HMS Connection

On Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth O'Connell returned to Hingham Middle School for our annual Cyber Sense presentation for our eighth graders. Students learned about the myth of anonymity while on-line, the dangers of sharing too much information, and the very real legal and life-long implications of poor decisions while on the internet.

Of all the things covered during the presentation, perhaps the most important was the role of trusted adults in helping our kids when handling these situations, which was echoed during the parent presentation that evening.

Thank you again to ADA O'Connell for her informative talks and the continued support of our students and families! We truly appreciate this on-going partnership.

There will be a kickoff meeting for parents to learn more about the 2027 Washington DC trip. The meeting will be held on October 8, at 7pm in the Hingham Middle School Auditorium.

On hand will be a representative from Grand Classroom, along with the trip leaders, class advisers, and representatives from our nursing department to discuss important medication regulations and procedures.

While this meeting is not mandatory, we do ask that parents please plan to attend.

All students recently attended assemblies that provided an overview of the HMS Student Handbook, along with general expectations and school procedures.

We ask that you please review the Student Handbook along with your middle schooler by clicking here . The link to the handbook can be found in the lower right had corner (see image below).

You can also review the slides from the presentation by opening the attached file.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Art club is up and running at HMS! Check out the weekly update for meeting dates. This club is open to all grades and meets after school in room 222.

Hingham Middle School Unified Sports is a great way for students to get involved in meaningful inclusion opportunities within our school community.

Unified Sports is a Special Olympics program that brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities to train, compete, and participate as teammates. The program promotes inclusion, friendship, teamwork, and understanding both on and off the playing field.

Hingham Middle School offers several Unified Sports opportunities throughout the school year:

• Unified Bocce: Mondays in October

• Unified Intramurals: January

• Unified Basketball: March

• Unified Track & Field: April/May

Whether you are new to Unified Sports or have participated before, we encourage you to get involved and be part of a program that celebrates teamwork, inclusion, and belonging.

Interested in participating? Please complete the Google Form to let us know!

As you are most likely aware, we recently sent home paper copies of our School Health forms to be completed and returned to school as soon as possible.

We understand that many of you went through the process of trying to provide this information through the Aspen portal, but unfortunately there were significant technical problems.

I apologize for the inconvenience, but appreciate families completing and returning these forms as quickly as possible, as our nurses need this information in order to care for our students.

Students can return completed forms to their homeroom teachers.

If you need another copy, the form is attached below.

Thank you!

The Hingham Public School District expects that all members of the school community will treat each other in a civil manner and with respect for differences. Acts of bullying by students and staff (which include cyberbullying) are prohibited. Retaliation by students and staff against a person who reports bullying or provides information during a bullying investigation is also prohibited.

Any instances of bullying can be reported anonymously through the form found here.

Thank you for helping us keep Hingham Middle School a place where all students feel a sense of belonging and can focus on learning.

The upcoming matches are:

• Monday - Voyagers F vs. Explorers D
• Tuesday - Navigators B vs. Navigators C
• Thursday - Explorers A vs. Voyagers B

Remember, teams are based on the students Social Studies class assignment.

No soccer experience necessary, but sneaker are! Come out and have fun with your friends!

The HHS Robotics team invites Grade 4-6 HPS students to join them for an introductory workshop on LEGO robotics. The workshop will be held on Saturday, October 24th from 2-4:15 PM in the HMS cafeteria. Students will learn to build and code robots--no experience is necessary. To register, please complete the attached Google form. The workshop fee of $50 can be hand-delivered on the day of the workshop, via a check made out to the HHS Activity Fund. All proceeds benefit the HHS Robotics team.

The Green Turtle Team is looking for plastic bread bag clips, like the ones pictured here, for an upcoming art project.

Donations can be sent to Mrs. Flaherty and Mrs. Cassidy (Grade Eight Science).

Thank you!

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

In health class this week, we are finishing up our mental health unit as we cover depression and suicide awareness. We discuss the warning signs and red flags to be aware of and how to ask for help and ways to access helpful resources in and out of school. Students created their own Semicolon Project posters.

The Semicolon Project is a non-profit movement founded in 2013 here in the U.S. It is a platform for suicide prevention and mental health awareness and its main mission is to reduce suicide rates around the world. The semicolon symbolizes the continuation of someone's life just like an author uses a semicolon not to end a sentence, but to continue on. It is common to see people with a tattoo of the semicolon who may have gone through such trauma such as depression, suicide, addiction, and other mental health issues OR those who are honoring someone close to them to show support. Just because someone isn't showing signs of depression, the most important thing we can do at school (and at home) is continue talking about it, supporting one another, identify the red flags, and be aware of the resources that are available to us.

Looking for a job that fits your life instead of taking it over? We’ve got you covered!

Our school food service positions are a great fit for parents and primary caregivers, retirees, or anyone looking for a rewarding part-time schedule. Enjoy school-year hours, a family-friendly schedule, and the bonus of having your evenings, weekends, and summers mostly to yourself!

Feed kids. Make a difference. Get home for dinner.

Whether you're looking for a little extra income, a second act after retirement, or a job that works around your family, we’d love to have you on our team!

Come for the schedule. Stay for the people. Leave with the satisfaction of knowing you helped feed the next generation!

To learn more about the opening at Foster Elementary School click here.

To learn more about the opening at PRS Elementary School click here.

To learn about subbing for our Food Services Department click here.

Important Dates

• October 7 - Early Release; 11:00 AM Dismissal
• October 8 - Grade Eight DC Trip Kick-off Meeting, 7:00 PM, HMS Auditorium
• October 12 - No School
• October 13 - PTO Meeting, 10:00 AM
• October 15 - Adventure Club Trip - Sauchuk's Farm, 2:00 - 5:30
• October 16 - Grade Six Fall Festival, 2:00 - 3:30 at HMS
• Grade Eight Firepit Fest 7:00 - 8:30 at HMS
• October 23 - Grade Seven Halloween Social, 7:00 - 8:30 at HMS

Curious about the last School Committee Meeting? Check out the summary in the attached file below.

As a reminder, please read through our September Newsletter for important dates and upcoming volunteer opportunities.

A few immediate needs--

• We are collecting dues (suggested $45 per family) to support all our PTO initiatives throughout the year (details in newsletter). Venmo @HMSPTO-1103 today!
  
• We could use a couple more volunteers to join our annual "pie palooza" committee for Staff Appreciation. You will help organize and attend the event on November 24th. This is a great opportunity to get to know some staff and experience their beloved HMS Thanksgiving tradition. Sign up here!
  

To see if your child's pictures are available to view, please log in to your account at mylifetouch.com. If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one using your email address.

To locate your child's photos, you'll need their Student ID or Portrait ID and Access Code. If you don't have this information, you can:

• Check your inbox for an email from Lifetouch that may contain your access credentials and a direct link to your child's images.
• Contact the Lifetouch Help Center for assistance

Please note that pictures may not become available for all students at the same time, so check back later if you don't see your child's images yet.