Hero Happenings!

Hellstern Middle School Newsletter, Springdale, AR

July Update

Welcome to the "Hero Happenings"!

When school starts, this will be a weekly update. Typically the update comes out on Sunday. There are multiple ways to see the update. You can always find a link to the update on our webpage, and our Facebook page. You can have the update emailed to you, to sign up for this, use the link below. We also send the update through text to numbers listed as primary contacts in our student information system.

Please help your friends and neighbors that have Hellstern students GET CONNECTED! This newsletter is a MAJOR communication piece. You will find a school calendar updated weekly, information about events at our school, pictures and information celebrating our students, and PTO updates...just to name a few things!

Sign up for the 23-24 Hero Happenings!

Please sign up with as many email addresses as you like. We will start communicating in July about the next school year!

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Locker Day - Aug. 6, 2023 (1-3pm)

Mark your calendars! Locker Day is Hellstern's version of "open house". Students will find out which team they are on, get to practice using their locker, meet teachers, and ask questions. We will send more details as we get a little closer to the event date.

Congratulations to Piper Tackett

Piper was selected to participate in the Office for Innovation in Education's TED Ed Student Talks. Way to go Piper - thanks for representing Hellstern so well!

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Smart Watches & Phones

Parents,

Learning is the priority at Hellstern. We want engaged learners that are not distracted by a device. At Hellstern, we have always held the expectation that phones are to be turned off and kept in a student's locker. A student is always welcome to request use of a phone, if he/she explains the need to our teachers. Students are also allowed to check phones at 3:30, once dismissal has started.

Over the past two years, we have experienced an increase in distracted behaviors during class time when students have access to smart watches. Our recommendation is to leave earbuds/airpods, smart watches, and personal electronics at home. Every year, students lose these expensive devices. Headphones are on the school supply list, our recommendation is to purchase wired headphones for use in class.

Our goal is for students to be communicating with each other and with adults in face-to-face conversations. These skills are important for students in these critical "tween" years to practice and use daily.

Dress Code

As you are preparing your students to go back to school, please consider the dress code at Hellstern. It is as follows:

A Student’s appearance and dress should reflect an acceptable common standard in the interest of decency, cleanliness, safety, health, and learning.

The following guidelines should be followed:

All students are required to wear their team-specific (School ISSUED) lanyard and student ID at all times while on the HMS school campus.
Hats and hoodies pulled over head shall not be worn in the building.
All shirts must have a shoulder strap at least the width of the plastic ID case worn on lanyards (approximately 3 inches).
Shorts, skirts, dresses, and holes in jeans must be fingertip length. (No holes above fingertips)
Sleepwear is not permitted (pajama bottoms, houseshoes, etc.).
Clothing that reveals undergarments, a bare midriff or cleavage will not be permitted.
Clothing which by color, design or symbol is deemed suggestive, racist, violent, vulgar, or is interpreted as promoting tobacco, drug, or alcohol use, are not to be worn to school.
No student is to wear, carry, or display apparel deemed gang-related (“sagging” pants, head rags, bandanas, chains, spiked or studded jewelry), or exhibit behavior or gestures which symbolize gang membership.
A student’s appearance and dress shall not disrupt or contribute to disruption of the educational process or interfere with rights or opportunities of others to learn or teach. This includes piercing, accessories, and hair styles/color which disrupt the learning environment.