Haverford Middle School Newsletter

We are officially into the swing of things at HMS! Clubs and activities, including PAG and Student Government, have begun. After several rainouts, we have finally seen our students competing in football, volleyball, field hockey, soccer, tennis, and cross country. We also had many courageous singers audition for our ensembles. There is so much happening and so much to be proud of.

One of the great privileges I have as principal is getting to step into classrooms and see our students and teachers in action. Since many of these classrooms are new to me, I am learning right alongside our students!

This week, our sixth graders are learning how to find surface area in math. The sixth grade chorus sang a beautiful song for me about strength and resilience, and I watched students manipulate robots in Info Tech.

Our seventh graders are reading Iqbal, a fictionalized account based on the life of a young Pakistani child laborer. In Social Studies, they are preparing for a European map quiz. I am proud to report that I am getting a little faster at completing a blank map of Europe myself!

In eighth grade Social Studies, students are working on their first DBQ, or document-based question, which asks students to analyze historical sources and use evidence to support their thinking. Meanwhile, our eight grade art students are creating “Rabbots” out of cardboard.

Despite what your adolescent may report when they get home, there is a lot happening every day at HMS!

Hopefully, these little glimpses into our classrooms can also provide some conversation starters at home. Instead of asking, “What did you do at school today?” try something more specific: “How is your Rabbot coming along?” “What countries do you know in Europe?” or “What are you doing with robots in Info Tech?”

Research on family engagement during adolescence supports something that may seem simple: staying interested and engaged in what students are learning matters. Middle schoolers may not always volunteer a detailed account of their day, but continuing to ask questions sends an important message that what they are doing at school matters to you. And if the first answer you get is “nothing,” now you know better.

Eighth grade is an important year for building independence and preparing for the transition to high school. We know that students are still developing the organizational and time-management skills needed to manage multiple classes, assignments, and deadlines. Our goal is to work together to help students take ownership of their learning while providing the support they need to be successful. Please see the file below from the 8th grade teams.

Fords Fight for Life game is tonight at 7pm!

Attendance Procedures

Clubs and Activities Schedule

Clubs and Activities Slide Show