HMMS Happenings!
August 18, 2022
I hope this August installment of HMMS Happenings finds you well and having a wonderful summer! We are getting close to opening day, but still have plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine!
Next week will be a busy one in our building, as we see more and more teachers return to check in and set up their classrooms. We will also have orientation activities for new teachers and locker try-outs for our 6th graders and new students!
Included below are some reminders about student schedules, Aspen accounts, and locker tryouts. I have also included updated information on bus transportation and have linked the FPS 2022-2023 calendar with our middle school cycle days. Lastly, you will find a list of team/cluster configurations for the new school year as well as information about backpacks, Chromebooks and lockers. This information will be handy as student schedules are published and as you prepare for Opening Day!
Summer reading and math information as well as grade level supply lists and student medication procedures can be found in my July newsletter or on our HMMS Website.
I will send out an additional communication the week of August 22nd
with more Opening Day information.
Our first day of school for students is Tuesday, August 30th!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to someone in the main office.
HMMS Office: 508-541-6230
Ms. Motte, HMMS Principal: motter@franklinps.net phone ext. 2816
Mr. Healy, HMMS Assistant Principal: healyb@franklinps.net phone ext. 2846
Mrs. Simon HMMS Secretary: simonb@franklinps.net phone ext. 2869
Sincerely,
Ms. Motte
Principal
Reminder: Student Schedules Posted in Aspen August 23rd!
Aspen Information
All students have Aspen student accounts created for them. Parents/guardians can also request a separate family Aspen account. Families and students should check to make sure their accounts are active in order to view team placement and schedules. To request a password reset for your existing Aspen account or to create a new family account, please email Mrs. Simon directly at simonb@franklinps.net.
The link for Franklin's Aspen portal is:
https://ma-franklin.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do
**We encourage you to try accessing your student and family Aspen accounts prior to August 23th to prevent a high volume of password resets on that day.**
Locker Tryouts August 25th!
Stop by HMMS during one of the following locker tryout times:
Thursday, August 25th - 10:00am - 11:00am
Thursday, August 25th - 5:00pm - 6:00pm
While students will not be practicing their own individual locker, many have found it helpful to at least go through the process of opening one. Additionally, this will give students an opportunity to walk our 6th grade hallway (and maybe even peek into a classroom or two!) prior to the first day of school.
2022-2023 Bus Information
https://www.franklinps.net/district/transportation
Bus Passes
From August 22nd - 26th bus passes will be available for pickup at HMMS. However, please keep in mind that the office will be extremely busy this week as we welcome teachers back and prepare for the first day of school. Bus Passes not picked up will be distributed to students on their first day of school. Drivers will begin checking passes on September 12, 2022.
Bus Routes
Franklin High School and Horace Mann Middle School students will ride separate buses for the 2022-2023 school year. Click directly on this webpage for information regarding 2022-2023 bus routes, or click on the PDF document below for a list of district bus routes this year.
Cluster/Team Information for 2022-2023
Our 7th and 8th grade team configurations will adopt a "Split Team" model this year. This means that we have one 7th Grade team (Team Weihenmayer), one 8th grade team (Team Lions) and one 7th/8th grade team (Team Eagles). To clarify - students in grades 7 and 8 will not mix between grade level if they are on Team Eagles. Students and families and can be assured that the team experience will be similar to across all teams regardless of placement. Both Annie Sullivan Middle School and Remington Middle School have been operating in a 7th/8th Split Team model for several years now and have been a tremendous support to our school as we make this shift for 2022-2023. More information about our teams will be shared with students on Opening Day and with families at our HMMS Back to School Night on October 13th.
Please see the cluster/team configurations below for our Academic Teams. This will be helpful to refer to when viewing your child's schedule in Aspen next week. Your child will find out more about their teachers and the significance of their team name in the opening weeks of school!
Grade 6 - Team Thunder
Mrs. Allie Devine, ELA
Mrs. Diane Stadelbauer, Math
Mrs. Amy Foster, Science
Ms. Kayla Flaherty, Social Studies
Mr. Erik Lawson, Special Education Teacher
Grade 6 - Team Lightning
Mr. Joe Corey, ELA & Social Studies
Mrs. Noreen Langmeyer, Math & Science
Ms. Abby Viles, Special Education Teacher
Grade 7 - Team Weihenmayer
Mrs. Kim Nadreau, ELA
Mrs. Samantha Redmond, Math
Mrs. Mallori Polucha, Science
Mr. Jim d’Entremont, Social Studies
Ms. Leisa Winrich, Special Education Teacher
Ms. Marybeth Byrne, Special Education ESP
Grades 7 & 8 -The Eagles
Mr. Bill Costanza, ELA
Mrs. Beth Ackley & Mrs. Colleen Donahue, Math
Mrs. Jacqui Carroll, Science
Mr. Sean Nelligan, Social Studies
Ms. Sarah Crafford, Special Education Teacher
Mrs. Joanne Cardoso, Special Education ESP
Grade 8 - The Lions
Mrs. Jill Whetstone, ELA
Mrs. Lauren O’Malley, Math
Mrs. Liza Sommers, Science
Mr. Rob Vacca, Social Studies
Mrs. Jayme Caruso, Special Education Teacher
Mrs. Laura Duhamel, Special Education ESP
Grades 6-8 REACH
Mrs. Marta Coscia, Special Education Teacher (ELA/SS)
Mrs. Heidi Loiselle, Special Education Teacher (Math/Sci)
Mrs. Leslee Differ, REACH Counselor
Ms. Jessica Trager, REACH ESP
Ms. Meaghan Davis, REACH ESP
Ms. Michelle Frawley, REACH ESP
Reminder: Backpacks, Chromebooks & Lockers for 2022-2023
Below are some updates about backpacks, Chromebooks & lockers for the 2022-2023 school year.
Backpacks: Students will be allowed to carry their backpacks throughout the day to hold their Chromebooks, school supplies and water bottles. Students should come to school each day with a backpack. If you are in need of a backpack for the school year, please contact Mrs. Simon in the main office!
Chromebooks:
7th and 8th Grade - Students should bring their charged device to school daily, beginning August 30th. Seventh and eighth grade students kept their school issued Chromebooks and chargers over the summer. Any new students will be issued a device on 8/30 during homeroom.
6th Grade - Sixth graders will receive a school issued Chromebook and charger on the first day of school, August 30th.
Lockers: Each grade level will set locker expectations at the start of the year. At a minimum, lockers will be used to store specific items such as cell phone, coats and lunches. Lockers will be assigned during homeroom time on the first day of school. All students will be assigned a locker buddy, two students per locker, as we have a limited number of lockers in our school.
**Call us if you need anything! As always, if you have any trouble securing supplies for your child during the school year, please contact the main office and we will help you out!**
Important Dates to Remember...
August
- Tue Aug 23 - Team Placement Information released on Aspen
- Thu Aug 25 - Locker Tryouts (for new students) 10:00am -11:00am & 5:00pm-6:00pm
- Mon Aug 29 - Teachers Return to School (PD Day).
- Tue Aug 30 - First Day of School for Students!
September
- Fri Sep 2 - No School for Students (PD Day for Staff)
- Mon Sep 5 - No School, Labor Day
- Tue Sep 6 - First HMMS PCC Meeting for 2022-2023, 9:00-10:30am
- Thu Sep 15 - Fall Picture Day!
- Wed Sep 21 - Early Release Day for Students, dismissal at 10:45am
- Mon Sep 26 - No School, Rosh Hashanah
October
- Oct 4 & 6 - Grade 6 YMCA Field Trip (more info to come...)
- Wed Oct 5 - No School, Yom Kippur
- Fri Oct 7 - Early Release Day for Students, dismissal at 10:45am
- Mon Oct 10 - No School, Indigenous People Day/Columbus Day
- Thu Oct 13 - HMMS Open House, Back to School Night! 6:30-8:00pm
- Tue Oct 25 - HMMS Visiting Author Day with Leslie Connor!
- Thu Oct 27 - Fall Picture Re-Takes
- Fri Oct 28 - Early Release Day for Students, dismissal at 10:45am
About HMMS
508-541-6230 ext 2816
Mr. Healy's contact information
508-541-6230 ext 2846
Email: name@franklinps.net
Website: https://www.franklinps.net/horacemann
Location: 224 Oak Street, Franklin, MA, USA
Phone: 508-541-6230
Twitter: @HMMSLightning