HMS Newsletter April 2024
Go Hawks
Contact Information
- Orin Wear, Principal: 907-892-9402
- Brian Beaudry, Assist. Principal:907- 892-9403
- Amy Hina, Administrative Assistant: 907-892-9401
- Chloe Palmer, Office Secretary: 907-892-9400
- Adam Gehrke, Safety Resource Officer: 907-892-9400
- Tanya Boehm, Safety & Security Coordinator: 907-892-9485
- Virginia St. John, MS School Nurse: 907-892-9406
- Matt Rush, Counselor: 907-892-9407
- Camile Rusher, Registrar: 907-892-9479
Email: hms@matsuk12.us
Website: www.matsuk12.us/hms
Location: 12501 Hawk Lane, Houston, AK, USA
Phone: 907-892-9400
Principal Wear's Monthly Message
Houston Middle School Families & Friends,
Welcome to April! Spring is in the air and the end of the school year is near. The sun is getting stronger and stronger each day as our days get longer and warmer. We’ve been patiently waiting for spring weather to arrive and hopefully we don’t have to wait much longer.
Believe it or not, we’re three weeks into the 4th Quarter! The staff and students are hard at work making sure the last quarter of the school year is a successful one. There are lots of great things happening at Houston Middle this month. We are definitely going to be busy right up until the last day of school. We wouldn't have it any other way!
Please take a few minutes to explore our April newsletter and find out what's happening in April.
I hope everyone has a great April and as always, please feel free to visit or contact Houston Middle when the need arises. Be safe and Go Hawks!
Orin P. Wear
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS:
Karleigh Walther
Cesar Montanez
Irelyn Hildreth
Zane Major
Raphael Fursov
Dan Wodkowski
Hannah Hedassah
Grace Shaeffer
Daytona Perry
Delilah Mellot
Kacen Turner
Lillian Johnston
Lillie Adams
Jett Preston
Ashley Dyer
Hailey Alexander
Kole McAuley
Irelyn Hildreth
GO HAWKS!!!
Upcoming Events
Title I Meeting April 4th
Houston Middle School families,
If you are interested in joining other families who are already on our FY25 Title I Leadership Team which includes planning for parent and family engagement events and brainstorming/making suggestions for the Title I Schoolwide Budget & Plan, please contact us immediately at 907-892-9400 and ask for Tanya or Amy. Our next meeting is April 4th at 9:00 AM at Houston Middle where we will start our discussions about the FY25 budget. Our next meeting concerning the FY25 Title I budget will be in early Fall of 2024.
Tanya Boehm
SSC
Houston Middle & Houston High Schools
(907) 892-9500/9400
AK Star Testing
AK STAR Assessment:
April 10th : ELA
April 11th: Math
April 16th and 17th: Makeup
AK STAR: Alaska System of Academic Readiness
Alaska's Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has partnered with NWEA to implement a creative approach to balanced statewide assessment that better reflects learning throughout the school year and helps educators target instruction to students’ individual needs. The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) is designed to streamline the testing experience for grades 3–9 in the areas of English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. This balanced approach connects fall and winter MAP Growth interim assessments and the Alaska spring summative assessment to provide a comprehensive assessment system that improves efficiency and cohesion and drives student outcomes by prioritizing teaching and learning. A robust and customized approach to professional learning accompanies the new assessment system, expanding Alaska educators’ assessment literacy and knowledge of strategies for data-informed decision-making and formative instructional practices.
Here is a link for more information:https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/akstar
2023 AK STAR Results
Message to parents for Spring 2023 AK STAR Reports
The results from the Spring 2023 AK STAR administration are now available for you to view in ParentVUE if your child tested in Mat-Su in spring 2023. Directions on how to view these reports are attached as well as the AK STAR Family Guide to Assessment Reports. If you child tested in another district in Alaska in spring 2023, you will need to contact the previous district for results.
Please review the attached AK STAR Results Flyer to see the timeline from the Department of Education and early Development to understand the delay in releasing these results. You may also view Commissioner Bishop’s short video on Adopting New AK STAR Cut Scores here
2023-2024 Houston Middle School Yearbooks
HMS Yearbooks are on sale now! $30 each and available until sold out!
Here is the link to purchase a yearbook on School Pay: https://www.schoolpay.com/link/hmsyearbook2024
You can also pay in the office with cash or check.
Parents: Boundary Exemption Applications Due ASAP
If we do not receive your boundary exemption form for your student before the end of the school year, our school will not be a choice for you when you register your student in July.
If you have any questions please contact our school's registrar, Camile Rusher at 907-892-9479.
Music Department Event
Counseling Corner
Houston Middle School Parents and Guardians,
It is that time of year again! Soon I will be going into classrooms and visiting our current 6th and 7th grade students to talk about elective classes for next year. Students will be able to select their elective choices through their Student-Vue account. If your child is unable to access their account, please have them ask their teacher for help or they may come to the counseling office to see Mrs. Rusher for help.
At the end of April and beginning of May we will have our annual tours for our feeder schools, Willow Elementary, Meadow Lakes Elementary and Big Lake Elementary. During their visits they will also choose electives for their 6th grade year. We do know that we will have two tours and plan to combine two schools so that we have two tour days instead of three. Because Willow typically has less than 20 students this works out well. As soon as the dates are set we will pass them on to you. Stay tuned for more information!
Also in the month of April we will be doing AK STAR testing for all grades. We will be testing ELA on Wednesday the 10th, Math on the 11th and make-ups on the 16th and 17th.
Blessings!
Matt Rush, LPC
Middle School Counselor grades 6-8
Houston Middle School
(907)-892-9407
Nurse Office News
Virginia St. John, BSN RN - Houston Middle School Nurse
Matanuska -Susitna Borough School District
Ph: 907-892-9406 l Fax: 907-892-9460
Head Lice Policy
Recently I have had an increase in questions from parents regarding our Head Lice Policy. Please see the MSBSD Head Lice Policy:
Head Lice Policy 5141.22 BP
Upon notification of suspected cases of head lice, the school nurse or designee will examine the student. The student will remain in his/her classroom for the remainder of the day.
If live lice are found in the hair, the parent will be notified to use over-the-counter treatment, via phone, email, and/or a note sent home with the student. The next day, an examination of the student will take place by the school nurse or designee. The student may remain at school if there is no presence of live lice. If there are nits present, the student may remain in school. Presence of nits does not indicate active infestation.
Head lice can be a nuisance, but they have not been known to spread disease. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice. In cases that involve head lice, as in all school health issues, the student’s privacy will be protected.
There has been an over abundance of Nurse passes recently. In attempt to prevent the Nurse's office being used as class avoidance by students I have put the following expectations in place:
- Nurse’s office is CLOSED during the passing period. Students are expected to get to class on time.
- Students are required to make an eHall-Pass to visit the Nurse’s office. A maximum of 4 students may be at the Nurse’s office at one time. The NURSE approves this pass, not the Teacher.
- Eat. Bring food from home; eat breakfast/lunch in cafeteria. Not eating causes stomachaches, tiredness, lightheaded, dizziness, and headaches
- Drink Water. Stay well hydrated. Not drinking water may lead to headaches and extreme situations passing out.
- Be honest. The best way to get help is telling the truth. Don’t use the nurse to get out of tests, quizzes, or because you’re bored.
Please see the below flyer regarding a free medical clinic!
HMS Sports Info
April Sports: 6th Grade Volleyball, Softball, Track & Field, NYO
All participation forms and physicals must be turned into Big Teams to participate in any practices. Please contact your student's coaches with any questions regarding game times, changes, locations and practices.
Sports Scheduled Dates and Times are Subject to Change at any time.
6th Grade Volleyball Games:
4/2 @ Houston Middle
4/4 @ Teeland Middle
4/11 @ Palmer Middle
Softball has started! Practices are Monday through Thursday 2:30-4:00. Game times are TBA.
NYO practice is Monday through Thursday @ HMS from 3:00-5:00.
Regoinal Meet will be April 13th starting at 9:00am at Houston High School
Track and Field starts April 15th!
All students interested in coming out for track, please make sure you have a current physical and get registered on Big Teams ASAP. Practice will being on April 15th. Coach James is offering optional conditioning practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2:30 – 3:30 pm starting on March 27th and will continue until April 15th. You need a signed permission slip given to Coach James to participate in the optional practices. Come see Coach James or Coach Zavorka if you have any questions. Hawks don’t run…they fly!
Track Meets:
5/1 @ Su Valley Track
5/16 @ Houston Track
5/21-JV Finals @ Colony High School Track
5/22-V Finals @ Palmer High School Track
There will be a tennis club clinic at Houston Middle on April 12th from 2:30-4:00
Library Corner
Hello families!
As the school year is wrapping up, please make sure you check your library accounts and return overdue books. You don't want them turning into bills! Also, Sora will provide excellent summer reading. There are books, magazines, and audio books. Check out Sora in Clever to find lots of great content!
Thanks very much!
Adam Ames - Teacher/Librarian Houston Middle School
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
Ph: 907-892-9413 | Fax: 907-892-9460
www.matsuk12.us
Other HMS News
April Spotlight on Literacy
Family Literacy spotlight for April is: Comprehension: what students are monitoring for themselves while reading and the impact of think-alouds.
Here is an activity to do at home to support comprehension of text: Think alouds.
Here is a brief video on what a think aloud is and how it supports understanding. Your child's Teacher utilizes this strategy to model what good reading looks and sounds like in our heads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmhLgsBD1-I
Go beyond a model; reveal a Think Aloud
When introducing any literacy skill, teachers typically tell students what it is and show them some examples. However, teaching goes beyond telling. It reveals more than just what to do; it reveals the process for how to do it. As an expert on the skill or subject, the teacher tends to execute the skill without putting much thought into it. But ...
Some sample questions to make reading interactive are:
• Can I retell all of the important details that happened on that page?
• Can I name the major characters who played an important role?
• Can I say something about each of the characters’ traits?
• Can I explain how the characters are connected to each other?
• Can I describe the setting where the scene is taking place?
• Can I describe the time frame in which the scene is taking place?
• Can I name the major problem or conflict that is happening?
• Can I describe one or more major events that are in the process of occurring?
My literacy spotlight for the month of May is: Assessments and how to understand them.
Please feel free to contact Deb Pomelow at Houston Middle 892-9437 for more helpful hints and suggestions: Next month: Assessments and how to understand them.
Deborah Pomelow
Grant Manager/ Literacy Coach
HMS Mon. AM 7:15-12:00, all day Tuesday and Thursday 892-9437
Meadow Lakes Mon. PM 12:15-3, all day Wednesday and Friday 907 352-6182
May Title 1 Family Event
Bike to school May 8th!
Houston Middle School’s Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 8th. If students plan to participate, they will need to read over the permission packet sent home and have a parent or guardian sign it. The permission slips should be returned to Mr. Swick by April 30th. Helmets will be required to participate. Students and parents that participate are encouraged to meet at one of the 3 meeting points by 6:30 AM on May 4th, in order to ride in with friends and chaperones. The meeting points are Meadow Lakes Mall, Tesoro in Big Lake by roundabout, or the old fire hall in Houston. At the end of the day, students may ride back to their starting point, or parents may choose to pick students up at the school. If you are a parent and willing to chaperone or just participate, please let me know!
Free & Reduced Lunch
Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA) provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Oct 5, 2015.