Hawk Talk

EMS Families,

I'm reaching out this week to ask for some support around an uptick in behaviors, which is not wholly uncommon this time of year. We've been experiencing some increases in students putting their hands on each other, which in most cases is not mean-spirited but is still unsafe. We've also seen an increase in what I will call "group-think" -- going along with a poor decision in a group that your child would probably not make as an individual. If you would take some time this weekend to have a meaningful conversation around what your child is seeing, hearing, and experiencing in our school, and what is appropriate for school, we would greatly appreciate it.

Judy

jwalton@fhps.net

616.493.8850

Route(s) Restored: 12, 72, 91

Route(s) Canceled: 11, 87

• Registration is now open for Forest Hills Youth Football League (FHYFL). FHYFL is the feeder youth flag and tackle football program for Forest Hills Central, Forest Hills Eastern, and Forest Hills Northern high schools. The league offers opportunities in flag football for players in grades K-4th and in tackle football for players grades 3rd-8th. The league will start practicing in early-to-mid August, depending on grade level. For more information and to register, please visit https://www.fhyfl.com/ and click on the “Available Programs” link under the “Registration Info” tab. You may also find the league on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FHYFootball/. Thank you and we look forward to seeing many junior Hawks, Huskies, and Rangers in the fall!

• West Michigan Construction Institute has opened registration for their middle school camps. Camps will be held June 13-15 and July 25-27. They are open to students entering 6-8th grade, and accept 24 students in each session. Registration is open online at https://www.wmcinstitute.com/construction-summer-camp/.

• If you are interested in boys soccer next year in high school, there is a pre-season meeting on Sunday, May 15t, at 7:00 pm (Hawks Stadium). If you intend to play soccer in the fall please make every effort to attend. This meeting is for PARENTS/GUARDIANS and PLAYERS. Items include the summer schedule, team and fitness expectations for the fall, and parent/guardian expectations.

• Eighth-Grade Dance information: 1) date is Friday, June 3; 2) time is 6:00-8:00 pm; 3) location is Great Hall and middle school gym; 4) activities include a DJ/music (PG13 and below), finger food and beverages, card and board games, ping pong, and ball games in gym; 5) attire is semi-formal suggested but wear what is most comfortable; 6) EMS eighth graders only; 7) the event is free; and 8) if you are available to chaperone, please complete this short Google form. We estimate that we will need at least 14 chaperones. A sign-up genius will go out next week for food and beverage donations.

• Staff Appreciation: Thank you for your time, money and contributions so we could celebrate EMS and EHS staff during the first week of May!

• General PTO meeting: Wednesday, June 1 at 7PM. We will meet in the great hall for our last meeting of this school year. We will review the past year and vote on the budget and officers for 22/23.

• Hawk Ticket Store: May 27th the store will be open for the last time this year. We are in need of: large candy bars, gum, icees, movie sized candy boxes. If you can contribute, please mark Hawk Ticket Store and drop off at the office.

• GET INVOLVED: https://tinyurl.com/EMSPTO-INVOLVED

• Facebook: FHE Middle School PTO

Have you ordered a yearbook yet? If not, there is still time! We are still accepting online orders using the following link. There are only 29 left, so hurry before supplies run out! Not sure if you have already ordered a yearbook? Please email Ms. Anys (the yearbook advisor) at lanys@fhps.net to double-check.

Please contact the attendance line (616.493.8856) by 9:00 a.m. if your child will be absent. If prior contact is not possible, parents/guardians are requested to call or provide a written excuse as soon as possible. It is important to remember to provide the reason for the absence so that it can be coded for our attendance records (e.g., sick, etc.). Without a reason, the absence can only be coded as unexcused. Questions, please email jmoore@fhps.net.

Since the data we shared a week ago, we have been informed of one (1) students and zero (0) staff members at Eastern Middle testing positive for COVID-19.

We want to continue to emphasize the layered mitigation strategies that are within our control:

• wearing masks, even when vaccinated
• getting a booster vaccination when eligible
• frequent hand washing
• staying home when any COVID-19 symptom is present or otherwise feeling unwell

If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home from school until they are 24 hours symptom-free. If they are up to it, checking Canvas for missed work is a great idea.

Specifics on our dress standards can be found using the handbook buttons at the bottom of the newsletter (page 22 in K-6, page 4 in 7-8). Generally, these are the questions we ask students and families to process when deciding on attire:

Does my clothing expose too much? (no)

Does my clothing advertise something that is prohibited to minors? (no)

Are there obscene, profane, drug-related, gang-related, or inflammatory messages on my clothing? (no)

Am I dressed appropriately for the weather? (yes)

Do I feel comfortable with my appearance? (yes)

Late arrivals should come to the Knapp Street entrance, and use the videophone to be buzzed in. Students should come to the middle school office to sign in and receive a pass to go to class.

If you are coming to pick your child up for an early departure for an appointment, please come to the videophone with picture ID, and push the buzzer. We will ask you to hold your ID up to the videophone and then buzz you in. We will have you come to the middle school office to sign your child out.

MORNING DROP OFF: PETTIS STREET ENTRANCE ONLY

-Please pull as far around the circle drive as possible. The first car in line should stop at the bike rack near the far exit to the staff parking lot. This will allow us to fit as many vehicles as possible in the circle drive, allowing as many students as possible to be dropped off simultaneously (see diagram below).

-Please drop student(s) off once you have pulled as far forward as possible and stopped within the main circle drive. Once you have entered the circle drive, pull as far forward as possible until traffic ahead of you has stopped. Students should then exit their vehicles. Do not stop early at the crosswalk if there is no traffic stopped directly in front of you. Also, please do not wait to drop off student(s) until you reach the crosswalk. Both of these actions slow the process down and limit the number of vehicles we can fit within the circle drive at any given time. This will require students to walk a short distance (on school sidewalks) to the building after being dropped off.

-Please make sure students are dressed appropriately for the weather as they are dropped off for school.

-Please make sure student(s) are ready to exit the vehicle when you stop. If student(s) will need extended time to get out of the car during drop off due to bringing in a project, gathering athletic equipment/instruments, extra bags/books, etc. please consider parking in one of the visitor parking spaces in the student parking lot so we can keep the traffic within the circle drive flowing.

AFTERNOON PICK-UP: PETTIS STREET ENTRANCE ONLY

-Please pull as far around the circle drive as possible. The first car in line should stop at the bike rack near the far exit to the staff parking lot. This will allow us to fit as many vehicles as possible in the circle drive, allowing as many students as possible to be picked up simultaneously (see below diagram).

-Students should be picked up beyond the crosswalk in the main circle drive.

Students will not be allowed to congregate on the sidewalk that borders the student parking lot while waiting to be picked up. This will eliminate the amount of space students need to search for their ride while also preventing incoming traffic from being delayed by vehicles stopping early in the circle drive to pick up students.

-Do not park on the grass along the driveway in order to avoid the pick up line.

This adds yet another element that drivers need to be aware of while exiting our campus during this already chaotic time.