Dear Hereford Middle School Community,

Happy Valentine's Day! This week, we showed our love and gratitude for each other by wearing pink, red and/or hearts and by sending heart grams to each other. We're grateful for our amazing students, our wonderful team, our school resource officer and our generous community and PTA.

We're working to improve our communication and to increase parent access to information. You'll notice below that we've added all students and parents with registered Schoology accounts, to a new Schoology group where information will be posted. We're working with the district to improve our website design, so information is more easily accessible. In addition, you may have received text messages from individual teachers using Talking Points, a communication tool that allows for 2-way texting. We're hoping to expand our use of Talking Points to send schoolwide brief reminders and notifications. On Tuesday February 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM, we'll send a schoolwide text message to all parents and care providers registered in Focus, our student information system. We're sharing this information in advance so as to not alarm anyone unnecessarily. Additional resources for parents interested in using this tool are attached below.

Don't forget that we would love your feedback through the BCPS Stakeholder Climate Survey. Our students will learn more about the survey next week and they will take the student version of the survey in class. We value the input of all of our stakeholders, and we look forward to the feedback provided via the survey.

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Presidents' Day Weekend!

Warm Regards,

Mrs. Moore-German, Principal

🍩Happy School Resource Officer Appreciation Day to Officer Winters!

Valentine's Day

Here's a preview of our spirit! We'll share more photos next week from today and when they receive their heart grams on February 19th.

The PTA provided ice cream today for students during lunch. They were so excited! 🍨

A new schoology group has been created for teachers and school staff to share information with students and parents. All current staff, students and parents with Schoology access, have been added to the group. This group was created to be an additional means of receiving information about what's happening at HMS!

Download the Talking Points App today! Resources for parents and caregivers are attached below.

HMS Parents and Caregivers, please take 3 minutes to provide us with feedback via the BCPS Climate Survey!

Have you taken the BCPS Climate Survey yet? Your voice matters! The survey is open from January 27 through February 28. It’s quick, taking about three minutes, anonymous, and offered in 20 languages for students, parents/guardians, and community members. You can take the survey from anywhere using a phone, tablet, or computer. Simply scan the QR code below or stop by the school to complete it in person. Students, parents/guardians, and staff will also have opportunities to take the survey at school. If you’re a BCPS parent/guardian and employee, or if you have children in more than one school, you’re encouraged to take the survey more than once to share your unique experiences.

The HMS teachers would like to sincerely thank the families who donated items from our Amazon wish lists! We were overjoyed to receive items for our students and classrooms! Thank you to our amazing HMS PTA for organizing and communicating our wishes with our wonderful Hereford community.

For the remainder of this winter, if schools close due to inclement weather, we'll continue to provide virtual learning. On these days, students will be expected to log into Schoology and join Google Meet sessions to access their lessons and assignments. To ensure a smooth transition to virtual learning when needed, please remind your child to bring home their device daily when inclement weather is expected and ensure it is charged and ready for use. If students experience any issues accessing their virtual learning, they should reach out to their teachers as soon as possible through email or Schoology messages for assistance. We appreciate your support in helping students stay engaged and on track with their learning. If you have any questions or need assistance with technology access, please don't hesitate to reach out.

We'll remind students to take home devices and charges each night through the winter season and ask that you do as well. We want to ensure that every student is prepared to transition to virtual learning without any disruption should this become necessary.

We want to inform you about the upcoming STAR Math Assessment, which will be administered in Algebra I classes only on Tuesday, February 25th, or Wednesday, February 26th. This assessment is an important tool for measuring student progress, predicting proficiency on state tests, and identifying areas where additional support may be needed.

About the STAR Math Assessment:

• Computer-adaptive: Questions adjust based on student responses.
• 34 questions: Designed to take approximately 20-30 minutes during math class.
• Timed items: Students have 240 seconds per question (Extended Time: 480 seconds if applicable), with a clock appearing in the last 15 seconds.
• Embedded audio: Available if needed.
• Taken on student devices.
• Results provide targeted instructional insights through a scaled score.

We encourage students to get plenty of rest and come to class prepared on their assigned test day. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your support!

The Sign language Club will begin on February 18th. See the description and permission slip attached below if interested. This club is open to all students, no experience is necessary

The Sign Language Club will meet twice a month on Tuesdays. Students will be provided with a list of dates at the first meeting of the club. If you have questions, reach out to Mrs. Richardson @lrichardson2@bcps.org, as she will be managing the organization of the club. Mrs. Eisenklam (seisenklam@bcps.org) will be the teacher preset and running the club meetings.

One of the requirements of being a member of the Sign Language Club is that each student must be picked up by 3:10 PM. As club sponsors, we are responsible for your student until they are picked up by a parent or guardian. We often have after-school commitments of our own. Because we are not permitted to leave your student at HMS unattended, we ask for parents/guardians to be diligent about your student’s pick-up time.

Students who need assistance catching up on missed assignments from excused absences or who need instructional support, may take advantage of Coach Class with thier teacher. See the attached document below for teacher availability during lunch or after school. Appointments can be made by students via Schoology message or by parents via email to schedule time after school hours.

Since winter break, we've collected a lot of cold weather gear, lunch boxes and water bottles. Please encourage your child to check the lost and found located inside the cafeteria during their lunch. The photos below are current as of 2/13/25.

Parents and Care Providers are asked to remind students to bring a book they would like to read or if they need to catch up on reading for ELA, they may bring their novel.

Winter is in full swing, and we want to keep the momentum going with promoting our students daily on-time attendance throughout the wintry season. We have a new, fun incentive to encourage consistent, daily attendance to help students stay engaged even during the chilliest month of the year! Let’s keep up the great strides we’ve made in our attendance!

💖Congratulations to all of our January nominees!

Registration for Spring sports including tennis, track and field, and allied softball must to be completed in Focus by March 4th. Directions are located on the HMS website.

The BCPS Black Excellence program supports students as they learn about the people, places, and events throughout the Black experience. The program includes three components: a book study, a school-based competition, and an independent research project. Selected titles for the book study include “Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves Deputy U.S. Marshall” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson; “The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks” by Cynthia Levinson; “Thurgood” by Jonah Winter and Bryan Collier; and “Victory Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice” by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes. The theme for the independent research projects is “Heroes of History: How will the people and events from the past influence our future?” Schools participating in Black Excellence this year are Carney, Cedarmere, Deep Creek, Elmwood, Fort Garrison, Joppa View, Lyons Mill, Milbrook, Pot Spring, Rodgers Forge, Seven Oaks, Stoneleigh, Vincent Farm, Westchester, West Towson, Westowne, Winfield, and Woodholme elementary schools; and Catonsville, Deer Park, Franklin, General John Stricker, Hereford, Pikesville, and Stemmers Run middle schools. The program will conclude with a systemwide public event at the Loch Raven High School cafeteria on Saturday, February 22, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The school is located at 1212 Cowpens Ave., Baltimore 21286. During the systemwide celebration, students will display presentations they developed in response to the research prompt or the books they read. Community members, families, and other students will have the opportunity to ask students about their presentations. (The snow date for the event is Saturday, March 1.)

FEBRUARY 17, 2025 School Closed for President's Day

FEBRUARY 28, 2025 Marking Period 3 Interim Date

MARCH 31, 2025 Professional Development Day, School Closed for Students

April 4, 2025 End of Marking Period 3, School dismisses 3 hours early

Congratulations to our 8th Grade Students of the Month! The list of 8th grade activities and the information about the Washington DC trip are attached below.

Hereford High School Dance Interest and Placement Auditions

HHS is excited to announce that summer tryouts for all HHS fall sports will take place on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. All students interested in participating in fall athletics are expected to attend, as there will not be a makeup date.

To ensure everyone has the opportunity to try out, please plan vacations and summer schedules accordingly. We look forward to seeing our student-athletes in action and kicking off another great season!

Mark your calendar for the future Pop Up Art events! We hope to see new faces!

February 26th (AC)

March 26th (AC)

April 30th (A)

May 14th (AC)

Join Team BCPS!

The annual Mind Over Matter Annual Conference will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. The goal of this event is to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and substance use prevention. This event is for all BCPS students and their parents/caregivers. and will include student performances, a keynote speaker, and breakout sessions. There will also be vendors, free promotional items, giveaways, face-painting, and more!

Registration for Baltimore County Public Schools’ summer arts camps will open on Tuesday, February 18 at 7:30 a.m.

This summer, the school system will offer camps in visual arts, dance, instrumental music, songwriting, and musical theatre. New this year, all camps will feature a focus on introducing students to creative careers; a new counselor-in-training option for students entering Grades 11-12 next school year; and limited funding to support camp costs for students who attend Community Schools. All camps will cost $182 per student.

The programs are open to students entering Grades 5-12 in the 2025-2026 school year, except for the visual arts summer program, which will accept students entering Grades 3-12. All camps, except for the BCPS Broadway Theatre Connection, will be held at Nottingham Middle School, 5210 King Ave., Rosedale 21237. The musical theatre camp will be held at George Washington Carver Center for Arts & Technology, 938 York Rd., Towson 21204.

Registration for the camps usually fills quickly. Enrollment priority will be given to current BCPS students and children of BCPS staff. Bus transportation is available. Fee waivers are available for students who do not have permanent or adequate housing.

Summer Art Enrichment Camp
The eight-day Summer Art Enrichment Camp will be held from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Monday, June 30, through Thursday, July 3, and Monday, July 7, through Thursday, July 10. Now in its 38th year, this camp offers students the opportunity to build their artistic and critical thinking skills.

Summer Dance Intensive
The six-day Summer Dance Intensive will be held from 10 a.m. -3:30 p.m., on Wednesday, June 25, Thursday, June 26, and Monday, July 1, through Thursday, July 3. During camp, students will take classes in contemporary, ballet, jazz, and choreography at the appropriate grade or ability level and will learn choreography for an end-of-camp performance.

Summer Music Camp
The six-day Summer Music Camp will be held from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., on Wednesday, June 25, Thursday, June 26, and Monday, July 1, through Thursday, July 3. During camp, students will participate in either band or orchestra (prior experience required), or ukulele or songwriting (no prior experience needed).

BCPS Broadway Theatre Connection
The four-day musical theatre camp will be offered in partnership with Broadway Theatre Connection on Monday, July 28, through Thursday, July 31. Camp hours will be 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., except on Thursday, July 31. On that day, camp hours will be extended to 6:30 p.m. to accommodate a showcase performance. This intensive will include classes with professional artists and audition tips and techniques. The program is designed for students who have a passion for acting, singing, and dancing as well as a desire to work in a fast-paced environment.

See the complete list of workshops with dates by accessing the link below to Microsoft Forms.

Board of Education meeting

Tuesday, February 25, at 6:30 p.m.

BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204

Check out the Hereford Middle School website! https://herefordms.bcps.org/ We continually update our website so that it serves as valuable resource for our school community. There you'll find past editions of the Bull's Eye, our principal's weekly newsletter, an updated staff directory, links to important and useful information and so much more! We look forward to the redesign of our website which will make for a more user-friendly experience.

Mrs. Moore-German

Principal

Hereford Middle School

712 Corbett Road, Monkton, MD 21111

443-809-7902

cmooregerman@bcps.org

Hereford Middle School is committed to providing a safe and supportive community in which students celebrate diversity, demonstrate integrity and develop mutual respect and responsibility in order to pursue academic excellence.

Hereford Middle School empowers every learner, every day through rigorous, diverse, educational experiences to become productive global citizens.