2. We had a wonderful PTO meeting this week (Tuesday, September 29).   We had thirty folks around the table and got a lot of hard work accomplished.  Our officers will fill you in during their monthly newsletter in early October.  Hopefully, we will have more parents at our October 15 meeting. 

3. Parent Conferences have been scheduled for scheduled for October 13th and 14th. These are half days and students will be dismissed at 12:35 PM. 

Fifth grade parents will be meeting with their child’s LA/homeroom teacher.  If you do not have a scheduled appointment, please call Liz Young, transition counselor at 663-1241.

For parents of children in grades 6, 7, and 8, we will have “drop in” conferences; parents need not sign up for a time slot ahead of time. Parents should enter the building through the front door and you will be given a progress report.  Your child’s teachers will be located in designated areas (cafeteria or gym) and you may line up to visit with each one.  We request that you limit your time with any one teacher to 10 minutes. 

Times for sessions are:
Tuesday, October 13 from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM (conferences end at 4:30 PM)
Wednesday, October 14 from 3:00 to 5:30 PM (conference end at 6:00 PM)

4. When the middle school is scheduled for a half day, the 7:40 AM to 8:00 AM breakfast will not be offered.  However, snack time is scheduled and the cafeteria is open and serving breakfast foods later in the morning.  Any student on the free and reduced program may have their breakfast at this time.

5. Many parents have called with questions about lunch buddy sessions or counseling meetings. Our support staff meets with students throughout the year.  There are pivotal social and emotional skills which are so important to develop at this age.   Getting along with others, coping with difficult moments and good decision making are lifelong skills that all people need.  Therefore, throughout the year, our staff will be offering a variety of short-term group sessions for our students. Typically the groups run for an 8-12 week period, once a week, during flex and/or lunch. The groups tend to be topic specific (coping skills, anger management, stress management / relaxation, making choices, improving problem solving skills, goal setting, self advocacy, getting along with others, interpersonal skills, transitions, navigating the social world of middle school, grief work, etc).   The session include a mixed variety of activities such as role playing, group discussions, active listening skills, therapeutic games and structured problem–solving games. 

In the past we have found that the students have responded enthusiastically and have enjoyed participating with their peers in these groups. This opportunity is offered to all students. If you do not want your child to participate in any groups, please send in a written letter to your child’s guidance counselor.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the guidance department (Joan Hill, Alan Fortin, Liz Young), the school psychologist (Heather Pach) or the school social worker (Kerry Smith or Tara Bartlett).

6. We are so excited about our safety day scheduled for next Tuesday, October 6.  Students will have the opportunity to visit 8 different stations over three hours.  These stations will include training and skill development about:

• Carbon monoxide prevention
• Fire prevention
• Car safety (seat belts demonstration)
• Bus evacuation
• Bike Safety
• Substance Abuse prevention (SADD)
• Internet safety

Mr. English has worked with our local fire department volunteers, the fire marshal and the state police to establish this event.  We are so very thankful that our community safety workers are sharing their expertise with our students.

7. We have our first Kids’ Night Out (KNO) Dance this evening sponsored by the Lion’s Club of Killingworth and Haddam.  Generally the dances are scheduled for the first Friday of the month, but check our district calendar to confirm.  The dance begins at 7 PM and end at 9 PM in our school cafeteria. Only students in grades 7 and 8 may attend.  The admission cost is $5.00 and this supports the Lions’ charitable causes.  For the first dance, students must bring in a signed permission slip to be handed in to the chaperones at the dance.  Permission slips are available in the main office.  The KNO dances are not a school function – they are the sole responsibility of this community service organization.  However, students are expected to follow school rules and school dress code.  Parent chaperones are needed – if you can volunteer your time this year, please stop by and check in with the site manager. 

8. Planning ahead, we also have our Halloween school sponsored activity afternoon/ dance events on October 30.  Students are encouraged to wear costumes as they are not allowed to do so during the school day.  The times are as follows:

• Grades 5 and 6: October 30 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM
• Grades 7 and 8:  October 30 from 7 to 9:00 PM

Students must go home first to change.  The cost is $5.00 and includes a ticket for a drink and snack. 

9. Please drive slowly into and out of our school grounds at all times.  You should not be going any faster than 15 MPH.  I know that will feel like your car is crawling – but if a child comes out in front of your car, you need to be able to stop on the dime. 

I look forward to greeting you at parent-teacher conferences the week of October 13. You can expect my next bulletin on October 16. 

Mim Wagner
Principal, HKMS