Eagle Eye
HVMS E-Newsletter
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.
“Education shows the path to the door of opportunity. It gives confidence and hope to open it.”
- Debasish Mridha
It is hard to believe we have made it to the midpoint of the third nine weeks already. We are so proud of the hard work our students have done this year and the progress they have made. Coming up in one week, we have an exciting opportunity for our 6th and 7th grade students to showcase some of that progress through student-led conferencing. Our hope at HVMS is to not only prepare our students in terms of academics, but also to prepare them to be Opportunity Ready as they finish out middle school and move to high school and beyond. Please read more about our student-led conferences below and consider signing up to hear your students speak about their portfolios and the work they have done this year to demonstrate their Opportunity Ready skills.
Dr. Christopher Benson
Principal
Students at Hidden Valley Middle School have curated pieces of academic work throughout the year from their academic classes under the supervision of classroom and advisory teachers. On February 12th, sixth and seventh grade students will take part in our second year of Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) with their parents or guardians. Student-Led Conferences provide a unique opportunity for students to lead their own conference by highlighting their academic work and progression of Opportunity Ready skills that they take pride in from this school year. This year, our sixth and seventh grade students were asked to focus on three Opportunity Ready skills—collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
Student-Led Conferences will be held in classrooms with our 6th and 7th grade teachers. Students will have 15 minutes to lead their parent or guardian through their portfolio and explain how the selected artifacts demonstrate their Opportunity Ready skills. Parents/guardians will be provided with a copy of a rubric that outlines success criteria to facilitate meaningful discussion and feedback around the artifacts presented by your student. Following the conclusion of the SLC, we ask that parents and guardians proceed to the library where they will be invited to participate in a brief survey reflecting on the experience.
Our portfolio curation was completed in a digital format. Students will need to bring their laptop and charger with them to their SLC. Recognition and celebration opportunities will be provided to students who complete their portfolios and participate in Student-Led Conferences. We are proud of our students for their dedication and work toward this exciting learning opportunity. We invite you to join us on February 12th, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. with your student as they highlight their academic growth and learning experiences at Hidden Valley Middle School.
For any questions, please contact Heather Riganti at hriganti@rcps.us.
Please reserve a time slot with one of your student’s current teachers for their SLC using the links below:
HVMS 6th Grade SLC Sign-Up Sheet
Our school spelling bee was held Tuesday, January 30th. Congratulations to 7th grader Kevin Morsink for being our school champion and advancing to the county competition. Matthew Privitera was the runner up, and Tvisha Jha was the second runner up. A thank you to all who participated, and good luck going forward, Kevin!
Please use the following link to order 2023-2024 yearbooks through Josten's website:
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 has begun recognizing eight students from each grade level each month to be our Eagles of the Month. Hidden Valley Middle School Eagles of the Month display outstanding behavior both inside and outside the classroom by consistently meeting HVMS SOAR expectations of being safe, organized, accountable, and respectful. Eagles of the Month demonstrate opportunity ready skills including communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and citizenship. These students exhibit a positive attitude toward their peers, school, and community, and they maintain a focus on continuous improvement.
Our Eagles of the Month for January are listed below!
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.
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:
Items can be dropped off during morning car line or bus drop off on Friday, February 9th:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0444A8A828A0FA7-47600650-taco#/
Items can be dropped off during morning car line or bus drop off on Friday, February 9th and again later on Monday, March 18th:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0444A8A828A0FA7-47606855-hvms#/
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.
Mandatory evaluations will begin the week of February 19th from 3:35 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Students will change clothes and meet in the cafeteria. Please dress for the weather and wear appropriate workout clothing and running shoes.
We will adhere to the following schedule:
- 6th grade athletes only will participate on February 19th.
- 7th grade athletes only will participate on February 20th.
- 8th grade athletes only will participate on February 21st.
Evaluations are mandatory if you wish to participate in track this year. If you are unable to make your evaluation day, please contact Coach Scalera or Coach Sullivan immediately to schedule an alternative date. We will make any necessary cuts on Thursday the 22nd and will post the team roster the following day. Full track team practices will then begin on Monday the 26th from 3:35 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Parents will pick up their athletes in the parking lot at the track. Parents, please email Coach Scalera or Coach Sullivan if you are not receiving notifications or have any questions, and be sure to sign up for the Remind App by sending the text message @hvmtrack24 to 81010. We look forward to a great season!
ABOUT US
Website: http://www.rcps.us/hvms
Location: 4902 Hidden Valley School Road, Roanoke, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 772-7570
Facebook: facebook.com/HVMSConnect/