Eagle Eye
HVMS E-Newsletter
HVMS Update - 3/4/2024
Hello, HVMS Family!
Thank you,
Hidden Valley Middle School
Helping Students Find Their Wings Since 1972
Our mission at Hidden Valley Middle School is to cultivate knowledge, to promote civic responsibility, to provide opportunities for the exploration of interests and abilities, to foster positive attitudes, and to develop essential skills necessary for all students to become productive citizens capable of thriving in the dynamic world of the twenty-first century.
Message from the Principal
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Middle school is a unique time for students, and our early adolescents here at HVMS impress me daily with their immense intelligence and outstanding character. March 1 marked the beginning of Middle Level Education Month, and I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our stakeholders for your continual support and help with our students' education. Hidden Valley Middle would not be the school it is today without everyone's unwavering commitment, and I am incredibly proud to be principal of this building. Please join me this month in recognizing all of our students, teachers, staff, parents, guardians, and other community members who make this a great place to learn every day!
Dr. Christopher Benson
Principal
SCHOOL INFORMATION
Winter Growth Assessment Results: Parent Portal
If your child participated in the Winter Growth Assessments for grade 6-8 math and reading, you will receive a handout with your password and web address to access your student’s results. The form will be sent home on March 4th through your student’s English class. The password provides access to the Growth Assessment for math and reading. The Virginia Department of Education has a parent portal to allow you to view the assessment results and a short video to explain the results and their report(s).
HVMS School Spirit Social
Mark your calendars! We’re about two weeks away from our next social!
Students are encouraged to wear HV colors (navy and gold), paint their faces, etc. We want to see the gym loaded with Hidden Valley school spirit!
What: School Spirit Social
Where: HVMS Gym
When: Friday, March 15th
Time: 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 (CASH ONLY - tickets will be sold during lunches the week of the social)
We’ll have a LIVE DJ playing music, door prizes, games set up to play, pizza and chips to eat, photo areas, and more! Bring your school spirit and Hidden Valley attire and celebrate with us!
11th Annual Backpack Run
Roanoke County Public Schools Education Foundation is presenting the 11th Annual Backpack Run. Proceeds will be used to provide financial support for RCPS education programs including grants for teachers and scholarships for students.
Registration is open right now! Register at https://www.rcps.us/backpackrun.
FLASH SALE!!!
Register today (Monday, March 4) for the 2024 Backpack Run and get a special 15% off with code BACKPACK! TODAY ONLY!
School Store
Want to purchase some school spirit wear? Please visit the link below to shop at our school store. A portion of all proceeds comes back to the school!
CELEBRATIONS
RCPS Science Fair
Congratulations to all of our students who were chosen to represent HVMS at the Roanoke County Public Schools Science Fair last weekend! Our students represented Hidden Valley Middle very well, and we are proud of all the hard work they put in and the guidance our science department provided them to make it that far.
Yehor Belko
1st Place - Materials Science
The Effect of Temperature on the Performance of Different Circuits
Zara Bhowansingh
2nd Place - Biochemistry
Investigating the Glucose Content of Various Fruits and Vegetables When Made Into a Smoothie
Hope Thomas
3rd Place - Biochemistry
Yeast! The Effects of Sugar on Yeast
Noah Stewart
3rd Place - Materials Science
The Impact of Different Water Types on Copper CorrosionKatherine Karolyi & Amelia Karolyi
3rd Place - Earth and Environmental Science
The Measurement of Ion Concentrations in Roanoke and Salem, Virginia Municipal Water Source
Alex Bitton & Elena Martin
Charlotte Hieber & Sara Settle
Misri Karia
Tvisha Jha
RCPS Science Fair Video
Caught SOARing
The next time you are at HVMS, be sure to check out our "Caught SOARing" display in the main lobby. We will be adding students' pictures to the slideshow throughout the year as more students are recognized by teachers and staff!
INSTRUCTION
BETA Club - Read Across America
Our BETA Club students had the opportunity to go to our feeder elementary schools last week to read to the students in recognition of Read Across America Day. Thank you to Ms. Hundley for organizing this trip and creating such a memorable experience for our students!
Hidden Valley Choral Assessment Showcase
Our choir students did a great job at their choral assessment showcase last week at Hidden Valley High School! Thank you to Mr. Miller for organizing this event for our students and families.
Attendance Matters!
Just-in-Time Tutoring
Just-in-time tutoring provides students in grades 6-12 with an immediate online live tutor 24 hours per day/7 days per week. If a student is struggling with independent work, they can get immediate help to get them “unstuck,” even if they are at home late at night.
In addition to covering multiple subjects, just-in-time tutoring provides online help via chat and voice. Tutor.com also provides paper proofreading (12-hour turnaround time) and industry-leading Princeton Review ACT/SAT prep courses and materials. This levels the field for students who don’t have the same amount of parent support or financial resources at home.
HVMS PTSO
Join Today!
Our PTSO is instrumental in providing support to our entire school community, and the success of the program depends on you! Dues are $5 per individual who is joining. 100% of our membership fees go directly to supporting our school.
Parents, students, teachers, and more are ALL welcome to join HVMS PTSO! Together we can make a difference: Join here!
Please click below to learn more about our HVMS PTSO:
Bags of Sunshine
The PTSO would appreciate your help with the "Bags of Sunshine" staff appreciation event they have scheduled for March. Items can be dropped off during morning car line or bus drop off on Monday, March 18th: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0444A8A828A0FA7-47606855-hvms#/
TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Technology Issues
SCHOOL SAFETY
SpeakUp
We encourage students to speak up to report bullying and other concerns. SpeakUp is a program where students can send a confidential email, text or phone call to share concerns about a classmate or school safety. Students can send an email to speakup@student.rcps.us, or they can call or text 540-595-0706. All reports are anonymous and will be quickly acted upon. Once a report is sent, school administrators are notified and resources can be deployed depending on the nature of the report.
ATHLETICS
General Information
6th, 7th, and 8th grade students are allowed to compete on the middle school athletic teams. All participating students must have a current VHSL sports physical dated on or after May 1, 2023. No student will be permitted to participate in tryouts or practice without a completed VHSL physical form on file. Additionally, all students must have health insurance if they want to participate.
Spring Sports Schedules
Please consider attending our spring sporting events! Admission to athletic events is $5 for adults and $2 for school-age students. These funds are used to help offset the cost for officials, transportation to away games, and team equipment.
Baseball/Softball - Monday, March 4
Boys'/Girls' Soccer - Monday, March 4
Baseball/Softball - Thursday, March 7
Boys'/Girls' Soccer - Thursday, March 7
Volleyball Open Gyms
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 4 - 8
Tuesday, March 5: Schools Closed (Presidential Primary)
Friday, March 8:
- NAEP Testing for selected 8th grade students
- End of 3rd 9 Weeks
8th Grade End-of-Year Activities
Please notice the addition of several 8th grade activities for the end of the year (awards/promotion ceremony, field trip, and field day). We want to make the field trip and field day fun and enjoyable for all students, and we want to ensure that all students participating are able to do so appropriately. While we want all of our students to be able to participate in these end-of-year events, beginning on Tuesday, March 12, students who have continued behavioral issues after a conference with an administrator will not be allowed to participate in the field trip and/or field day. As a reminder, a second behavior ticket during the 4th 9 Weeks prevents a student from participating in field day, and a third behavior ticket prevents a student from going on the field trip. Certain offenses may be serious enough to exclude participation in either or both events at the discretion of administration.
Looking Ahead
Friday, March 15: School Spirit Social
Thursday, March 21: 8th Grade Visit to Hidden Valley High School
Friday, March 22: Report Cards Sent Home
Monday, March 25 - Friday, March 29: Schools Closed (Spring Break)
Monday, April 8: Spring Picture Day
Wednesday, April 17: 3-hour Early Dismissal
Friday, April 19: 4th 9 Weeks Midpoint
Monday, May 20: 8th Grade Awards/Promotion Ceremony (9:00 a.m.)
Tuesday, May 21:
- 8th Grade Field Trip (Group 1)
- 3-hour Early Dismissal
Wednesday, May 22:
- 8th Grade Field Trip (Group 2)
- 3-hour Early Dismissal
Thursday, May 23:
- 8th Grade Field Day
- Last Day of School (3-hour early dismissal)
HELPFUL LINKS
ABOUT US
Website: http://www.rcps.us/hvms
Location: 4902 Hidden Valley School Road, Roanoke, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 772-7570
Facebook: facebook.com/HVMSConnect/