April 1, 2022
Dear HMS parents, guardians, and caregivers,
Today we all welcome April, and what a welcome April has received! Over the past five days, HMS students and staff have engaged in Spirit Week 2022! Each day had a different theme, and the image shared here was taken during Rainbow Thursday. Ms. Robison’s 6th grade homeroom, as well as many others, included all of the colors of the rainbow together! We thank all of the students on our Student Leadership Team, as well as team advisors Jen Laberge and Brandie Burrows, for organizing Spirit Week. Thank you to all of our students and parents/guardians for their support as we celebrated school spirit and gathered food to benefit the Wayside Food Program.
In this update you will find information about the following topics:
PTO Updates
Resources for Covid Tests
Close Contact Information
Spring Sports Information (grades 7 and 8)
Merrill Memorial Library Update
Lost and Found
Dates to Remember
HMS Update #18 will be sent on April 14, 2022. Please continue to reach out with any questions.
With gratitude,
Mandy Lewis and Tom McDowell
HMS Administrative Team
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PTO Updates
Bike Swap coming May 7: Please save the date & your old bikes! Bike Swap to be held in Rowe School gym. Bikes can be brought in the day before, more details coming soon along with a call for volunteers.
The April PTO meeting will be Thursday April 28 at 4pm. Planning for an in-person meeting at town hall community room. All are welcome.
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Resources for Covid Tests
We wanted to pass along some helpful information. There are free at-home tests (five per household) available for Maine residents through the successful Project Access COVID-19 Tests (ACT) pilot at www.accessCOVIDTests.org. As of March 15, Maine households have ordered 229,845 tests through Project ACT. With the new contract, a total of 425,000 tests will be available.
Maine people in need of home tests may also order them through the federal program. The White House recently announced that U.S. residents can order two sets of four free at-home tests through www.COVIDtests.gov. Residents can also call 1-800-232-0233 for help placing the order.
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Spring Sports Information (grades 7 and 8)
We will be hosting our Spring Sports Information Night at 6 PM on Tuesday, April 5th. HMS spring sports include the following offerings for our 7th and 8th graders: coed outdoor track, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, baseball, and softball.
We are still in need of coaches for some of our spring teams. If you are interested in viewing the coaching vacancies, please visit the school website linked here.
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Merrill Memorial Library Update
The Merrill Memorial Library is hosting the following upcoming events.
Saturday, April 9: Virtual Cooking Challenge. Teams will pick up a box with mystery ingredients from the library and then join via Zoom on Saturday to open the box and get cooking. This is an all-ages program though we ask that participants be 12 or older or accompanied by an adult if they plan on using an oven. Registration is required (https://forms.gle/5X7ePsaqsRsRJ2e19). Limited to six teams.
LEGO Contest! Interested participants can pick up a LEGO plate from the library the week of 4/11-4/15 and then, using their own LEGO pieces, build something wild, fun, intricate, elegant, whatever. Builds can be dropped off at the library anytime up until the Tuesday after April break, 4/26 where they will be placed on display around the first floor of the library. Community members and library staff will vote on favorites in different categories.
In partnership with Island Treasure Toys: Board Games in the Library, many new board games will be available to play during the week of April Break, 4/19-4/23. No registration required. All Ages.
Thursday, April 14: Dangerous Thinking Club, 5PM at the library. Book: The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer. New members are always welcome. For grades 8 and up. Snacks will be provided. For more information, email Jill O'Connor at joconnor@yarmouthlibrary.org
Fridays in April: Garden Storytimes, 10:15 AM in the MML garden. In the case of inclement weather, these will move to Zoom. For more information, email Mary Randall at mrandall@yarmouthlibrary.org
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Lost and Found
The HMS Lost and Found has grown over the past few weeks. Please ask your child to make sure they are not missing any items. All items in Lost and Found that are unclaimed by April 14 will be donated over vacation.
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Dates to Remember
Tuesday, April 5 at 6pm (in person): Spring Sports Information Night for 7th and 8th graders
Friday, April 15: no school - April vacation starts on this date!