HMS Hiller Heads-Up

Growing an active community of strong minds and kind hearts.

Dear Families,

Recent disruptions to the learning environment at HMS have been caused by students' online behavior. These events have been hurtful and certainly had an impact on our school community. One of these disruptions involved the use of AI (Artificial intelligence). AI is continuing to develop at a rapid pace and we feel it is important for you to know how AI is being used and how it is impacting our students. A helpful article can be found here at healthychildren.org.

We also want to share a website that may be helpful as you decide what apps to have installed on your student's cell phone. Common sense media is a good resource, allowing you to type in the name of an app, movie, or show and look at reviews from parents and a description of content. It also provides an overview of parental controls available for apps you may be considering to install on your student's device or phone.

Thank you for your continued partnership,

HMS Administration

• Day 1: Monday, March 11
• Day 2: Tuesday, March 12
• Day 3: Wednesday, March 13
• Day 4: Thursday, March 14
• Day 5: Friday, March 15 - Early Release

March 15

Ensemble Rehearsal at school (please make sure students have instruments)

March 18

Grade 6 Band and Orchestra Concert 7:00-9:00

March 19

Grade 7 Band and Orchestra Concert 6:30-8:00

Grade 8 Brand and Orchestra 8:00-9:00

March 20

Grade 6-8 Choral Concert 7:00-9:00

March 21

Concert Snow Date

March 22

Grade 7 STUCO Event

March 29

No School - Good Friday

7th Grade Families,

Save the Date!

• When: Friday, March 22nd, 2024
• Where: HMS Cafeteria and Brown Gym
• Time: 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Activities Include:

• Music
• A Movie
• Basketball-Themed Activities and Games
• Light Snacks
• And the highlight of the night, a March Madness style basketball tournament!

Admission: Admission is free!

Important: Digital Permission Form

For your child to join in the fun, please ensure the digital permission form is completed before 5 PM on March 21st (note: this is the day before the event. The form will be locked after that time).

A Gentle Reminder:

This event is exclusively for 7th-grade HMS students. Students do not need to participate in the tournament to attend! There will be activities and chances to spectate the tournament available for students not playing.

We're looking forward to an exciting evening and hope to see your 7th grader there!

Please contact Mrs. Walcott (awalcott@hopkinton.k12.ma.us)

or

Ms. Abate (rabate@hopkinton.k12.ma.us) with any questions.

MARCH 2024 SEPAC EVENTS:

What’s Up With The New IEP - Webinar

When: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 7PM

DSS Abby Hanscom will present the new, completely revised, IEP document. Link to be posted on www.hopkinton-sepac.org.

Hopkinton SEPAC Coffee with an Advocate

Hopkinton SEPAC is hosting a coffee hour for parents and care partners of special needs students. We have invited an advocate to answer any questions related to special education. Come to our advocate Q & A session, meet other special needs parents, and learn more about Hopkinton SEPAC. We will be serving coffee and donuts.

When: Monday, March 18, 2024 at 10AM

Where: Hopkinton Public Library, Betty Strong Room (Large Event Room)

On behalf of the Northborough Junior Women's Club, we are excited to inform you that the 2024 Women in STEM Conference for middle school girls registration is open! This conference historically fills to capacity VERY quickly and there is always a waiting list.

On March 23,2024, the Northborough Junior Women’s Club will be hosting the 16th Women in STEM Conference for middle school girls. This free conference, open to all 5th to 8th grade girls from Northborough and beyond, seeks to actively engage and empower pre-adolescent girls in STEM workshops presented by dynamic women role models working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Please see this registration form for more details:

2024 NJWC Women in STEM Conference Registration

Here is a short (<1min) video of last year's conference STEM 2023 THANK YOU VIDEO LINK

Does your student ride the bus? Are you using the Stopfinder app? StopFinder is an excellent tool for families. It has the ability to track the bus and alert you when the bus has entered a zone, allowing you to plan more efficiently. With Stopfinder, you will be able to set Geoalerts, which will give you a notification when the bus approaches your location. More information can be found in the latest Transportation Newsletter.

For those who still need to sign up for the StopFinder App, the Transportation Department just sent out another invitation link. Make sure to sign up today!

Join us on April 6th at 730pm for an evening of fun and fundraising as we celebrate 30 years as one of the only PTOs in the state that supports grades prek-12th. This casual and incredibly fun 90s-themed night will include a live band, drinks, a silent auction and so much more. Come out for an evening to support the schools and have fun with friends. Ticket information is below. Limited tickets available. We hope to see you there!

Please click the following link to purchase tickets and help support our school community today!

https://hopkintonpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/74387462

The HPTO has donated $2 million to our Hopkinton Schools in the last 30 years. Last year alone, HPTO funded the following:

Potato Hill Poetry: Andrew Green

Michael Lafosse Origamido

Discovery Museum

Staff Appreciation

Library Chairs

Recess Supplies

Extracurricular Classes

Nature’s Classroom

Michael Lefosse Origami

Understanding our Differences

Community Farm Field Trip

Traveling Science

Memory Book

Mental Health Collaborative program for students

Jon Mattleman presentation for parents "The Secret Lives of Teens and Tweens."

Boston Theatre Company Shakespeare program for 8th Grade

Dr "The Machine" Jesse Green performance for 6, 7 & 8th grade

Combating Hate & Prejudice presentation for students

8th Grade Promotion Breakfast

Ice cream truck for Freshmen Orientation

Senior transition day in fall and spring

Submission fee for the Scholastic Art Awards

Funding for the Principal Art Awards

Funding for the HopArts Magazine and the Art Show postcards

Student of the Month gift cards

Mental Health Speaker

Science Fair materials and prizes

RAD Program support - shirts and pizza

Business Professionals of America registration and materials

Submission fee for the Scholastic Writing Awards

Marginal Magazine printing

Boys and Girls State admission fee

Robotics Club supplies and competition expenses

Unite Program mentor t-shirts

Underclassmen award breakfast

Art/BTE Field Trip to NYC Museums

Refreshments for counseling parent coffee sessions

and more.

We invite you to check out this website for more information on the Hopkins Addition project. This website contains information such as. and frequently asked questions. An email has been created for questions not answered on the website: hopkins-project@hopkinton.k12.ma.us.

• ELA - April 2 - 3
• Math - April 30 - May 1
• STE (grade 8 only) - May 15 - 16
• Civics (grade 8 only) - May 29 - 30

Dismissal Form

HMS Clubs and Activities

Absentee/Tardy Form

HMS Nurse's Office

Lunch Menu

HMS Student & Parent Handbook

Hopkinton SEPAC