The staff members at Houston Middle School are super excited for the 2018 - 2019 school year to start! We look forward to providing your child with a safe and welcoming learning environment with engaging activities and high expectations for success. Parents and guardians are always welcome at Houston Middle School, so please call or stop by if there are any questions or needs we can assist you with as the school year begins. Go Hawks!

Welcome back Houston Middle School families and friends! The office staff and teachers are busy preparing for our Hawks to return to school on August 16th. This time of year is always exciting and filled with positive energy. Our pledge is to make sure your children are safe and have access to quality instruction to prepare for high school. We have some great plans for the school year that include:

• technology integration
• teaching note-taking strategies
• understanding and developing a growth mindset
• creating school-wide writing expectations
• refining our Response to Intervention (RTI) process and procedures
  

I'm excited about all of the possibilities for our students. It's going to be a spectacular school year. Go Hawks!
-Mr. Howard

HMS uses a an online program called HERO to track both positive and negative behavior at school. Positive behavior is rewarded by students earning Hawk Points. Students can redeem his or her Hawk Points for Hawk Gear. If parents or guardians would like to receive notifications about their child/student's behavior, please access the link below to create an account:

https://herok12.com/resources/Hero-QSG-PSE-Parents.pdf

You must have your students ID number to register. If you get an error message please contact the office at 892-9500 for a parent/guardian access key.

FY19 Houston Middle School Bell Schedule

Breakfast 7:25 AM - 7:40 AM

1st Period/Hawk Talk 7:45 AM - 8:00 AM

2nd Period 8:04 AM - 8:54 AM

3rd Period 8:58 AM - 9:48 AM

4th Period 9:52 AM - 10:42 AM

5th & 6th Period / Lunches

5th Period /A Lunch 10:46 AM - 11:16 AM

5th or 6th Period /B Lunch 11:20 AM - 11:50 AM

6th Period /C Lunch 11:54 AM - 12:24 PM

7th Period 12:28 PM - 1:18 PM

8th Period 1:22 PM - 2:15 PM

Buses Leave 2:25 PM

I'm pleased and excited to welcome new staff to Houston Middle School. During the hiring process, I was impressed by the way our new staff members spoke to the importance of supporting school-wide norms and how growth mindset impacts student success. Our new teachers and assistants are passionate educators with the belief that all learning starts with positive relationships and caring adults. I am excited to have each of them join our staff and am confident that they will contribute to our efforts in growing HMS from a good school to a great school.

Amanda Williams - 6th Grade Language Arts
Rebecca Merrell - 7th Grade Langauge Arts
April Dunham - Art/STEAM
Ann Lee - Librarian
Teri Haddeland - 6th Grade Math

There is a $100 fee per athletic activity for students up to a maximum of $250 per year. Students may qualify for reduced fees based on need. Parents/Guardians who are interested in applying for reduced fees should contact the main off at 892-9500.

The x-country season begins on the first day of school! We encourage as many Hawks as we can to join up for this fun and healthy activity.

Practices will be Monday - Friday after school until 3:45 PM. Parents and guardians are responsible for picking up student athletes after practice each day on time. We're encouraging x-country runners to begin training now. A good way to start is by running 1-2 miles every other day. Remember to stretch. Coach Swick is excited for the season. Hawks don't walk, we fly.

AUGUST 16th .... Come Join The Team!

School Picture Day is on Thursday, August 23rd @ 8:00 AM. Picture order forms will be sent home the week before pictures are taken. All students will have his/her picture taken for student IDs and the yearbook. If there are questions, please contact the school.

The first Wednesday of each month, starting in September, Houston Middle School will host Pastries for Parents. Pastries for Parents is a time for parents and guardians to visit Houston Middle School before school starts to enjoy a pastry and coffee. Our first Pastries for Parents will be on Wednesday, September 5th. Please join us from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM for a chance to visit our school!