HLWW Middle School Newsletter
October 2026 Edition
Welcome to the HLWW Middle School Monthly Newsletter! We hope this will provide additional insight on the many activities and events taking place at HLWW Middle School.
If you wish to be added to the mailing list, please email akoeppe@hlww.k12.mn.us
Important Upcoming Dates
- October 27th: Picture Retakes
- October 30th: End of the Quarter
October 30th: Reward Day
October 30th: Activity Night (3:00-5:15 pm)
November 2nd: No School- Teacher Workshop
November 25th-29th: Thanksgiving Break
Reward Day Friday October 30th
At HLWW Middle School, we schedule a reward activity for the end of each quarter. To qualify for this activity, students must have their work completed and be passing all their classes. On Friday, Oct. 30th starting at 12:55, students who qualify will be able to sign up to watch a movie of their choosing. (Movies are either rated G or PG). Each movie will also have an intermission time when students can go to open gym and the concession stand. To purchase pop $2.00, candy $2.00. These proceeds will support our student activity fund. Students are not allowed to wear costumes during the school day on October 30th. Students may wear costumes for activity night. (see flyer below).
Activity Night Friday October 30th
What's Happening at HLWW Middle School
5th Grade Native American Presentation
By Leisha Diers, 5th Grade Social Studies Teacher
For the eleventh year in a row, our Native American guest speaker, Claude Sherod, joined us at HLWW Middle School for a presentation on the Great Plains’ Indians ways of life on Friday, September, 25th.
Fifth graders in all four of Mrs. Diers’ Social Studies classes got the full experience of how these tribes lived while they sat in a 16 foot radius teepee. The teepee created a realistic feel for students as they sat inside and got to feel the many furs Mr. Sherod brought with him. Among these furs were beaver, mink, skunk, and coyote.
Students had the opportunity to see a variety of Native American Artifacts including: hats, tools, clothing, and turtle shells. Each student also got to see a demonstration on how the teepee was put up as well which prompted some to state that the wanted to try building their own at home. Most of these students were in awe of the craftsmanship and purposeful design these early Native Americans displayed in their many artifacts.
Many students in fifth grade Social studies classes walked away with a smile on their faces and a deeper understanding of how the Great Plains tribes from the Northern regions lived. This is a great experience for these students as we have been studying and comparing, not only the Great Plains’ way of life, but also the three other major regions in the United States.
6th Grade Reading Mentorship
By Erin Bobrowske, 6th Grade Teacher
A few weeks ago, our sixth grade students launched a mentorship initiative reading to our "Little Laker" friends. Each week, groups of sixth graders gather with the younger students to share engaging stories, foster a joyful environment, and help cultivate a lifelong love for reading. This program offers our sixth graders a valuable opportunity to develop essential leadership skills, build self-confidence, and practice responsibility. We look forward to seeing these students' mentorships flourish throughout the school year. Happy Reading!
Buddy Reading Power: Building Belonging, One Page at a Time
By Paula Timm, 7th Grade Language Arts Teacher
This year, our 5th through 8th graders are coming together in a new way through Buddy Reading Power, a program that pairs students across grade levels to read, talk, and connect. Our 5th graders are partnered with 7th graders, and our 6th graders with 8th graders.
Buddy pairs meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month during Power time. Younger buddies choose the book, and partners take turns reading aloud. Older buddies ask thoughtful questions, offer encouragement, and help with unfamiliar words, while younger buddies share their thoughts and opinions and speak up when something is confusing. Everyone has a role, and everyone has a voice.
We launched this program because we want students to feel they belong to a school community that reaches beyond their own grade level. Reading with a buddy encourages collaboration, builds confidence, and shows our younger students that there are older peers in the building who are cheering for them. Our older students get the chance to lead, mentor, and be positive role models. The feel of the room says it all: pairs sitting "elbow to elbow, knee to knee" so they can share a book, a soft hum of quiet reading voices, and a sense of community that bridges grade levels across our school.
We're excited to see the friendships and the joy of reading that grows from these shared stories. Ask your child about their reading buddy!
8th Graders Read Frankenstein
By Abby Gunnarson, 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher
This spooky season, 8th graders are exploring the wonderful world of science fiction! At the beginning of the quarter, we explored the question, “What makes something science fiction?” Students learned about the elements that help make a story believable, even when strange and extraordinary things happen.
The novel we are studying this quarter is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. We are using a new illustrated edition that includes images to help students understand the language of the original text and visualize important moments in the story. These illustrations also help clarify parts of the novel that may be challenging to understand.
As we read, students are developing important literacy skills, including paraphrasing, comparing and contrasting different forms of media, and expanding their vocabulary and spelling knowledge. Through this classic science fiction story, students are discovering how authors bring extraordinary ideas to life while making their stories believable.
Counselor's Corner
By Andraya Parenteau, Middle School Counselor
The focus in October is friendship! In our advisory curriculum, students are encouraged to think about the traits of the friend they want and exercise their ability to choose who they hang out with. Friends are people who treat you kindly, share common interests, and are fun to be around! Peer conflict is completely normal and actually crucial to child development during the middle school years to help develop the social skills and problem solving skills necessary for adolescence and adulthood! If your student is experiencing friendship or peer issues, listen empathetically, acknowledge that these situations are difficult and uncomfortable, encourage perspective taking, and empower your student to list out a few ideas on how they can work through it.
While friend drama is inevitable in these middle school years, the presence of social media and technology can often make things much more difficult! Based on a study of 6-8th graders at HLWW in 2024, about half of our students reported using Tik Tok and Snapchat while 90% of our students recreationally use Youtube. While it can feel scary to hear your children are using these technology platforms independently, most apps offer parental or family controls to help parents and guardians maintain some control over their children’s safety online. Check out the QR codes linked here to learn more about parental controls on the most frequented social media sites.
