For the week of 2/22 - 2/25

A message from Dr. Clapp
Classroom "Peeks"
Drive to Thrive!
HKMS "Happenings"
Upcoming Events
and...Ways to get involved at HKMS!

Dear HKMS Families,

We started the week on a "Two's Day" (2/22/22), had two days of 60°+, and ended with a wintery mess! Such is life in late winter in New England! Hopefully, this will be the last blast of winter and we can get back to expected schedules. Even though this was only a 3-day week, we packed a lot of learning and fun into every moment! See below for all that happened!

Last night the Easton Board of Education passed the 2022-23 school year budget. Seeing the process close up, I am inspired by the countless hours, the late nights (even a Saturday morning), the expertise, care, and dedication all board members display throughout the process. When you run into one of our board members please be sure to recognize all the voluntary hours they put in to make sure we have everything we need for our students and teachers!

A few big changes are in store for next week. First, will move to "mask optional" in school. Please be sure to talk to your child about respecting the choices others are making. While most are looking forward to taking off the masks, many of our students have compelling reasons to stay masked and we want to be sure all students feel supported by this choice. In addition, we are bringing all students back into the cafeteria for lunch and reclaiming the library! Finally, we are adjusting our master schedule, moving our end-of-the-day homeroom time (5 minutes) to our morning homeroom. This will allow for a less stressful arrival, attendance, pledge, and announcements. You can see the new master schedule, our instructions to students about masks, and the cafeteria in the "Spring Changes" slide deck in the "happenings" section below.

Annie Jr. tickets are SOLD OUT (before ever going public)! We only had a limited number of seats which all went to families of the cast and crew. I am grateful we will have a live audience at all. For a long time, it looked like we would only be able to stream the performance, which we are still going to do! If your child is not in the play or working behind the scenes, you can still catch this amazing production. We will run a live stream on Thursday and Friday night. It will fill your soul with joy! I will send out the links on Thursday.

Our full school climate committee met on Wednesday. This committee is made up of students, teachers, and parents who examine our school climate data, make strategic decisions and develop action research projects aimed at improving aspects of our culture the data reveals. See more in the "happenings" section below.

Also in the "happenings" section, please check out our coming work with The Mikey's Way Foundation. Mickey was an HKMS student who used his Make-a-Wish to start a foundation to help pediatric cancer patients. We are calling the month-long fundraising effort, Mikey's Madness. There will be so many ways to help support our effort, all of it will be fun, engaging, and inspirational, just like Mikey!

Phew! That's a lot for a short week, and I didn't even get to tell you about the awesome learning going on in classes! So be sure to check out the class peeks section and all the other pieces of this newsletter that hopefully brings you into the amazing work our students and teachers do every day!

I hope the extended weekend is restful and enjoyable for everyone! I am already looking forward to an exciting week ahead!

Sincerely,

Steven Clapp, Ed.D.

Principal

Helen Keller Middle School

360 Sport Hill Rd, Easton, CT 06612

(203) 268-8651

sclapp@er9.org

Grade 6 Peeks

Sixth grade Spanish students are putting the finishing touches on their pen pal letters to new friends in Colombia.

Grade 7 Peeks

Students used their knowledge of percents to find the percent of change in price between items from the 1970s to the 2010s.

We can all thank Mr. Rogers for teaching students how to make better arguments! Good luck trying to get them to make the bed now!

Grade 8 Peeks

After students in Mr. Walsh's eighth grade social studies class learned about transportation improvements such as flatboats and canals during their Industrial Revolution unit, they engaged in a boat building competition. Given 15 popsicle sticks, 20" of tin foil and 24" of duct tape, groups of students worked together to build a boat that would hold the most "cargo". Today's cargo was washers borrowed from Mr. Macaluso. One group built a boat that held 850 washers!

Eighth grade Spanish students in Ms. Solis' class are learning about the 5 C's of the World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. After deciphering sentences in the target language, they are coming to consensus as a group on if that sentence relates to communication, cultures, connections, comparisons or communities.

FPA Peeks

Sixth grade students in health class are using QR codes to learn about how different vitamins and minerals can help their bodies.

At HKMS we believe all students should be thriving whether performing below, at, or above grade-level standards. This section will highlight just one of the ways we support learners or extend their thinking.

Learn about Leveled Text

Using leveled text that addresses core reading standards is a great way to extend learning beyond grade level or support readers who are performing below grade level. Below are examples of how our ILA and Social Studies teachers are using leveled texts to differentiate reading in order to meet students where they are...and bring them where they need to go!

Grade 6 ILA

To introduce nonfiction exploration, students were assigned articles in NEWSELA. Students were taught how to use the reading level tools. They first tried the higher level text, gauged their understanding using the quizzes then adjusted the reading by one level if needed. In the historical fiction unit students will be assigned articles using levels as a way to differentiate.

We also use the Teacher's College approach to literacy workshop and hold book clubs based on interest and reading level In addition, we pull small groups for reading and writing skills sessions to work on individual goals/skills in the writing process as the students are more often than not working on different skills during workshop.

Grade 6 Social Studies

We use NEWSELA when we cover the Inca, Aztec, and Maya. Being able to adjust the reading level to well above and a bit below depending on the student allows for all students to access the learning and feel challenged.

For other civilizations and reading, we also use rewordify.com to modify text.

Grade 7 Social Studies

Current events are assigned to students. They then can choose their own articles from NEWSELA. It is very easy to change the Lexile (text complexity level). When we do read a common text, I am able to adjust the Lexile for students. Junior Scholastic also offers two reading levels on their articles.

Grade 7 ILA

One way I differentiate reading materials occurs during the two book club units during the year (Social Issues and Global Issues).

Students choose, in each unit, from about ten books that are leveled by Lexile at or above their reading level. They choose according to their interest and we usually get through 2 books per unit.

Grade 8 ILA

We use different short stories or nonfiction texts - from research papers, on the higher end, to blog posts, on the lower end, when having kids read on the same topic. The main differentiation method is having students choose the fiction and nonfiction books they read during our close-reading strategy work based on their reading levels.

Mrs. Dunkerton is supporting students getting ready to transition to high school by developing notebooks of mathematical strategies, concepts, and formulas!

All of the wonderful activities, events, and learning going on around HKMS this week (and beyond!).

Springing into Spring- Changes Coming to HKMS - March 2022

Please note: Due to the snow day, this presentation has not yet been reviewed with students. Homeroom teachers will present this information on Monday.

Slide through the deck viewer (pictured) or click on the link below to view the slide presentation about some changes happening at HKMS starting next week.

Slide Presentation about changes to the mask policy, cafeteria seating and dismissal.

MIKEY'S MADNESS at HKMS

The total cost of a Mikey’s Way Day is $5000. The students and staff have planned many initiatives and events to take place throughout the month of March here at HKMS to help us reach our goal as well as to dedicate time to bringing joy to others. The outpouring of their ideas and excitement is heartwarming and inspirational! They are planning several spirit days for a cause, a basketball tournament, a baking competition, a scavenger hunt and much more! Participation in all events and activities will have a small enrollment fee and ALL proceeds goes toward the HKMS goal of 5K for Mikey’s Way!!!!

That’s not all! The students have brainstormed things they can make to show their support to the patients at the hospital. They are working to create videos of music performances, friendship bracelets and cards of well wishes that can accompany the technology gifts during the HKMS-funded Mikey’s Way Day!

Here is a video that we watched together as a community last week to get to know Mikey better and the mission of his foundation. It also contains plans about our HKMS goal!

LINK TO VIDEO ABOUT MIKEY'S WAY & THE HKMS GOAL

Want to Help with Mikey's Madness??

The HKMS School Climate Advisory Committee

IMG_3015.MOV

The HKMS Climate Advisory Committee met this past Wednesday. They are an incredible group of students, staff, and parents that are dedicated to learning about and bringing awareness to components of our school climate to celebrate as well as improve. This week they spent time reconnecting as a group, learning the value of joy and happiness in the work, and diving deep into data. Don't miss the video of the record-setting group juggle!

"Welcome to Easton" Sign Design Contest

Running from January 29th- March 26th 2022!

Welcome to Easton

The Planning and Zoning Commission and Easton Land Use Department are creating for two “Welcome to Easton” signs with the intent of holding a student art contest for an artistic representation of what Easton means/represents to them. Two “winners” would be chosen by a judge’s panel consisting of members of the Easton Arts Council and Easton Arts Center. This contest will be open to students from Easton. Each winner’s artwork would be used for the signs, one on each. The signs will likely be 4 feet wide by 5 feet tall and the artwork would be roughly a 4 foot by 4-foot display on the sign.

THE 40 BOOK CHALLENGE!

With the support of Easton Public Library, grade 7 students are being challenged to read 40 books from a variety of genres and categories.

Annie Junior!

Coming on 3/3 and 3/4!

SOLD OUT!

Cast and Crew families gobbled up the limited number of tickets, but it will be live-streamed! Look for a message on Thursday with the link.

Last week of rehearsals and set deign...it all coming together for Annie Jr!

Lots of Opportunities for your Middle Schoolers at the Easton Public Library!

HKMS feedback form flyer.pdf

Keller Educational Discussions

Do you have an area of expertise middle schoolers can learn from? Like sharing? We want you to give a KED-Talk! Click here for more information.

Have some gently used games getting little play?

The PTO is organizing a new game closet for students to sign out on days we cannot get out for an active mask break due to poor weather. Please send an email to eastonctpto.hkms@gmail.com if you like to donate.