November 10, 2022
Dear HMS Parents and Guardians,
We hope this update finds you well. Last week our school community engaged in several important learning activities, and we want to thank our Civil Rights Team for helping us celebrate the Day of Welcome last Friday. We also want to thank our teachers, our One Book, One School committee, and our PTO for supporting the culmination of our One Book, One School Project. Varsha Bajaj, author of Count Me In, joined our school community last Friday and spent the day connecting with our students and teachers. Pictured here is a view of one of the presentations Varsha shared with our students, and she applauded them for their kindness, respect and engagement.
In this update you will find information about the following topics:
Day of Welcome
Counselor’s Corner
Ski Swap
Lost and Found
Merrill Library Update
School Picture Retakes
Dates to Date
HMS Update #8 will be sent on November 22, 2022. Please continue to reach out with any questions.
With Gratitude,
Mandy Lewis and Tom McDowell
HMS Administrative Team
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Day of Welcome
Civil Rights Teams across Maine were invited to participate in the Civil Rights Team Project’s annual “Day of Welcome” held on November 4, 2022. The event was a chance for students to celebrate and promote the idea that their school community is for everyone.
The Day of Welcome is coordinated by the Civil Rights Team Project in the Maine Office of the Attorney General. The Project, now in its 27th year, is a school-based preventative program that aims to increase the safety of students by reducing bias-motivated behaviors and harassment in schools. There are currently 207 participating schools with student-led civil rights teams. Our students showed much enthusiasm as they welcomed all members of the HMS community to school last Friday!
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Counselor’s Corner
For this month we would like to talk about kids and screen time. Many kids and teens spend a great deal of time on social media, video games, YouTube or other screen based activities. Social Media, games and videos can be very stimulating to kids' brains, and it can make it difficult to focus on other things. If teens are starting to put insufficient effort into homework, eating, sleeping or spending time with friends or family, this can be an indication that technology is negatively affecting their lives. In addition, research has shown that teens with heavy social media use and/or teens who spend two-thirds or more of their free time gaming are at a much higher risk for anxiety and depression.
Setting clear screen time boundaries in your home and talking to kids about why you are setting them can substantially benefit their mental health.
4 POSSIBLE KEY SCREEN TIME RULES (from Doctor Delaney Ruston's website Screenagers)
-No screens in bedrooms when kids and teens go to sleep
-Set time goals for studying without multitasking and then taking breaks (for example: kids study for about 30 minutes and then go on their phones for about 15 minutes)
-Eat meals together without devices
-Establish time rules for video games (no or limited time on games during the school week and a set amount of time on the weekends).
For more information and to sign up to receive helpful newsletters every week related to teenagers and screen use visit: visit https://www.screenagersmovie.com/blog
Please contact us anytime with questions or concerns. We are here to help!
Catherine Nein-School Counselor
catherine_nein@yarmouthschools.org
Chelsea Collupy-Social Worker
chelsea_collupy@yarmouthschools.org
Michelle Napoli-Social Worker
michelle_napoli@yarmouthschools.org
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Ski Swap
Join members of the Yarmouth community for the annual Ski Swap on November 19. View details here.
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Lost and Found
The HMS lost and found has been growing in size. If your student is missing something, please encourage them to check the items gathered in the Lost and Found. We will donate any unclaimed items at the end of the day on Tuesday, November 22.
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Merrill Library Update Saturday, November 12, 3pm, virtual: Chopped Cooking Challenge. We choose a few special ingredients and seal them in a box, you come to the library and pick up the box, then you gather your friends or family members and open the box (as a group on Zoom) and cook something tasty. https://forms.gle/7HoeUKXpLXLDuuZh7
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 5:30pm: FOR PARENTS OF TEENS: "Supporting the Mental Well-Being of the Teen(s) in Your Life" hosted by Valo, a local organization that works with teens to create space for them to explore their place in the world and to inspire them to find ways to live a hopeful life. The intention of this talk is to create a space for folks to talk about the ups and downs of supporting teens today.
Friday, November 18, 7pm, at the library: Trivia Night. Come solo or grab a team and come to trivia night in the library. https://forms.gle/EV32QfYeWHbzv4CR8
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School Picture Retakes
School picture retakes will be completed on Tuesday, November 15th. Please see the link for more information.
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Dates to Date
November 11: Veterans Day - no school
November 15: School Picture Retakes
November 23 - 25: Thanksgiving Break - no school