Find your strength, build upon it, and share it!

Dear Helen Keller Middle School Families, 

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year! I am both amazed and bewildered at how fast time seems to move especially as the years tick off.  The picture below is of my daughter and me nine years ago, juxtaposed with a picture of her just a few days ago on the same carousel at the Beardsley Zoo! Where does the time go?  It seems like only yesterday we sent the new freshman off to Joel Barlow and this week we had our first mini-open house for our incoming 6th-graders. Where did the summer go?  For those families with an 8th grader, you may be thinking oh my, one year to high school, and for those with 6th graders, you can't believe they are out of elementary school!  As Chaucer said roughly six centuries years ago, time waits for no one. As much as we want we cannot keep our little ones from growing up way faster than we want, and the start of the school year is one of those milestones that remind us of how fast it really is going!   

Over the summer, Mrs. Mohr and I reflected on the past year and looked at all the data we generated. We discussed and ultimately revised some of the practices, systems, and structures, to help improve all measurable outcomes.  As we did this work, a theme began to emerge:  Find your strength, build upon it, and share it! We are hoping all members of our learning community (including you) will join us in making this theme a reality this year. 

The start of the school year is a very exciting, stressful time that is full of possibilities.  To help reduce any stress and hopefully build up the excitement for all the possibilities, we have included everything you need to know to start the year with confidence in this "summer mailer" edition.  From supply lists and counseling services to Chromebook updates and new policies.  We have created an interactive  "e-book" with all the need to know info and links and even made your very own "to-do" list,  and yes, there is a silly video of the admin team busy at work getting ready for the new school year. 

The best way to stay connected to all things HKMS, is to stay up to date with this newsletter.  Bookmark this page and it will update when we publish, which happens every Friday afternoon that school is in session (usually by 3:00). There is also an archive of all past newsletters in the left column of this page, feel free to look back at past messages and moments of learning from the whole year! Each newsletter will feature lots of pictures and videos of students learning together in all grade levels and subjects (we call those Classroom "Peeks"), updates on school life that is not necessarily "academic" (called "HKMS Happenings"), a message from our counseling department (called "Counselor's Corner"), ideas around diversity, equity, and inclusion for you to talk about with your family (called "Diversity Discussions"), and opportunities to volunteer and support the work we do (called the "Get Involved" section) as well as the most up-to-date list of upcoming events. We also create and publish a podcast version of the newsletter if that is more convenient for you!  You can listen as you drive to soccer practice, piano lessons or when taking a quiet walk.  We also post regularly on Twitter (@HKMS_easton) and Instagram (@helen_keller_middle_school), and our PTO posts updates on Facebook at Easton CT PTO.

The transition from summer to school can be rough for some.  To help you, we've included a couple of articles below with helpful tips and hacks to help smooth the transition back to school.  Mrs. Mohr and I hope these last weeks of summer are restful, joyous, and full of positive anticipation for the new school year! Please be sure to reach out to us if you have any questions, concerns, or improvements!  We are always looking to find our strengths, build upon them, and share! 

While cell phones are tolerated, they are to be stored in lockers or backpacks, completely powered down while school is in session. Before school (8:00) or after school (3:00) use is permitted.  A student should use the office phone to contact parents, please do not tolerate your child texting or calling you from their phone during school. Let's keep these precious 7 hours free of these addictive devices, see the NY Times article (below in the "Getting Ready..." section) and the Wait Until 8th pledge (in the "get involved" section).

Being punctual is an important life skill and helps students to start their school day in a calm and efficient way.  The best way to arrive to school on time is to take the bus.  If students are being driven to school, please discuss a family plan to ensure that they arrive to the building by 8:00am.  Students must be physically in their homeroom by 8:05am to be considered "on time" for school.  If you are going to drive your child to school, please plan a departure time that takes into account the car line traffic.

Here are a few GREAT reasons to support your child in arriving to school on time every day.

The Advantages of Being on Time vs. Being Late to School

By Bill Reynolds

Link to the Article

Enjoy More Time to Prepare

Students arriving to school with time to spare have the luxury of settling in, preparing their class materials and focusing their minds on the lessons to come. They have all the time they need to literally and figuratively wake up. Showing up on time can ameliorate the often-jarring transitioning between sleepy rides on a bus to concentrating on the day’s first lessons. Students showing up to class in the middle of a lesson miss out on this natural transition period and may lose even more of the lesson as they scurry to settle into an academic focus. This ultimately contributes to the lower grades and graduation rates associated with chronic tardiness.

Never Miss Important Information

Arriving at school after classes have begun can cause students to miss more than just the introduction to a new lesson. While waiting for the "tardy bell" to ring, teachers often share important information: reminders of upcoming quizzes, class trips, new classroom rules, essay due dates and other school-related specifics. Students who show up late may miss out on these details and as a result, be unprepared for some future class event. While a teacher will likely reiterate crucial information throughout the day, latecomers may miss out on courtesy reminders about homework assignments and other projects. Students who show up on time every day can rest assured they have all the necessary information.

Develop Positive Lifelong Habits

Arriving late to school on a consistent basis can have longer-term academic effects. If showing up late to school becomes a habit, students may develop the notion that tardiness is acceptable behavior. This belief can negatively impact their future work ethic and employment opportunities. Alternatively, showing up on time to school everyday can help students develop the habit of being punctual with important commitments. This habit can serve students well through college and into their future careers.