HMS School

August 23, 2022

Dear HMS Parents and Guardians,

We hope this message finds you well and still enjoying a beautiful summer.  Tom and I both enjoyed some time with our families this summer while soaking up as much fresh air as possible. We hope you were able to spend time together with your family as well.  

We are excited to be planning for our students’ return to school on September 6, 2022! Our staff will be back at HMS on August 30, August 31, and September 1 preparing for school opening, and this will be the first of several “back to school” communications. In the details below, you will find information about the following topics:

  • New Staff at HMS

  • 6th Grade Meet and Greet

  • HMS Nutrition Letter

  • Co-curricular Opportunities

  • Athletic Teams

  • Supply Lists

  • Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

  • School Arrival and Dismissal Information

  • Dates to Date

Our next HMS Update will be sent on September 1, 2022 and will include information about our school website, student handbook, Open Houses, and other important details.  As we all prepare for the start of the 2022-2023 school year, please reach out with any questions you may have.  We are eager to create a smooth transition for our students this fall.

With Gratitude,

Mandy Lewis and Tom McDowell

HMS Administrative Team

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New Staff at HMS

We are excited to welcome new members to the HMS staff.

Tonya Kinzer, Administrative Assistant - Mrs. Kinzer has had a variety of experiences that have led her to us, including owning a business in Portland and being an editor at Random House.

Allen Little, Special Education Teacher -  Mr. Little is joining HMS from Saco Middle School where he has been a teacher and team leader for the past three years.  He brings a skillset focused on both academic and behavioral interventions, and he will be one of our learning center teachers. 

Catherine Nein, School Counselor - Mrs. Nein has been a school counselor at Brunswick Junior High School for the past nine years.  Mrs. Nein has experience with trauma-informed practices, family systems coordination, and crisis management in addition to being a student-centered counselor. 

Rebecca Place, Health Science Teacher - Ms. Place joins us from the University of New England where she has been teaching Personal Health and Wellness, Exercise Science, and Fitness Evaluation for the past three years.  Ms. Place’s love for health science stems from her research experience focused on preventing childhood obesity.

Adam Potvin, Language Arts Gifted and Talented Teacher - Mr. Potvin joins us from Lake Region Middle School where he has taught 7th and 8th grade Language Arts for the past six years.  Adam has also had opportunities to co-teach with Special Educators and teach sections of Gifted and Talented Language Arts classes.

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Sixth Grade Meet and Greet

On Thursday, September 1, 2022, our sixth grade teachers will be available for a “meet and greet” style event from 10:45-11:30 a.m. Students may visit with their parents/guardians for a few minutes to explore the classroom setting at HMS and meet their teacher. Please limit visits to five minutes.

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HMS Nutrition Letter

Blair Currier, Nutrition Director, shared information in the letter linked here in early August.  We wanted to share it again with you as we prepare for our return to school.

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Co-curricular opportunities

On the HMS website, we are updating the activities available for students.  We are hopeful that this year we will be able to offer even more to all students at HMS.  Please take a look at the opportunities with your student and encourage them to engage in at least one activity outside of the school day.

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Athletic Teams

HMS athletic teams will be available for students in grades 7 and 8, and students should register for fall teams by following the directions in the letter Sarah Holmes, Athletic Director, shared in early August.  Sixth grade students will be included in HMS athletic teams if we are unable to field a team due to low participation numbers in grades 7 and 8.  Sarah Holmes will review participation numbers at the start of each season to determine if sixth graders will be needed to field a particular team.  Yarmouth Community Services provides programming opportunities for students in grade 6 (as well as grades 7 and 8), and we encourage you to check out their website for more information.  With the exception of HMS football, the first day of fall practices will be Wednesday, September 7. 

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Supply Lists

Each grade level team has provided supply lists.  The lists may be accessed by visiting this page of the HMS website.  

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Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

Many students and staff at HMS walk and bike to and from school. As the return to school approaches, it is a helpful time to review safety information. For pedestrians, HMS is accessible by sidewalks from both the Hillside entrance and the McCartney Street entrance. Pedestrians should use crosswalks to move across roads. For our bikers, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine provides the following information:

  • Wear a helmet (Maine state law for those under 16 years of age)

  • Ride straight - no surprises or quick turns

  • If riding on the road, ride with the traffic

  • Use hand signals for turning

  • Always obey traffic signals and stop signs

  • Be mindful of pedestrians

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School Arrival and Dismissal Information

Buses are returning to the bus loop during student arrival each morning.  Our buses will be dropping students at HMS between 7:40-7:45 a.m. Cars will be able to access the bus loop after all buses have dropped off students.  Students may arrive at school between 7:40 a.m. and 7:55 a.m. Our afternoon dismissal will begin at 2:45 p.m. for students taking the bus home. Those students riding bicycles and those students walking home will be dismissed after the buses depart. Students being picked up by parents/guardians will be dismissed around 2:55 p.m.

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Dates to Date

Tuesday, September 6: First day of school for grades 6-8

Wednesday, September 7: First day of middle school sports

Tuesday, September 13: 6th Grade Open House 

Tuesday, September 20: 7th Grade Open House 

Wednesday, September 28: 8th Grade Open House