HAROLD MARTIN SCHOOL NEST

Dear HMS Families and Friends,

We wrapped up another successful five-day school week at HMS! Student stamina is growing, routines are becoming more familiar, and friendships are continuing to blossom throughout the building. It has been wonderful to see students settling into the school year with confidence and connection.

Looking ahead, we are excited to begin our monthly student-led assemblies, led by our music teacher, Deb Rees. Our first assembly will be held on Wednesday, September 30. These gatherings are an important part of our goal of creating an inclusive, connected school community where students have opportunities to share their voices, celebrate one another, and come together as a whole school.

We also want to share a few important upcoming dates with HMS families. Our Family Book Fair Night will be held on Tuesday, October 27, from 3:30–6:30 PM. On Friday, October 30 at 1:30 PM, we will hold our annual Halloween Parade, when students can show off their school spirit and costumes for family and friends. Looking even farther ahead, please save the date for our Winter Concert on December 9 at 5:30 PM. This year, we are trying something new by bringing all students in grades K–3 together for one school-wide concert in the high school gymnasium. We are excited for the opportunity to celebrate the season with our entire HMS community in one special evening.

We are looking forward to all of these upcoming opportunities to learn, celebrate, and connect as a school community. As always, please reach out with any questions.

Sara Duval

Harold Martin School, Principal

• Thursday, October 8 – Fire Prevention Day 🚒🚒
• Friday, October 9 – No School: Professional Development Day
• Monday, October 12 – No School: Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day
• Thursday, October 15 – HMS Picture Day
• Friday, October 16 - Hopkinton Lions Club Vision Screening
• Monday–Friday, October 26–30 – HMS Book Fair
• Tuesday, October 27 – Book Fair Family Night 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, October 30 – Annual Halloween Parade 1:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 3 – No School: Election Day
• Tuesday, November 10 – No School: Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Wednesday, November 11 – No School: Veterans Day
• Wednesday, December 9 – K-3 Holiday Concert

This week, HMS hosted our first Bus Driver Luncheon, and it was such a special afternoon! Students were thrilled to welcome their bus drivers into the school and share lunch together. The conversations around the tables were incredibly sweet, and many students could hardly believe they were seeing their bus drivers inside HMS, almost like seeing a teacher at the grocery store! We even needed to pull over extra tables so students could sit as close as possible to their drivers.

The afternoon also gave students an opportunity to build stronger connections with the adults who help get them safely to and from school each day. Students reviewed bus expectations, learned more about bus safety, and had a chance to visit the buses together. We are so grateful to our bus drivers, HMS staff, kitchen team, and everyone who helped make the event possible. It was a wonderful reminder that our school community extends well beyond the walls of HMS.

Our reading and math departments are wrapping up fall benchmark assessments. This year, Harold Martin School will be sharing our benchmark assessment (Acadience and Aimsweb at Harold Martin) results a little differently. Rather than sending reports home separately, families will receive them during Parent-Teacher Conferences on November 10.

We hope this approach gives families the opportunity to review the results alongside their child’s teacher, ask questions, and better understand what the assessment information means in relation to classroom learning and student growth. Teachers will be able to provide context around the reports and discuss both strengths and areas for continued growth.

Last June, the Hopkinton School District adopted a new Sustainability & Natural Resources Policy that reflects our districtwide commitment to reducing waste, using resources responsibly, and helping students develop habits that support a healthy environment. At HMS, we are excited to highlight some of the ways our school community is already putting these ideas into action. Small, practical choices made each day can add up to a meaningful difference, and they also provide wonderful opportunities for our youngest learners to begin thinking about environmental stewardship and caring for their community.

One example can be seen right in our cafeteria, where students use reusable silverware and trays rather than disposable alternatives. Next month, we are also excited to return to composting during lunch! Students will once again have the opportunity to learn which food scraps can be composted and how keeping those materials out of the trash can reduce waste and give them a new purpose. Throughout the year, our monthly Sustainability Spotlight will share additional ways HMS students and staff are learning, participating, and working together to care for our school and our environment.

We are looking for parent volunteers to help reorganize and tidy up our school book room! Having a well-organized book room makes a huge difference for our teachers and ensures our students have quick access to reading materials.

We need help during the school day sorting books by topic for each grade level . Whether you can lend a hand for an hour or stay for a morning, any time you can give is greatly appreciated—no previous experience required!

If you are available to assist during school hours, please reach out to Joan Follansbee, jfollansbee@sau66.org. Thank you for helping us support our young readers!

The Hopkinton Children’s Clothing Sale will be held on Saturday, October 3, from 8:00–11:00 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Church. Bring a reusable shopping bag and fill it for just $5, with all proceeds benefiting the Hopkinton Food Pantry. Donations of clean children’s clothing, shoes, maternity clothing, crib sheets, and blankets may be dropped off on St. Andrew’s side porch from September 25 through October 2.