Hawthorne Brook Happenings

Dear Hawthorne Brook Families,

What a day it was! What a week it was! We celebrated the end of October with our second Pep Rally of the year. It was fun to see each all the grade levels compete in a relay race of sorts. There was lots of laughter and good natured competition. What was most heartening were the students in the stands- each grade level was cheering (appropriately!) for their representatives. I offer the grade seven students congratulations for coming out on top!

Next week, we begin our final mini-term of the trimester. This means a change of unified arts classes; it also means there are only fifteen days left to term 1.

Please keep in mind that there is no school next Tuesday, due to Election Day. Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Chantele Olmstead & Jason White

If your child is going to be tardy or absent, please be sure to call the main office OR email hbadmin@nmrsd.org, even if you have notified their team teachers.

The end of the day is quite busy, with students transitioning between classes, going to lockers and returning to homeroom! If you need to dismiss your child for an appointment, please try to do so by 2:15. Otherwise, please make arrangements to pick your child up at parent pick up at 2:30.

Picture retakes are Monday, November 2nd!

The Townsend VFW has invited our students to participate in the "Illustrating America" contest. Art is due by December 15th. For more details, please review this information.

If you have had a hard time accessing your Aspen account, please email aspen@nmrsd.org for assistance logging in.

If you are sending in a note for your child to get a bus pass, please be sure it is sent in by noon time on Friday. Passes may not be issued if the note is not received by 12 PM.

Here is a link to the 26-27 calendar.

School Committee updated the district cell phone policy, in accordance with a law that is making its way through the Massachusetts legislature. Cell phones/smartwatches/smartglasses are to be off and away for the day. Any student found with a personal device will have the device turned in to the main office. If this happens more than once, families will be asked to pick up the devices. The full text of the policy can be found here.

I am pleased to share that we have a huge number of new CLASP offerings! Paper forms went home Monday, but if you would like a preview, please click here.

The Townsend VFW holds a Patriot Pen essay contest every fall. HBMS has had several winners in the past! If your child is interested in entering, please refer to this folder of information. Essays are due on October 30th.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) created an MCAS Family Portal which allows caregivers to be able to access information about their child’s participation in MCAS Testing. Information was sent out this summer to families whose children participated in the MCAS testing. This platform replaces the hard copy MCAS results that have been traditionally sent to you in previous years with your child’s MCAS results. The final MCAS results are now available in the MCAS Family Portal and you should be able to access the platform to download individual student reports.

If you have not created an account yet, follow the steps below:

• your student’s registration code (you can find your student’s code in the North Middlesex ASPEN family portal - in the Family top tab, Details side tab for each student. The MCAS Registration Code field is in the bottom right corner of the page); and

• your student’s date of birth.

If you have any questions or need help, please contact your student’s school main office. We are here to support you.

Is your student looking for an opportunity to play before school starts? Check out this Morning Gym opportunity!

We will be offering the 6th Grade Nature's Classroom field trip June 1-4, 2027 and Mrs. Rheault will be the trip coordinator (crheault@nmrsd.org). We will have a virtual parent meeting October 21 at 6pm to discuss the trip.
Google Meet joining info:
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/keu-xuon-ymz
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 678-626-7793‬ PIN: ‪597 579 399‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/keu-xuon-ymz?pin=6894311264260

The annual 8th grade trip to Washington DC will take place April 13-16th 2027. There will be a virtual parent information night on October 14th from 6-7pm.

At this meeting we will discuss costs, registration process and logistics of the trip. If you have any questions prior to the parent meeting please email Mrs. Rheault (crheault@nmrsd.org) the Washington Field Trip Coordinator.

Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/tty-myki-mdu
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 602-899-2843‬ PIN: ‪378 728 431‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/tty-myki-mdu?pin=7196261548663

November 3, 2026- No School

November 11, 2026- No School: Veterans' Day

Email: colmstead@nmrsd.org & jwhite@nmrsd.org
Website: http://hbms.nmrsd.org/
Location: 64 Brookline Street, Townsend, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 597-6914

Fax: (978) 597-0354
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HawthorneBrookMiddleSchool/