The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Parent  Newsletter  September  26,  2014  

   

Dear  Families,       It  has  certainly  been  very  busy  around  the  hallways  and  athletic  fields  of  the  Dr.  Kevin  Hurley  Middle  School  lately.  This  week,  the  HMS  Drama  Program  held  auditions  for  this  year’s  production,  which  is  Disney  Meets  Broadway!  Congratulations  to  all  of  the  students  that  were  awarded  a  part  for  this  exciting  production.         The  boys’  soccer  team  is  on  a  roll  so  far  this  season.  The  team  is  currently  3-­‐0.  Eighth  grade  student  Jared  Cabral  has  10  goals  on  the  season!  I  enjoyed  spending  time  outside  earlier  this  week  with  several  HMS  teachers  rooting  on  our  team  in  their  game  against  Dighton  Middle  School.    The  girls’  soccer  team  is  also  off  to  a  great  start,  with  a  record  of  1-­‐0-­‐2.  The  team  is  playing  great  defense.  Eighth  grade  student  Diedre  Rocha  has  been  outstanding  as  the  team’s  goalie.  The  boys’  and  girls’  teams  will  make  up  their  game  that  was  rained  out  this  past  Thursday  vs.  Case  Junior  High  in  Swansea  on  Monday,  9/29.       The  PTO  held  their  first  meeting  of  the  year  this  past  Wednesday.  We  had  18  total  people  in  attendance  for  the  meeting,  which  I  thought  was  wonderful.  PTO  president  Nicole  Hammond  spoke  about  all  of  the  subcommittees  that  are  needed  in  order  to  run  PTO-­‐sponsored  events  at  our  school.  I  urge  anyone  interested  in  helping  out  our  PTO  to  contact  Nicole  at  nmhammond@gmail.com.       As  I  mentioned  last  week,  there  will  be  a  meeting  for  parents  of  the  students  that  are  interested  in  participating  in  the  eight  grade  class  trip  to  Washington  DC  and  Philadelphia,  PA,  on  Tuesday,  October  14,  2014  at  6  PM.  I  will  be  meeting  with  the  students  in  a  class  assembly  prior  to  this  on  October  8th  in  order  to  explain  the  details  of  the  trip  so  that  they  will  be  able  to  make  an  informed  decision  regarding  whether  or  not  they  would  like  to  participate.       Our  first  School  Council  meeting  of  the  year  is  scheduled  for  Wednesday,  October  8th  at  4:00  pm  in  the  HMS  Library.  The  School  Council  is  responsible  for  our  School  Improvement  Plan,  and  also  collaborates  with  the  school’s  administration  regarding  the  handbook  and  budget  process.       Friday,  October  10th,  there  will  be  no  school  as  it  is  a  professional  development/in-­‐service  day  for  teachers.       I  have  spent  a  considerable  time  in  classrooms  this  week,  and  have  really  enjoyed  the  opportunity  to  see  our  students  engaged  in  activities  that  are  student-­‐centered,  challenging,  and  fun!  Be  sure  to  ask  your  child  about  some  of  the  great  things  that  are  going  on  in  his  or  her  classes.  As  always,  feel  free  to  contact  your  child’s  teachers  with  any  questions  via  email.  Furthermore,  please  remember  that  I  am  available  to  assist  you  with  anything  that  you  may  need  via  email  at  whalenw@seekonk.k12.ma.us.  The  phone  number  for  our  Main  Office  is  508-­‐761-­‐7570.       Have  a  great  weekend  and  enjoy  the  beautiful  weather!    

@DrWhalen    

Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle SchoolSchool 650 Newman Ave.650 Newman Ave.

Seekonk, MA. 02771Seekonk, MA. 02771 508508 -- 761761 -- 75707570

www.seekonk.k12.ma.uswww.seekonk.k12.ma.us Dr. William V. Whalen III Mrs. Mary C. Westcoat Principal Assistant Principal

                   

     

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

       

   The  Scholastic  Book  Fair  is  coming!  

Parents!      The  Scholastic  Book  Fair  will  be  at  HMS  from  October  20  through  October  22!    Students  will  come  to  the  fair  with  their  English  class.    This  is  a  great  opportunity  for  students  to  purchase  a  book  of  their  own  while  supporting  the  HMS  PTO!    There  will  be  a  lot  of  great  titles  in  the  fair  this  year,  from  popular  children’s  authors  such  as  James  Patterson,  Raina  Telgemeier,  Suzanne  Collins,  and  more!      

New  this  year!    You  may  also  shop  online  using  a  credit  card  from  October  16  until  November  5  and  support  our  HMS  Book  Fair!    Check  it  out  at:    http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/drkevinmhurleymiddlesch          This  is  great  way  to  involve  grandparents  and  other  relatives  in  supporting  our  school!    

The  book  fair  accepts  cash,  checks  (payable  to  HMS  PTO)  and  credit  cards.    It  will  be  open  from  8AM  –  2:30  Monday  through  Wednesday,  and  during  homeroom  on  Thursday  for  those  last  minute  purchases.  

If  you  have  any  questions  or  if  you  would  like  to  volunteer  to  help  out  during  the  fair,  you  can  contact  Sue  Rutter  @  steverutter@verizon.net      Jennifer  St.  Michel,  MLIS  Library  Media  Specialist  

         

     

           

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

     

HMS  Soccer  –  Boys’  Team    

The  boys  are  on  a  great  winning  streak,  beating  Dighton  this  past  week  by  a  score  of  4-­‐0.    They  continue  their  great  communication  and  growth  as  one  solid  team.    Yesterday's  game  at  Swansea  will  be  made  up  this  Monday  (9/29).    We  will  also  have  two  games  versus  Westport  next  week,  the  first  one  home  and  the  second  one  away.    Since  they  have  only  one  co-­‐ed  team,  the  boys  will  play  only  against  Westport.      Have  a  great  weekend  and  thanks  for  your  continued  support.      Coach  Pellegrino    

 BLUE  TEAM  ELA  with  Mrs.  Dumas  

   

Students have begun their Mystery Unit. We are presently reading several short stories by W. W. Jacobs and will be studying how the characters and setting contribute to the mood and the tone of the stories. We will also be comparing and contrasting the three stories using a Venn Diagram to organize our writing.

       

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

 

Knitting Club will be held every Monday afternoon in Rm. 149 beginning September 29th. Knitting Club is an opportunity for students to learn to knit, to be creative, to get to know other students, and most importantly, to have fun! The needed supplies are: size 10” knitting needles, multiple balls of yarn, and knitting bag. Optional supplies are: plastic sewing needle, tape measure, and scissors.

HMS is starting a Science Club! Come to our first meeting on Wednesday afternoon October 1st in Rm. 149. Our plan is to meet once per month and to engage students in all things science!! Club advisors are Ms. Murgo, Mrs.Downing, and Mrs. Metcalf.

                     

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

     

   

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

         

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

       

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

6th grade News: History with Mr.Durand – Over the first two weeks of school students studied the 5 Themes of Geography. These 5 themes will be at the center of many of our discussions and activities as we study different parts of the world. Since then we have begun working with Latin America. Students have completed maps of Central and South America and we will be moving into the physical features, climate and vegetation over the next week. It's been a great start to the year and it was nice to meet many parents at Open House. Have a great weekend! English with Ms Thivierge – Red Team English has been busy-busy-busy!! We have been diving right into fiction and have spent the last week or so learning all about traditional literature - particularly Myths and Legends! We've been focusing on Traditional Native American myths, and the kids have really enjoyed the topics! They're fascinated with the creation myths of other cultures! Next week we will be taking their Galileo Pre-test and writing myths of our own! Then, it's back to Fiction and getting ready to start our first novel: "The Cay!" Happy weekend!

Math with Mrs. Handfield – The students are off to a great start in Math! We are continually adding pages into our Interactive Math Journal. Students have made a cheeseburger foldable to help remember the steps of long division along with operations foldable and steps to solving word problems foldable during Supercore. WWP#1 was handed out earlier this week. It is due on Tuesday 9/30! Next week we will be rapping about PEMDAS and reviewing the order of operations including exponents! There will be a quiz coming up next

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

week that will cover all topics we have discussed thus far. A study guide will be worked on prior to the quiz Happy weekend! Mrs Handfield Science with Mrs. Jones -  Red team science students have been very busy reviewing the scientific method. Students have been practicing writing hypothesis statements, identifying quantitative and qualitative observations, and writing their experimental plans. They are using these skills to investigate how many drops of water will fit on each side of a penny. Students have been asked to begin going over their notes and vocabulary for the chapter 1, section 2 test tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 1st.  

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

 Congratulations  to  all  students  making  the  HMS  Jazz  Band.  The  first  Jazz  rehearsal  will  be  Monday,  September  29th  after  school  from  2:35-­‐3:25.  PARENTS  MUST  PICK  UP  THEIR  CHILD  AS  THERE  ARE  NO  LATE  BUSSES!    All  parents  are  invited  to  attend  the  first  HMS  Band  Parent  Meeting  on  Wednesday,  October  1  at  6:00  in  the  band  room.    Please  come  and  add  your  ideas  to  our  group!  We  look  forward  to  seeing  you  there!      Mrs.  Susan  Grande  Director  of  Bands    

HMS JAZZ BAND 2014-2015

ALTO 1 TRUMPET 1 Jun Hong Ethan Santos Emily Jankowski Casey Merola ALTO 2 TRUMPET 2 Josh Morra Marcus Hoskins Ed Monigan Henry Jordan TENOR 1 TRUMPET 3 William Ransom Kristen Lewis Miguel Jorge TENOR 2 Eric Zirkel BARITONE TROMBONE 1 Logan Zonfrillo Ethan Paiva DRUM SET GUITAR Nathan Costa Noah Romano Laura Catalano PIANO BASS Catherine Testa Trevor Laquale Ameila Biggs MALLETS- Erin Broadmeadow

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Health  Education  Newsletter    6th  Grade:  Students  are  continuing  with  their  Nutrition  unit.  Students  will  be  learning  about  the  Recommended  Daily  Allowances  (RDA)  and  MyPlate,  learn  how  to  read  nutrition  labels,  practice  portioning  out  food/serving  sizes  and  learning  how  what  we  eat  (and  what  we  don’t  eat)  can  make  us  sick.  Students  will  be  able  to:  

o Demonstrate  the  understanding  of  the  key  nutrients  to  growth  and  development  o Analyze  personal  eating  habits  o Explain  the  importance  of  a  healthy  diet  and  exercise  to  growth  and  development  o Analyze  food  and  beverage  nutrition  labels  o Demonstrate  the  understanding  of  the  RDA  and  portion  sizes  for  each  food  

group/MyPlate.  MA  Frameworks  Standards  covered:    

o Disease  Prevention  &  Control  (8.5)  o Nutrition  (3.8,  3.9,  3.11)  

National  Health  Education  Standards:  o Standard  #1:  Core  Concepts    o Standard  #5;  Decision  Making  o Standard  #7:  Self-­‐Management  

 7th  Grade:  Students  are  finishing  up  their  Health  Skills  unit.  Students  should  be  turning  in  their  homework  in  which  they  had  ample  time  to  research  a  health  topic  of  their  choice  by  using  reliable  sources  of  information  and  evaluating  those  sources  of  information.  Students  will  also  be  having  a  quiz  on  Health  Skills.  All  due  dates  and  quiz  dates  have  been  posted  on  Edline  when  they  were  informed.    By  the  end  of  this  unit  students  will  be  able  to:  Students  will  be  able  to:  

• Describe  the  influence  of  health  habits  on  growth  &  development  • Describe  the  contribution  of  a  personal  support  system  to  good  mental  health  o Identify  at  least  one  person  they  can  turn  to  as  their  support  system  o Identify  internal  and  external  influences  that  impact  decisions  regarding  health  and  

wellness  • Identify  at  least  4  reliable  sources  of  information  • Identify  at  least  5  health  skills  that  will  provide  a  lifetime  of  benefits.  

MA  Frameworks  Standards  covered:    o Growth  &  Development  (1.8,  1.10)  o Mental  Health  (5.8)  o Family  Life  (6.7)  o Community  Health  and  Resource  Management  (12.6)  o Community  &  Public  Health  (14.4,  14.5)  

 National  Health  Education  Standards:  

o Standard  #1:  Core  Concepts    o Standard  #2:  Analyzing  Influences  o Standard  #3:  Access  Information  o Standard  #5:  Decision  Making  o Standard  #7:  Self-­‐Management  

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

8th  Grade:  Students  are  continuing  with  our  Substance  Abuse  Unit.  We  will  be  learning  about  various  drugs  including  over  the  counter  drugs,  prescription  drugs,  club  drugs,  street  drugs  and  narcotics.  We  will  also  be  discussing  he  difference  between  responsible  drug  use,  drug  misuse  and  drug  abuse.  Students  are  also  learning  about  risk  factors  that  influence  people  to  use,  and  will  be  working  on  refusal  skills.  Of  course,  we  cannot  discuss  all  of  these  substances  without  practicing  decision-­‐making  skills.    Students  will  be  able  to:  

o Explain  the  difference  between  responsible  drug  use,  drug  misuse  and  drug  abuse  o Identify  the  different  classifications  of  drugs  o Explain  the  effect  of  marijuana  on  the  brain,  particularly  the  adolescent  brain  o Accurately  respond  to  scenarios  using  the  decision-­‐making  model  taught  in  class  o Explain  the  difference  between  “snitching”  and  reporting  o Describe  the  stages  of  addiction  o Identify  internal  and  external  factors  that  influence  decision  to  use  or  not  to  use  

drugs.  o Identify  physical,  emotional/psychological  and  social  effects  of  using  drugs  

MA  Frameworks  Standards  covered:    o Tobacco,  Alcohol  &  Substance  Use/Abuse  Prevention  (10.5,  10.6,  10.7,  10.8,  10.9,  

10.13    

National  Health  Education  Standards:  o Standard  #1:  Core  Concepts    o Standard  #4:  Interpersonal  Communication  o Standard  #5:  Decision  Making  o Standard  #7:  Self-­‐Management  o Standard  #8:  Advocacy  

     

   It's  that  time  of  year  again!  We  need  all  of  those  wonderful  Box  Tops  you  clipped  over  the  summer!  Once  again,  the  P.T.O.  will  be  running  a  contest  to  see  which  homeroom  can  collect  the  most  Box  Tops.  Just  send  them  in  to  your  child's  homeroom  teacher.  We  will  run  the  contest  through  February,  and  the  winning  homeroom  will  have  a  fun  after  school  celebration!!  Thanks  for  helping!!                  

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

From  the  Desk  of  Nurse  Volpe:    

   

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.