
Moe's Taco Kits
The HVMS PTSO is introducing a new fundraising option for Restaurant Night this year! We have partnered with Moe’s Southwest Grill to offer Taco Meal Kits with all the ingredients needed for an easy, fun family dinner for only $35.99 plus tax.
$5 from every Taco Kit sold during this event will go directly toward supporting HVMS! Pick-up will be at Hidden Valley Middle School between 5:30-6:00pm.
Order Deadline: Orders must be placed by Monday, August 15th at 8:00 p.m. No orders can be accepted on-site, and pre-orders spots available are limited - so don't wait!
Link to order for August 16th: https://form.jotform.com/220095894313154
This will be a monthly fundraiser, and tentative dates include the following:
- September 13
- October 11
- November 15
- December 13
- January 17
- February 14
- March 14
- April 11
- May 16
Thank you, HVMS PTSO!
TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Laptops
Roanoke County Schools will be providing all middle school students a laptop they can use at home and school for the 2022-23 school year at no charge to students. Laptops will be distributed to students during the first few days of school. Here is the laptop distribution schedule:
- Monday, August 15 - 8th Grade Students
- Tuesday, August 16 - 7th Grade Students
- Wednesday, August 17 - 6th Grade Students
Student First Day Forms
We ask that one parent per student log in to their ParentVUE account and complete the Annual Verification. This process is extremely important since this is where you update your contact information, emergency contact information, student health information, and accept all needed acknowledgments. If you can’t access your ParentVUE account or have any questions, please contact our front office.
More information is available on the RCPS website: https://www.rcps.us/Page/356
SCHOOL SAFETY
Traffic Pattern
Mornings: If you drop off your child in the morning, turn right into the first entrance past the football field. This is the drop off lane. Proceed all the way to the end of the building to drop off your child at the sidewalk near the bus parking lot. When exiting, be cautious of entering buses. Students do not need to wait for an adult to open their doors. They may exit their vehicles once they are along the sidewalk.
Afternoons: Please turn right into the second entrance and park in a space to wait for your child to exit the building. Please be very careful when leaving, and please watch for pedestrians and buses! Students may not be picked up from the car rider line in the afternoons.
SpeakUp
We encourage students to speak up to report bullying and other concerns. SpeakUp is a program where students can send a confidential email, text or phone call to share concerns about a classmate or school safety. Students can send an email to speakup@student.rcps.us, or they can call or text 540-595-0706. All reports are anonymous and will be quickly acted upon. Once a report is sent, school administrators are notified and resources can be deployed depending on the nature of the report.
We are encouraging students to use the SpeakUp program if they are concerned about a student who is being bullied (or is bullying others), if a student is expressing suicidal thoughts, threats of violence, use of weapons, students experiencing crisis or traumatic situations, or other urgent situations. Every report is taken very seriously.
ATHLETICS
General Information
6th, 7th, and 8th grade students are allowed to compete on the middle school athletic teams. All participating students must have a current VHSL sports physical dated on or after May 1, 2022. No student will be permitted to participate in tryouts or practice without a completed VHSL physical form on file. Additionally, all students must have health insurance if they want to participate.
Sports Schedules
Please click the links below for the most up-to-date versions of our sports schedules:
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, September 1: Hearing and Vision Screening (7th graders and students new to RCPS)
Monday, September 5: Schools Closed (Labor Day)
Friday, September 9: School Picture Day
Wednesday, September 21: 3-hour early dismissal
Thursday, October 6: Russo Field Dedication/50th Celebration (5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.)
Friday, October 7: BCAT Field Trip (8th Grade)
Thursday, October 13: End of 1st 9 Weeks
Friday, October 14: Teacher Workday
Wednesday, October 19: 3-hour early dismissal
Tuesday, November 8: Schools Closed (Election Day)
Tuesday, November 15: 2nd 9 Weeks Midpoint
Wednesday, November 23 - Friday, November 15: Schools Closed (Thanksgiving Break)
Friday, December 16: End of 2nd 9 Weeks
Monday, December 19 - Friday, December 30: Schools Closed (Winter Break)HELPFUL LINKS
ABOUT US
Website: http://www.rcps.us/hvms
Location: 4902 Hidden Valley School Road, Roanoke, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 772-7570
Facebook: facebook.com/HVMSConnect/
Twitter: @HVMSConnect