HMS Welcome Back Newsletter
2019-2020
Reminder the First Day of School (Tuesday 9/3) is a half-day. HMS students will be released at 10:58am
Holly Middle School
Haley Street, Assistant Principal
Mark Mattingly, Counselor (A-L)
Kristin Godoshian, Counselor (M-Z)
Phone: (248) 328-3400
Attendance Number: (248) 328-3426
Fax: (248) 328-3404
Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year!!
We are excited to start the 2019-2020 school year and look forward to partnering with you so that your child has an amazing year!! Please visit our website as we will be continually updating information throughout the course of the year. Skyward will continue to be an excellence resource where many teachers will communicate upcoming assignments and where student grades can be viewed. Teachers will be sending home a syllabus in these first few weeks of school with additional classroom info. If you have any classroom questions please contact your child's teacher or counselor.
Once we get started with our daily student run announcements they will be posted each afternoon to our school's Facebook page and our school website. Regularly viewing these is a great way to stay connected with what is going on at HMS!
Thanks for viewing our Monthly Newsletter!! Go Bronchos!!
Eric Curl
HMS Principal
Keys to Middle School Success
- ASK FOR HELP. At HMS, we are all here to support each other and there are adults at school ready and willing to help you.
- THINK POSITIVE. Middle school can undoubtedly be tough and overwhelming with locker combinations, peer relationships and changing classes, to name a few. It's important to remain positive and believe that you can have a great start and a great year.
- USE YOUR AGENDA. Your agenda will help you to stay organized with homework, project due dates, test dates and your daily schedule. They also have space for you to track your progress in classes, set goals and regularly review them.
- COMPLETE HOMEWORK AND CLASS ASSIGNMENTS. Each assignment is intended to help you learn. It is important to be committed to accomplishing each assignment so that you develop positive habits that carry throughout middle school and into high school.
- GET INVOLVED. HMS has a variety of clubs and sports for all students. Research shows that school involvement can be a significant factor for success. Students who are involved in after school activities generally do well inside and outside of school. Try new activities, clubs and sports; it's a great way to meet new friends.
- GIVE YOUR ATTENTION IN CLASS. Focusing on what is happening in class and using your time well each hour is one of the best ways to get ahead in middle school.
- SET GOALS. Give yourself something to strive to accomplish by the end of your first day, first week, first month and so on. Your goal might include: making one new friends, NO missing assignments, join a new club, Make a plan and stick with it by looking back regularly to assess your progress.
- TAKE GOOD, KIND CARE OF YOURSELF. This includes eating well, drinking lots of water (especially throughout the day at school), and getting AT LEAST 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
- TAKE RISKS. Middle school is a time when you start to grow up and figure out who you are and what your likes and dislikes are. Take risks and be brave. It will pay off in the end.
- REMEMBER THAT YOU MATTER. YOU BELONG HERE. YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
Attendance Matters
Attendance Incentives at HMS
Each week, we will be recognizing every student with perfect attendance. Twenty students from this list will be chosen each week to receive a treat recognizing them for their attendance.
Each month, three students (one from each grade level) with perfect attendance will receive a gift card recognizing their achievement.
Each trimester, three students (one from each grade level) with perfect attendance will be entered into a raffle to win a MAJOR PRIZE!!
We look forward to partnering with each of you in having every student, every day, all year long at HMS!
HMS Students Shows C.A.R.E.
At HMS, we will continue to promote civility and respect everywhere. Each week we'll be recognizing students who have demonstrated this throughout our school day. We will be promoting kindness, courtesy in behavior and speech as well as positive regard for our school community.
The Use of Vaporizers on the Rise with Middle School Students
While marketed as alternatives to cigarettes, vapes and e-cigarettes contain various harmful chemicals and many contain nicotine, making them addictive. The Center for Disease Control reports nicotine exposure can do significant harm to the developing adolescent brain, and the Surgeon General reports some studies show that youths who use e-cigarettes are more likely to move into smoking traditional cigarettes and marijuana in the future.
Though vape pens/e-cigarettes contain addictive nicotine and are as dangerous for kids as traditional cigarettes, these products do not look or smell like cigarettes, and can therefore be difficult to identify as something that should not be in the hands of children. They are easily mistaken for writing utensils or computer accessories, and because many of these items are marketed to teens through their colorful packaging and fruity flavors, they’re not immediately recognizable by parents as harmful tobacco products.
One popular brand of e-cigarette is JUUL. You may also hear kids referring to “juuling” in conversation or on their social media accounts.
On Friday, August 30, our Superintendent Mr. Roper emailed all secondary families an important message about the dangers of "vaping".
Below, you'll find a New York Times article and PBS News Hour video that shares additional concerns about vaping.
Dangers of Vaping Presentation on Sept. 10th @ HHS
and Human Services will speak with students and parents about the dangers of vaping during
the Open House at Holly High School. Please join us to learn more about the dangers of vaping and how
Bullying vs. Peer Conflict
One approach parents [and students] can use to distinguish between peer conflict and bullying is using the acronym RIP. There are generally three components of bullying:
R – Repeated. The action of the bully is generally a repeated action, occurring time after time.
I – Intentional. The target does not knowingly provoke the bully and, as such, the bully is intentional with their behavior/actions.
P – Power Imbalance. In bullying situations, there is a real or perceived power imbalance between the two parties. This imbalance can be physical strength, access to information, or even popularity.
In contrast, "normal" peer conflicts differ from bullying situations in the following ways:
- The children involved are of equal power or are friends.
- The conflict that occurs is occasional or often accidental.
- There is an equal emotional reaction to the conflict to both children and power or control is not being sought.
Having disagreements with peers is a normal developmental task of childhood; bullying, while it may be a common childhood experience, should not be tolerated. Trying to discern between the two may be difficult as a parent. It may be helpful to assess the situation closely – assessing if the action is Repeated, Intentional, and involves a Power Imbalance.
Using the RIP concept is a great tool to help parents distinguish between bullying and peer conflict, as the response to each differs. Conflict can be a good thing for children to experience – helping them to learn how to resolve conflict, how to give and take, how to come to an agreement, and how to problem solve. Developing conflict resolution skills in children can teach them how to listen to and work with others.
**Posted by Posted Karla Belzer, University of Illinois Extension
Helpful Ideas to Navigate Social Media!
Student Handbook Highlights
Dress Code
All shirts/dresses/tops must have a width of three fingers between the neck and shoulder, full side seams, and cover the midriff. Shirts/dresses/tops that do not meet these criteria are not acceptable unless worn over an acceptable clothing item (e.g. long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, etc.).
All shorts/skirts/dresses should be an appropriate length for the school setting. Appropriate length may mean: longer than fingertip length, mid-thigh, or other criteria. Shorts/skirts/dresses that are deemed inappropriate are not acceptable unless worn over an acceptable clothing item (e.g. leggings, pants, etc.)
Tardy Policy
One-Three (1-3) tardies under ten minutes to the same class will result in a student receiving a warning by their teacher.
Four (4) tardies to the same class = a 45 minute after-school detention.
Five (5) tardies to the same class = a 45 minute after-school detention.
Six (6) or more tardies: Habitually tardy students are in violation of the Holly Schools truancy policy and shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary consequences, community service, in school suspension and/or out of suspension, or Saturday School experience.
Tardy phone calls will go home each evening, just as attendance calls do.
Cell Phone
At HMS electronic communication devices (such as cell phones) must be turned off (and not turned on at any time during the school day including passing time and lunch time unless under the direct supervision of HMS Staff) and stored in a locker once a student enters the building. In no case, will any personal communication device be allowed that provides for a wireless, unfiltered connection to the Internet. Cell Phones found on the person or turned on during the school day will be turned into the front office. If the student persists and the device is confiscated more than once, it will only be released to a parent/guardian/designee. Failure to comply is insubordination and could be subject to disciplinary action.
Morning Drop-Off
If you are dropping off students in the morning please pull all the way up in between the "Drop Off" signs. Our plan is to have cars let students out in "pods" of 6. We'd like to fit 3 cars in front of the crosswalk, then have those 3 cars and the 3 cars behind the crosswalk let students out. After students exit the next "pod" of 6 pulls up and follows suit!!
Thanks for your help in making this a safe and efficient process!!
Remember students may enter the building at 7:15am
Afternoon Pick-Up
Also, if you are using the parking lot to pick-up students at the end of the day instead of the car line due to loading large items (instruments, projects, sports gear, etc.), Please park in a designated spot. We have seen an increase in cars parked/stopped in various areas which creates an unsafe situation for our students.
Thanks for your help in making this a safe and efficient process for all!!
Setting up a Meeting with a HMS Staff member
Please follow these steps if you are seeking to set up a meeting with staff at HMS:
- Contact the person you are seeking a meeting with via email/phone (you can also reach out directly to your child's counselor)
- Set up a mutually agreed upon time
- When arriving for your meeting, check in at the main office and the staff member will meet you there.
By following these steps we look to reduce the instances of families showing up to see a staff member only to find out that the staff member is not available to meet. Additionally, for the safety of our students all visitors must report to the main office to check in and should never directly go to a classroom to meet with a staff member.
Free Breakfast!!
Parent Lighthouse Team
Upcoming Events
9/3 - 1st day of School (1/2 day - Dismissal at 10:58am)
9/9 - Parent Lighthouse Team Meeting @ 5:30
9/13 - Okay2Say Presentation for all 6th graders and new students
9/19 - New Student Breakfast for all students new to the HAS District
Follow HMS on Social Media!
Website: http://www.hask12.org/schools/holly-middle-school/
Location: 14470 North Holly Road, Holly, MI, USA
Phone: 248 328 3400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Holly-Middle-School-Sherman-Campus-634705656664993/
Twitter: @HMSBronchos