Eagle Eye

Hello, HVMS Family!

Please take a few minutes to read through our latest newsletter. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Hidden Valley Middle School

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.

Roanoke County Public Schools is encouraging all students and staff to participate in Global Day of Unplugging, which will be observed from sundown on March 3 to sundown on March 4. Global Day of Unplugging is an international effort to voluntarily restrict the usage of smartphones and computers for a 24-hour period to bring awareness to the harmful effects of prolonged smartphone and computer usage on mental and physical health of individuals, especially teenagers. During Global Day of Unplugging, instead of spending time on smartphones, individuals can participate in physical activities and other non-screen related activities such as reading a book, drawing, or playing music. For more suggestions for activities, please see https://www.unplugcollaborative.org.

HVMS parents/guardians, community members, students, and staff are able to pledge that they will unplug using the following link (form closes at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3): HVMS Global Day of Unplugging Pledge

RCPS is encouraging participation through a competition involving all elementary and secondary schools across Roanoke County. Schools with the highest percentage of pledges (based on student enrollment) will be provided $500 toward an activity of their choice related to student wellbeing. Three awards will be given at the elementary level, and one each at middle school and high school levels. Additionally, every school that reaches the 50% participation mark or higher will be recognized at the March RCPS School Board meeting.

HVMS is encouraging participation at the school level by having students who pledge complete a verification form (pictured to the right) that will be used to enter their names into their choice of three different prize drawings. Students can enter their names for a chance to win a pizza lunch, candy, or free admission to our spring social. Two winners will be chosen per grade level for each prize!

Students will have the opportunity to sign up tomorrow (Tuesday, February 28) during school, but students are also welcome to use the link above and get a copy of the verification form from the front office. Verification forms are due to the front office by Tuesday, March 7 if students want to be entered in the prize drawings.

The Taubman Museum of Art is excited to invite you to their free Roanoke Arts Pop event that takes place on March 3rd (5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.), March 4th (10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.), and March 5th (12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.). This celebration of the art and culture of Roanoke Valley will include pop-up shows from Virginia’s Children’s Theater, animals from the Mill Mountain Zoo, the Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir, and many others. Local organizations will be having hands-on activities for all ages. Parents may enjoy knowing that Art Venture, their interactive children’s area, will be free all weekend as well! Here is a link to the events: Taubman Events

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!

Home | Hidden Valley Middle School - Eagles (fuzzypickletshirts.com)

Our students represented Hidden Valley Middle School well at the Roanoke County Science Fair on Saturday, February 11th. We are proud of all the hard work and dedication from all of our students who participated! We are happy to announce that the following students from HVMS placed at the 2023 Roanoke County Science Fair and will move on to the Roanoke Valley Regional Science Fair on Saturday, March 11:

Students can receive SOAR cards at HVMS by going above and beyond our school-wide expectations of being safe, organized, accountable, and respectful. Our entire matrix of school-wide expectations is posted to the right. We will be distributing SOAR cards to students and parents/guardians by email, and recipients will be entered into monthly drawings for prizes. The following students have received SOAR cards since our last newsletter:

6th Grade

Abdurrahman Alabbasi

Anabelle Canfield

Jennifer Collins

Anasofia Cuellar

Braxton Hall

Ryan Havens

Aline Karout

Dante Keck

Mae Kochenderfer

Jay Moreno

Seth Norris

Ava Plunkett

Olivia Smith

Jackson Swank

Armaan Tanveer

Selah Tronstad

Marshall Webb

7th Grade

Kayle Coric

Andrew Draper

John Kinzie

Emma McCarty

Mason Palmer

Jared Sohm

8th Grade

William Foerst

Noah Press

Your child participated in the state math and/or reading growth assessments in January and February. The Virginia Department of Education has a parent portal to allow you to view the assessment results online, and they also have a short video to explain the results and student report. Each parent will have a unique claim code which enables you to log in. Instructions on how to access the portal are in the letter being sent home through English classes later this week. Please ask your student for the paper with the code.

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.

https://www.rcps.us/justintime

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 community. If you have any questions about membership, please contact Meredith Burrow: mereburrow@yahoo.com

Please click below to learn more about our HVMS PTSO:

https://www.facebook.com/hvmsptso/

The Teacher and Staff Appreciation committee provided candy as a special treat for the HVMS faculty for Valentine’s Day. Thank you for always being so thoughtful!

Need a break from cooking and want to support the HVMS PTSO? Please take a look at the restaurant night schedule they have put together for a list of dates planned for this semester.

A bit of news we have today….

A NO BAKE, Bake sale is on the way!

In these busy days, who wants to bake,

A pie, or cookies, or even a cake?

You’d be surprised if you counted the cost,

Of ingredients, heat, and the time you’ve lost.

Baking for sales is extra work,

Yet nobody really wants to shirk.

So we’ve thought of a plan that’s really grand,

And feel quite sure you’ll understand.

In a donation, please include the price,

Of a pie or cake, or anything nice!

Without fuss or bother, you’ve done your part,

We hope you’ll give with a willing heart.

Wishing HVMS success for our NO BAKE Bake Sale,

This is the end of our little tale!

All donations will be used to support the HVMS Parent Teacher Student Organization’s purpose is to strengthen, enhance, and encourage the educational and social environment at HVMS.

Donations can be made through the following link starting tomorrow through the end of February: https://hvms-no-bake-bake-sale.cheddarup.com

Students should restart their computers daily. Restarting laptops daily helps ensure they remain up-to-date with the latest software. If a student is having any issue that is not resolved by restarting, please have your student let his or her teacher know, and they will contact our Computer Depot for support.

If you see or hear anything that is concerning, tell a teacher, an administrator, or a police officer!

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, 2022. 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.

Athletic ticket prices: adult tickets will be $5, and student tickets are $2. These funds are used to help offset the cost for officials, transportation to away games, and team equipment.

Please visit the following page to access schedules: HVMS Athletics

March 7 - March 8: SOL 8th Grade Writing Test (2-day test)

March 9: End of 3rd 9 Weeks

March 10: Schools Closed (Teacher Workday)

March 15: 3-hour Early Dismissal

March 22:

• Report Cards Sent Home
• Spring Picture Day

March 27 - March 31: Schools Closed (Spring Break)

April 7: Schools Closed

April 21: 4th 9 Weeks Midpoint

April 25: Spring Band Concert (6:00 p.m. @ HVHS)

April 26: Spring Choir Concert (7:00 p.m. @ HVHS)

May 9 - May 12: SOL Testing: Algebra, Geometry, Science 8, Civics, Math 6-8, Reading 6-8

May 23 - May 25: 3-hour Early Dismissal

May 25: Last Day of School

Website: http://www.rcps.us/hvms
Location: 4902 Hidden Valley School Road, Roanoke, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 772-7570
Facebook: facebook.com/HVMSConnect/
Twitter: @HVMSConnect