Husky Howl

As we enter a very busy season of the year, I want to take a moment to say that I am so thankful for every single student, parent, and staff member at Homer Middle School and how hard everyone works to make our school a better place! I'm so very lucky to get to work with all of you amazing people every day! I challenge you to take a moment sometime soon and tell someone how thankful you are for them! We don't say it to each other near enough!

As you are busy with everything that happens in November and December, please remember that we have before school and after school study hall options to help students stay caught up! Additionally, enrichment time can be used to meet with teachers, as well as advisory (which will have some dedicated study hall times coming up soon!).

End of Quarter 2 Important Dates!!!

• Last day of Q2- Friday, December 20
• All Q1 work must be completed and turned in before you leave school on 12/20
• Report Cards emailed after winter break

Please take a few moments to follow HMS on Facebook and Instagram (@hmsalaska), as we keep these very up to date with pictures and announcements about what is happening at HMS. You can also check out our school website (https://kpbsd.org/schools/homer-middle/), although it is updated far less often. You can also join our HMS Public Google Calendar to help you keep up to date too (Google Calendar Link Click Here) As always, if you need anything at all during the school year, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can email me at mredmond@kpbsd.k12.ak.us or call the office at 907-235-5700.

-Principal Redmond

November 8- pick new clubs in advisory

November 9- new advisory clubs start

November 13- lunch time chess club starts (see Mr. Rininger to sign up)

November 15- Early release at 2:20

November 18- Q2 Progress reports emailed home

November 22- Fall Dance 6-8 pm

November 26- November assembly during advisory

November 28 and 29- NO SCHOOL

DECEMBER EVENTS

December 9-12- MAP testing

December 9- Band and Choir Concert

December 13- Early Release @ 2:20

December 16-20 Winter Spirit Week and fun events every day!

December 17- December Assembly

December 20- Winter Dance 6-8 pm

See the full schedule here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lc5TxAux85it6-bOYm45yHeZqds6cNScWi5aAH1scqk/edit?tab=t.0

November 8- Home BBall vs. Skyview 8

November 12- Home BBall vs. ABCS

November 14- Home BBall vs. Chapman

November 19- Bball game @ Nikiski

November 21- BBall @ Skyview

November 23- Home BBall vs. Seward

November 26- BBall @ Ninilchik

November 27- BBall @ West Homer

December 2- BBall @ Kenai

December 9- Borough round 1 (TBD)

December 14- Boroughs @ Homer

Mark your calendars! Student Council is hosting and INFORMAL FALL DANCE on Friday, November 22nd 6:00-8:00 pm! The theme is fall, dress is casual, and students are encouraged to thrift, borrow, or be creative in sourcing their outfit! Here are a few other important things to note.

• We need volunteers to help supervise! If you are able to help, please email Mrs. Redmond mredmond@kpbsd.k12.ak.us. You must have a KPBSD volunteer application completed and approved before activity night to be able to volunteer.
• Students must have turned in their Student Handbook signature page to be able to attend.
• Students must be at school all day on Friday to be able to attend activity night, unless they have a documented doctor/dentist appointment. A doctors note is required to be submitted to the office if this is the case.
• If you child has had any suspensions during the second quarter of school (October 14th until now), they are ineligible to attend activity night.
• Only full-time HMS students are allowed to attend activity night. No outside guests are allowed to attend.
• Students must have a signed permission slip to attend the dance (these will be handed out that week).

Costs: $5 entry fee. Baked goods and other small snacks will be for sale. We are looking for baked good and snack donations. Please contact Mrs. Redmond if you are able to donate.

Battle of the Books- Wednesdays during lunch in the library (See Ms. Jerri)

Chess- Wednesdays during lunch in room 303 (See Mr. Rininger) (Starting November 13)

Math Counts- Thursdays 8:10-8:50 in room 303 (See Mr. Rininger)

Fill out the form at this link to give a staff member a shout out in our next newsletter! You must enter your name and email to complete the form, but when shout outs are included in the newsletter, they will be anonymous.

https://forms.gle/FnSrYzRN1LrXjTHu8

Congratulations to our student council for the 24-25 school year!

President- Honor Kincaid

Vice President- Isaiah Kincaid

Secretary- Kayelle Edens

Treasurer- Flora Fitzpatrick

8th Grade Rep- Emma Oliver

7th Grade Rep- Tazlina Petska

Rep at Large- Hailie Smith

The below sports all will start up the day we come back to school in January! Start thinking about which one you will be joining! Parents, if you are interested in being able to volunteer with one of these sports, please get your KPBSD volunteer application started now!

• Volleyball
• Nordic Ski
• Wrestling

All students (new and returning) are required to have registration paperwork completed every school year. You can complete your child's paperwork at this link https://forms.kpbsd.org/. If your child is a returning student, nothing is required to be completed in person. If your child is a new student, you will need to drop off a copy of their birth certificate and physical form.

There is also a $25 band/choir fee and a $10 art fee for each student. If you have not paid these fees yet you may do so by sending cash/check to school or logging into PowerSchool to pay online with a credit card.

The use of electronic devices, such as cell phones, bluetooth headphones, smart watches, etc., not provided by the school for student use, is not allowed in school by students. If students bring these items to school, they must turn them off when entering the building and leave them off and out of sight until the last bell rings. The school is limited in resources and will not assist in searching for lost electronics. The only exception to this rule is if a teacher gives permission for a student to use a device for a specific activity in class.

• All students are warned of this rule explicitly at the beginning of the school year.
• 1st offense- Device is taken away and given to the office. Student may get device back at the end of the school day.
• 2nd offense (and each offense thereafter)- Device is taken away and given to the office. A parent or guardian will be called and the parent/guardian or designee must pick up the device.

Regular attendance at school is a vital part of student success. Parents/guardians are expected to call or email the school by 9:30 am whenever their child will be absent.

Phone Number: 907-235-5700

Email: tshafer@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

• Excused Absence- a parent has notified the school that their child is or will be absent from school.
• Unexcused Absence- a parent has not notified the school that their child is or will be absent from school.
• A student is considered absent from a class period once they are 15 minutes late.

When a student will be absent from school for 5 consecutive days or more, a prearranged absence form must be completed and submitted to the office in advance of the absence. The student is expected to be responsible for completing this form and following up with his or her teachers about missing work once he or she is back from the absence.

If a student will be absent more than 10 consecutive days, the parent is required to meet with the principal to discuss the absence and determine next steps.

If you need info about bussing, please contact Apple Bus at 907.235.0124.

Students are required to have a bus note if they need to get off the bus at a different stop than usual. Parents/guardians must do the following by 2:00 PM to request a bus note for their child.

• Step 1: Call First Student at 907-235-0124 to find out the bus number and bus stop name you are requesting for the bus pass. You also need to verify that there will be space on the bus for the bus pass to be accepted by the driver.

• Step 2: Call or email the HMS secretary before 2 PM to request the bus pass and provide all info needed. (bus number, stop name, destination contact name and phone number, dates for pass).

See our full student handbook here. A reminder that the signature page must be turned in to the office for a student to be permitted to attend the dance. https://kpbsd.org/schools/homer-middle/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/05/Homer-Middle-School-Handbook-2024-2025.docx-3.pdf

Have you updated your registration for this year yet? If not please do so here https://forms.kpbsd.org/guardian/login?returnUrl=%2Fguardian .

Add funds to your child's lunch account here https://kpbsd.revtrak.net/

Check your child's grades and see if you still owe any course fees in PowerSchool here https://kpbsd.org/students-parents/powerschool/

Are you interested in volunteering at Homer Middle School? Complete the KPBSD volunteer application at this link https://kpbsd.org/departments/assistant-superintendent/instructional-services/hr/volunteer/. Once you are approved, reach out to the office and we can find a way for you to help!

Please take the time to complete the surveys below. They can be filled out at any point in the year and as many times as you would like! We value your compliments and constructive feedback!

• Morning tutoring- 8:00-8:30 am every day in the library

• Morning library- 8:30-8:50 am every day the library is open for work time

• Enrichment- set up a time to meet with a teacher in advance

• Enrichment- the library is open every day to work on class work

• Advisory- most Tuesdays will be study hall. Study hall time may be available other days in advisory as well.

• After school tutoring- Monday-Thursdays 3:50-5:00 in Ms. Booz or Mr. Olson's classroom.

• Work on school work when I am at home!