
All the Buzz
News and Info from HCS -- February 3, 2023
From Your Superintendent
Happy February! We are celebrating many points of Hornet Pride, and there is one particular piece I would like to share with you.
Our students take the NWEA-MAP assessment in reading and math three times a year. This assessment is a nationally normed, standardized achievement test which measures what students know and informs what they're ready to learn next by using a computer adaptive test that adjusts to the ability and knowledge of the student. It is a great instructional tool for our teachers, and it provides our district with a snapshot of how our students are growing in their learning over different periods of time.
In looking at our data from the fall cycle, we have seen significant growth in most K-8 groups from last year (this is our first year using it in high school, so we will not have growth data just yet). For example, in the fall of 2021, our current third graders were at 37% proficiency in reading and 31% in math. This year, that same group in the fall came in at 59% proficiency in reading and 62% in math. Another example is our current sixth graders. Last school year they were at 47% in reading and 44% in math; this year, they are at 60% proficiency in reading and 76% proficiency in math.
The combined and continued efforts of teachers, students, and families are paying off. Let's keep up the great work!
Hornet Pride,
Judy
989.539.7871
Larson Dismissal
This is a reminder that for safety, cars are not allowed to pull into the Larson front parking lot or circle when 1 or more buses are present in the lot or in the circle. We appreciate those of you who are patiently waiting to pull in when it is safe to do so. In addition, when pulling into the parking lot, only marked parking spaces are to be occupied. If there are no spaces available, you will need to exit the lot and wait for a spot.
There are also some cars parking at the Hive, the apartment complex, and even on the road to pick up walkers or door dismissal. We are getting complaints from residents and the city about the parking, and there are safety concerns about crossing in spots other than the designated crosswalk. Please do your part to use the rear pick up with the app, or wait until the buses depart and pull into the front of the school.
Middle/High School Dismissal
For car pick ups and student drivers, we need to make sure that we are taking it slow and looking all ways before entering any of the driving aisles. In addition, the same applies for entering and exiting the road to and from Larson. This keeps pedestrians, bus riders, and drivers safe.
As above with Larson, please pull into marked parking spaces only. Waiting or parking in the driving aisles is not safe or permitted.
Connecting About the School Day
We covered this topic in the fall, but it is worth repeating. If you would like some suggestions on how to talk with your child about their day in school to go beyond the "it was okay/good/fine" response, this article has some options to consider.
High School Happenings
Mid Scholarship Awarded
Lillian Williams was awarded the Laker Distinction Scholarship this past week. Congratulations!
Let It Snow!
The ski team is finally in their element with our recent snowfalls.
Volunteer Opportunities
If you have never worked the concession stand at a basketball game, you are missing out on a whole lot of fun! Contact the Athletic Boosters to share your time and talent.
Middle School Magic
On the Court
Our basketball players turned in a hard-fought game against Clare.
Spanish
Our linguists created and played games as a fun way to learn how to conjugate verbs.
Robotics
Great front-page coverage for our RoboHornets!
Larson Learning
Penpals
Mr. Long's fifth graders are penpals with Mrs. Scare's preschoolers, and every so often, they get together in person.
Art
With support from Mrs. Merillat, this artist is learning the effect of light in a drawing.
The Day the Chairs Quit
Ms. Driver and Mrs. Kreider's class had a guest reader, and acted out part of the story line.
Board of Education Meeting
The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by students from our high school. Principal Joe Ashcroft will present an instructional/school highlight.
Mon, Feb 13, 2023, 05:30 PM
Hillside Elementary School, North 4th Street, Harrison, MI, USA
DISTRICT INFORMATION
Upcoming Calendar Events
February 10: no school for students -- full day of professional learning for teachers
March 27-31: spring break -- no school for students or staff
April 7: no school for students or staff
School Contact Information
- Larson Elementary, 989.539.3259 (Principal Andrea Andera, aandera@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal Sandy Hargraves, shargraves@harrisonschools.com)
- Middle School, 989.539.7194 (Principal Jennifer Thrush, jthrush@harrisonschools.com, Dean of Students Stacey Van Antwerp, svanantwerp@harrisonschools.com)
- High School/Hive, 989.539.7417 (Principal Joe Ashcroft, jjashcroft@harrisonschools.com, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Brad Carlstrom, bcarlstrom@harrisonschools.com)
Health Information
COVID-19 protocols for positive cases, staff or student:
- With a positive case, the person must isolate for 5 days and not attend or be in school. In counting those days, the first date of symptoms (or the test, if no symptoms) is day 0.
- The COVID-positive person may return to school on Day 6, assuming symptoms are subsiding. We recommend, but do not require, masking for days 6-10 in school.
We are also attaching a handy resource from public health officials that provides guidance on when to keep a child home from school in a variety of illness-related situations.