Eagle Eye

Hello, HVMS Family!

Please take a few minutes to read through the 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.

We had a great time celebrating our fall sport athletes and having some fun as a school on Friday, September 15. Thank you to everyone who participated in our spirit week and pep rally!

Please see the flyer below for information regarding upcoming community conversations about current substance trends and laws in our area.

Please use the following link to order 2023-2024 yearbooks through Josten's website:

HVMS Yearbook Link

8th Grade Yearbook Ads are available for purchase. Please visit the Josten's website for more information: HVMS Yearbook Ads

The Community Christmas Store's mission is to assist families in need during the holiday season. To qualify for assistance, you must meet the government income guidelines and reside in Roanoke County, Salem, Vinton, or Craig County. Additionally, you must apply at one of the following locations during the designated times:

• Oct. 7 (Saturday) – Lasterday Market - 390 Market St., New Castle - 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• Oct.14 (Saturday) – Salem Senior Center, Gertrude Harris Activities Hall – 110 Union St. (Enter at the back door at Chapman & W. Burwell St.), Salem - 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

• Oct. 28 (Saturday) – Vinton Senior Center – 820 E. Washington Ave., Vinton - 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

• Nov. 1 (Wednesday) – Taylor Masonic Lodge, 1200 Texas St., Salem - 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Nov. 11 (Saturday) – Brambleton Center, 3738 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke - 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

You must bring the following information with you:

• Picture ID with current address

• Proof of income

• Social Security Card for all listed on the application for verification

• Proof of current residency such as most recent utility bill, copy of lease, etc.

• Please know clothing sizes for those eligible

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!

HVMS Spirit Wear

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

Ashley Diaz

Ameera Disu

Savreen Kaur

Ariel Smith

Madison Smith

Charlie Speck

Liza Szechenyi

Marlee Vaughan

Ayden Wade

Garrett Whitt

7th

Abby Sedgwick

Bebe Zook

8th

Nyla Crimmins

Joshika Karthik

Lincoln Pinson

Treydon Quallis

Rotation 2 of interest block classes will begin on Friday, September 29. Please make sure your student knows which class he or she will be changing to if your student takes interest block. You can find the schedule for this rotation by going to StudentVUE/ParentVUE, clicking on "Class Schedule," and then clicking on "Term 2." As a note, this can also impact the day your student has P.E. class, so please pay close attention to the new schedule!

8th grade students will be taking a field trip to tour the Burton Center for Arts and Technology on Tuesday, October 10. Students will have the opportunity to apply for BCAT's programs later in the year, but in the meantime, please feel free the view the following video highlighting some of the amazing opportunities available at BCAT.

RCPS Mission: To invest in our community's future by preparing our students with Opportunity Ready skills as defined in the RCPS Profile of a Graduate.

RCPS Vision: Preparing every student, in every school, and in every classroom to be Opportunity Ready.

Our HVMS students demonstrate opportunity ready skills on a daily basis both in the classroom and in the community. We would love to start sharing out more of what our students are doing that demonstrate the following skills:

• Citizenship
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Career Plan
• Creativity
• Competence
• Centeredness
• Critical Thinking

If you have photos of your students demonstrating the above opportunity ready skills, please email them to the Chris Benson (cbenson@rcps.us) to be included in a future newsletter.

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.

https://www.rcps.us/justintime

Thank you to our amazing PTSO for providing lunch for us on the early release day last week. The food was delicious, and we really appreciate your continual support!

HVMS families – Our fundraising drive, the HVMS NO BAKE, BAKE SALE is underway! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far. If you haven’t yet, no worries – there’s still time!

All funds raised will be used towards the PTSO’s primary goal of complementing the school curriculum with additional opportunities for parents, teachers, and students to learn, socialize, communicate, and grow!

https://tinyurl.com/NOBAKEBAKESALE

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:

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

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.

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.

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, 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.

Fall athletics are underway! Please join our volleyball and football athletes at home or on the road to support our athletes. 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.

Please click the links below for the most up-to-date versions of our sports schedules:

Football Schedule 2023

Volleyball Schedule 2023

Congratulations to our cheerleaders for completing their first competition of the year this past weekend! Our cheerleaders represented HVMS well at the Viking Voyage Invitational. Good luck to our cheerleaders this coming weekend when they travel to Byrd for their next competition!

Please view the October open gym and tryout dates for girls' basketball . All athletes must have a VHSL physical dated after May 1, 2023 on file with the HVMS athletic director to participate in open gyms and tryouts.

Girls' basketball tryouts are scheduled for October 12th and 13th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the HVMS gym.

Please view the October open gym and tryout dates for boys' basketball. All athletes must have a VHSL physical dated after May 1, 2023 on file with the HVMS athletic director to participate in open gyms and tryouts.

Boys' basketball tryouts are scheduled for October 16, 2023. Times for boys' basketball tryouts are based on grade level:

• 6th Grade: 5:00-6:00 p.m.

• 7th Grade: 6:00-7:00 p.m.

• 8th Grade: 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Wrestling will continue with open mats on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. until practice officially begins.

The first wrestling practice of the season is on Monday, October 23. During the season, the wrestling team will practice after school from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays - Fridays in the HVMS wrestling room.

Athletes need to bring wrestling shoes, gym shorts, and a t-shirt. Athletes must have a VHSL Physical dated after May 1, 2023 on file with the HVMS athletic director before attending an open mat or practice.

Tuesday, September 26: 7th Grade Career Quest Field Trip

Wednesday, October 4: Hearing and Vision Screening (7th graders and students new to RCPS)

Friday, October 6: End of 1st 9 Weeks

Monday, October 9: Teacher Workday (schools closed)

Tuesday, October 10: 8th Grade BCAT Field Trip

Friday, October 20: Fall Picture Make-Up Day + Clubs/Band/Choir Picture Day

Wednesday, October 25: 3-hour Early Dismissal

Wednesday, November 1: Schools Closed (Parent/Teacher Conference Day)

Tuesday, November 7: Teacher Workday (schools closed)

Friday, November 10: 2nd 9 Weeks Midpoint

Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24: Schools Closed (Thanksgiving Break)

Friday, December 15: End of 2nd 9 Weeks

Monday, December 18 - Monday, January 1: Schools Closed (Winter Break)

Tuesday, January 2: Teacher Workday (schools closed)

Monday, January 15: Schools Closed (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)

Friday, January 31: 3-hour Early Dismissal

Monday, February 5: 3rd 9 Weeks Midpoint

Monday, February 12: Schools Closed (Parent/Teacher Conference Day)

Tuesday, March 5: Schools Closed (Presidential Primary)

Monday, March 11: Teacher Workday (schools closed)

Monday, March 25 - Friday, March 29: Schools Closed (Spring Break)

Wednesday, April 17: 3-hour Early Dismissal

Friday, April 19: 4th 9 Weeks Midpoint

Thursday, May 23: Last Day of School (3-hour early dismissal)

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