Dear HKMS Families,

What a terrific start to our 60th year!  Students and teachers were well-prepared for our first few days and everyone handled the transition from summer so well.  The halls were filled with joy, the classrooms full of questions, and the outdoor loop and court were hopping with our students "free playing." The new cell phone/smartwatch policy was respectfully adhered to by our students.  This is in no small part due to your support. Thank you and thanks to all who sent notes of encouragement about the new policy.  I have included a great flyer below which represents some of the latest data on the impact cell phones and social media on our youth.  

For all our new families, this newsletter is published every Friday and is full of all the information you need to know from the past week as well as the coming weeks.  Our "classroom peeks" section may be our most popular.  We feature two classes in each grade level and two FPAs every week.  The "Happenings" section is focused on all that occurs outside the classroom.  This can include facilities updates, pictures from recess, or school wide assemblies.   Another popular feature is our "Upcoming Events" section which highlights the next 8-10 school wide events.  We have several other semi-regular features like our "Counselors Corner" (tips from our mental health team),  the "Drive to Thrive" (ways we push students beyond grade level expectations), "From the HKMS Archives" (historical documents and artifacts from our past), "Community Clicks" (updates from organizations around town that support our middle schoolers), and "Get Involved" which is our call to action section.

Our goal is to send you just this one communication per week.  While we often have other time-sensitive messages, this goal has greatly reduced the number of emails we send to families.  So, please be sure to read through the whole newsletter, check out the pictures and videos, and mark those calendars up, so you don't miss a thing!  If your too busy to read through the newsletter, check out our companion podcast (linked at the top of this page).  Mrs. Mohr and I review the newsletter in an audio recording so you can get all the information you need while driving, doing chores, or while out getting exercise.  

A successful school year is built upon a foundation of strong communication between school and home.  Effective communication cannot be in one direction.  So, please open up dialogue with your child's teachers and your middle schooler too! We know that when you ask "how was school today?" The answer is usually..."fine."  We hope this newsletter sparks conversations with your middle schooler and helps bridge any gaps in how or why we operate.  

Wishing you all a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

Sincerely,

Steve Clapp, Ed.D.