Huntington East Middle School 💟
FEBRUARY 2026 Parent Newsletter
Note from HEMS Admin:
February's Calendar 💘
Upcoming Dates 📆
March 🍀
- 3rd & 4th - Mobile Dentist
- 4th & 5th - ELPA Testing
- 11th - Golden Horseshoe Test (8th Grade Only)
- 12th - 3rd 9 Weeks Ends
- 13th - Regular School Day
- 17th - NAEP Testing @ HEMS (Select 8th Graders Only)
- 20th - Novel Knockout
- 24th - Begin Related Arts Term 5
- 24th - Report Cards and Data Portfolios for 3rd 9 weeks Go Home
- 30th - April 3rd - SPRING BREAK
Attendance Challenge Winners 🏆
August PBIS Points
The last week of August, any student who attended for all 5 days were awarded 5 PBIS Points on Friday to spend in the PBIS Store
September Attendance Winners 🏆
- Kaylyn H. - Free Arby's curly fries
- Mikenna A. - Free Arby's curly fries
- Keaton D. - Free Arby's curly fries
- Jocelyn L. - Free drink from Human Bean
- Addison V. - Free drink from Human Bean
- Emmanuel E. - Free drink from Human Bean
- Emily S. - HEMS water bottle
- Natalie D. - Free Arby's curly fries
- Ethan H. - Free Arby's curly fries
- Optimus T. - Free Arby's curly fries
- Aurora N. - Free Oreo bites from Papa Johns
- John C. - Free Oreo bites from Papa John's
- Presley R. - Free Oreo bites from Papa John's
- Kaylee S. - $20 Chipotle gift card
October Attendance Reward 🪩
Any student who misses less than 2 days of school in the month of October will qualify to attend the Halloween Dance on October 31st during the school day
💃 Dance
🎃 Pumpkin Carving
👻 Halloween Trivia
November Attendance Reward 🎬
Let’s finish the month strong, Bears — every day counts! 💜🐻
December Attendance Challenge ⛄
❄️☃️ Perfect Attendance = Snowball Showdown! ☃️❄️
Students who had perfect attendance for the month of December are eligible to participate in a snowball fight in the gym on December 19th! 🥶❄️
January Attendance Challenge 🎆
January's Attendance Challenge
Attendance Matters at HEMS
We Want You Here
🎯 HEMS Attendance Goal – 2025–2026
We’re aiming to keep our chronic absence rate below 20%! Last year it was 32.95%.
Families can help:
✅ Send parent notes or doctor excuses for any absences.
📄 Submit notes online here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=S7AZ4AwzekaLrgn7FzdNainQyIQzKfNLvEC2Xl-MqeRUMTM1R0lNWkpGUURUWExNMk41OE9aOUtTVS4u
Every day counts – let’s help our Bears stay in school and succeed! 🐻💜
This data is from February 9, 2026 and is updated daily from the WVDE website
True Educator Spotlight 💡
January's True Educators
Every week, one of our incredible HEMS staff member is nominated by their colleagues for going above and beyond for our Bears Family! Take a look at who's been recognized for the month of November:
- Ms. Kerri Vannatter - 6th Grade History Teacher
- Mrs. Laura Kinley - Special Education Teacher and Theater Troupe
HEMS Teacher and Service Personnel of The Year 🏆
Huge congratulations to both of these outstanding members of our school family! Your dedication, leadership, and hard work make a lasting impact on our students, staff, and entire school community. We are so proud to celebrate you both and the difference you make every single day!
Yearbook Photos 📸
Attention parents and students! We want to make this year's yearbook as amazing as possible, and we need YOUR help! If you have any sports photos you'd like to see included, please scan the QR code or click the link below to upload your pictures.
Your contributions make a big difference, and we can’t wait to showcase all the fantastic moments from our athletes! Let's capture the spirit of our teams together!
Future Health Science Professionals 🩺🏥🧪🔬
📣 Attention Families of HEMS 8th Graders (Class of 2026–2027 Freshmen)!
Is your student interested in a future career in Health Sciences 🩺 and/or STEM 🔬💻? If so, they may be eligible to apply for the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA)!
🧪 HSTA is a fantastic opportunity for students who meet certain criteria and have an interest in health or STEM-related fields.
📍 Applications are now OPEN for the Cabell, Lincoln, and Boone County HSTA Program for current 8th graders who will attend one of the following high schools:
-
Cabell County: Huntington High School, Cabell Midland High School
-
Lincoln County: Lincoln County High School
-
Boone County: Scott High School, Sherman High School
🖥️ Application Process: Online
⏰ Deadline to Apply: February 28, 2026
👉 Apply here:
https://redcap.wvctsi.org/redcap/surveys/?s=PP8C7CDEDRY4XK4E
📲 For more information, follow Cabell Lincoln Boone HSTA on Facebook!
🧮🐻 HEMS Math Field Day 💥
Our HEMS Bears are ready to bring the brainpower! 💪📐
On February 11th, students from Huntington East Middle School will compete in Cabell County’s Annual Math Field Day at the Transportation Complex, putting their problem‑solving skills, teamwork, and math knowledge to the test.
🔥 Led by our amazing coaches:
Ms. Taneisha • Mrs. Thomas • Mrs. Brewster • Mr. Messinger
They’ve been working hard to prepare our students for this academic showdown—and we couldn’t be prouder!
👏 Wish our Bears luck as they represent HEMS with confidence and determination!
February Lunch Menus 🍔 🍕 🍝
Inclement Weather Codes ⛄ ☔️ 🌪️
Family Resources:
HEMS Family and Student Handbook 2025-2026
Online Family Survey
Hey Bear Families! We want to hear from you! Take a moment to fill out our Family Needs Survey so we can better support you and your student at HEMS.
https://bit.ly/HEMSFamilySurvey25-26
2025-2026 Academic Calendar
2025-2026 Grading Period Chart
Helpful Links for Parents
Cabell County Schools Website: https://www.cabellschools.com/
Schoology Sign In: https://app.schoology.com/login
Bus Information: https://www.cabellschools.com/o/cs/page/transportation
Attendance Note Form: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=S7AZ4AwzekaLrgn7FzdNainQyIQzKfNLvEC2Xl-MqeRUMTM1R0lNWkpGUURUWExNMk41OE9aOUtTVS4u