As part of our Reaching New Heights vision (formerly known as the Ford NGL Transformation Process) for helping all students in grades K-8 experience career opportunities and work-place perspectives prior to high school, we are excited to announce that the LifeLine Helicopter of IU Health will be visiting HHMS on the morning of September 10. This experience is specifically for 4th and 8th graders to learn more about various emergency healthcare response and first responder career opportunities. We will have professional personnel, agency vehicles, and other resources from Jackson Township and Cicero Fire Departments, Sheriff's Department, along with other first responders, providing career information and answering questions for our students. We are really excited about this experience. It's important for our families to know about this event ahead of time because we know seeing emergency vehicles at the schools can cause concern when you're driving by and people post about it on social media asking why they are here. This is a PLANNED educational experience for our students.

Sixth grade students are getting ready for their annual camping trip. This year we will be headed to Camp Tecumseh in Lafayette, IN. Camp dates are October 28-30. Cost of the trip is $125 per student. Students will receive paper copies of the permission slip and medical form on Tuesday, Sept. 3 (see attachments listed below). All forms and money should be turned in to Mrs. Williams (6th grade science teacher). Forms are due by Sept 20. Payment is due by Oct 4. Students who sold pork burgers will receive slips next week indicating their balance.

If your student will NOT be attending, fill out this form.

If you would like to join the lottery to be a parent chaperone, fill out this form.

On September 10, we will begin our Annual Trash Bag Fundraiser. Each student will receive the information and order form. The Fundraiser will end on September 24. Pickup will be on October 8 inside Entrance O starting at 2:30. We will have only one trash bag sale fundraiser this school year, so be sure you stock up for the spring.

Teachers will be printing copies of each student's NWEA score reports for the math and reading tests they completed a few weeks ago. If you have any questions about the score reports, please reach out to your child's math or English teacher. Students will complete the middle of year (MOY) NWEA test in December.

Our Study Tables program is available again every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:25-5:00. Study Tables is not one on one tutoring, but there is at least one teacher or instructional assistant who supervises and can provide some support. Many students have found this helpful in the past. If you would like your child to participate, he/she should go to the gym to be supervised from 3:00-3:25, then the study tables supervisor will direct the students on where to go for Study Tables (Media Center or the teacher’s classroom). Students must stay for the duration of the study tables unless you provide the office with notification ahead of time that your child needs to be dismissed early. Students may be picked up outside of Entrance O at 5:00.

It takes at least 4 people to help the car rider pick-up process go smoothly each afternoon. If you would like to volunteer to help us for 10-15 minutes after school each day, please contact me. We've had a few great volunteers in the past who really helped us serve our families well with this process. It would be helpful if we had a few more volunteers for the new school year. Thank you for your consideration.

If you'd like me to add you to my daily announcements parent email list, please email me and simply write "add" in the subject line. Anytime you want me to remove you, just email me "remove" in the subject line. All daily announcements are also available on Canvas for students and posted on our middle school webpage (click here).

Dr. Arrowood, our superintendent, meets once a month with a small group of students (10-15) at the middle school for lunch and a discussion. He asks them questions in order to get to know them and their school experience. He's been doing this for several years. Our goal is to select a variety of students from different grade levels and groups to participate in the Lunch with the Superintendent.