The HMS Update

Dear Hemphill Middle School Families,

October is here, and we are excited about all the learning, growth, and activities taking place at Hemphill Middle School! As we move further into the school year, students are settling into their routines, academic expectations continue to increase, and we are encouraging students to stay focused, work hard, and take ownership of their learning.

We are looking forward to welcoming families to our Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 12th from 12pm-7pm. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for parents and teachers to connect, celebrate student successes, discuss areas for growth, and work together to support student achievement. When students see their families and teachers working as a team, it reinforces the importance of education and helps build the confidence, responsibility, and motivation they need to be successful. We encourage all families to take advantage of this opportunity!

We also invite parents and community members to attend our upcoming School Accountability Committee (SAC) meeting on October 15th at 6:00 p.m. in the HMS Library. During this meeting, we will review our school's Unified Improvement Plan (UIP), including our academic goals, student achievement data, and the strategies we are implementing to improve teaching and learning. Your voice and involvement are important as we continue working together to make Hemphill Middle School the best learning environment possible for our students.

As we look ahead, we are also excited about the start of winter sports during the second semester. Extracurricular activities provide wonderful opportunities for students to develop teamwork, leadership, responsibility, and school pride. We encourage students to get involved and continue representing HMS with positive attitudes and strong character.

Finally, I want to sincerely thank our families for their continued partnership and support. Middle school is an important time of academic, social, and emotional growth, and your encouragement at home makes a tremendous difference. Whether you are checking grades, helping with homework, attending school events, or simply asking your child about their day, your involvement matters.

Together, we are building a school community where every student is supported, challenged, and encouraged to reach their full potential.

Thank you for being an essential part of our HMS Tribe! We look forward to another great month of learning and growth.

JaLee Kitzman
Principal, Hemphill Middle School

Teacher-Parent Conferences will be held this Monday, October 12, from 12:00–7:00 PM. We look forward to welcoming our families and having the opportunity to connect, share student progress, and work together to support our students’ success.

We would also like to thank all of our wonderful parents who signed up to bring food for our teachers. We had such a great response, and we truly appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness! ❤️

If you signed up to bring food, please plan to drop it off between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Your kindness and support are greatly appreciated and will help make our conference day extra special for our teachers and staff. Thank you for being such an important part of our school community!

Does your student love trivia, enjoy learning new things, or want to get involved in something fun? Brain Bowl is a great opportunity!

Students in grades 6–8 can participate in a knowledge competition against other Junior Patriot League schools. Students will answer questions on a variety of topics, so there’s something for everyone!

Interested in joining? An interest meeting will take place next week during school so students can learn more!

Basketball Update: Girls who plan to play basketball should still be able to participate in Brain Bowl. Boys may have scheduling conflicts with basketball, so please keep that in mind.

Questions? Contact Miss Hemphill at jhemphill@strasburg31j.com.

Let’s show off our knowledge and represent HMS! ❤️🖤

Last week we started on topic 2 and have been learning how to identify opposites, interpret absolute value, plot rational numbers, and order rational number from least to greatest. Students will also be reviewing how to plot points on a coordinate plane as well.

Last week students practiced their multiplication fasts for 2s and 3s. This week they will work on 4s. We have also been working on area and perimeter of polygons in small groups. When they are not in small groups with me, they are working on i-ready which helps them get a more personalized learning experience.

Students wrapped up Unit 1 on the Themes of Geography last week with their slideshow projects and are now beginning Unit 2 on Physical Geography. We will be focusing on landforms, water bodies, and climate, as well as answering the question “how does geography affect the way people live?”

Students are wrapping up our study of the Solar System and Space in general by researching an assigned planet and creating a slideshow describing its characteristics. Students will also be able to describe other objects in the solar system, including comets, meteors, and asteroids, and explain how gravity holds all objects in the solar system together.

Students will continue reading “The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneave. When we finish reading the story, we will begin working on our end of unit essay! The essay will focus on “The Medicine Bag” and the change the narrator goes through. I anticipate concluding the essay around October 23, 2026.

Students will be concluding our unit in Egypt and will be venturing east into the Indus Valley! This unit will be introducing world religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism while also learning of the subcontinent of India.

Students will begin our end of unit essay over “The War of the Wall” by Toni Cade Bambara and “What is Community and Why is it Important?” by Toby Lowe. The essay will be due October 16,2026.

Students will be finishing up their Lit Circle novels and beginning a project in the next couple weeks. They will have very little time to work on their projects at home. Projects will be introduced 10/16 and due 10/23.

Students are learning of early colonial America and building up towards the American Revolution. We are gaining multiple perspectives and viewpoints including international influences to the day to day life of farmers.

This week 8th graders got to experience live theater while viewing the suspenseful play “Misery.” We are continuing our unit on the Art of Suspense with Edgar Allen Poe. We will be reading

Students are currently wrapping up on their equations unit. They have been mastering setting up and solving algebraic equations that contain decimals, fractions, percents and proportions! A major focus is making sure students are able to master fraction operations- fluently add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions in order to solve for an unknown variable. The goal by the end of this topic is to get students comfortable with translating real world word problems into mathematical equations in order to solve them. All notes and assignments are posted to Schoology so if students are gone, please have them check there. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Students have been getting extra practice with all concepts we are studying in 8th grade math. Additionally, they have been working on personalized instruction on I-Ready. Students are supposed to complete one lesson per day and then they have the rest of the hour with support to complete their homework(if any) from their 8th grade math class. A couple days per week, we have also been working on some geometry concepts! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Students just took a quiz on setting up and solving multi-step equations. I was very impressed with the entire class’s performance on this! Additionally, we are extending our knowledge of unit rates, unit conversions, percents, proportions, and proportional relationships in geometry! I am more and more impressed by this class. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!

In ELD, we continue working with Read 180! Students completed their Growth Reading Test to measure their reading progress. We are learning new vocabulary every day and exploring stories of people who have overcome language barriers.

Students are finishing up our study of Konstantin Stanislavski with monologue performances. We will be reading our fall production script soon and preparing for in-class auditions for the play.

Over the next two weeks, 6th and 7th grade art students will be learning about the element of texture and how artists use both actual texture and implied texture) in their artwork.Our next project will focus on collage art, where students will create unique collage faces while incorporating textured elements into their backgrounds. This project encourages creativity, layering, and visual storytelling.

In Mixed Media Art, students will transform vintage cabinet cards (old photographs) into modern pop culture-inspired artworks. This project helps students explore the connection between historical imagery and contemporary culture. Students will also begin learning about color theory and acrylic painting techniques.

Students are currently working on their third newspaper of the year. They are creating one large October newspaper that will feature school news, stories, interviews, photos, and student-created content. Through this project, students are building their writing, editing, photography, and teamwork skills.

In Spanish 2, we are learning about Costa Rica and the Desfile de los Faroles (Festival of Lanterns), a cultural celebration held there. Students are watching videos, learning new vocabulary, and exploring this special tradition while discovering more about the culture and traditions of Costa Rica.

In Spanish 3, we are learning about bullfighting (corridas de toros). Students are learning about the anatomy of the bull, what it means to be a torero (bullfighter), and exploring new vocabulary as we learn more about this cultural tradition.

We continue to rehearse our fall repertoire and build our physical singing stamina through breathing exercises. Students are also working in small groups rehearsing songs they have chosen to perform for the class in the near future.

Our students are finishing up a unit on “Reaching for Financial Goals” and we will start a new unit next week called “Managing Your Money” where we will cover topics like, paychecks, banks, checking/debit and taxes. I think it will be a bit of an eye opener for them and I’m excited to start teaching them.

We have had a good time learning about emails, google docs and google slides. We are going to start a “Digital Citizenship” unit that is all about security and responsibility while using technology. I think it will be a great unit and I hope they enjoy it.

In sewing class, we are making pajama pants! Some students have already completed them and have been seen wearing them in the halls. Everyone is getting better and better at sewing even seam allowances!

In Cooking, we have been learning about quick breads and have made muffins, biscuits, and cornbread. And just for fun, we also made cookies! Yum!

Looking for a way to earn volunteer hours? Kelver Library in Byers will be offering drop-in volunteer programs for teens throughout the school year.

The first volunteer opportunity will take place in October. Teens can participate, help out in the community, and earn volunteer credit!

📚 Check out the flyer for more information and upcoming dates.

Art Club meets every Thursday from 4:00-5:00 PM and is open to all HMS students. During Art Club, we will be doing Open Create, where students can use the materials in the art room to design and make projects of their choice while exploring their creativity.

Our Lost & Found is overflowing! If your student is missing a sweatshirt, jacket, water bottle, or other personal item, now is a great time to check.

Clothing

Water bottles
And more!

Take a look at the photos below and see if you recognize anything. Please remember to claim your items soon, as unclaimed belongings may be donated.

As we enter flu and respiratory illness season, we can all help keep our school community healthy!

Please remind students to:

• Wash hands frequently.

• Cover coughs and sneezes.

• Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Avoid sharing food, drinks, or personal items.

• Get plenty of rest and fluids.

• Stay home when sick and follow school guidelines for returning.

Help Us Track Illnesses:
When reporting an absence due to illness, please let the school know your child’s symptoms or diagnosis, if known. This information is kept confidential and helps our school nurse monitor illness trends and identify potential outbreaks.

Thank you for helping us keep our students, staff, and families healthy! 💙

As the leaders of our learning community, our staff is committed to:

Empower a collaborative learning community through instruction, equitable learning opportunities, and rigor for every student to take ownership of their success today and in the future.

This mission reflects our belief that student success is a shared responsibility. Teachers, staff, students, families, and our community all play an important role in creating the conditions for every student to thrive.