Class  Trip  to  Washington  DC  and  Gettysburg,  PA-­‐  June  4th  –  6th  

   Parent  Newsletter       May  30,  2014  

Dear  HMS  Community,       This  evening  is  the  8th  Grade  Dance,  which  will  be  held  in  the  HMS  Cafeteria  from  6:30  –  9:30  pm.  This  event  is  organized  by  our  HMS  PTO,  and  will  be  chaperoned  by  faculty  members,  staff,  and  the  administration.    Students  are  to  be  dropped  off  by  their  parents  in  the  front  parking  lot  by  the  main  office.  At  the  end  of  the  evening,  parents  should  pick  up  the  students  at  the  Tower  Lobby  Entrance  at  the  rear  of  the  building.  Students  will  be  provided  with  refreshments,  and  the  event  is  free  of  charge.         Next  week,  our  8th  grade  class  will  be  in  Washington  DC  and  Gettysburg,  PA  for  our  annual  class  trip.    Students  attending  the  trip  must  be  present  at  the  school  by  5:00  am  so  that  we  can  organize  before  boarding  the  school  buses,  which  will  be  bringing  us  to  the  train  station  in  Providence.  We  will  spend  Wednesday  and  Thursday  enjoying  sites  in  Washington  DC.  On  Friday,  we  will  visit  the  Gettysburg  Battlefield.  The  students  and  staff  are  very  excited  about  the  trip  to  say  the  least.  All  eighth  graders  attending  the  trip  will  meet  with  their  chaperones  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  June  3rd,  at  1:30  pm  in  the  gymnasium.  Students  not  attending  the  trip  will  meet  in  Mrs.  Boyle’s  room  at  that  time  so  that  Mrs.  Turner  can  prepare  them  for  their  “Virtual  DC  Tour.”  There  will  not  be  a  newsletter  next  week  because  of  the  trip,  but  the  following  week’s  newsletter  will  include  many  pictures  of  our  students  participating  in  this  wonderful  educational  experience.       The  Eighth  Grade  Promotional  Ceremony  will  take  place  on  Wednesday,  June  25th  at  6:00  pm.  The  event  is  scheduled  to  take  place  outside  on  the  front  lawn  of  the  HMS  campus.  All  members  of  the  HMS  community,  including  students,  parents,  and  friends  are  invited  to  attend.  If  it  should  rain  on  that  evening,  we  will  have  to  hold  the  ceremony  indoors,  in  which  case  we  ask  that  only  immediate  family  members  of  those  being  promoted  attend.  We  are  hoping  for  a  clear  and  sunny  day  for  our  important  ceremony.  Students  will  receive  their  promotional  certificates  along  with  other  awards  for  academic  achievement  and  participation  in  extracurricular  activities  on  that  day.  This  year’s  8th  Grade  Promotional  Ceremony  will  feature  WPRI  12  and  Fox  Providence’s  own  Patrick  Little  from  Eyewitness  News  This  Morning  as  our  guest  speaker.  I’d  like  to  thank  Patrick  in  advance  for  volunteering  his  time  to  come  and  address  the  HMS  community  on  this  “big  day”  for  our  students  and  their  families.  I  am  very  excited  to  have  him  here  on  that  day,  and  he  is  very  excited  about  the  chance  to  address  our  students!         On  Tuesday,  June  24th,  there  will  be  a  Recognition  Assembly  for  our  sixth  grade  students.  The  seventh  grade  Recognition  Assembly  will  be  held  on  Wednesday,  June  25th.  These  assemblies  take  place  during  the  regular  school  day,  and  are  open  to  students  and  staff  only.  Students  will  be  receiving  awards  for  academic  achievement  and  participation  on  these  days.       This  newsletter  includes  the  HMS  End-­‐of  the-­‐Year  Calendar  once  again  so  that  everyone  can  reference  it  as  we  enter  the  home  stretch  of  the  school  year.    

  @DrWhalen3  

   

End  of  the  Year  Calendar  2014              

                                 

   Dr.  Kevin  M.  Hurley  Middle  School  welcomes  Mr.  Patrick  Little  as  the  guest  speaker  for  the  2014  Eighth  Grade  Promotional  Ceremony.  We  are  honored  to  have  Mr.  Little  address  the  eighth  graders  and  their  families,  as  well  as  the  faculty,  staff,  and  other  members  of  our  HMS  Community  on  June  25,  2014  at  6:00  pm.  

 

Dr.  Kevin  M.  Hurley  Middle  School  8th  Grade  Promotional  Ceremony  

Wednesday,  June  25th  at  6  PM    

Welcome  and  Opening  Remarks—Dr.  Whalen  National  Anthem—HMS  Idol  Eliza  Dantas  

Send  off  Speech—Dr.  Whalen  Congratulatory  Message—Mrs.  Westcoat  

Guest  Speaker—Patrick  Little,  Eyewitness  News  this  Morning    

8th  Grade  students  will  receive  Promotional  Certificates,  Certificates  for  Participation  in  Extra  Curricular  Activities,  and  Certificates  for  Academic  Achievement.    Special  Recognition  with  plaques  such  as  the  Doris  Dow  Humanitarian  Award,  John  Crane  Historian  Award,  Dr.  Kevin  M.  Hurley  Award,  Alan  Thivierge  Award,  Helping  Hands  Award,  and  the  Principal’s  Leadership  Award  will  also  be  part  of  the  ceremony.      Bring  Your  Own  Lawn  Chair!!  We  recommend  that  all  spectators  make  an  effort  to  carpool,  as  parking  space  is  limited.    Student  work  will  be  displayed  inside  the  building  including  the  Gothic  Cathedrals  and  the  8th  Grade  Delight  Song  Exhibit.  There  will  also  be  slide  shows  playing  on  monitors  of  some  of  the  8th  grade  activities  from  this  year.  Be  sure  to  stop  in!!  Anyone  that  needs  seating  for  the  handicapped  should  contact  Dr.  Whalen  at  508-­‐761-­‐7570.  The  event  is  scheduled  to  take  place  outside  on  the  Front  Lawn  (Newman  Avenue).  If  rain  is  in  the  forecast,  the  event  will  take  place  in  the  HMS  gymnasium.  

Mrs.  Reilly  Green  Team  7th  Grade  Science    Students  have  been  learning  about  potential  and  kinetic  energy.    To  better  understand  the  concept,  they  had  to  build  a  swing  with  only  a  few  materials.    It  was  very  interesting  to  see  how  students  used  a  pipe  cleaner,  one  elastic,  a  straw,  two  clothespins  and  a  washer  to  build  their  swing.    At  first,  many  thought  it  was  going  to  be  a  piece  of  cake,  but  after  a  few  minutes  everyone  realized  it  was  not  so  easy.    Once  it  was  built,  students  had  to  measure  the  return  height  of  the  swing  and  the  number  of  swings  it  took  on  its  own.    Finally,  they  had  to  figure  out  when  the  swing  had  its  maximum  potential  and    kinetic  energy.    It  was  interesting  to  see  how  creative  everyone  was  while  building  their  swing.    7th  Grade  Green  Team  Tiny  Tree  House  Project    The  Green  Team  has  started  working  on  the  Tiny  Tree  House  Project.  Before  students  begin  building  their  tree  house,  they  will  work  on  something  related  to  the  project  in  their  core  classes.  In  science,  students  are  working  on  graphing  different  native  trees  of  Southern  New  England  of  their  choice.      During  math,  they  are  sketching  out  their  tree  house  and  creating  a  to  scale  floor  plan.    In  English,  students  are  writing  about  their  favorite  sanctuary.    In  social,  students  are  creating  a  billboard  advocating  for  the  protection  of  the  rainforest  for  the  World  Wildlife  Foundation.  All  the  fun  really  begins  next  Monday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday  when  students  start  building  their  tree  house!!!!!!      

Please  join  us  on  Monday,  June  9,  2014  from  6:00  -­7:30  in  the  Green  Team  classrooms  for  the  display  of  the  Tiny  Tree  House  Projects!!  Hope  to  see  you  there!      Blue Team English- Students are in the process of researching their talent. They will be writing a 2-3 page typed paper and must include citations. Students were given a refresher by Mrs. St.Michel on how to use EasyBib. Besides the paper, students must teach the class an aspect of their talent. It might be sports related, a craft, a hobby, etc. We are looking forward to learning a new skill!  

 

Blue Team - Social Studies Over the past few weeks we have spent our time studying the history of Europe. We have gone from Greece and Rome, to the Renaissance, Black Death and Middle Ages all the way to World War I. We will continue on to World War II, the Cold War and the European Union before getting into some cultural studies towards the end of the year. Students took a map test today that they have been preparing for over the last 5 weeks. There were check in quizzes every week and each week the students needed to learn up to 10 new country locations. We tracked our progress on a chart in the classroom. It was an interesting few weeks. The students became very competitive as we reviewed over the weeks and they saw their class averages posted on the chart. The chart is below. Have a great weekend!  

                   

Band News from Mrs. Grande The students have been working so hard for the band concert and festival. Great work by all bands! PLEASE make sure you have returned BOTH forms for the band festival field trip by Tuesday June 3rd. Also, checks are to be made out to “HMS BPA PTO” and not to “Town of Seekonk”. Please check this carefully as it would be a shame for a child to miss the trip due to procedure of forms. We are looking forward to working with our guest clinician from Indiana, Mr. John Marshall, Director of Fine Arts. Library News from Mrs. St.Michel

All Library Materials Due June 6 Reminder: all HMS library materials must be returned to the library by next Friday, June 6. After this date, we will start to contact students who still have outstanding obligations to settle their library account. Summer Reading Books Orders received through the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading book sale were submitted and I cannot accept any more orders. Books should arrive at HMS by mid-June and will be distributed to the students once they arrive. Importance of Summer Reading It is very important that students continue to read over the summer months to avoid the “summer slide”. Put simply, this is when students’ reading ability diminishes over the summer months, causing them the need to regain their reading skills when school restarts in the fall. How do we prevent this from happening? Continue reading! The English Language Arts (ELA) department has put together a summer reading program that encourages students to continue reading in the summer. By now, students should have received the summer reading flyer in their ELA classroom. It will soon be posted to the Summer Assignments webpage that I maintain at: http://tinyurl.com/n5gzb7g Also, although the HMS library is closed in the summer, I encourage students to visit the Seekonk Public Library to get additional reading materials to keep their reading skills growing. All Seekonk residents can apply for a free Seekonk Public Library card simply by visiting the library with identification.  

Seekonk School DeparSeekonk School Depar tmenttment

Transportation OfficeTransportation Office 25 Water Lane

Seekonk, MA 02771  

May  2014  Dear  Parent/Guardian:                • The  Seekonk  School  Committee  is  required  by  MA  General  Law  Ch.    71,  S.  68,  to  

transport  to  and  from  school,  any  students  in  grades  K  to  6,  who  live  more  than  two  miles  from  their  respective  schools.  Transportation  accommodations  will  be  made   for   students  moving   into   Seekonk   during   the   school   year  who  meet   the  aforementioned  requirement.  Any  student  living  two  miles  or  under  from  school,  and  all  of  grades  7  through  12  will  be  provided  transportation  on  a  first  come  first   served   basis   for   available   seats   on   the   bus.     Due   to   the   required  transportation,   there   is   a   possibility   that   a   student   who   does   not   meet   that  requirement   may   have   to   forfeit   their   seat   during   the   school   year,   in   inverse  order.  Therefore,  it  is  very  important  that  you  get  your  application  in  early  (see  reverse  side  of  this  sheet).  There  may  be  a  delay  in  scheduling  transportation  for  students  who  enroll  after  July  11,  2014.  

     • Students   attending   Seekonk   High   School   and   Hurley   Middle   School   may   be  

issued  bus  passes.   If   so,   they  must   show   their  pass  each   time   they   get   on   the  bus.  A   student  who  does  not   show  his/her  pass  will   be   subject   to   disciplinary  procedures   established   by   the   school   administration.   Bus   passes   are   non-­transferable  and  forgery  or  duplicate  use  of  a  pass  may  result  in  expulsion  from   riding   the   school   bus.   There   is   a  $2.00   charge   for   a   replacement   pass.  (Elementary  school  students  will  not  receive  bus  passes.)  

 • Students  who   are   transported   by   the   Tremblay’s   Bus   Co.,   LLC   are   expected   to  

follow   the   school   bus   rules   that   are   posted   on   the   buses   and   written   in   the  student   handbooks.   They   are   necessary   in   order   to   provide   safe   and   efficient  transportation   for   everyone.   Students  who  do  not   obey   these   school   bus   rules  may  forfeit  their  privilege  to  ride.  

 

• School  bus  stops  will  remain  approximately  the  same  as  the  previous  year.    • If   you   have   any   questions,   please   call   Betsy   Frey   at   the   Seekonk  

Transportation  Office  at  508-­399-­5086.              

2014-­2015    School  Bus  Registration    

Please  fill  out  this  application  completely.  You  can  and  fax  it  to  508-­399-­5128  ,    mail  it  to  Seekonk  School  Department,  Transportation  Office,  25  Water  Lane,  Seekonk,  MA  02771,  or  e-­mail  as  an  attachment  to  FreyB@seekonk.k12.ma.us  where  I  am  able  to  respond  so  you  know  I  received  it.  This  form  has  to  be  filled  out  for  every  student  who  will  be  riding  the  school  bus,  regardless  of  eligibility.  (For  Kindergarten  students,  please  write  AMK  or  PMK  for  grade.)                      STUDENT’S  NAME                  SCHOOL            GRADE         Both  Ways   To  School   From  School               (Please  print)  

 __________________________________      ____________      ____________   ________  ________  ________        __________________________________      ____________      ____________   ________  ________  ________        __________________________________      ____________      ____________   ________  ________  ________      __________________________________      ____________      ____________   ________  ________  ________      __________________________________      ____________      ____________   ________  ________  ________    Please  write  any  special  daycare  arrangements,  including  contact  info,  if  any:  ________________________________________________________________________________________________    _________________________________________________________________________________________________    If  your  child/ren  are  in  grades  K-­‐6  and  live  more  than  2  miles  from  their  school  check  here________      (If  unsure,  you  can  log  onto  the  school  website  to  find  out:    www.seekonkschools.org.    Click  on  “District”  then  “Transportation”  and  you  will  see  “Eligibility.”)  If  they  do  not  fall  within  these  guidelines,  transportation  will  be  provided  on  a  first  come,  first  served  basis  for  any  available  seats  on  the  bus.  All  registrations  are  time  stamped.    

Home Address: _____________________________________ Home Telephone #: __________________________________ Parent/Guardian______________________________________ Mom Emergency Contact #:____________________________       (Please  print  or  type)   Dad Emergency Contact #:_____________________________ SIGNATURE_________________________________________

To ensure transportation for your child(ren), application must be returned no later

than Friday, July 11, 2014.

Please  read  the  “CONSENT  TO  RELEASE  CONFIDENTIAL  MEDICAL  INFORMATION  TO  BUS  DRIVERS”  form  on  the  next  page.  

CONSENT  TO  RELEASE  CONFIDENTIAL  MEDICAL  INFORMATION  TO  BUS  DRIVERS  

If your child has a medical condition that could potentially cause a life-threatening emergency while he or she is being transported by school bus that you are willing to share with the bus company, please complete the following and mail it to the Seekonk Transportation Office, 25 Water lane, Seekonk, MA 02771 and please write “Confidential” on the bottom left corner. The information will be relayed to your child’s bus driver.

This form will be kept in a locked file cabinet at both the Seekonk Public Schools’ Transportation Office and Tremblay’s office.

Student Name:____________________Date of Birth:__________

School:__________________________Grade:________________

HomeAddress:____________________________________________

Medical Condition:_______________________________________

Potential Emergency:__________________________________

Expected symptoms or observations:

________________________________________________________

I understand that this information will be shared with Tremblay’s Bus Co., LLC, 284 Myrtle Street, New Bedford, MA 02746 Parent/Guardian Signature___________________________________Date:____________

Please understand that the bus driver’s primary responsibility is to safely transport students. Our purpose is for the drivers to identify

emergency situations as early as possible, so that they can seek appropriate and timely assistance for a student in need.

 

YELLOW TEAM NEWS    On Wednesday, May 28th, twenty-five Yellow Team students participated in a writing workshop presented by Linda Crotta Brennan, a children’s author from Rhode Island. The workshop was the result of a raffle prize won by Mrs. Halpin at the Read Across Rhode Island event held earlier this month. The students warmed up by creating a sound poem using the words Hi, Hello, and Kittycat. Ms. Brennan then led them through creating the main character of their story. After this, the secondary characters, the setting, and the plot/conflict of their stories were developed. As this process was going on, there was a lot of sharing and good suggestions given. The workshop ended with a class created on-the-spot story about Gammy Num Nums and her talking peach. Ms. Brennan was very impressed with how much the students knew about the elements of a story and how enthusiastic and well behaved they are. It is very evident that we have some future authors in our midst.