Eagle Eye

Hello, HVMS Family!

We are so excited to be back, and it has been great having our hallways and classrooms full again! We can't wait to see what the 2023-2024 school year brings.

The Eagle Eye E-Newsletter is an electronic newsletter that we send out twice monthly to communicate what is happening at HVMS. In this newsletter, we will share general school information, upcoming events, celebrations of students and staff members, and information about the instructional program at HVMS.

Please take a few minutes to read through the first edition for the 2023-2024 school year. 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.

Our HVMS administrative team looks forward to working with your kids this coming year to help them develop academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally.

• Principal: Chris Benson (cbenson@rcps.us)

• Assistant Principal: Heather Riganti (hriganti@rcps.us)
• Dean of Students: Kevin Richardson (krichardson@rcps.us)

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

Student Meal Costs:

• Breakfast: $1.50

• Lunch: $3.00

Visit LINQ Connect to view breakfast and lunch menus. Menus are available in multiple languages and include nutritional information. They may be viewed without creating an account.

Menus may be filtered by:

• School
• Allergens
• Dietary Restrictions

Payment for meals may be made by cash or check in the school cafeteria. You may also pay with a debit or credit card online at LINQ Connect https://linqconnect.com. This is a secure, third-party vendor. The cost for online payments is 3.95% of the transaction amount with a minimum fee of $2.85 per transaction.

Household meal applications are now being accepted for the 2023-2024 school year.

The online application is available at https://linqconnect.com/9XRGHE. You can also visit the Roanoke County Public Schools website at https://www.rcps.us/ and click on "Free/Reduced Meals Online Application." Paper applications are available in the front office.

The Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) is sponsoring the annual Back to School campaign. Please see the information below regarding Virginia’s low-cost or no-cost health insurance through Medicaid and FAMIS.

https://www.coverva.org/en/back-to-school

Hidden Valley Middle School students have the opportunity to take part in the Backpack - Weekend Snacks Program sponsored by Cave Spring United Methodist Church. This program assists students in need by providing a grocery bag of food that is non-perishable (no refrigeration needed), child-friendly, easy to open, and nutritious.

If you would like your child to participate, please complete the form by selecting the link:

Weekend Snacks

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 Hidden Valley Middle School culture is based on collaboration between the teachers, staff, administration, students, and school community. We strive to create a safe learning environment that is conducive to student learning and the creation of positive relationships. Please see our student handbook below for more detailed information regarding our expectations.

The gifted screening process is underway for students in grades K-12. The screening process is ongoing throughout the year, and parents/guardians who feel their child should be screened for placement in the gifted program should contact the school’s counseling department for more information.

Mrs. Farley and Ms. Long, our school counselors, are here to help our young Eagles succeed as students and citizens. Students are assigned to counselors alphabetically by last name. If you have questions concerning your child during the school year, please contact the appropriate counselor as follows:

• A-K: Melinda Farley (mfarley@rcps.us)
  

• L-Z: Maggie Long (mlong@rcps.us)

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/

If you have not already done so, please enroll in Kroger Rewards to benefit our school:

• 1) In the Kroger app, click on the menu in the top right corner

• 2) Click on "Rewards"

• 3) Select "Community Rewards"

• 4) Search and select “Hidden Valley Middle School PTSO"

Thank you so much to our amazing PTSO for a wonderful welcome back breakfast on our first teacher workday! Everyone enjoyed the food so much, and we really appreciate your support!

Thank you to Freedom First for providing free ice cream at our Back-to-School Open House event! Also, thank you to our PTSO for organizing them to be there.

Roanoke County Schools will be providing all middle school students a laptop they can use at home and school for the 2023-24 school year at no charge to students. Laptops are being distributed to students now. Here is the laptop distribution schedule:

• Friday, August 11 - 8th Grade Students
• Monday, August 14 - 7th Grade Students
• Tuesday, August 15 - 6th Grade Students
  

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.

We are encouraging students to use the SpeakUp program if they are concerned about a student who is being bullied (or is bullying others), if a student is expressing suicidal thoughts, threats of violence, use of weapons, students experiencing crisis or traumatic situations, or other urgent situations. Every report is taken very seriously.

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. Admissions 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

Wrestling open mats start on Monday, August 21 from 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Athletes must have a VHSL physical on file with the HVMS athletic director to participate. Physicals for the 2023-2024 school year must be dated after May 1, 2023. Athletes participating in open mats will need to bring water and a mouth guard (if they wear braces).

Girls’ basketball open gyms will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in the HVMS gym for the remainder of August. Athletes must have a VHSL on file with the HVMS athletic director to participate. Physicals for the 2023-2024 school year must be dated after May 1, 2023

Monday, September 4: Schools Closed (Labor Day)

Friday, September 8: School Picture Day + 1st 9 Weeks Midpoint

Wednesday, September 20: 3-hour Early Dismissal

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)

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)

Wednesday, 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