Husky Highlights
OCTOBER 2020
Happy October!
We have just completed the mid-quarter progress reports. The students at HMS are doing very well and have successfully completed the beginning of the year transition to completing assignments, asking for assistance from teachers and taking ownership of their grades. I have had the opportunity to visit every classroom several times and am still amazed by our students. As a reminder, before school tutoring is open to all students in the library Monday through Friday from 8 am to 9am. If a student chooses to attend before school tutoring, they will be expected to stay in the library once they enter.
During the month of October, there are several events taking place, so be sure to keep your eye on the calendar. One exciting event is the beginning of Intramural Basketball. We encourage all students to play even if they have never played before. Tyler Krekling will be the Girls Coach and Zach Kudla will be the Boys Coach along with Eric Pederson. We still need to find our Girls B Team Coach. Interested individuals can contact Kari Dendurent.
The end of the 1st quarter is October 16, 2020, and October 29th and 30th will be Parent/Teacher Conferences. The format of the conferences is still being discussed district-wide. I am hopeful it will be decided upon by the end of this week. Letters will be sent to parents with a specified time to meet with teachers. If you have concerns with your student’s progress, you can schedule a time to meet with one or several teachers now. You do not need to wait for parent conferences.
On a final note, we had our student government elections. Talia Weisser is the HMS President and Layci Lou Wise is the Vice President. Both girls facilitate Husky Time via Zoom with our Daily Announcements and Brain Breaks. Our Student Government also organized our first Spirit Week of the Year. Photos can be found on our HMS Facebook Page.
Thank you for your continued support for Homer Middle School. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions to assist us with making this a Great Year.
Ms. Dendurent
The mission of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Federal Programs/Small Schools Department is to provide quality, timely, and collaborative academic support to enhance the success of targeted students, schools and parents in an ethical manner and in compliance with KPBSD policies, federal regulations and state statutes. For more information about the KPBSD Federal Programs Department click here:
Dates to Remember
October 3 - Soccer Boroughs @ Kenai 10am
October 5 - Basketball Intramurals Begins
October 12 - CACS Educators in Science Classes
October 16 - NO SCHOOL
October 21 & 22 - 7th Grade Coastwalk
October 23 - Basketball Intramurals Ends
October 26 - HMS Basketball Starts
October 29 & 30 - Parent Teacher Conferences
October 29 & 30 - NO SCHOOL
October 31 - Boys A&B Scrimmages @ KMS
October 31 - Girls A&B Scrimmages @ Skyview
Fun Dates to Know
World Teacher Day
Dictionary Day
International Sloth Day
WHAT CLASSES DO I HAVE TODAY?
GREAT JOB HMS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS!
Symptoms of COVID-19
What you need to know
If you have new symptoms, even mild ones, that could be COVID-19 please contact your health care provider or your local Public Health Center.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
· Fever or chills
· Cough
· Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
· Fatigue
· Muscle or body aches (myalgias)
· Headache
· New loss of taste or smell
· Sore throat
· Congestion or runny nose
· Nausea or vomiting
· Diarrhea
· Increased sputum (phlegm) production
Although most people with COVID-19 will start out with only one or two of these symptoms — and the symptoms will generally be very mild — people tend to be the most contagious during the first several days after symptom onset.
What to keep in mind
· People tend to be most contagious during the first several days after symptom onset, even if their symptoms are very mild.
· If you start experiencing ANY symptoms of an acute respiratory infection/COVID-19, stay home and isolated from others, practice social distancing and wear a cloth face covering if you must leave your house to seek medical treatment.
· Contact your health care provider or Public Health Center before going in to see them. You may be diagnosed telephonically.
· A test is neither a treatment nor a cure, but a tool to protect your health and the health of others.
http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/COVID-19/symptoms.aspx
Message from the Kitchen
GOOD NEWS FROM HOMER MIDDLE SCHOOL KITCHEN!
As of 9/21 Breakfast and Lunch is provided free of charge to all students! There is no application process for this. This is expected to continue until January 2021. If you have not already filled out an application for free or reduced meals, we encourage families to do so. (See Link Below) When this program ends in January, if your students eligible , he/she will continue to receive meals free or reduced.
Please call with questions. X5743.
Thank you Monica, HMS Kitchen
HMS Counselor Corner
Sources of Strength: Help for Stress and Crisis
Stress usually comes from worry about hard tasks, upsetting events, or having too much to do and not enough time. Stress uses up our body’s energy quickly and we need ways to refuel ourselves. If stress continues without breaks to refuel, then our body, mind, and feelings wear down leading to more problems, illness, and even crisis.
As summer slips away with the shortening of days, many feel the effects of less daylight. It is important to look at what gives us strength. Look at each area in the picture and think about your strengths in that area. If you cannot think of any strengths in that area, think about ways you could make that area stronger.
There are 8 Sources of Strength areas:
Family Support: Examples include mother, father, stepparent, guardian, sibling, grandparent, cousin, aunt, uncle
Positive Friends: People around you that help you feel better and deal with your problems in a healthy way instead of being negative or influencing you to do things that add to your problems.
Mentors: Examples include teacher, coach, music/dance instructor, youth leader, older peer, scout leader, trainer.
Healthy Activities: Eating and drinking enough good things each day, daily physical activity, watching/listening to uplifting entertainment, and getting enough sleep each night. Examples include:
1) Play a game of your favorite sport for fun without keeping score or competing
2) Play an instrument: piano, drums, guitar, violin, or any instrument
4) Exercise: run, walk, jog, go biking, do aerobics, do yoga, lift weights, go to the gym, dance
5) Develop a daily stretching routine to loosen your muscles and release trapped tension
Generosity: Do something nice for someone else, be kind, stand up for someone else. When you focus on others and help them with their problems, you feel better and forget your problems for a while.
Spirituality: Harmony inside yourself and between you and the world. What brings you inner peace and calm? You might attend a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or you may do things at home or outdoors that bring you peace. Examples include:
1) Sit in a comfortable chair or lie on your bed; close your eyes; breathe slowly in and out listening to the sound
2) Think of your favorite place to be focus on all of the colors, sounds, smells, and sights
3) Write what you are mad, sad, or unhappy about and tear up the note - throw it away
4) Take a 15 min. break, do not think about the problem, and only think about what is good & going right in your life
5) Listen to relaxing music or sounds, such as waves, rain, wind, forest
Medical Access: Sometimes problems come from injury or illness. Be sure to contact your doctor if you cannot figure out the source or solution to a problem affecting your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Mental Health: Problems often result in feelings like anger, fear, or sadness. When you are in a crisis, these feelings can overwhelm you. Counselors can help you deal with these feelings and improve your mental health.
Quick Access Links
Sign up eScrip
We are in back-to-school season, even if we are not back to school, and it's the perfect time to get new families signed up and earning with eScrip.
Getting the word out can mean a great year of earnings:
- Visit Where to Earn on groups.escrip.com for everything you need to promote your eScrip program where dozens of merchants give back to Homer Middle School — up to 5% or more on purchases made.
- Use social media, your newsletters, and website to tell your families to go to escrip.com/wheretoearn, choose their favorite store, and complete registration to start earning for Homer Middle School.
- Use eScrip's Facebook page to engage with fellow coordinators, and find some fun videos that you can share to promote fundraising with your supporters!
Homer Middle School
- Kari Dendurent - Principal 235- 5701
- Marilyn Wythe - Secretary 235-5740
- Janette Latimer - Nurse 235-5711
- Lisa Fellows - Counselor 235-5716
Email: KDendurent@KPBSD.k12.ak.us
Website: https://kpbsd.org/schools/homer-middle/
Location: 500 Sterling Highway, Homer, AK, USA
Phone: 907-235-5700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomerMiddleSchoolAlaska/