Parent and Community Update

A Monthly Update for Parents and Guardians

Parents and Guardians,

We are just a few days away from the start of the 2022-2023 school year! I want to thank all of you that have visited the school over the last few weeks. It as been wonderful to be able to meet you and the students, and to be able to support a successful transition to the start of the school year.

Prior to the beginning of each month, I will be sending out a Parent and Community Update. The purpose of this communication is to preview the month ahead and share important dates and events, highlight what has been taking place in the building, and to share important updates on school improvement.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us in the main office at 624-7100!

Mr. Jason Juszczak

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What's Coming Up This Month

September:

6: Opening Day for students

14-15: iReady Reading Diagnostic grades 6-8

15: Open House, 6:30-8:30

We will be sending out a separate communication about the format of this event as we get closer to the evening

16: Student Activity Fair

This event takes place during the school day where students will have the opportunity to sign-up for after school clubs
Possible clubs for this school year are Art Club, Chess Club, Academic Challenge Club, Gamers' Guild, Odyssey of the Mind, Yearbook Club, Student Council, and Technology Club
Students will be provided with more information about clubs on the day of the Activity Fair
A booth will be set-up in the cafeteria where students can sign-up
Clubs run after school
Families are responsible for transportation for students participating in clubs

19: Picture Day

21-22: iReady Math Diagnostic grades 6-8

24: Fall Weekend

Opening Day Arrival Reminder

This is just a reminder for parents and guardians that are planning on dropping off in the A.M. that students will be released from vehicles from our one designated drop-off area beginning at 7:25 a.m. We are asking that parents waiting in line move as far forward as possible before letting their child out of the vehicle. Please refer to the map below if needed.

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School Improvement Corner

The staff in HF-L continues to focus instruction, supports, and systems around collaboration, learning, and results. By structuring our school in a way that supports the collaboration between instructional staff, we are better able to meet the unique needs of our students. One of the important steps that we will be taking this year is to develop a comprehensive student profile. This would include academic, social/emotional, and behavior progress of our middle school learners. With a focus on teaching the whole child, we want to ensure that the data that we are reviewing to inform our instruction also reflects the whole child.

As we work towards this vision, our goal and primary strategies for this school year will be the following:

Goal: HF-L Middle School will increase the percentage of students scoring at least an 80% or higher in all courses by 5%, from 65 to 70%.

Our goal for this year is increasing expectations for students when compared to last school year. Our strategies identified within our plan will support staff in identifying how we will remediate and extend learning opportunities for students, as well as to strengthen our tiered interventions for students across the building. We are looking forward to a successful year!

Our School Improvement Team meets monthly, typically on the last Monday of the month. We welcome a parent/community member to join our committee. If you are interested, please contact Mr. Juszczak in the main office at 624-7100, or by email at jjuszczak@hflcsd.org.

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PTA

We have begun collaboration with our Middle School PTA and are looking forward to offering more daytime and evening opportunities to welcome parents and guardians into the school. There will be a PTA registration table during Open House where parents/guardians will be able to learn more about the PTA and register. Our PTA President is Stephanie Empson.

For more information about the HFLCSD PTA, please click on the following link which will take you to their website.

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Student Schedules

Even though student schedules were distributed last week at Locker and Packet Pick-up day, schedules could be revised up to and including the first day of school. This is due to changes in enrollment and individualized needs of students. We do our best to minimize revisions. On day 1, students will receive a fresh student schedule in their set 1 class. These schedules are color coded by grade which acts as a visual for staff to know that students are working off of their most current schedule.

Codes

6th: Pink
7th: Blue
8th: Green

Any student that has experienced a schedule change since August 24th that impacts their SET 1 class has already been contacted by a School Counselor, Teacher, or myself. Parents/guardians can review the most up to date version of student schedules on SchoolTool.

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Code of Conduct

I will be meeting with individual grades as part of a beginning of the year assembly. A part of these assemblies will focus on expectations for students. Three topics that will be covered are:

Cell phones: These devices have increasingly become a part of our daily culture as a society. Students will be able to use their personal devices before homeroom, in the cafeteria after they finish eating, and after school. Electronic devices (cell phones, iPods, laptops, tablets, etc.) are not to be used during class unless the teacher has expressly indicated that they may be used. The District has the authority to restrict and/or suspend a student from using personal devices based upon inappropriate use. In an effort to reduce the impact on teaching and learning, the following process will be used if there is an infraction:

First Offense: Warning
Second Offense: Teacher will confiscate the cell phone and return to the student at the end of the set
Third Offense: Teacher will confiscate the cell phone, turn the device in to the main office, and the student will be able to pick-up the device at the end of the school day.
Fourth Offense: Teacher will confiscate the cell phone and the parent will be contacted to pick-up the device at the end of the school day.

Students with other medical or educational plans that require the use of a cell phone will be permitted to do so in class and throughout the building.

Backpacks: Students will be expected to keep their backpacks in their lockers during the school day unless otherwise noted in a medical or educational plan.

Dress code: The Code of Conduct has been updated to reflect a revised dress code policy. This was reviewed at the June Board of Education meeting. For more details, please click on the link below to the full Code of Conduct.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to either myself or Mr. Weider in the main office.

The full Code of Conduct can be reviewed at the following link.