For the Week of 8/29 - 9/2

Welcome message from Dr. Clapp
Classroom "Peeks"
The Drive to Thrive
HKMS "Happenings"
Counselor's Corner
Diversity Discussion
Ways to get involved at HKMS
and...Upcoming Events!

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ~W.B.Yeats

Dear HKMS Families,

A school is not a building, not even a faculty, or a group of students, it is a community of learners coming together to learn, productively struggle, and grow together. This week, the flame was passed to our new community of learners with teachers providing a spark and a bit of kindling. You, the parents, guardians, grandparents, and caregivers did an excellent job of getting everyone here and ready for this new school year, with their supplies, lunches, new outfits, and positive attitudes. I have been inspired all week by our brave sixth-graders, impressed by our confident seventh graders, and welcomed by our mature eighth graders. In short, the 2022-23 school year is off to a great start.

We are coming out of the gate hot, with lots of events and opportunities for families to connect with the school. Next week's open house (Thursday 9/8 from 6:30 - 8:30, in person!) is shaping up to be a fun and engaging experience featuring our own staff band, Raisin' Helen, an interactive game about adolescent development, and of course a chance for you to "go back to school" as you walk your child's schedule and meet all of their teachers. You can find a link to the "master schedule" here. A student-created and individualized schedule will be sent home on Thursday.

Families are already getting involved in important ways. We have flags coming in for our heritage flag display (way to go Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Brazil, and Antigua), once we have a few more in we will start our display in the cafeteria. You can read more about these opportunities and other ways to connect to schooling in the "get involved" section below.

I hope you find this first edition of the '22-'23 HKMS Family Newsletter both informative and enjoyable. Every week we pack the newsletter full of pictures of students engaged in learning tasks, videos of innovative performances, and insights into what students are learning. Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Steven Clapp, Ed.D.

Principal

Helen Keller Middle School

360 Sport Hill Rd, Easton, CT 06612

(203) 268-8651

sclapp@er9.org

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

Grade 6

Their First Day at HKMS!

Mrs. Harington's HR

Mrs. Brodeur's HR

Mr. Bernardi's HR

Mrs. Burke's HR

These lockers are tough!

Mrs. Maggi's HR

Grade 7

Mrs. Rose leads social studies classes through the social studies course description and a self reflection on the habits of mind!

In science class, Dr. Baca is having students create their own "lab coats" full of interests, talents, and goals!

In ILA, Mr. Rogers guided students through making a 1 page infographic all about themselves!

Ms. Mancini introducing the 7th grade math curriculum and getting right into making "all about me" graphs!

Grade 8

IMG_2411.mp4

The great ball drop challenge! Using only tape, straws, and one piece of paper, can you design a way to catch a golf ball? Great start to social studies Mr. D.!

Who is that popping into science on the first day? Why that's Dr. Pierson Ugol!

Students getting their science virtual classrooms all set up!

In math, students learned all about Mr. Ackley while sharing about themselves.

Profe Cerra circling his class up to discuss the benefits of learning a second (or third) language...and there are many!

FPAs

Off to a great start in the Fine and Practical Arts Classes

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 and/or extend their thinking.

During one of our professional learning sessions, teachers took on the Lego Challenge! Lego kits offer a great model of how we can differentiate instruction. By manipulating the content (the bricks), product (a picture of the finished kit), and/or the process (the instructions) we can greatly increase the challenge level or the support students need. Applying this thinking to learning tasks is an effective and efficient way to differentiate instruction.

Funny tee-shirt of the week! (Above)

Unofficial Twin Day!

The first student to enter the school to officially start the '22-'23 school year!

Worried about the School Chromebook Getting Damaged?

Never fear...Optional Insurance is here!

Use this LINK to access the enrollment form and directions for optional Chromebook Insurance for your Child's School-Issued Chromebook.

The deadline to obtain the insurance is September 23rd.

Some student-approved improvements to the cafeteria, more seating options and more outside seating in the Keller Café!

He shoots, he scores!

Love seeing the bike rack full!

Happy to be back with friends on the basketball court!

Let's WIFFLE!

Dr. Clapp struggling to set up the new badminton set, and grateful for the kindness of a 6th-grade helper!

SLAMBALL was very popular and competitive at recess!

Mrs. Mohr leading our learning about "collective teacher efficacy," fostering efficacy has one of the highest impact on student outcomes!

Professional Learning Sessions on 8/29-8/30

Every year we are so fortunate to have 2 full days of training and preparation for the school year. This year we focused on community building, the differentiation of instruction, and collective teacher efficacy (CTE). According to Dr. John Hattie, CTE is the belief that we as a school will have a strong positive impact on all measurable student outcomes. CTE has the highest effect size (n=1.57) of any aspect of school on student performance and growth. Teachers also had time to reflect on last year's performance data, team meetings, learning about their '22-23 students, and classroom prep time.

Mrs. Tiani and Mr. Dolecki struggling through the "Lego Challenge," an activity that fosters the principles of differentation, scaffolding, and cooperation!

The 7th-grade team working on their collective resumé!

Check out our teachers "collective resumés !" In total, we have 566 years of professional educator experience!

This is next Thursday's open house master schedule. Please note that the grade 8 periods do not go in order. This is due to staff who teach across grades. You will receive a personalized schedule on Thursday afternoon, made by your own middle schooler(s).

WELCOME NEW STAFF!

Mr. Jeff Bernardi

Mr. Bernardi is our new 6th-grade Social Studies Teacher.

Mrs. Joann Bujdud

Mrs. Bujdud is our new library learning commons paraeducator.

Ms. Kristy Gerdo

Ms. Gerdo is a special education paraeducator working in our Jr. Bridge program.

by Sara Terry, MS, NCC, LPCA

HKMS School Counselor

Welcome back to HKMS, or for those who are new to our school or entering sixth grade, welcome! We are so excited to get to know your child through classroom guidance lessons, lunch groups, individual sessions, pushing into classroom lessons, in the hallways...you name it! Although we are eager to be here, we know this can be a challenge for some students. Here are some tips and tricks to support your child(ren) in setting a routine and starting the school year off with success.

Establish a Routine: From setting alarm clocks, to picking out the next day's clothes, to eating breakfast by a certain point in the morning so you don't miss the bus, to having a specific spot to complete homework at every night... setting a routine is going to set your child up for a smooth transition back to school, and throughout the year.
Sleep: Sleep is essential for our ever-developing students! Ensure your child is getting enough sleep at night time. Based on a nation-wide sleep survey, only 6 out of 10 middle-school-aged students received the recommended amount of sleep per night (Wheaton, Jones, Cooper & Croft, 2018). The American Academy of Sleep Medicine currently recommends that middle-school-aged students receive an average of 9-10 hours of sleep per night (CDC, 2020). Setting nighttime routines, including charging a cellular device outside of your child's bedroom, may support your child's daily intake of sleep.
Conversations: once everyone is settled in at home, ask how your child's day was! Here are some open-ended questions you can ask so you don't get the usual "good" or "yup."
1. - What was your favorite part about today?
  - What did you learn about in Science class today?
  - Tell me about lunch today.
  - Is there anything you want to share about today that was important to you?

The counseling team is ready to make 2022/2023 an awesome year. Please reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or celebrations you may have. We look forward to working with you and your child(ren)!

References

Center for Disease Control. (2020). Sleep in middle school and high school students. Center for Disease Control.

Wheaton, A. G., Jones, S. E., Cooper, A. C., & Croft, J. B. (2018). Short sleep duration among middle school and high school students - United States, 2015. Center for Disease Control.

The Easton, Redding, and Region 9 School Districts acknowledge the uniqueness and varied experiences of all students, staff, families, and community members, as well as the uniqueness and experiences of people in our state, country, and the world. The HKMS "Diversity Discussion" is intended to open up conversations with your middle schooler about issues of diversity!

In how many languages can you say "hello"?

We have more students than ever who are either just learning to speak English or who speak a second language at home. By using some basic phrases (hello, thank you, please, goodbye) in our students' primary language we greatly increase their connection and their success in school!

Flags of HKMS!

This year we would like to create a flag display running through the cafeteria that represents all of the cultures, ethnicities, and nations of our combined heritage. Please fill out the form here letting us know the flag(s) that best represent your family's heritage. If you also are able to donate a 3'x5' flag from that nation, please fill out the Sign-Up Genius here (to avoid duplications). We have already received Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Brazil, and Antigua!

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 and to sign up!

Join our active partnership between the parents, teachers, and administrators for the 2022-23 school year! Help us bring great student-focused initiatives to our schools like cultural events, enrichment programs, parent education events, field trips, and much more.

Click Here to Join

For more info about the Easton PTO check out their full site linked here.

Thinking about getting your middle schooler a cell phone? We strongly encourage everyone to "Wait until 8th-Grade." Before making this huge decision (that is impossible to reverse), please read and consider the "Wait until 8th" pledge below. If none of the kids have them, well then there is no issue.