Parent  Newsletter  for  October  18,  2013    Dear  HMS  Community,       This  week  I  had  the  opportunity  to  meet  with  the  parents  of  those  eighth  grade  students  who  are  interested  in  going  on  the  class  trip  to  Washington  DC  and  Gettysburg,  PA  in  June.  I  presented  the  details  of  the  trip  and  answered  the  many  questions  that  parents  were  inquiring  about.    Everyone  in  attendance  received  a  packet  of  information  about  the  trip  that  included  the  permission  form  as  well  as  the  schedule  of  payments  for  the  trip.  All  students  have  the  opportunity  to  participate  in  fundraisers  throughout  the  school  year  to  defray  the  cost  of  the  trip.  As  of  yesterday,  we  have  officially  begun  the  Wreath  Fundraiser.    Students  are  selling  wreaths  to  people  in  the  community  for  $12  a  piece.  Students  will  not  be  going  door  to  door  without  an  adult  to  sell  wreaths.  The  wreaths  are  of  high  quality,  as  they  are  fresh  and  very  full.    Students  earn  over  50%  from  each  individual  wreath  sold  which  is  then  credited  directly  to  their  balance  owed  on  the  trip.  ALL  of  the  money  that  students  collect  from  selling  wreaths  must  be  turned  in  to  Mr.  Holden  no  later  than  December  2nd.  Remember  that  all  of  the  fundraising  that  students  do  defrays  the  cost  of  their  own  personal  balance  owed  for  the  trip.  The  wreaths  will  be  delivered  to  the  school  on  December  7th.  Over  that  weekend,  students  should  distribute  the  wreaths  that  they  sold  to  the  people  that  ordered  them.    Students  should  turn  in  their  wreath  orders  and  the  money  collected  to  Mr.  Holden.  Informational  packets  are  available  for  those  parents  that  were  not  able  to  attend  the  presentation  are  in  the  main  office  and  in  the  cafeteria  at  lunch.       There  will  be  a  Halloween  Dance  next  Friday,  October  25th  from  6:30  to  9  PM  in  the  gym.  Costumes  are  allowed,  however  students  may  not  wear  a  mask,  or  bring  any  props  that  resemble  weapons.  The  cost  of  the  dance  is  five  dollars  at  the  door.  All  students  must  have  their  ride  home  at  the  school  by  9  PM.       Next  Friday,  October  25th  is  also  Pink  Out  Day.  Students  are  encouraged  to  wear  pink  in  recognition  of  cancer  awareness  for  the  month  of  October.       Lifetouch  will  be  here  for  student  portrait  re-­‐takes  next  Thursday,  October  24th.       I  encourage  the  HMS  Community  to  follow  me  on  Twitter  @DrWhalen3  for  more  information  on  upcoming  events,  including  details  and  deadlines  for  the  8th  Grade  class  trip.       Have  a  great  weekend!    Dr.  Whalen  

 

Blue  Team  News    English  -­‐  Mrs.  Dumas    Our  mystery  unit  continues!    Last  week  we  wrote  essays  comparing/contrasting  stories  by  W.  W.  Jacobs.    Students  loved  the  unexpected  twists  in  Jacobs’s  stories!    This  week  we  move  on  to  Edgar  Allan  Poe.  Students  were  surprised  to  learn  he  wrote  the  first  detective  story  and  the  first  science  fiction  story  by  an  American!    We  read  his  biography  and  will  see  how  his  bizarre  life  influenced  his  writing  of  characters,  setting,  and  plot  details.  Our  writing  this  week  will  be  a  personal  narrative  with  “revenge”  as  the  theme,  as  it  was  in  many  of  Poe’s  stories.        Social Studies - Mr. Durand This was a short but busy week in Social Studies! We used two primary sources in class this week to analyze the slave trade in Africa during the 1500-1800s. We had a great debate in class Wednesday and we began an essay in class Thursday (due Tuesday, parents!). Next week we'll be looking at African independence and nationalism. Have a good weekend! Science – Mrs. Metcalf Students are wrapping up their understanding of "What is Life?" They know (scientifically) how to tell if something is alive and how to keep it alive. Our Bread Mold Lab also began this past week. Students, using the scientific method, asked if more mold would grow on a wet piece of bread rather than on a dry piece of bread. It will take about 10 days to prove or disprove the hypothesis the students developed and are now testing. Next week we begin our study of the Classification of Living Things.

Green Team News

Math – Mrs. Costa The students have just finished their first Mathletics assignment that was due today. They are currently working on learning the many different properties that are essential for solving equations in algebra. After a quiz on the properties on Tuesday, students will be putting their properties to work by identifying and combining like terms to simplify expressions. An awesome checklist to accomplish this awaits! ELA – Dr. Shurtfleff The students continue to work on spelling and vocabulary skills. We will be on unit 7 next week. We have also completed an essay and are now reading Edgar Allan Poe stories. The students enjoyed reading W.W. Jacobs and have shown a greater interest in Poe. His stories never disappoint and are always memorable. We have completed "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat". We will read "The Cask of Amontillado" next.

Halloween Dance—next Friday, October 25th.

6:30 PM – 9:00 PM $5 at the Door Costumes are allowed—NO Masks or props that resemble weapons.

A Message from the Band Director, Mrs. Grande: Just a reminder that Wednesday, October 23 is an after school day for all 6th grade clarinets. We will work on going over the break and some alternate fingerings. Also, students should have a 2 pocket poly-vinyl folder for their band music. Jazz band students should be returning their contracts, Holiday concert date is Thursday, December 19th.

HMS Soccer The boys got back on the winning track yesterday defeating Somerset 2-0 with goals scored by Logan Casala and Josh Contois. We have an away game Tuesday at Taunton Catholic followed by two home games on Wednesday and Thursday versus Dighton and Raynham, respectively. We will have a brief practice on Monday, ending at about 3:30. We have seen some great competitive games this season and that will continue next week. Thanks to everyone for their support Coach Pellegrino

Lifetouch will be here on October 24th for picture retakes. If your child did not have their photo taken during the initial photo shoot, please be sure that they have their picture taken on this date so that they can be included in the yearbook. They are not required to purchase a portrait package in order to be included in the yearbook.        

     The  Scholastic  Book  Fair  is  next  week!    

The  Scholastic  Book  Fair  will  be  at  HMS  next  week!      This  is  a  great  opportunity  for  students  to  purchase  a  book  of  their  own,  while  supporting  the  HMS  PTO!    Fliers  went  home  this  week  previewing  some  of  the  available  titles  and  detailing  the  schedule.    Students  will  visit  the  fair  with  their  English  class  on  the  following  dates:  

 Monday  October  21:              8:00-­‐2:30            6th  grade      Tuesday  October  22:              8:00-­‐2:30          7th  grade,  TAP,  BEST,  and  STARS    Wednesday  October  23:        8:00-­‐2:30            8th  grade    Thursday  October  24:          8:00-­‐8:15            Open  for  payments,  etc.      

 The  book  fair  accepts  cash,  checks  (payable  to  HMS  PTO)  and  

credit  cards.    

Jennifer  St.  Michel,  MLIS  Library  Media  Specialist  

         

   

       

From  the  Desk  of  Mrs.  Westcoat….  “Although  children  are  only  24  percent  of  the  population,  they’re  100  percent  of  our  future  

and  we  cannot  afford  to  provide  any  child  with  a  substandard  education.”  Ed  Markey  

 Please  discuss  with  your  children  the  importance  of  keeping  their  lockers  locked!      Often  students  will  leave  them  ajar  to  make  it  quicker  to  get  in  and  out  of,  however,  there  is  ample  time  for  students  to  go  to  their  lockers  and  get  to  class  on  time.        As  always,  thank  you  for  your  continued  support  and  for  sharing  your  children  with  me!    They  put  a  smile  on  my  face  every  day!    We  are  embarking  upon  step  #  4  in  our  ten-­‐step  guide  for  parents.    Step  #  4    Know  the  facts  before  you  talk  to  your  children.    You  may  be  surprised  to  see  that  your  pre-­‐teen  may  know  more  about  drugs,  tobacco,  and  alcohol  than  you  do!        Here  are  some  facts  to  get  you  started:  

• Most  pre-­‐teens  don’t  use  alcohol,  tobacco,  or  other  drugs.  • The  younger  kids  are  when  they  start  using  alcohol,  tobacco,  or  other  drugs,  the  

greater  the  chance  that  they’ll  get  addicted  and  not  be  able  to  quit.  • Brain  damage  can  happen  when  kids  use  alcohol,  tobacco,  and  many  other  drugs.  • There  are  now  more  new  users  (12  years  old  and  older)  of  prescription  drugs  than  

any  other  illegal  drug  –  even  marijuana.  1  • You  may  have  a  lot  of  products  at  home  that  could  be  used  in  illegal  ways.  

     

                                                                                                               1  Colliver,  J.D.,  Kroutil,  L.A.,  Dai,  L.,  &  Gfroerer,  J.C.  (2006).    Misuses  of  prescription  drugs:  Data  from  the  2002,  2003,  and  2004  National  Surveys  on  Drug  Use  and  Health  (DHHS  Publication  No.  SMA  06-­‐4192,  Analytic  Series  A-­‐28).    Rockville,  M.D.:  Substance  Abuse  and  Mental  Health  Services  Administration,  Office  of  Applied  Studies.  

Yellow  Team  Social  Studies

           Our  students  have  been  learning  the  history  of  Latin  America  from  the  early  Mayas,  Aztecs,  and  Incas  through  conquest  by  the  Spaniards  and  then  independence  from  Spanish  and  Portuguese  control.    We  are  finishing  up  the  study  of  the  cultures  of  the  various  regions  of  Latin  America.    Students  have  labeled  maps,  taken  notes,  and  worked  in  groups  to  complete  graphic  organizers  to  help  organize  some  of  the  information  they  have  been  learning.    Today  we  listened  to  three  very  different  selections  of  Caribbean  music.                We  start  off  most  days  with  two  Daily  Geography  questions  that  students  use  atlases  to  help  them  with  their  answers.    This  activity  aids  students  in  becoming  more  familiar  with  our  world  and  gives  them  practice  in  using  an  atlas.    It  is  also  helpful  in  preparing  students  for  the  Geography  Bee  that  will  be  beginning  in  the  November.    All  students  will  participate  in  the  first  round  and  then  the  ten  top  scorers  on  each  team  will  go  on  to  the  next  round,  with  the  that  top  ten  competing  in  the  School  Bee.      

Yellow Team – 6th Grade ELA Mrs. Johnson

Japanese American oral presentations will take place on Monday and

Tuesday of next week. Yellow team students have worked diligently

researching the lives of Japanese Americans, as we prepare to read our

first novel, A Jar of Dreams.

**Reminders: Students are encouraged to wear yellow on Fridays, as

we build team unity!

All sixth graders will have the opportunity to attend the Scholastic

Book Fair on Monday, October 21 with their English class.

Principal’s Coffee   This school year, the administration at the Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School will be offering quarterly meetings with parents and community members in an effort to increase two-way communication between our school and its stakeholders. During these meetings, we will present information on a variety of topics as well as engage stakeholders in some informal discussion time. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to voice questions about the overall operations of the Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School. The administration is looking forward to having the opportunity to get to personally know the parents and guardians of our students. Parents and community members are invited to provide feedback and to express questions and/or concerns. This quarterly event is a great way to stay plugged in to what's going on with the school. We hope you'll join us! Principal’s Coffee is held in the HMS Cafeteria on the dates listed below. We will offer two morning sessions, as well as two evening sessions to try to accommodate as many people as possible. Thursday, November 14th at 6:30 PM Thursday, January 30th at 9:30 AM Thursday, April 10th at 6:30 PM Thursday, June 12th at 9:30 AM

   

Orange Team Science Students have been working to accurately measure different properties of matter in science class. Labs have involved choosing the correct tools to find the volume of both regular and irregularly shaped objects as well as learning how to use a triple beam balance to measure mass. Students have been eagerly awaiting today's class on measuring the sugar content in different brands of gum. Yup.. the one day all year they can (permissibly) chew gum in science class!  

Next Wednesday, October 23rd

School Council Meeting @ 4 PM

PTO Meeting @ 6 PM – All are welcome!!

 HURLEY  MIDDLE  SCHOOL  BASKETBALL  NEWS  

 Basketball  registration  forms  in  order  to  try  out  for  the  boys  and  girls  Hurley  Middle  School  basketball  team  will  be  distributed  on  Monday,  Oct.  21st.  Forms  are  due  in  the  main  office  no  later  than  Tuesday,  October  29th.  Students  need  to  have  an  updated  physical  on  file  with  the  school  nurse  to  be  eligible  for  tryouts.  Tryouts  will  begin  on  Monday,  November  4th.  Mr.  Tom  Holden  is  the  boys’  team  coach.  Mr.  Paul  Botelho  is  the  girls’  team  coach.    

. YOGA CLUB NEWS

Hurley middle School's Yoga Club, "Basics and Flow", began this past

Wednesday, October 16th. The club members have been introduced to

many basic poses and some back round information and benefits of

practicing yoga. Club members were provided a handout of common

poses and are encouraged to become more familiar with the poses for

next week. Club members are also encouraged to bring their own yoga

mats if possible. Mats can be stored in room 233 for the duration of the

Yoga Club. All members did a phenomenal job this week and I'm really

excited for our future sessions!!

Namaste~

Ms. Damiani

     

   FROM  THE  NURSE’S  OFFICE:    The  Town  of  Seekonk  will  hold  a  Flu  Clinic  on  October  30,  2013  at  the  Town  Hall.    It  is  by  appointment  only.    Please  call  the  Board  of  Health  at  508-­‐336-­‐2950  to  make  an  appointment.    The  vaccine  is  available  to  Seekonk  residents  age  9  and  older.    There  are  a  limited  number  of  vaccines  available,  so  make  your  appointment,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  ensure  that  you  get  immunized  against  the  flu.          Angie  Volpe  RN,  BSN,  MS    

   

 

 

   

 

       

       

     

             

Dr. Kevin Hurley Middle School -ID# 07074

Dear Parents:

Welcome to the start of a new school year and a year of A+ School Rewards. Starting

October 4, 2013 through March 20, 2014 the Dr.Kevin Hurley Middle School will have the

opportunity to earn cash through Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards Program.

All you have to do is:

Log on to www.stopandshop.com/aplus to register online using your Stop & Shop Card

OR

Let the HMS-PTO register for you!

Return this form to school with your child and include your Stop & Shop Card Number, Last

Name and telephone number. ________________________(13-digit BONUSCARD)

_________________________ Last Name ________________________ Telephone

After you register your card, each shopping trip at Stop & Shop using your Stop & Shop Card

earns CASH for our school! Each month, the amount of CASH awarded will be updated on

the Stop & Shop website. You can track the amount of points you earn for our school by

checking your grocery receipt and online when you create an account at

www.stopandshop.com. Our school will receive a check at the end of the program. The

money can be used for any of our school’s educational needs.

Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must re-register this year for our

school to receive credit. Registration is easy makes a HUGE difference to our school. We

need your support. Please be sure to register your card. Questions? Contact Nicole

Hammond at nmhammond87@gmail.com or 508-336--5474. Also, don’t forget to encourage

your friends and relatives to do the same. It could mean the world to our children.

*Phone numbers may not be used to designate.

If you do not know your 13-digit STOP & SHOP CARD number, call the Card Hotline at 1-877-366-2668 and select OPTION #2

       

           

For any questions please email us at seekonkbasketball@gmail.com

Boys and Girls, Grades 1-8 Open Registration runs thru October 18, 2013

Late fee of $ 20.00 will apply after 10/20/13

Registration can be completed at: http://secure.adminsports.net/seekonkmabasketball

Registration Fees:

Grades 3-8: $110* for the first child, $90* for 2nd family member** in this age group. Grades 1-2: $75* for each child. (i.e. $55 registration + $20 fundraiser= $75)

*Included in the registration fee is $20.00 for 4x $5 mandatory fundraiser raffle tickets for our new weekly cash raffle prize. Parents/Players may sell their raffle tickets and request more for sale throughout the season. Additional raffle tickets will be also be available for purchase each week at our concession stands. One winner will be drawn per week. **There is also a $200 registration cap per family.

Each player will receive:

Uniform Jersey 1 Practice and 1 Game per week (10 regular season weeks and 3 weeks of playoffs)

Trophies for Division Championship Winners End of season gift

New to 2013, we are excited to offer both boys’ and girls’ basketball, and a new division for grades 1-2. Designed for new players to basketball, this division will teach the fundamentals of the game and basic skills to our youngest players. This program will consist of drill stations during the clinic so every player learns all the basic skills to play basketball with games to follow as the season progresses.

As with any successful league, we need volunteers. From coaches to asst. coaches, to concession stand and score keeping. Rec basketball has been a long standing tradition in Seekonk and our basketball program continues to grow every year!! Even  if  you  don’t  know  basketball,  we  can  use  your  help.  If  you  would  like  to  volunteer, please indicate your desire to do so when you register your child.

Thank you!

www.SeekonkBasketball.com

Register Now!!!

YELLOW

Yellow Team Science is in the middle of ISN BOOTCAMP. Parents, please check through your child's ISN to see what your child has been working on so far this year. In ISN bootcamp, Miss Karalis is encouraging the students to take pride in their work, and to work to their potential. Also, students are being asked to try their hardest the FIRST time, and to speak up for yourself and ask questions if you have them. UPDATE ABOUT DONORSCHOOSE: At this time only cash donations can be made. A donation of $10 will pre-purchase all of the project supplies that your student will need this year in science. Thank you for supporting and enhancing your child's science experience!

 8th GRADE MATH Students are solving multi-step equations. They have learned how to cancel out fractions, eliminate parentheses, and combine like terms to simplify equations. Students are finding that checking their solutions is helpful in alerting them to possible errors and confirming that their solutions are correct. Soon we will be working with equations with variables on both sides. Students will be writing and solving equations that represent both mathematical situations and real life scenarios.

 http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/