HMS  Parent  Newsletter  

January  6,  2017  Dear  Families,       This  first  page  of  the  weekly  newsletter  includes  a  photo  of  the  HMS  Stars  of  the  Month  for  December.  This  morning,  we  honored  these  students  with  a  ceremony  that  included  a  breakfast  buffet  as  well  as  some  games  with  the  opportunity  to  win  prizes.  Congratulations  to  our  Stars  of  the  Month  for  December!  The  names  of  the  students  are  listed  on  the  next  page  of  this  newsletter.       Yesterday,  our  faculty  participated  in  a  “Faculty  Meeting  Breakout  Session.”  This  is  something  that  we  do  on  a  regular  basis,  as  it  empowers  our  faculty  members  by  offering  them  additional  opportunities  to  lead  from  the  classroom.  Mrs.  Hindle  led  a  session  regarding  school  climate.  Mrs.  St.  Michel  facilitated  a  session  on  Google  Extensions.  Also,  Dr.  Shurtleff  guided  teachers  in  a  session  titled  “Writing  Across  the  Curriculum.”  These  breakout  sessions  are  a  great  way  for  teachers  to  share  best  practices  and  learn  from  each  other.    Many  teachers  have  planned  and  facilitated  sessions  so  far  this  year,  and  several  more  are  eagerly  waiting  to  present  to  their  peers  later  on  in  the  year.       The  Blue  Team  honored  students  last  evening  with  their  “Spotlight  Pizza  Party.”  This  is  another  way  that  teachers  at  our  school  are  working  to  celebrate  student  success.  I  would  like  to  recognize  the  Blue  Team  teachers  for  the  work  that  they  are  doing  to  celebrate  student  success,  and  I  would  like  to  also  thank  the  parents  that  were  able  to  be  in  attendance  at  this  event  with  their  children.       The  week  of  January  17th,  we  will  hold  our  annual  State  of  the  School  Address.  The  State  of  the  School  Address  serves  as  a  mid-­‐year  check-­‐in  with  

students.  We  will  take  a  look  at  where  we  are  as  a  school,  and  where  we  want  to  be  moving  forward.  I  will  present  our  school’s  academic  accountability  data  so  that  the  students  can  see  the  progress  that  we  are  making  in  our  school  compared  to  other  schools  in  the  state  of  Massachusetts.  I  will  also  share  some  of  the  work  that  I’ve  done  to  prepare  a  budget  for  the  upcoming  school  year,  as  well  as  goals  that  we  have  included  in  our  School  Improvement  Plan.    Furthermore,  I  will  be  celebrating  group  and  individual  student  success.  I  will  be  speaking  about  some  of  the  new  and  innovative  things  that  are  going  on  in  our  school,  as  well  as  some  new  ideas  that  we  have  for  the  future.  Ms.  Bouchard  will  further  discuss  The  Warrior  Way  and  school  culture.  Moreover,  we  will  have  presentations  from  our  Student  Leadership  Team,  teachers,  SRO  Perry,  and  more.  Aside  from  speakers,  there  will  also  be  some  fun  planned  for  the  students  during  presentation.       On  January  17th,  our  HMS  Warriors  and  Lady  Warriors  will  be  participating  in  Massasoit  Basketball  League  action  at  Beckwith  Middle  School  in  Rehoboth.  These  should  be  some  very  competitive  games.  With  Beckwith  Middle  School  located  just  down  the  road  off  of  Route  44,  I  am  hoping  that  we  will  have  a  good  crowd  on  hand  to  support  our  teams.  I  know  that  I  plan  on  being  there  to  support  our  student-­‐athletes.  These  games  were  originally  scheduled  for  this  past  Wednesday,  but  were  moved  because  of  some  facility  issues  at  Beckwith.  Next  week,  on  Monday,  the  teams  are  away  at  Norton  Middle  School.  We  have  a  home  game  on  Wednesday,  January  11th,  vs.  Somerset  Middle  School.         On  January  23rd,  Ms.  Bouchard  and  I  will  be  holding  our  second  session  of  Lobby  Hours.  This  is  an  opportunity  for  both  teachers  and  students  to  join  us  in  the  Tower  Lobby  for  informal  conversation.  It  gives  people  the  opportunity  to  raise  concerns,  share  ideas,  and  ask  questions.  On  that  day,  the  teachers  are  invited  to  meet  with  us  in  the  morning  at  7:30  am.  The  students  are  invited  to  join  us  in  the  afternoon  from  2:45  pm  to  3:30  pm.  This  second  edition  of  Lobby  Hours  will  continue  and/or  bring  resolution  to  some  of  the  questions  and  ideas  that  were  shared  at  the  last  session  for  both  the  teachers  and  the  students.  Refreshments  will  be  served  for  both  groups.       The  next  PTO  meeting  is  scheduled  for  January  24th  at  6  pm  in  the  HMS  Library.  I  encourage  parents  to  come  out  and  join  us  at  PTO  meetings,  even  if  you  would  just  like  to  come  and  listen.  The  PTO  does  so  much  to  support  our  students  and  teachers!  You  can  also  follow  our  PTO  on  Twitter  @hurleypto1.  The  next  meeting  of  our  School  Council  is  scheduled  for  January  25th  at  4  pm  in  the  library.    Sincerely,    Dr.  William  V.  Whalen  III  Principal  

@DrWhalen3  

Stars of the Month - December 2016 6th Grade Red Elijah Bastien (Star of the Month) Liam Fecteau (SOM Warrior Way – Responsible) Yellow Isabella Rosa (Star of the Month) Eric Reakes (SOM Warrior Way – Responsible) 7th Grade Blue Gary Taraian (Star of the Month) Isabella Lastrina (SOM Warrior Way – Responsible) Green Julia Woodcock (Star of the Month) Leandra Pereira (SOM Warrior Way – Responsible) 8th Grade Orange Max Tiplady (Star of the Month) Jaden Deal (SOM Warrior Way – Responsible) White Cameron McClintock (Star of the Month) M. Lima (SOM Warrior Way – Responsible) Encore Grade 6: Academic - Lauren Calabro, Christopher Strycharz Responsible - Dauphine Michel, Alyson Quin Grade 7: Academic - Soleil DeBarros, Ethan Clarke Responsible - Jonathan Freeman, Kyle Cristino Grade 8: Academic - Katherine Corbett, Jessica Elkhoury Responsible - Aidan Steele, Faith DaSilva  

Hello  Hurley  Families,    

It  has  been  a  great  first  week  back  and  students  seem  well  rested  and  focused.  I  am  pleased  to  say  that  all  students  were  RESPONSIBLE  and  signed  up  for  the  late  bus  this  Wednesday  during  lunch.  In  the  previous  newsletter  I  informed  you  that  beginning  the  New  Year  there  will  be  consequences  for  students  who  do  not  sign  up  when  announced  at  lunch,  as  it  is  causing  a  delay  in  the  bus  routes  and  safety  concerns.  As  far  as  being  responsible,  congratulations  to  those  students  who  were  recognized  for  the  core  value  BE  RESPONSIBLE  of  The  Warrior  Way,  and  to  those  for  academic  success  in  today’s  Star  of  the  Month  breakfast.    

 The  Blue  Team  held  their  Spotlight  Recognition  Celebration  Thursday  night  

in  which  students  were  recognized  for  many  great  work  habits  and  characteristics.  It  was  great  to  see  many  families  enjoying  the  slide  show,  and  a  big  thanks  to  the  Blue  Team  (Mr.  Mare,  Mrs.  Dumas,  Mrs.  Dieringer,  Mrs.  Geddes)  with  all  their  efforts  in  hosting  such  a  nice  event.  

     

 

     Our  next  HOME  basketball  game  is  this  coming  Wednesday,  and  I  will  be  

reminding  students  that  if  they  stay  to  watch  the  games  they  need  to  be  in  the  gymnasium  at  all  times.  Students  should  not  be  wandering  outside  or  be  in  other  areas  in  the  building.    Have  a  great  weekend,    Ms.  Bouchard  Interim  Assistant  Principal                                  

                       

Yellow Team News Math We will be wrapping up our Expressions and Equations unit soon. The students have been busy evaluating algebraic expressions, writing algebraic expressions from real life situations, and determining whether 2 algebraic expressions are equivalent. Right before the holidays, the latest Mathletics assignment was due. In Supercore, we are investigating how to calculate the surface area of rectangular prisms, triangular prisms and cubes and at the same time, figuring out how much paint we will need for the buildings in our Geometrocity. We are also beginning to construct our cities by turning the building nets into three dimensional figures. The students are doing a great job! English Language Arts We have been hard at work, reading and writing. Close Reading has been a focal point, tasking us to closely attend to an informational text, and to use the information gained to formulate a thoughtful, thorough response using the A.C.E. format. This format supports students’ capacity to express themselves thoroughly, citing textual evidence to support points made. So far so good! Science The StoryBoard projects that students made to show the steps of ecological succession were a huge success! It was such a fun and different approach for the students to demonstrate their understanding! This week we have been working diligently on our final ecology topic: Human Impact on Ecosystems. Students are completing a teacher-directed research packet and then writing five paragraph essays as a final assessment for this topic. I have been monitoring the research progress so far, and I must say, I AM SO IMPRESSED! The students have been working very hard and have really been pushing themselves to become better researchers! Next week we will finish our essays and watch (optional) extra credit presentations from peers. Follow us on Twitter (@HMS_JDowning) to see daily updates of our classroom activities! Social Studies Social Studies has been chugging along! We are finishing Europe and Russia’s unit within the next couple weeks. We will be traveling to the continent of Africa for term 3. Students have done an excellent job on their projects and will be presenting today and Monday. I’ll be sure to include pictures on twitter of the projects. Ask your children what country they picked and how the trip to Europe went! Overall, the students are doing excellent and I love the discussions we have been having recently with European history, especially with World War II and the Cold War! Have a great weekend!    

Blue Team

ELA:-We are five chapters into Messenger by Lois Lowry, and students are noting and appreciating how this begins to connect The Giver and Gathering Blue. Students are answering open response review questions and practicing citing text evidence to support their answers. Next week-Galileo testing Tuesday and Wednesday! This will be the mid-year assessment. Science: We introduced our ASTRONOMY unit this week. Lots of discussions on how the universe was created and the science behind the Big Bang Theory. Gravity became the focus of the lessons ending the week with lots of demonstrations and even calculating our weight on different planets. Next week we will focus on the specific objects that are in space. Math: Math classes are wrapping up addition and subtraction of rational numbers and beginning multiplication and division. Social Studies: Happy New Year! Your sons and daughters have done a tremendous job working all this week on their Egyptian Board Games; as an end of unit project, students have designed their very own board games based on Ancient Egyptian history. Their progress has been incredible! I’m so proud of their work thus far! Please come out next Thursday between 5-7pm in the cafeteria for a night of Egyptian Board Game fun! Challenge your son/daughter to their board games as they teach you something new about Ancient Egyptian history...maybe you can even beat them at their own game!! Below is the RSVP for the Egyptian Game Night :)

YOU’RE INVITED!

Please join the 7th grade Social Studies teachers on the evening of January 12th, 2017 from 5-7pm to partake in a night of Egyptian Board Games! Your sons/daughters have worked diligently to create creative, factual, and unique board games that demonstrate their mastery of Ancient Egyptian History. We invite all parents, siblings, and loved ones to come and play the student-created games. Directions to each game and game pieces will be provided for you. Light refreshments and snacks will also be available for your enjoyment! We look forward to seeing you there! If you would like to attend this voluntary event, please return this sheet to either Mr. Maré or Mr. Sandstrom signed with the number of guests you intend on bringing no later than Monday January 9th, 2017.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Yes! I plan on attending. I will be bringing _______________ guests. Student name:________________________________________ Parent signature:_______________________________________

Welcome to 2017! Hope everyone had a wonderful vacation week.

We want to send out a huge thank you to Jen Tadros for everything she did for the Holiday Luncheon as the

chairperson! Much planning and organizing went into making this a successful event and we couldn’t have done it without her. Thank you to everyone who donated their time and those who made

delicious meals.

Our next meeting is scheduled for January 24th at 6pm. We would love to see you there!

Keep saving those Box Tops!

We have two more collection dates:

January 25th and Feb 17th

One homeroom will win a pizza party, will it be your child’s?

LET’S BE SOCIAL! Are you following us on Twitter? @HurleyPTO1 https://twitter.com/Hurleypto1

Or facebook? @HurleyMiddleSchoolPTO https://www.facebook.com/HurleyMiddleSchoolPTO

Fundraising:

Did you get a gift card this holiday season? Shop through our portal and you will get CASH BACK for everything you buy plus it helps our school!

Thank you to all the families and teachers who have signed up for their free account at shop.com/hurleypto

Our school earns a percentage of all items bought at stores such as: Macy’s, Under Armour, Scholastic, Oriental Trading, Nordstrom Rack, Groupon! Just start at our shopping portal!

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL!

Valentine’s Dance

February 10, 2017

6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

 

 

       

8th Grade Social Studies

Both the Orange and White team began a Middle Ages project right before winter break. They spent a week in

the library developing topics, forming essential questions and locating sources for their topics. Both

teams participated in some friendly competition using their research workshop skills from October, with Orange taking the Win this year! Now that we are back to school, students are diving deep into their research on their Middle Ages topics by building

digital note cards and preparing to formulate thesis statements and outlines. Soon, students will be able to choose what type of project they would like to create

after their historical research. More to come soon!          

PHYSICAL EDUCATION NEWS…. Mr. Pellegrino & Ms. Skodras

HMS Loves to Move!!!

Our next unit will be HMS Loves to Move! We will be starting with a brief historical discussion of group/line dances. The 6th grade students will also learn some martial arts and yoga in addition to line dances. They will then create their own routine incorporating 4-6 dance/yoga/martial arts moves. 7th grade students will also learn line dances but create and perform their own 32 count/8 moves line dance. 8th grade students will be focusing on Fitness. There will be a variety of fitness stations focusing on coordination, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance.  

   

HEALTH OFFICE NEWS

Wishing all students and their families the happiest and healthy

New Year. As we move on from the holiday season setting goals to make our lives happier and healthier is so refreshing and at the same time a constant challenge. As the author notes success is not just a matter of willpower but rather having a plan that makes those goals clear and attainable.

Research suggests that approximately half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions yet only 8% actually achieve them. How can you actually follow through on your plan to lose weight, get organized or to spend less and save more?

1. Clearly define your goals. Many people in the spirit of New Year’s loudly proclaim, “This is the year I’m going to finally get in shape.” But what does that mean? Do you intend to lose a certain number of pounds? Reach a body-fat percentage goal? Run three miles without rest? Bang out 10 pull-ups? Dr. Marciano is a fan of goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). The first step to behavior change is to clearly understand what “it” is. 2. Track your progress. “If you can measure it, you can change it” is a fundamental principal of psychology. These measurements will be a source of motivation as you reflect on where you started and where you are. They will also help you to identify plateaus or “sticking points” in your progress so you can adjust your efforts. 3. Have patience. You must set realistic goals and realize that progress is never linear. Some people will see rapid gains only to hit resistance later in their efforts. For others, initial progress may be painfully slow but then they suddenly achieve rapid breakthroughs. Making lasting changes takes time. 4. Publicize your goals to friends and family. As embarrassing as it might be to announce your specific resolution to the world, social support is critical. Yes, it takes some personal courage and vulnerability to share something that you might actually fail at, but to dramatically

increase your odds of success you’ll want support from those around you. 5. Put it on your schedule. How often do you hear people say they can’t “find the time” to do something. Nobody finds time. We all choose to spend our time the way we do—whether that’s eating junk food or going to a spin class. Make your new goals a priority and actually schedule them into your calendar. If you have a fitness goal schedule time for your workouts. If you want to declutter, schedule time to clean out your closet on your calendar. If you want to save money, put in a weekly budget review onto your Sunday afternoons. Think of these time blocks as important appointments—just like an appointment with a doctor. Don’t automatically schedule something else over them. That which is scheduled gets done. 6. Stop “all or nothing” thinking; it’s better do something than nothing. Are you guilty of “all or nothing” thinking? Do you ever think, “Well, I might as well get dessert since I already ate those French fries?” And then, “I blew my diet last night so I’ll just restart it next week.” The difference between doing something rather than nothing is huge. If you don’t have a full hour to workout at the gym, just decide to make it the best 20-minutes you can. If you have a slight cold or minor injury, decide to just walk the track for a couple miles. If you have a financial emergency and can’t save your full 10% this month, just save what you can. The bottom line is, any effort towards your goal is better than no effort. 7. Get up, when you slip up. None of us are perfect. As the great Vince Lombardi said, “It isn’t whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” Resiliency is the key. Don’t turn relapses or temporary failures into total meltdowns or excuses for giving up. Instead, just acknowledge the mistake and recommit to the path. Article found at webpage : http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2016/12/26/7-secrets-of-people-who-keep-their-new-years-resolutions/#4567bed7f7f7