For the Week of 9/12 - 9/16

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

“It takes sunshine and rain to make a rainbow. There would be no rainbows without sunshine and rain.”- Roy T. Bennett

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” - FDR

Dear HKMS Families,

This week started with some very serious thunderstorms which were followed by an amazing rainbow over the school (see the picture Mrs. Mohr grabbed in the scroll above). That's nearly a perfect metaphor for the middle school years. Our students often experience "stormy" days but navigating those storms prepares them for the rigors of adulthood....and if you look carefully, there is usually a rainbow peeking out after those storms. Psychologists refer to "mastery experiences" as those in which we encounter obstacles, problem-solve, and overcome challenges. When we encounter that obstacle again, we know how to overcome it. When your child does overcome a challenge, be it academic, social, or emotional, be sure you focus not on the problem, but on how the child overcame it, thereby creating a mastery experience.

As I said at our open house last week, we are trying to limit how many emails you get from the school, making this newsletter your "one-stop shop" for all things HKMS. This week's newsletter is jammed with really important information and updates. Here are a few important highlights you'll find below:

Grade 6 Natures Classroom Experience here at HKMS on 10/6 (see the grade 6 section),
The upcoming NWEA Assessment (see the drive to thrive section).
The 18 extra curricular clubs and activities we are now offering to all students (in the Happenings section).
New SSES and HKMS Spirit Wear Store! (in the "Get involved"

Hoping you have a lovely late summer weekend and don't forget to look for those rainbows!

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

Putting our heads together in 6th grade math to review and practice circumference, radius and fractions.

Exciting Quizlet Live competitions are happening in 6th-grade world language classes.

You can hear the team cheers down the hall!

6th grade is getting Nature's Classroom...to come here!

Please review and complete the form below!

Grade 7

There are so many awesome things happening in 7th grade ILA! Students are learning and practicing Latin root words and having personalized writing conferences with Mr. Rogers. They also completed a BHH activity about a book they recently read. They wrote about what happened in the Book, what thoughts came to their Head when reading and what feelings were felt in their Heart.

Social studies students have taken a modern twist on a classic motivational phrase.

Grade 8

The hunt is on...for multistep equations! Grade 8 math students are working on a scavenger hunt in class that requires them to dig deep into their prior knowledge from grade 7!

Mr. Mac pushing student thinking by extending the inquiry arc. Now that student know how many drops of water a penny can hold, what new questions do students have? Can we develop further experiments to answer those questions?

FPAs

Sweet melodies can be heard coming from the orchestra classes!

Sixth grade PLTW students are researching the many different engineering careers and their contributions to our world.

THE PACER

Following an increasing cadence, students complete laps across the gym in line with the tone. 130 is a new school record and we have 2!

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.

NWEA List Serv to Parents - Sept 2022

Please read the letter above about upcoming NWEA assessments for 6th and 7th graders.

Extra Curricular Activities!

The spreadsheet below displays the 18 extra curricular activities we will offer this year. As the dates approach and the clubs "open up", teachers will create and send out notices with directions and more information. Three informational posters are included in this section.

You can also email any of the teachers listed with questions.

Extra Curricular Activities 2022-2023

HKMS Ultimate Club Flyer (FALL 2022)

Behind the scenes at picture day! A huge thanks to our PTO volunteers, Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Andrews for making sure everyone was where they needed to be when they needed to be there!

By our School Counselor, Mrs. Sara Terry MS, NCC, LPCA

This past week, students have attended their first developmental guidance lesson with Mrs. Terry! Below you will find a synopsis of each grade-level lesson:

Sixth Graders learned about the purpose of rules and how they influence our school climate. Students took part in answering the following questions/prompts:

What is the purpose of "rules?"
What feelings would you have if rules were broken at school and in the community?
Ways I can build a positive school climate, or positive atmosphere of the school.

The lesson culminated with students building their own islands where they set their own rules, and thought about natural consequences if rules were broken. We then tied it back into our school mission and vision, and how we can make Helen Keller the best middle school experience for all of us.

Seventh Graders learned about the brain and growth mindset! Students identified part of the brain (e.g. Brain Stem, Prefrontal Cortex, Amygdala) and the function of each part. We discussed how the prefrontal cortex and frontal lobe are not fully developed until the age of 25, and looked at what the prefrontal cortex is responsible for (planning, decision making, thinking, emotions, behavior, movement). We talked about the growth and development of seventh graders, and agreed that it is essential to have flexible thinking, or growth mindset, because our brains are still growing and developing. The lesson culminated with students identifying how they can grow their brains (e.g. healthy foods, sleep, sports/exercise, what makes us feel happy, etc.).

Eighth Graders started their high school transition process! Although most students will go on to attend Joel Barlow, some students may opt to attend an alternative high school open to Easton students. In the month of October, 8th graders will have the opportunity to attend a presentation from alternative high schools, such as Regional Center for the Arts, Trumbull Agriscience, Fairchild Wheeler, and Henry Abbott Tech. Our lesson ended with a discussion around future planning of course selections from Barlow and reviewing the Program of Study.

PTO Fundraiser

The HKMS BASH Extravaganza

The day is here! You can now register for our HKMS Bash Extravaganza! Our goal is to raise $6,000 for enrichment, field trips, sports equipment, outdoor learning spaces, end of year celebration, field day, and more! Registering is easy and free!

⭐️ Register Now On MYBOOSTER.COM ⭐️

Just for registering, you earn 5 FREE entries to our first sweepstakes to win a $100 Amazon gift card! In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must register before kickoff on Friday 9/30.

Be sure to check out the easy sharing functions on MYBOOSTER.COM to let others know how they can help support our school AND earn additional sweepstakes entries!

Thank you for working with us to make our school stronger. We are grateful for your support!

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!

Renderings of the ELF Cafeteria's Innovative Space Redesign! Click here to get involved!

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.