HUMS Newsletter

Harwood Middle School Families -

In last week’s High School Newsletter we shared that graffiti had been discovered in a boy’s high school bathroom that included a racial slur.

After the graffiti was found last week, I reminded students to show their care by coming forward and speaking to a trusted adult.

We want to recognize that it’s very common for adolescents to see and hear phrases online that reflect this hatred as a joke or a way to vent, sometimes making these words feel meaningless as they scroll through social media. However, this language, when brought to school and said out loud or written across a wall, causes profound and specific harm, impacting lives.

For some in our community, the casual use of hateful language sends the message that their pain, trauma and lived experience is not to be taken seriously. Casual use of hateful language makes some members of our community feel unsafe and devalued.

I am deeply troubled by the deliberate choice of some people in our community to use language that is harmful, offensive, and inconsistent with the values we strive to uphold. I am equally saddened by those who remain bystanders, fearful of "snitching."

Protecting those being harmed reflects strength and care and we want to specifically recognize the courage shown by 5 members of our community who spoke up. Their decision reflects conviction and moral strength.

At a time when some chose to lie or remain silent and complicit, these few separated themselves from the masses and did the right thing by saying something. This demonstrates the true "Harwood Way" we aspire to.

Sometimes the hard decision is the right decision. Oftentimes, hateful actions reflect deeper anger and unmet needs that will benefit from support.

We are all responsible for the culture of Harwood - students, staff, and families. We collectively shape this school by when we choose to stay silent, when we choose to speak up, what we laugh at and promote, and how we challenge each other. Words have the power to wound, but they also have the power to heal and bring us together.

We strongly encourage parents and guardians to discuss these events at home. Students, we urge you to have meaningful conversations with your friends and peers about the impact of these words and actions. Together, let us support each other in understanding that hate language impacts lives and has no place in our community.

I invite each of us to reflect and consider what kind of community member we seek to be. Every day, through small choices and big ones, you are shaping our community.

So, ask yourself and each other; how can we contribute to the Harwood Way and create a school where everyone truly feels a true sense of belonging?

With deep gratitude for our partnership,

Meg and Jess

Thank you to Harwood Families for another fun and delicious Staff Appreciation Luncheon!

The Spring sports season is underway. To stay up-to-date on the schedule, please click here.

Thank you to all who supported Harwood Athletics by being part of our annual Calcutta. Just like previous years, we are amazed by everyone's generosity, and we can not thank you all enough.

We are looking for individuals interested in supporting co-curricular programs at Harwood to consider joining the Harwood Boosters Club. The Boosters Club plays an important role in supporting our student-athletes and activities, and they are currently seeking new members to join their dedicated group. Whether you can give a little time or take on a larger role, your involvement can make a meaningful impact. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please reach out to info@harwoodboosters.com.

For the Fall we have the following open positions:

• Boys 7th-grade soccer coach

• Middle school field hockey coach

If interested, please click here to apply.

A few friendly reminders:

• If you would like to nominate someone for the Harwood Hall of Fame, please click here. Unlike many other Halls of Fame, our Hall of Fame is not limited to former athletes or coaches. Once nominated for the Hall of Fame, a nominee remains active for consideration for ten years.

• If you would like to donate to the Hall of Fame, please reach out to me at ifraunfelder@huusd.org.

• Looking for new Harwood gear? Visit our new highlander store, all items are customizable and ship to your house.

This is a week filled with rich traditions that Middle Schoolers always enjoy. Spirit points are awarded for dressing up for the class themes throughout the week. Ask your students what they are planning to wear - especially on Monday for the Middle School 80s theme!

PLEASE NOTE: There is a different schedule for this week, including a unique gold/black rotation.

Students that are in the mentor program should mark their calendars for Wednesday, June 3 for the end of year field trip. This will be a fun way to celebrate new relationships and end the program this year. We will depart at 9:30 am to head to Sparetime in Colchester for bowling and possibly laser tag. Students will get 2 pieces of pizza each for lunch. If your child does not eat pizza and would like a bagged lunch from school, please let me know or bring a bagged lunch from home. Contact Jen Dreimiller with any questions (jdreimiller@huusd.org)

Aqua Homework

Science: Over the school year, students diagrammed how the earth orbits the sun, why we have seasons, atomic structure, they learned to read the periodic table, and can explain why denser things sink and less dense things float. This week, they are reading about a specific weather event of their choice to collect and analyze the data related to the weather event. They will then model the weather event, either with a 2D or 3D model. Some students may even write poetry, raps, or children’s books, or make short films to explain their event.

English As we finish our reading unit covering A Night Divided, the students will be looking back briefly at our Oratoricals, to refine our Works Cited Pages and document our research. Also, watch for an email announcing the upcoming Celebration of Learning!

Social Studies: As we wrap up our Cold War unit, students have been exploring case studies related to communism and capitalism, including John D. Rockefeller’s oil monopoly and the wealth inequality that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Next, we will begin a new focus on propaganda and its power to shape opinions and spread ideas. Students will examine both historical and modern examples of propaganda and will also have the opportunity to create their own.

This week, students also had the opportunity to hear from a guest speaker who shared his family’s experiences connected to the Holocaust. This presentation helped students better understand the personal impact of historical events and the importance of remembering these stories.

In social studies, we have started our final unit of the school year on the Holocaust. Students are learning about how Jews and other victims were isolated from German society. Students learned about the history of antisemitism, propaganda, and ghettos. We are focusing our learning on the choices that were made and the impacts those choices had on individuals and communities. Today, a guest speaker came to talk about his family’s experience in the Holocaust. Students have had lots of questions and curiosities about this time in history.

In English, we’ve been cruising through The Outsiders. Each student has selected a character to follow throughout the book; students are keeping a character log to follow what their character learns and how their character changes. We’ve been learning about symbols and motifs and even analyzing some poetry! Ask your child what character they’ve selected and why they were drawn to that character.

Math: Students are finishing our unit on Irrational Numbers and the Pythagorean Theorem.

Next week, students in grades 7 and 8 will take the reading and math STAR 360 tests during their WIN time. This is the same screener that was given in the fall and winter, and will be used to see both individual student and whole grade progress across the school year.

STAR 360 is a relatively short (20-30 minutes) adaptive test, meaning that the questions “adapt” and adjust depending on the student’s responses. These tests are given in the fall and spring (and sometimes winter), and the results are used internally to help us identify students who may benefit from additional support in specific skills, as well as identify possible gaps across groups of students that could be addressed through learning in classes. While we don’t want students to stress over these tests (the results do not affect their course scores, and are not reported externally at all), we do want them to take them seriously so that we can have an accurate picture of their skills as individuals, and where we are at as a school and district.

Thank you to the Rotary and Share MRV for donations for our Food Pantry! (Check out the video below!)

This fall, students at Harwood Union Middle School shared how they cope with stress and make healthy choices, and the results are worth celebrating.

• 68% say they turn to music when feeling stressed or down

• 100% say being physically active is important to them

• 94% say they choose not to drink alcohol

• Across Vermont, 95% of middle school students also report choosing not to use alcohol

Our students are making healthy, positive choices every day.

For additional support and parent resources, visit SAMHSA Talk. They Hear You, or learn more about the Social Norms Campaign.

Have questions or want to learn more?
Reach out to Eva Zaret, Central Vermont Prevention Coalition Director, at eva.zaret@cvmc.org.

Data from the HUMS Anonymous Fall 2025 Survey and Harwood Middle School YRBS (2023).

Website: www.harwood.org/hums

Facebook: facebook.com/HarwoodUnionHighSchool

Instagram: www.instagram.com/hums.pto/
Phone: 802-244-5186

Location: 458 Vermont Rte 100, Moretown, VT 05660

Office Hours: 7:45 - 3:45