Hidden River Newsletter
Week of May 1st - 5th, 2023
Weekly Reminders
- SAVE THE DATES:
Wed., May 3rd - National Bike/Walk to School Day
Thurs.-Sat., May 4th-6th - Spring Musical Beauty & the Beast at 6:30 (tickets here)
Next Week: (5/8-5/12)
Thurs., May 11th - NJHS Induction Ceremony 6:00-7:00 pm
What's in the Newsletter?
- School Information
- Student of the Month (April)
- Staff Appreciation Week
- Bike/Walk to School Day
- Classroom Updates
- Books for Bingo - Save the date
- Counseling Corner
- Family Feedback Form
School Information
MCA Information 8th Graders: Hidden River 8th Graders will be doing the MCA Science test on Tuesday 5/2 and Wednesday 5/3 during their Science class period. Please help your student prepare by asking them if they have their iPad, if it is updated, and helping them make sure they bring a charged iPad to school on testing days. Reminder that students cannot have phones, or any Bluetooth technology on them during testing. Students can leave these items at home, in their lockers or their teacher will have a safe space to hold these items. If you have any questions, you can email the testing coordinator at kathryn.bannon@spps.org. Additional information please click the link. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YLO2TclPzDh1g3feUCOkAATq4GXQBcquDjLrTkK7txo/edit?usp=sharing
Personal Electronics: If your student chooses to bring personal electronics to school please remind them to store items in a safe location (binder, locker, purse/backpack, trusted adult). Hidden River is not responsible for any lost or stolen items. Full personal electronics expectations here.
Become a Language Development Tutor: Hidden River Middle School is looking for tutors for the 2023-24 school year. You can take action in our community by giving your time and talent to help multilingual students strengthen their skills! As a Language Development Tutor, you’ll mentor middle school students and provide support in and out of the classroom to help them understand lessons, navigate assignments and build their confidence. Full-time positions are available with opportunities to begin in July.
Perks as a Tutor:
· Receive a paid stipend every two weeks
· Earn up to $4,546 for college tuition or student loans. Tutors 55 and older may gift the award to their child, grandchild, stepchild or foster child.
· Free health insurance and child care assistance for those who qualify Ready to put your passion in action? Learn more at ampact.us/language. Questions can be sent to join@ampact.org or call 866.859.2825
Student of the Month - April (Reflective)
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
Hidden River Staff Appreciation Week
The first week of May is Teacher/Staff Appreciation! Help us shower our Hidden River educators with love. If you'd like to write a card to a special teacher or staff member, we've got a collection box set up in the office (we've even got extra blank cards if you need one). If families and students would like to post notes online, they can do so here. We'll also provide a special breakfast and lunch that week so stay tuned for opportunities to help with set up and clean up
Bike/Walk to School Day - Wednesday, May 3rd
The weather looks to be beautiful on Wednesday! If you are able, try to plan on getting to school by walking, biking, or rolling (skateboarding, scootering, roller-skating ... there are lots of ways to roll to school!) If you do, look for a treat on the Cambridge Street side of the building to celebrate you and your earth-friendly (and healthy) way of getting to school.
How to keep your bike safe at school?
When you bike somewhere it’s important to know how to lock your bike up securely to prevent theft. Be sure to lock your bike’s frame and NOT just the wheel. You can find information on how to lock up smart with the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota here https://www.bikemn.org/mn-bicycling-handbook/theft-prevention/.
If you’re planning to bike when it’s dark, prepare with front and rear lights. The front light should be white and the rear should be read.
Looking for a biking buddy?
We would love to connect more students who are interested in biking to Hidden River!! Do you have a student who is interested in biking to school, but hesitant to get started? Or is your student an experienced biker who's willing to help a neighbor get started? We would love to connect students in your neighborhood to encourage more biking. If your student is interested in participating, please fill out this form and we will reach out to you if we can make a connection.
Classroom Updates
6th Grade Math
Band/Music class choice for next school year
Host Families for French Students - Summer 2023
Counseling Corner
SPPS Middle School Counselor of the Year 22-23
Registration, grades, field trips & more
8th grade field trip slips
- The 8th grade students will be participating in 2 upcoming field trips in May.
- Wednesday, May 17th: Junior Achievement Finance Park: Focusing on Financial Literacy, Money Management knowledge and skills developments. This is a field trip that 8th grade students district-wide will participate in this spring.
- Tuesday, May 23rd: MYP Project Fair and Central High School Visit
- Field Trip slips will be given to students via Foundations class on Monday, May 1st. Please complete the online form AND return the signed field trip form by May 15th. Thank you
- Online form can be found here https://forms.gle/XWmX6GoTBoYrZhK86
2023-24 Course Registration
- 8th Grade: Students attending Central High School (CHS) who still need help to select classes can stop by the Hidden River counseling office for help. Online Course Registration for Central High School closes Friday, May 5th
- Current 6th/7th: In-house course registration will take place the first week of May during Math classes. On Monday & Tuesday, May 1st & 2nd students will be given a course registration form to bring home to share with parents. While much of the middle school schedule is pre-filled with required core classes, students will have an opportunity to select a few enrichment/elective classes to be added to their schedule. Please watch for the course registration form in the coming week. This page is for you/your child’s information and does not need to be returned. Please know that class schedule placements are random and special requests cannot be honored. Thank you for understanding. Please direct all course schedule/registration questions to the HRMS Counselors, Ms. Woodruff and Mr. Nigatu.
- Current 5th/Incoming 6th Grade Families: The first round New Student Communication was sent on Thursday April 27th. If you have an incoming 6th grader attending Hidden River in the Fall, please complete the New Student Enrollment Form as soon as possible (and share this info with others). Thank you.
- https://forms.gle/vu5MVKRGnfjVZ3c1A
8th Grade Individual Academic Conference
- As part of the transition to high school, HRMS counselors are meeting with 8th grade students individually to answer questions and ensure that students are on track for high school. The individual academic conferences started in late September and will continue through the end of May. Topics include goal setting, the review of middle school transcripts, course credits and the role credits play in middle/high school; and the more immediate, 8th grade recognition ceremony. If you would like a copy of your child’s middle school transcripts, please let your child’s counselor know and we will be happy to mail or email them to you.
- The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony (much like a graduation) is the year-end celebration honoring our 8th graders in their last days of middle school. This year’s ceremony will be held on the morning of June 13th (more details later). Students are aware they must be academically eligible to participate. HRMS counselors will continue to connect with parents/guardians during the individual academic conferences to ensure that students have an added layer of support in these last 2 months of middle school. Families, please contact the HRMS School Counselors with any questions you may have.
Grades Request, Report Cards
- Quarter 3 grades have been finalized and posted to student transcripts district wide. This means that counselor can now provide grade reports to families (upon request). Previous Grade Requests will be honored from Q1 & Q2 so families are not required to complete new requests. For families who have not yet requested grades, please click the link below to let the HRMS Counselors know how you would like to receive your child’s Q3 grades. As a reminder, quarter ending grades become available 2-3 weeks after the quarter ends. This gives teachers time to finalize their grade books and ensure proper grades have been entered.
- Request Q3 grades here https://forms.gle/Q83FXoVRDM5F7jSh7
Got Questions? Let the HRMS Counselors know.
Student last names A-L (all grades) Barbie.woodruff@spps.org
Student last names M-Z (all grades) Ayoub.Nigatu@spps.org