Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School Parent Newsletter

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1 Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School Parent Newsletter Education A Journey Without End March 23, 2012 Visit our web page at This newsletter will be sent out weekly by to keep you informed of programs and events at Hurley Middle School. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at jfargnoli@seekonk.k12.ma.us. Upcoming Dates: March 24 - Peer Leadership Group HMS 9:30 to 11:30 AM March 26 MCAS testing for all grades Reading Comprehension March 27 MCAS testing for all grades Reading Comprehension March 30 School Dance from 7 to 9 PM April 3 School Committee SHS 7 PM April 4 Band Parents Association Meeting 7 PM in the bandroom April 5 3 rd quarter ends April 6 No school Good Friday April 9 Food drive for Doorways April 9 6 th grade breakfast sponsored by the PTO April 9 Opening event for the 200 th Anniversary at HMS the entire school will be open for a display of student work and a band performance April 10 Baseball / Softball game Seekonk 3:15 PM April 11 - Seekonk 200th Anniversary Celebration Early Release at 12:15 April 12 - Baseball / Softball game Middleboro 3:15 PM April Spring Break April 23 Spring pictures April 25 Hurley Middle School Honor Society Induction 7 PM April 26 - Baseball / Softball game Rehoboth 3:15 PM April 27 Spring Math Rehoboth May 1 Middle Link Night an orientation for 5 th grade parents 7 HMS May 2,3,& 4 Grade 8 Alton Jones trip May 7 Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 10 PTO meeting at 7 PM in the HMS Library May 11 Alice in Wonderland, Jr. 7 PM May 12 - Alice in Wonderland, Jr. 1 PM May 14 MCAS testing for all grades in math May 15- MCAS testing for all grades in math

2 MCAS Testing - March 26 & 27 th Students will be taking their ELA Reading Comprehension MCAS on Monday and Tuesday March 26th and 27th. Every student signed a Student Responsibility During MCAS Testing form and received an additional copy of that form to take home to their parents. Please ask them for this form and review the promise that they have committed to. I will incluse a copy at the end of this newsletter for you to reference if your child does not provide you with the form. We encourage you to go over the testing stratigies listed below with your child: The key to success is to remain calm, maintain a positive attitude, get a good night sleep, and to eat a nutritious and delicious breakfast before testing. Don t hand your test in until you are 100% comfortable and confident with your work. Take mental breaks in between questions to sharpen your thought process. Make lists and charts for literally every question even if it s extremely easy. Take pride in your work and celebrate your knowledge Please make sure that your child gets a good night sleep the day before the testing and comes to school with a plan to succeed. Engineers Teaching Algebra The HMS Math Team and a few other students were visited by Mark Love from the program Engineers Teaching Algebra. After an introduction from Mr. Love, a civil engineer, the students had to solve some traffic problems by making some guesses about how to time traffic lights to allow for a specific 90 second cycle and safe passage for all vehicles. Jacob Brack was able to come with a near perfect cycle without actually doing the problem out by hand or on a calculator. After reviewing the algebra behind the task and stressing the importance of checking answers for "reasonableness", Mr. Love presented the students with a four part traffic problem. Although most of the groups came up with the correct answer, it was Emily Salois and Barbara Wang that presented a solution that also cut down on the amount of congestion that might be involved in the presented situation. Mr. Love left the students with a five part problem that some are continuing to work on. Mrs. Costa and her mathletes would like to thank the Seekonk Arts Council for their generous grant that funded this program. Dawn Marie Costa 7th Grade - Green Team Middle School Mathematics Teacher

3 A Coordinated Program Review (CPR) The CPR is conducted every six years as one part of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education s accountability system. The purpose of the review is to oversee local compliance with education requirements in the following areas: special education, civil rights, and English language learners (ELL). A team of two Department staff members will be in the district all of next week. On Wednesday, March 28 th the team will spend the day at HMS interviewing staff members, observing programs, and reviewing documents. We will receive feedback that will be helpful in planning for the continued improvement of the programs and services we offer. Indoor Soccer Indoor soccer sign-ups have begun and will continue into next week. This intramural activity will begin on April 5 th and take place on Tuesday and Thursdays from 2:45 to 3:45. All students have to provide their own transportation home at 3:45. Every student MUST have completed medical, permission, and concussion forms to participate. 8th Grade Dance Anyone interested in helping with the 8 th Grade Dance First planning meeting March 28 at 7 pm in the HMS library. We ll brainstorm ideas for a theme and see what needs to be done. June will be here before we know it!! If you can t make the meeting but would like to help please Liz at marulism@comcast.net Earth Club News The Earth Club is pleased to report that, due to our recycling efforts, we have kept seventeen pounds of empty drink pouches, one pound of used chip bags, and seven pounds of empty glue sticks/bottles out of the landfills! The empty food packages were recycled by students in the cafeteria, and the glue sticks/bottles were recycled in our classrooms. These items were sent to TerraCycle, a recycling company that repurpose and recycle these items. We will also receive a small donation that will be forwarded to our PTO to assist in their programming. Thank you to all students and staff members who supported our recycling efforts here at HMS! Jennifer St. Michel, MLIS Earth Club Advisor

4 HMS Library Resources App Hurley Middle School students can download a free Access My Library app for iphone, ipod touch or Android devices. This app has been developed by Gale, a leading publisher of reference information, and will give students free, unlimited access to the HMS Library s online resources, anytime, anywhere! These Gale resources are only available through a subscribing library. They consist of databases and ebooks that contain highly accurate, unbiased information, gathered from academic journals, encyclopedias and other authoritative sources of information. They are the best resource for research purposes. After a one-time log-in, AccessMyLibrary School Edition supplies students with access to our school library's Gale online resources, as well as easy access point to the HMS library webpage. Students who are interested in downloading the app can come to the library for the activation password and link to the resources. Jennifer St. Michel, MLIS Hurley Middle School Librarian Baseball News Tryouts for the boys baseball is as follows: Friday, March 16th- 8th graders only (Fielding try-out) Monday, March 19th- 6th graders only (hitting) Tuesday, March 20th-7th graders only (hitting) Wednesday, March 21st- 8th graders only (hitting) Thursday, March 22nd- (if necessary) Friday, March 23rd-(if necessary) Google Docs Compatibility Issues If you child is having trouble using Google Docs at home (such as files that can be read but not able to be edited), it could be a compatibility issue with the browser on your home computer. According to our tech department, Google Docs needs to be run on the latest version of Firefox (version 11), Google Chrome, or Internet Explorer version 8 or 9. All of these browsers are free downloads from the Internet. You may access the download by searching for these products in your current browser and choosing the product that is appropriate for your operating system. Career Day Plans are underway for the 4 th annual Career Day which will be held on May 23, 2012 at the Hurley Middle School. Our goal is to expose our students to as many career choices as possible. If your schedule permits we would love to have you to join us this year on Wednesday,

5 May 23rd from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to share your profession with our students. A contact form is included at the end of this newsletter. Please consider being a presenter. Year Book Sales The last day for orders for the HMS yearbook is March 30, If you have not yet ordered your child s yearbook, please do so now! Students really enjoy reminiscing with the yearbook and gathering signatures on the last day of school. It is also a lasting memory of your child s middle school years. Checks must be made payable to Town of Seekonk. No cash is accepted. Online payments via credit card are accepted at Softcover: $22.00 Hardcover: $27.00 Name imprinted on cover is an additional $2.00 Don t be disappointed, order your yearbook today! Jennifer St. Michel, MLIS Yearbook Advisor Band News Dates to keep in mind: 200th Anniversary Performance- April 9 th All 8th grade HMS CONCERT BAND STUDENTS will perform at the 200th Anniversary HMS Celebration on Monday April 9th. Students must wear concert dress (black and white) for the special composition written for this occasion. From the School Nurse POISON IVY, OAK, and SUMAC Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac are plants that can cause a skin rash called allergic contact dermatitis when they touch your skin. The red, uncomfortable, and itchy rash often shows up in lines or streaks and is marked by fluid-filled bumps (blisters) or large raised areas (hives). It is the most common skin problem caused by contact with plants (plant dermatitis). The rash is caused by contact with an oil (urushiol) found in poison ivy, oak or sumac. The oil is present in all parts of the plants, including the leaves, stems, flowers, berries, and roots. Urushiol is an allergen, so the rash is actually an allergic reaction to the oil in these plants. Indirect contact with urushiol can also cause the rash. This may happen when you touch clothing, pet fur, sporting gear, gardening tools, or other objects that have come in contact with one of these plants. But urushiol does not cause a rash on everyone who gets it on his or her skin.

6 Symptoms of the rash are: Itchy skin where the plant touched your skin Red streaks or general redness where the plant brushed against the skin Small bumps or larger raised areas (hives) Blisters filled with fluid that may leak out The rash usually appears 8 to 48 hours after your contact with urushiol. But it can occur from 5 hours to 15 days after touching the plant. The rash usually takes more than a week to show up the first time you get urushiol on your skin. But the rash develops much more quickly (within 1 to 2 days) after later contacts. The rash will continue to develop in new areas over several days but only on the parts of your skin that had contact with the urushiol or those parts where urushiol was spread by touching. THE RASH IS NOT CONTAGIOUS. You cannot catch or spread a rash after it appears, even if you touch it or the blister fluid, because the urushiol will already be absorbed or washed off the skin. The rash may seem to be spreading, but either it is still developing from earlier contact or you have touched something that still has urushiol on it. The more urushiol you come in contact with, the more severe your skin reaction. Severe reactions to smaller amounts of urushiol also may occur in people who are highly sensitive to urushiol. Serious symptoms may include: Swelling of the face, mouth, neck genitals, or eyelids (which may prevent eyes opening) Widespread, large blisters that ooze large amounts of fluid Without treatment the rash usually lasts about 10 days to 6 weeks depending on sensitivity. HOW IS THE RASH TREATED? Most poison ivy, oak, and sumac rashes can be treated successfully at home. Initial treatment consists of washing the area with water immediately after contact with the plants. To relieve symptoms, use wet compresses and take cool baths. Nonprescription antihistamines and calamine lotion also my help relieve symptoms. Moderate to severe cases of the rash may require treatment by a doctor, who may prescribe corticosteroids pills, creams, ointments, or shots (injections). HOW CAN I PREVENT THE RASH FROM POISON IVY OAK, AND SUMAC? The best way to prevent the rash is to learn to identify and avoid these plants. When you cannot avoid contact with the plants, heavy clothing (long pants, long- sleeved shirt, and vinyl gloves) and barrier creams or lotions may help protect you. To view pictures of poison ivy, oak and sumac go to Jill Dumont, RN, BSN School Nurse

7 Doorways Food Pantry needs your help We will be conducting a food drive on April 9-11 for Doorways. They are in need of the following food items: baked beans jelly canned fruit pasta sauce If you are able to provide any of these items please drop them off in our school office. We will accept donations earlier if necessary. Thank you for your support! Stop & StopA+School Rewards Program Please register your Stop & Shop card and become part of the A+ program. All you have to do is: Log on to to register online OR Dial to register your card over the phone After you register your card, each shopping trip at Stop & Shop using your Stop & Shop Card earns CASH for our school! Remember, even if you registered your card last year, you must reregister this year for our school to receive credit. Attending to this simple process makes a HUGE difference to our school. We need your support. Please be sure to register your card to benefit HMS using ID # Thank you for helping our school! Seekonk High School Hosts WYLAND Traveling Exhibit Seekonk High School will be sponsoring an educational traveling art exhibition of Wyland, a famous marine artist and conservationist. The exhibit is open to the entire Seekonk community and will be on display in the main lobby of the high school, the week of April 9-13, This educational opportunity for our town, and student's has been made available by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and The Seekonk Arts Council. Resources for teacher's (K-12), will be arriving at your school's the week of March 19th. Additional resources will be made available on the "staff shared" folder. Thank you for your continued support of the Visual Arts program. Please see the end of this newsletter for more information.

8 HMS Career Expo Wednesday, May 23, :00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It s time for the HMS Career Expo 2012! Each year we hold a Career Expo to encourage our students begin to think about their futures. Our goal is to expose our students to as many career choices as possible. If your schedule permits we would love to have you to join us this year on Wednesday, May 23rd from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to share your profession with our students. Please confirm your availability via to: robitaillec@seekonk.k12.ma.us or fargnolij@seekonk.k12.ma.us

9 Student Responsibilities during MCAS Testing Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s): New this spring, students in grades 6 through high school will be asked to read statements about their responsibilities during MCAS testing and to sign an acknowledgement indicating they understand these responsibilities. The statements are shown below. We recommend that you discuss them with your child along with the school s handbook and related policies. Sincerely, Thank you for your involvement in your child s education. Dr. Joan C. Fargnoli Principal By signing below, I promise that I have not already seen the student test booklet that I will receive; all the work in my answer booklet will be my own; I will not copy anyone else s work; I will not let anyone answer questions for me; I will not use any materials, such as a cell phone or other electronic device, that I am not allowed to have during testing; and I will not discuss or share information with anyone about the questions until MCAS testing ends in my school. If I have any questions about these statements, I will talk with my teacher, guidance counselor, or principal. I make the promises above and know that there may be consequences for breaking my promises or the test administration rules. Student s Printed Name: Student s Signature Date

10 Seekonk High School Hosts WYLAND Traveling Exhibit Art, Science, and Conservation Combine in Marine Life Exhibit! April 9-13, 2012, Seekonk High School will be displaying a Teacher s Discovery Traveling Exhibit featuring the fascinating paintings of Wyland, world-renowned marine life artist. The students and staff will enjoy four giant silk panels reproductions. The main panel entitled The Reef measures 12x5.5 feet. Also included in the exhibit are three free standing panels measuring 4x6.5 feet which take you underwater to another world to explore the earth s oceans and reefs without even getting wet! Water Planet and Year of the Reef, Wyland s most acclaimed paintings truly celebrate art, science, and conservation! We welcome the entire Seekonk Community to view this enchanting educational and moving exhibit, which brings to light the importance of conservation, concern for marine life and most importantly its impact on our environment. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Seekonk Arts Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. This event will include interdisciplinary educational activities for students grades K-12. Resources for activities include mathematics, web quests, career opportunities, art, critical thinking, conservation, technology, English and geography. Educators throughout the system can access these materials at:

HMS Parent Newsletter June 2, 2017

HMS Parent Newsletter June 2, 2017 Dr. William V. Whalen III Principal Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School 650 Newman Ave. Seekonk, MA. 02771 508-761- 7570 http://hms.seekonk.sharpschool.com/ Ms. Alexis A. Bouchard Interim Assistant Principal