September 20, 2019
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our students are fully into the routines and schedules of the new year. They are taking on new challenges, making new friends and ensuring that our school is a happy, busy, active place every day. Our staff is enjoying each new learning experience with your children!
HMS Library and Learning Commons
We are excited to share the following information, provided by Merry Stuhr, HMS Librarian:
Over the summer, the signage changed and the HMS Library became the HMS Library and Learning Commons! Many school and college libraries have been making this transition over the years.
This is not just about our name, though. The HMS Library and Learning Commons will continue with a focus on READING and on INQUIRY. Students/classes will continue to come for great books and for Inquiry projects. We are planning many more offerings, though.
In the works for this year:
Peace Crane Project (exchanging origami cranes with other schools around the world)
Edward Gorey envelope art project
Keva Planks (architectural challenges)
Gravitrax Marble Run (design challenges)
Rubik's Mosaics (will return in January -- 400-cube set this time)
BB-8 Challenge (for our Star Wars Week in December)
Student-organized book groups at lunch
Project FeederWatch (of course!)
Puzzles
The HMS Library and Learning Commons is meant to be a place where students can create, collaborate, read, explore, discuss and more!
Our students are already experiencing the engaging new offerings of our HMS Library and Learning Commons! Today we begin the exchange of 350 peace cranes, lovingly created by our students, with schools in several different countries including Russia/Siberia, Sierra Leone, Mexico, and England. Our students are excited about the upcoming migration!
Our thanks and appreciation to Merry Stuhr and Tracy Weinrich for their on-going efforts to make our HMS Library and Learning Commons a wonder-filled place of exploration and discovery!
Updating the Powerschool Portal
Every year we ask parents to go into the Powerschool Portal to review and/or update the information that we have for all of our students along with your contact information. To update Student Information on the portal, please go to the HMS Powerschool Help page. This will give you step by step instructions in a 2 minute video about how to update your child's account. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Harrison Middle School FLU Clinic
HMS will hold an influenza vaccination clinic on Monday, October 7. We will partner with Northern Light Home Health to provide our students flu vaccines. Kristina Truesdale, HMS School Nurse, will email all parents soon with specific information about the clinic. You can access information about the flu and the vaccine, at www.maineflu.gov, www.flu.gov, or http://www.cdc.gov/flu. If you have questions about the vaccine you can also call the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention (Maine CDC) at 1-800-867-4775, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Online Homework
We wanted to share this resource from Screenagers, which focuses on supporting students with online homework. We hope you find the information, tips, and ideas about questions to begin this conversation with your child(ren) useful.
Hannaford Helps
Thank you for considering Hannaford Helps to support our school!
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Fall Picture Day - October 2 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the HMS Gym
HMS Flu Clinic - October 7 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Music Booster Meeting - October 7 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the HMS Band Room
NO SCHOOL on October 11 - Teacher In-Service Day
NO SCHOOL on Indigenous Peoples' Day - October 14
Thanks very much-
Joan Adler and Tom McDowell
HMS Administrative Team
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