The end of the first semester is quickly approaching. Students will start a new rotation for both their UA-1 and UA-2 classes on Thursday, January 26. Students will take their second i-Ready diagnostic math and reading assessments on January 18th and 25th respectively. The second set of tests will provide information on the progress that students are making towards their i-Ready growth goals based on the September assessments. The focus of the student work during WIN class is to demonstrate growth in the areas of math and reading. The end of the first semester provides an opportunity to assess and reflect on the work accomplished at the halfway point of the school year. We are looking forward to the HDMS Winter concert on Wednesday, January 25. The members of the chorus and band have been putting in a great deal of work preparing for the first concert of the school year!

All the Best!

HDMS Administration

January 16: No School- Civil Rights Day

January 18: i-Ready Testing

January 19: 6th Grade Field Trip- Pats Peak

January 25: End of Second Quarter

January 25: i-Ready Testing

January 25: Winter Concert

February 1: Early Release

February 27 - March 3: Winter Recess

8th grade students who are participating in the 8th grade class trip to Washington DC and Gettysburg are selling raffle tickets during the month of January. The cash calendar raffle tickets are on sale for $10.00 each or three tickets for $25.00. The 8th grade parent committee put in a great deal of time and energy organizing the raffle. So many prizes were donated that bonus day prizes are part of the raffle. HDMS would like to thank all the businesses and individuals who donated to the raffle. The raffle drawing starts on February 1st!

• Mrs. Tasker will be participating in the Penguin Plunge to help raise funds for Special Olympics New Hampshire. She is very close to reaching her fundraising goals. For more information please click on the link below.
• Computer Science grade 6 is learning about how to spot fake news and why people create it. For our last unit of the semester will be designing our own digital vision boards for 2023.
• 7th grade science has been learning about changes of matter as well as Charles law and the reactions of gasses.
• In 8th grade math, students are learning about linear functions. They will be investigating many different types of relationships that increase or decrease at a constant rate including nutrition, racing, stacking cups, filling tanks, and more. Ask your students about some of the engaging Desmos activities we have worked on like turtle racing and graphing stories.
• 7th grade math students are learning about two step equations and different ways to approach them.
• Band and Chorus' first concert of the school year will take place on January 25 at 6 pm in the HDMS Cafetorium. All are welcome to attend! Witness a battle to the finish between Winds, Brass, and Percussion! Be amazed by your choristers' choreographic ability and perhaps be shocked by a surprise celebrity guest?
• In 8th grade science, students have been wrapping up our chemistry unit. We have been looking at various types of physical and chemical properties and reactions. Additionally, we have looked at the variations between elements, compounds, and mixtures, including how compounds form through ionic and covalent bonds. We will wrap up the quarter looking at variations of conductivity and pH.
• In ELA students finished the short story “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. We practiced identifying how characters and plot work together to develop theme. Currently, we are having a midterm review with a focus on the standards of written language.
• Computer Science grade 7 are demonstrating their knowledge of Media Literacy with podcasts created in Garage Band. Students will complete the semester designing webpages.
• Grade 8 Makerspace had a busy week as students focused on completing projects such as Cricut design, sewing, photography and cardboard construction. We will end our semester with a newspaper chair competition.
  
• 7th grade social studies is finishing up their study of the Bill of Rights and has a speaker coming to discuss the rights of the accused.
• In Tech, Ed. eighth graders are applying Newton’s three laws of motion to help design CO2 dragsters. Students will be designing and making the CO2 dragsters from a block of wood. Race Day will be sometime during the last week of the quarter.
  
• 7th grade ELA students are working through their unit on argumentative writing.
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The end of the first semester is a good time to review the attendance policy to clarify any misconceptions and highlight procedures and expectations. A high rate of attendance reduces disruptions in the instructional process and maximizes the time students are engaged in their learning.

Attendance, absenteeism and truancy are governed by School Board Policy JH. The school board considers the following seven reasons to be excused absences: illness, recovery from an accident, required court attendance, medical and dental appointments,

death in the family, observation of a bonafide religious holiday, such other good cause as may be acceptable to the principal or permitted by law. For medical and dental appointments to be excused, a note from the medical or dental provider must be provided.

Any absence that has not been excused for any of the reasons listed above will be considered an unexcused absence. Oversleeping, missed school bus, babysitting, mental health day are examples of unexcused absences. School officials by law, must determine whether or not an absence is excused or unexcused. The principal may require parents/guardians to provide additional documentation in support of a student’s absence.

If the HDMS office staff have not received advance notification, phone call or email from a parent/guardian by 8:30 am as to the reason for a student's absence, the office staff will call the parent/guardian. If the staff are unable to talk to a parent/guardian a message will be left. If the office staff does not receive any information as to the reason for the student’s absence, the absence will be considered unexcused.

Parent Portal

SNAP health center provides an easy way for you to follow what is happening with your student’s health and update the health office with any changes of concerns about your student’s health. How to log on to SNAP parent portal is attached.

Cold and Flu season in on us. Please help keep our schools healthy. If your student has a fever over 100 please keep them home. If you suspect COVID and would like a COVID home test please contact the health office 603 464 1275.

The health office has oral health tool kits available for all the post Halloween candy. If your student needs a toothbrush or any oral care products tell them to visit the nurse.

The best way to prevent the spread of viruses is good handwashing. Encourage your students to wash their hand before and after eating, when using the bathroom, or anytime they look dirty.

Thank you and stay healthy,

Nurse Gamache

In the HDMS multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), we offer important tier 1 intervention available to all students to address academic needs.

WIN stands for “What I Need” and is a time when students work in small groups designed to help them improve or enhance their skills in reading and/or math. We use i-Ready data and classroom-based assessments to create the skill groups and monitor student progress. Students work in their WIN groups four days each week, 30 minutes per day, for 6-8 weeks at a time. They change groups based on their progress and current needs.

HDMS also offers after-school academic support on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:15-3:00. Students are encouraged to join these groups when they need more time to work on class assignments, make up missing assignments, and need extra practice with skills. The after-school support sessions are taught by HDMS teachers. Students living in Hillsboro and Deering are allowed to ride home on the elementary school busses, if needed.

For more information about WIN and after-school academic support, please contact your child’s advisor.