HMS Connection

A Message from Mr. Smith

Greetings from HMS!

In this week's Connection, I am pleased and proud to be able to provide you with an update from our Project 351 Ambassador, Nora Cristofferson, grade 8.

For those who may not know, Project 351 is a service project that brings together grade eight students from each of the 351 school districts from across the state. As our ambassador, Nora will represent HMS over the course of the year, and work with our school locally on a service project. Below you will find her summary of Launch Day.

" I wanted to let you know that the Project 351 Launch Day on Saturday was successful and an amazing experience! About 370 8th-grade ambassadors from across the state united for community service in Boston. We worked in Service Hero Teams of about 8-10 students. My team was the Malala Yousafzai Service Hero Team and the 7 other ambassadors on that team were extremely friendly and as enthusiastic as I am about making a difference in our communities.

We heard from Governor Maura Healy and the executive director of the "Embrace" monument, Imari Paris Jeffries, about creating positive change. After that, we went to 1 of 4 service sites in and around Boston to do volunteer work. I went to the Cradles to Crayons headquarters and bagged orders of clothes for people in need who requested specific items. After about 2 hours of service, we went back to Fanueil Hall where we started and ended our day to hear about Spring Service and closing speeches.

I am very excited to be a part of Project 351 and can't wait to start Spring Service! I included pictures that were taken on Saturday. The first is a picture of all the ambassadors at Fanueil Hall, raising hearts above our heads to symbolize "35, 1 LOVE". The second photo is of me with my Service Hero Team at Fanueil Hall, and I am the second on the left. I want to thank everyone at HMS for this opportunity and their support!

Thanks,

Nora "

Thank YOU, Nora!

Shrek: The Musical

As you are probably aware by now, this year's HMS spring drama production will be Shrek: The Musical! Preparations are well underway, but there are still opportunities to get involved if you are interested.

For example, we are looking for designs for our Shrek show shirts and playbills! Entries must contain the title of the show (Shrek), the words "Hingham Middle School" or "HMS", and the year (2023). Entries can be turned in at the Main Office in the green Shrek folder, now through Friday, January 27th. See Mrs. Fish with questions!

For rehearsal information and schedules, students should consult the Callboard found outside of the auditorium. It is updated each week and this information is also posted on Google Classroom which can be joined using the code 7ba3agx.

HMS Ski Club News

The HMS Ski Club had a great trip to Pat's Peak in early January.

Ski club members should check their school email later this week for sign-ups for the February 11 trip!

Grade Eight Washington DC Trip - Roommate Selection

As the date of our grade eight trip to Washington DC moves ever closer, we have begun some of the more complicated parts of the planning process, specifically, roommate selection.

Roommate request forms were distributed in school on Wednesday, and a copy is available here:

2023 Roommate Selection Form

These forms are due back no later than February 1, and can be returned to the drop boxes outside of Room 303 or in the main office.

Please read the form carefully and understand that we are responsible for placing 226 students with at least one person they requested. Our plan is to ensure that each student will be paired with at least one of the people on their request list and none of those on the list of people with whom they can not room, so the information provided through these forms is very important.

Please note that each form must be completed by the student and signed by a parent or guardian. If the form is late or unsigned, it is not considered valid, and may not be taken into consideration when room assignments are made. This is a large undertaking and we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Roommate groups will be announced upon arrival in DC on April 26. We have used this approach for previous trips and found it to be highly effective.

As always, thanks for your support at home as we complete the planning for this trip.

Tim Galvin, Mark Huntington, and Mark McCulloch

8th Grade Class Advisors

Important HMS PTO Meeting!

January 24 - Term II Ends

January 25 - Term III Begins

January 30 - HMS School Council Meeting, 2:30 Administrative Conference Room

February 1 - PTO Meeting with Special Guest, Dr. Adams, 8:30 AM HMS cafeteria

Early Release Day, 11:00 AM Dismissal

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 School Store Fundraiser

We just wanted to reach out one last time to let families know that apparel from our school store is still available.

Please be aware that there are minimums required for some items, so if we are unable to meet those numbers, we may need to issue refunds to those of you who have already previously ordered.

All proceeds go to the HMS school fund, which means more fun and activities for our students!

We will be taking orders until Friday, Feb 10th.

Below is the link to the flyer & form, which you can also find next to the case near our main staircase (see photo). You may drop your form & check off in the mailbox or hand it into Ms. Ciulla or Ms. Yindra.

Thank you for your support!

Harbor Mall Store