The Tiger Den

Dear HMS Learning Community,

May started off with our annual NJSLA testing. This is never students' or staff's favorite week of the year, but everyone demonstrated patience and flexibility. We appreciate everyone's cooperation and willingness to try their very best that week!

We had a few different guests visit HMS in May. First, we had a speaker from "Minding Your Mind" come to talk with our 7th and 8th grade students about his personal journey, helping students to recognize risk factors associated with mental health challenges and encouraging us to support one another. We also had a visit from Tim Shoemaker who enlightened the 7th and 8th grade students (and the staff!) about the unseen dangers of social media and our use of smart technology. Finally, "Principal's Inspiration" met with our 5th and 6th grade students to discuss mindfulness, grit, and student success.

Throughout the year, our students participated in three different activities connected to the ADL's "No Place for Hate" Initiative. We were so excited to learn this month that, based on those efforts, we have been formally recognized as a "No Place for Hate" school this year! Kudos to everyone who contributed to this!

We are very much looking forward to the exciting "End of Year" activities that are coming up. Please take a look at the events listed at the bottom of the newsletter and mark your calendars!

Note: Before and after school Title 1 Academic Clubs as well as Homework Clubs have concluded for the year. See you in the Fall!

Yours in education,

Jessica Swaim

Note: We will be honoring our May Students of the Month on June 6. Their photos will be included in the June newsletter.

A much belated congratulations to our November students of the month. November was the only month we weren't able to gather everyone for a group photo and we've been trying to do so ever since! Please join us in giving "kudos" to these amazing kids!

Students in our ESL (English as a Second Language) Program attend a baseball game. Despite the rain, a wonderful time was had by all!

7th Graders in our Tiered Enrichment program attend a field trip on 5/29.

May started with a bang (otherwise known as NJSLA testing)! Students worked so hard and got to show off what they learned all year. They enjoyed the downtime between test sessions and everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the finish line of NJSLA. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and 7th and 8th graders had the pleasure of hearing Colin Quinn from Minding Your Mind speak. During two different assemblies, Colin shared his personal story about his mental health struggles. Colin's strong message about utilizing coping skills and community resources was well-received by students.

As we quickly come to the end of the 2024-2025 school year, students and teachers alike are reflecting on 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, and are hopefully acknowledging how they persevered to this point! We are recognizing our students with Tiger Tags for embodying the character trait of the month - perseverance. Soon, students will enter the end-of-year prize drawings with any Tiger Tags they earned during the second half of the year! We are continuing to meet with our students one-on-one to check in on their goals from the year, and helping them set potential goals for next year. We are so proud of all our students' efforts and growth academically, socially, and emotionally during 2024-2025! Be on the lookout for upcoming fun school activities that help recognize all they have accomplished.

Identification: Students are required to wear their school-issued ID and lanyard throughout the day. If they have lost or damaged theirs, they can purchase a replacement in the main office for $5. You may start to receive disciplinary notifications if your student is often not wearing his/her ID.

Chromebooks: We have noticed a pattern of students removing the magnet from their chromebooks. They are doing this because it allows them to close and open their device without needing to login--saving them a little time. Unfortunately, removing the magnet damages the structural integrity of the device and also voids any purchased chromebook insurance so any repair would need to be paid by the student. Please tell your student to refrain from doing this!

Dress Code: As the weather is warming up, please remind your child to follow the HMS dress code, available for your reference in the student handbook. In particular, students should be careful to: 1) refrain from wearing hoods in the hallways, 2) ensure that belly buttons are covered, and 3) ensure that undergarments and any part of the body usually covered by a bathing suit is covered by clothes.

To minimize the risk for potential injury during Physical Education class and recess, students MUST wear sneakers to participate. Students without sneakers at recess will have to sit out of any physical games. Students without sneakers during Phys Ed class will have to complete an alternate activity.

5th Grade Parents: As you schedule your child's 11 year wellness visit with his/her doctor, please remember to keep a copy of their immunization record from that visit and share it with Mrs. LaPlante. All students who are starting 6th grade next year as 11-year-olds require the Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines for school enrollment.

Questions? Concerns? Reach out to Mrs. LaPlante at tlaplante@hackettstown.org.

• 6/3: High Notes Music Festival @ Dorney Park
• 6/5: 7th Grade Trip to Ellis Island
• 6/6: Fabulous Friday schedule, HPD Torch Run, 8th Grade Picnic, 8th Grade Dance 🥳
• 6/9: Games & Activities and Field Day
• 6/10-6/12: 8th Grade Promotion rehearsals during school hours
• 6/12: Early Dismissal
• 6/13: Early Dismissal + 8th Grade Promotion @ 2:00
• 6/16: Last Day of School 🎉

Hackettstown Middle School

Asst. Principal: Mr. Ryan Bartol, rbartol@hackettstown.org

Main Office: Mrs. Brenda Carkhuff, bcarkhuff@hackettstown.org

Website: https://hms.hackettstown.org/
Location: 500 Washington Street, Hackettstown NJ

Phone: (908) 852-8554