Volume: 21 Issue: 4 December 2014 / January 2015

Dates to Remember

Dec. 4—7—Festival of Trees

Dec. 6—Christmas Parade

Dec. 10—Hygiene Program-6th Grade

Dec. 18—Germ Busters-6th Grade

Dec. 15—SBDM meeting

Dec. 15 @ 7pm—Band Concert @

HMS Gym

Dec. 16 @ 7pm—Choir Concert @

PAC (CCMS)

Dec. 19—End of 2nd 9 weeks

Dec. 22—Jan. 2—No School

2015 Jan. 5, 2015—Back to School

Jan. 14—Report Cards sent home

Jan. 14—4H Leadership Group

Jan. 19—MLK Holiday-No School

Jan. 26—SBDM meeting

Jan. 29—4H Leadership Group

Congratulations to the HMS Kentucky

New Era Academic All Star Rotary Scholar Middle School Honorees

Hopkinsville Middle School Rotary Scholar Honorees:

Lexy Oatts (Mathematics), Riley Fort (Social Studies),

Hayden Woosley (Science) and Dustin Wilcox (English)

Friendly Reminder

When inclement weather happens, an “Infinite Campus Messen-

ger Call” will be made. Please make sure you have an up-to-date

telephone number listed in Infinite Campus so you will receive

these calls.

Also, please take the time to discuss family arrangements in the

case of bad weather so your child will know where to go if school

is dismissed early.

If you have questions about school closings, please remember to

call the school closing number at 270-707-1900 instead of calling

the school’s number.

Attendance News Happy Holidays to you all! I am

hoping that this year has been great

for all of you!

If you have not had a chance to sign

up for Infinite Campus please feel

free to come by the school to sign up

and get your login information.

Please be aware that if your student

is ill they must have a parent note or

doctor excuse for the absenteeism,

upon their return to school. Please

take some time to familiarize your-

self with the attendance policy and if

you have any questions, call the front

office at 270-887-7130. Thank you

and have a wonderful New Year!

Veronica Hicks, Attendance Office

Page 2 H.M.S. News

A.H.O.Y. Center News

During the months of December and January, we would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year. The first semester of the school year has been productive. We have had

numerous parent volunteers and community representatives come to our school. They have helped us with

programming, dances, and anything else that comes up daily. We would like to thank them all for their time

and dedication to the students and staff at HMS. We hope they not only continue to serve, but make a dif-

ference.

Job Shadowing December 3rd we will take the 7th grade career choices students job shadowing. Please encourage your stu-

dent to keep up with his or her packet and to dress appropriately for the shadowing assignment. We will

leave at around 8:45a.m. and return to school by 1:00p.m.

Choosing the Best Path Choosing the Best Path will return to Mr. Stallons’ classes January 20th-22nd and 27th-29th. The program,

facilitated by Alpha Alternative, revolves around postponing sexual involvement. If you would like your

student pulled from this program, please sign the form and return it to HMS. If you are comfortable with

your student’s participation, no further action is necessary.

Breakdown Breakdown will take place January 30th. Breakdown is a program that uses hip hop dance, statistics, and

student actors to convey a message of making positive choices. The program is for 8th grade students only

and touches on drug use, sex, violence, and mental health issues.

If you would not like your student to attend, please return the form that will be sent home in January.

William Owen, Coordinator

Always Helping Our Youth (AHOY) YSC

Notify Me

Christian County Public Schools

is now offering “Notify Me”.

Sign up to receive alerts on your

mobile device or computer!

It’s EASY!

Just click the “Notify Me” icon

on our school’s webpage to

receive school and district notifi-

cations from Christian County

Public Schools.

Junior Beta

We are very excited about the approach of the 2015 State Junior Beta

Convention this year. With that said, our cost per student this year is

approximately $150. We are going to split this into two payments. The

first payment of $75 will be due January 9, 2015. The second payment

of $75 will be due on February 6, 2015. We will be doing some fund-

raising between now and those dates, so we anticipate the cost going

down a bit. Please speak with Mrs. Clark or Mrs. Kersey with questions.

Please remember to like the Hoptown Beta Facebook page.

We will continue to meet every Thursday at 7:30am

unless otherwise noted.

Thank you,

Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Kersey

Jr. Beta Sponsors

H.M.S. News Page 3

Predators

Ms. Williams's 6th grade advanced reading class is

just finishing up reading The Maltese Falcon, the

book chosen by the community of Hopkinsville for

The Big Read, a national program which promotes

reading books all across the nation. The students

are engaged in the detective story working on Com-

mon Core standards. We will be viewing the mov-

ie in order to compare and contrast the movie vs.

the book.

Kiara Normile and Ethan King wanted to show

students what 1920's fashion looked like, so they

are wearing fashions from the time period of the

book. Because Sam Spade is a detective, Ethan

chose to look thoughtful in the second picture.

The Predators Team teachers would like to thank all the parents who came to talk to us on Parent Teacher

Conference night. We appreciate your support. Please remember that pencils and paper may be running out at

this time of year, and be sure your children have all their supplies.

Amy M. Williams 6th Grade Reading Teacher

Explorer Parents,

The Holidays are here and so is the cold weather!

Please make sure your child comes to school dressed

warmly. We are almost at the halfway point in the

year and several of our students need to replenish

their school supplies. Please make sure they have

plenty of paper, pencils, erasers, etc.

Also, please make note that on Tuesday, January 13th,

the entire 7th grade will be attending the “To Kill a

Mockingbird” play at the Alhambra Theater. More

information and details about this field trip will be

coming home with your student closer to time. If you

have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free

to contact us.

Students who currently have Mr. Stallons for Social

Studies will switch classes in January. They will

have Ms. Porter for Life Science. Students must have

either a two pocket folder with prongs in the center,

or a small 3-ring binder for class. They will also

need a pack of paper. Thank you. -Ms. Porter

Have a great Holiday Season!

Jungle Cats

We have had a very successful first semester, and we

look forward to what the last half of the school year

has in store for our students.

The Jungle Cat students have been Academic All-

Stars, shown their skills as athletes, and there has been

little to no discipline incidences. In addition, we have

a shining star on the Jungle Cat team! Ms. Riley Fort

stole the show as she played Dorothy last month in

The Wizard of Oz at the Alhambra Theatre. Her

flawless performance left the crowd in a standing

ovation. Due to the casts’ fascinating show, there

was need for an encore performance Sunday night.

Several of our students were part of the readings dur-

ing the Jungle Cat Coffee Shop event at the end of

November. They presented their short stories to their

peers, parents, teachers, and the community.

Page 4 H.M.S. News

Choir News

The HMS Choir Christmas Concert will be on

Tuesday, December 16th at 7:00 p.m. at

The PAC @ CCMS.

Admission is FREE to both concerts!

Band News

The HMS Band will present its Christmas

Concert in the HMS Gym at 7:00 p.m. on

Monday, December 15th.

Mr. Travis Miller

HMS Choir and Band Director

STLP NEWS

Congratulations to all the STLP members that competed at the Regional Competition at Murray State Univer-

sity. Of the two projects taken, one received an invitation to compete in the State competition due to their

high scores. In addition to the project, individual students will also be competing in the State competi-

tion. Garrett Pyle outscored all opponents in the Live Repor ting Category to be invited to be one of the

reporters of the State competition event and Jaylon Taggart outscored his opponents to be able to attend State

as part of the Production Crew for the event and the award ceremony. State Competition will be held in

March in Lexington, KY at Rupp Arena. We are very proud of these students and excited for them to get to

compete at the State level in the spring.

Jaylon Taggart, Alax Beck, Garrett Pyle, Mrs. Cansler, Hannah Leneave, Hannah Croom, J.B. Morse

Brittney Cansler

HMS 6th Grade Reading, STLP School Coordinator

7th Grade Parents,

please remember

to replenish basic school

supplies, such as paper and

pencils, so that your student

will be prepared

for class.

H.M.S. News Page 5

News from the Nurse

The weather is changing rapidly this year and the cold weather can be a cause for asthma, cold symptoms,

headaches, flu and the list can go on and on. With that being said, I want to review with you the protocol for

medications at school. Did you know that if your child carries medication in their purse, backpack, pocket or

any place on their person, they can be expelled from school? It’s true! This can result in an unsafe environ-

ment for your child and other students. Thus, any meds in the school should be brought in by the parent or

other responsible adult. The nurses are no longer able to give your child over-the-counter meds for headaches

or stomachaches as in the past. The nursing staff at the schools are now employees of the school district

where before they were under the guidance of the County Health Department (HD). As employees of the HD,

there was a physician to give orders for such medication at Tylenol, Tums, and other over-the-counter meds to

help with the occasional headaches and tummy aches. We no longer have a physician over us to give these

orders and thus, must have the assistance of parents and the student’s personal physicians to provide these or-

ders. There is a medication form that is completed jointly by the physician and parents. The top 2/3’s of the

form is the order from the physician that tells the nurses what med to give, how much to give, when it is to be

given and for what purpose the student is receiving the med. He/she must sign the form and their office

should stamp the provided area with the doctor’s name, address and phone number (it is sometimes hard to

read their signature). The bottom section is where the parents give the nurse permission to give the medication

according to the doctor’s instructions. This form ensures that your child receives his/her medication as it is

intended to be given. There have been incidents in other areas around the country where other students re-

ceived meds not prescribed for them and ended up in the emergency room----we have as a district attempted to

put safeguards in place to protect your children against such calamity! If your child needs medication at

school for any reason, please contact the nurse at your child’s school and we will be happy to provide the nec-

essary documentation, in fact, most of the physicians in the area have the proper paperwork in their offices al-

ready. If your child has asthma and needs to carry their inhaler with them at all times, there is a place on the

form for the doctor to indicate that your child has been trained in the proper use of the inhaler and is capable/

responsible in administering the medication themselves. Just know, we want school to be a safe place for all

children. Please help us in this endeavor by following the guidelines for proper use of medications in the

school environment. If you have any questions, feel free to call the nurse.

Hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving and glorious Christmas with your friends and family.

Nurse Johnson

Festival of Trees Celebrate the holiday season and support a valuable cause!

All proceeds go towards the Christian County Community Vision Plan. The exhibit will be held at the Senior

Citizens Center on West 7th Street. Each school will have a tree on display!

Festival Exhibit Hours:

Thursday, December 4th: 5—7:00 p.m. Friday, December 5th: 5—7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 6th: 10:00 a.m.—7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 7th: 1—5:00 p.m.

Page 6 H.M.S. News

Carnivore News

The second nine weeks is coming to an end. We would like to take this opportunity to ask that you check your

student’s supplies. Please make sure they have pencils, paper, and folders. Also, we are accepting hand

sanitizer, paper, pencils, and erasers for extra credit.

Congratulations to the Students of the Week: Braden Howell, Tashay Nolan, Gracie Gates, Wyatt Peifer,

Kailee Pollard, and Jayden Ralston.

Congratulations also to the Student of the Month—Kiara Green.

Please remind your students of the importance of work ethic, completing homework, and

reading nightly. As always, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to email us.

Mrs. Cansler, Mrs Herrington, Mrs. Long, Ms. Morris.

Rainforest Team

The Rainforest Team has been busy planning for our Fall Events. First, the “Coffee Shop”, hosted by our

Language Arts teacher - Ms. Criswell, highlighted our students’ personal narratives. The students who pre-

sented were given positive, effective feedback on their work by others who were listening. We appreciate SO

much the support from our parents who made this “Coffee Shop” possible through their donations. Next, we

are planning a “Winterfest” in December to encourage our students to do their best on the upcoming

Discovery Test and/or Unit Assessment. Students will enjoy time in the Commons Area with their friends and

special recognition if they have a proficient or distinguished on their tests in math, reading, language arts and

social studies.

Please remember to ask your child about school supplies - especially pencils. It's the little things that can

really help start the school day off right! As always, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any

questions or concerns. We wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

8th Grade Washington, DC Trip -

Meeting December 4th at 5:30 PM

We will have a meeting for everyone that has signed up on

Thursday, December 4th at 5:30 to talk about secur ity

clearance information. Please plan to attend this meet-

ing if possible - both students and parents.

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Wash-

ington, DC, Jamestown, and Williamsburg. WorldStrides

has extended the deadline until January 8, 2015 to pay for

this educational opportunity. If you are still thinking about

the trip - it is not too late to sign up. Explore places you’ve

only read about in textbooks and experience government in

action - all while creating lifelong memories. This out of the

classroom trip promises to be the perfect mix of adventure,

learning and fun. Please stop by and pick up a packet from

Ms. Stamper in room 108 or email at

dena.stamper@christian.kyschools.us

Dena Stamper

8th Grade Social Studies

H.M.S. News Page 7

Page 8 H.M.S. News

HMS Title 1 News

I hope that everyone is excited about the coming holidays while we continue to focus on achieving proficiency

at HMS. Please continue to encourage your student to keep his/her focus on learning and to turn in work daily.

I am attaching a parent survey in hopes of receiving your input on ways to improve parent involvement at

HMS. I hope that you will take the time to fill the survey out and return the form to your child’s first period

teacher.

As always with the Title I section of the HMS Newsletter, I have included another set of questions you will

need to answer on our survey in the spring regarding Title I. See if you can answer these.

Question 6: Have you been asked how the school could improve the parent involvement program? Answer: Yes, this was covered at our Fall Orientation, Parent Teacher Conferences, each newsletter, and at

our SBDM Council meetings. You have also been asked in the monthly newsletter the attached parent survey.

Question 7: Were you asked to help design the school’s parent involvement policy? (This question is the

one most often misunderstood – possibly due to the word “design”).

Answer: Yes, you were invited at the Orientation, Parent Teacher Conferences, and Parent Involvement

Meetings. As a parent, you have many ways to provide input on the parent involvement policies. You may

contact Mrs. Duvall, Mrs. Jones, your parent representatives for SBDM council (Leslie Sowell and Kim

Henagan), as well as Mr. Anderson and Mr. Owen (AHOY) who oversee our parent advisory council.

Julie S. Jones

HMS Curriculum Specialist

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello HMS Parents and Guardians:

We would like your input on any revisions for the 2014-2015 parent involvement programs. If you have any

suggestions, please fill out this form and return it to your child’s first period teacher. Thank you for taking an

interest in your child’s education here at HMS. You are a very important part of helping your child reach

proficiency.

Thank you, Julie Jones, HMS Curriculum Specialist

Opportunities for parent involvement in which you have participated: ________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Suggestions for improvement of HMS parental involvement: ________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Suggestions for events that you would like to see occur at HMS: ________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Parent Name: _______________________________________

Student Name: _______________________________________

H.M.S. News Page 9

Page 10 H.M.S. News