School Hours

8:55am—4:05pm

Dr. Kimberly Anderson, Principal Ms. Julissa Forbes, Assistant Principal STEAM Blended Learning Academy and MTSS/504

Mr. Lawrence Gwyn, Assistant Principal Traditional Learning Academy and Assessment

August 2014 Henry County Middle School Title 1 Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Calendar

Welcome Back HCMS Families!!!!

2014-2015 School Year

TITLE I INFORMATION – Get Involved!

Henry County Middle School has been identified as a Title I school, as part of the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Title I is designed to

support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging State academic

standards in order to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and

learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of

improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental

involvement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with all parents a written

parental involvement policy. (HCMS Parent Involvement Policy)

As a Title I School, HCMS is committed to performing several activities during the

school year:

1. HCMS will host Title I Meetings in order to provide parents with information and the

opportunity to be directly involved in our Parental Involvement Plan, School

Planning, School Title I Budget, Parent-Teacher-Student Compact, Parent Task

Force, and Parental Workshops.

2. Title I Families are invited to apply for nomination to serve on the Parent Advisory

Coucil at the Georgia State Department of Education (see Parent Involvement

Paraprofessional for nomination form)

3. HCMS will promote activities such as iMom and All Pro Dad organizations in order

to promote parental involvement.

Visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Henry-County-

Middle-School/196833653672791

If you need this document in Spanish, please contact ar-

nola@henry.k12.ga.us

August

August 7th – Title I School-

wide Plan, Parent

Involvement Plan, Budget &

Personalized Learning

Planning Meeting @ 6:30

p.m. Cafeteria

August 28th – Annual Title

I Meeting @ 5:30 p.m.

Dinner served @ 5:00 p.m.

Curriculum Night @

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Looking Ahead

September 7th – Parent

Task Force Meeting 10:00

a.m. Media Center and 6:30

p.m. Cafeteria

Continued...

Page 2 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Welcome Back, continued...

4. Invite Parents to provide input in the development of our Consolidated LEA School

Improvement Plan (CLIP).

5. Invite parents to participate in the County-wide Parent Task Force and Parent University at

the Henry County Board of Education.

6. Provide HCMS Families a Parent Resource Room stocked with educational resources to

help further the academic needs of HCMS students.

Title I Schoolwide Plan, Parent Involvement Plan, Budget & Personalized Learning Planning

Meeting is August 7, 2014 @ 6:30 p.m.

The Annual Title I Meeting is August 28, 2014 @ 5:30 p.m. – Dinner Served @ 5:00 p.m.

Curriculum Night is August 28, 2014 @ 6:30pm – 7:30 p.m.

All HCMS Families are invited to attend.

Get Involved!

Parental Involvement

Henry County Middle School believes that parent in-

volvement means the participation of parents in reg-

ular two-way, and meaningful communication involv-

ing student academic learning and other school activ-

ities. HCMS will communicate with parents using the

following methods in order to provide timely infor-

mation about school activities and student progress

Monthly Title I Newsletter

Phone Calls

Text Messages

Flyers

Outdoor marquee in parking lot

HCMS website (http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/hcm/site/

default.asp)

Agenda Use

Parent/Teacher conferences

Grade reports (10/22, 01/15, 03/26)

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

Infinite Campus Messaging System (Voice Messaging

& Emails)

Front Lobby Sign

Page 3 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Message from Dr. Anderson

Dear Henry County Middle School Families,

Welcome back to a new school year! As I enter my fifth year as the principal of Henry County Middle

School, I am filled with excitement about all the changes that we are facing in the coming year and

beyond. Moving forward with the words Henry County Middle School Students – Priority One! engrained

in my mind and heart, know that the desire is for your student to receive a quality education within a safe

and respectful environment. If we all continue to work together to support our students, we will see them

grow and develop into the best students possible that are able to successfully face any challenge that they

encounter.

Please allow me to share the wonderful changes that will occur at HCMS during the coming school year:

Renovations

June 2, 2014 marked the start of our approximately 18 month renovation

process designed to give HCMS a face lift leaving us with wireless

capacity, remodeled classrooms, new floor tiles, no carpet in classrooms,

and more. As the construction company completes the different phases, we

would be happy to give you a tour of the building.

Next Generation Systems Challenge Grant

Through Henry County Schools’ application and selection process, HCMS has the opportunity to be a part

of the inaugural group of schools selected to go through a strategic planning process of research, training,

visiting other schools, and developing our vision to create a school of excellence focused on personalized

learning. While we will begin implementing many of the personalized strategies this year, the goal is to

open the 2015-16 school year with a learning model aimed at personalizing education for the needs of our

students. More information and ways to get involved in helping us redesign our school will be available at

Open House.

Project-Based Service Learning

HCMS has partnered with the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) to help expose our students to

project-based service learning experiences. Service-learning is an approach to teaching and learning in

which students use academic knowledge and skills to address genuine community needs. This partnership

is a five year process with 4 of our teachers starting the implementation process. We will add additional

teachers each year to the implementation process until all teachers are implementing project-based service

learning experiences in their classroom. Implementing this initiative is important to us because we want to

promote leadership development for our students, as well as the knowledge that they have something

awesome to offer the world. We want our students to know that they have a voice and what they have to

say is important.

STEAM Blended Learning Academy

This academy will offer students the opportunity to focus on science, technology, engineering and

mathematics course content and practices that are integrated within all core subject areas. The focus will

also be technology enabled learning, which will allow for a combination of online and face-to-face

instruction, service-based project learning and an integration of the arts.

Science Fair and National History Day Projects

This year, all HCMS students will be required to complete a Science Fair and National History Day

Project. More information will be sent home by your student's teachers.

Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT)

Our school will have wireless capability this year. As a result, students will be allowed to bring their own

technology for instructional purposes. Responsibility to keep the devices secure rests with the individual

owner. Henry County Schools is not liable for any device stolen or other damages that may occur while on

school property. See attached the Henry County Schools BYOT policy for additional information.

Page 4 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Message from Dr. Anderson, continued...

Thinking Maps

Parents, Thinking Maps will be a part of our classroom strategies this year. More information will be

coming in our next issue. Below is an example of ideas that you may want to try at home with your

student.

Getting Involved in Your School

At HCMS, we welcome family involvement. Throughout the school year, we will have several meetings

focused on areas that our families stated, via survey, were of interest to them. Some of those areas were

regarding standardized testing, ways to help students at home in reading and mathematics, 8th grade

expectations. In addition, we need our families to chaperone school events such as field trips and school

dances. We also need our families to serve on our Parent Title I Task Force, School Council, and

PTO.

PTO and School Council Applications

The HCMS Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) is a volunteer organization made up of parents, teachers,

administrators, and support staff who are all dedicated to the successful education of our children. The

PTO also gives parents an opportunity to get involved and informed about what is happening at the

school and uses its resources, both manpower and money, to support all the efforts of the staff of our

school

The School Council consists of parents, teachers, business/community members and the principal. The

School Council serves as an advisory board to help the principal and school leadership team to improve

Page 5 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Message from Dr. Anderson, continued...

Henry County Middle School. The School Council has two elected parent representatives and two

elected business/community member representatives that serve for a two-year term. Parents who

currently have students at Henry County Middle School are eligible to vote for the parent and business/

community member representatives.

The school council committee members meet during the 2nd Thursday of each month in the Media

Center at 4:30 p.m. For the 2014-2015 year, the school council will focus on the School Improvement

Plan and Personalized Learning.

This year, parents will vote for the vacant School Council (2 parent representatives) and PTO (president,

vice president, secretary, and treasurer) positions.

Nominations will be accepted until Friday, August 24, 2014. You may submit your nomination form in

person at the front office or at the following email address: Kimberly.Anderson@henry.k12.ga.us

Elections for School Council will be held from August 25 – August 27, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

in the front office and at Curriculum Night on August 28, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. PTO

elections will be held at Curriculum Night on August 28, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.

**Statewide Changes**

Georgia Milestones

You will no longer take the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Instead, you will

now take the Georgia Milestones. This test will be more rigorous than the CRCT. Further, you will be

tested on your reading, mathematics, science, and social studies knowledge. Also, you will be required

to provide written responses to questions and cite evidence to support your thinking. The expectation

for what you will be expected to know and demonstrate will far exceed what you were expected to

know and demonstrate on the CRCT. The test will be administered on line within the next two

year. That means that you will no longer complete the test with pencil and paper.

Please join me in welcoming our new Hawk family members:

Ms. LaSondra Edwards – 8th IRR Language Arts

Ms. Tiffany Jester - Paraprofessional

Ms. Melanie Kellam – 8th Grade Language Arts/Social Studies

Ms. Andrea Loyd - Paraprofessional

Ms. Tashawn Lyles – 6th Grade Mathematics (Transfer from Eagles Landing)

Ms. Briana Pair - Paraprofessional

Mr. Cory Sanders – 7th Grade Social Studies

Ms. Jasmine Sharp – 8th Grade Mathematics/Science

Ms. Brandy Small – 6th Grade IRR Science/Social Studies

Mr. Reniko Thomas - Paraprofessional

Let’s also congratulate the following staff members:

Ms. Tonya Battle – Nutrition Manager

Ms. Shamika Forbes – MID Teacher

Page 6 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Henry County Middle School The mission of Henry County Middle School is to have

High standards that

Challenge and

Motivate students to be

Successful

We believe that …

ALL students have the capacity to learn and to succeed.

ALL students, when proper ly challenged, can meet high expectations based upon their individual abilities to learn.

ALL students are motivated to learn when new learning connects to pr ior knowledge and current issues.

ALL students benefit from a par tnership of home, school, and community.

Message from Ms. Williams, Media Center

Hello,

My name is Traci Williams and I am the Media Specialist at Henry County Middle School. I

look forward to working with your child(ren) this year. I have included the media procedures

and a new policy regarding fees owed to the library.

Media procedures

Students with any sort of library fine are not allowed to participate in ANY extracurricular

activities until fines are paid

Students may check out 1 book for two weeks unless they owe fines to library

Hours are from 9:00-3:45 with a pass from teachers only

Open until 6:00 on Tuesdays

PAGES is a booster club where students pay $10.00 (goes toward purchase of books) and

can check out 3 books, stay in media center from 8:20 until morning dismissal, get early

preview for book fairs

Please call or email me traciwilliams@henry.k12.ga.us if you have any questions. You can

follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/HCMSMediaCenter.

Page 7 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

HCMS Dress Code Update

The county guidelines for student dress as presented in the Henry County Secondary Student

Handbook will be strictly followed.

No rips, tears, or holes in pants/shorts (even if you wear something underneath)

Skirts/shorts must be fingertip length - even if you wear leggings underneath

No sagging pants – students should wear a belt

No sleeveless shirts for both males and females

No low-cut shirts/blouses or shirts/blouses that reveal shoulders/back/mid-section

No tight-fitting clothing, such as spandex or bicycle type clothing and/or any facsimile

No hats for both males and females

Please note the change in policy, as outlined in the HCS Secondary Student & Parent Hand-

book, 2014-2015 - page 31:

1st Violation: Explanation given to student by the administrator and students will be placed in

In-School Suspension (ISS) for the remainder of the day.

2nd Violation: (3) days ISS. However, students may return to regular class if the violation is

corrected after serving one full day in ISS.

3rd Violation: (5) day ISS regardless of whether the violation is corrected.

4th Violation – A disciplinary hearing will be called.

Teacher Announcements

SCIENCE

Welcome to 6th grade, what a wonderful time for all of us, learning about new things, moving

through a huge school and seeing so many new faces. I am honored to be part of your new

journey and look forward to working with all of my students this year.

Things to look forward to:

Measurements, lab safety, scientific method, and logging into various programs. We will also

be learning more about each other and I hope you all know how excited I am this year to be

your teacher!

Ms. Harris

Volume 5, Issue 1 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Page 8

August 2014 HCMS Activity Calendar

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2

3 4 Zaxby’s Spirit Night

5

6 7 Title I Planning Meeting

8

9

10 11 12 13 14 15

16

17 18

19 20

21

22

23

24 25 26 27 28 Annual Title I Meeting 5:30pm and Curriculum Night 6:30pm (Dinner served @ 5:00pm)

29

30

31

SPORTS ANNOUNCEMENTS: visit our website for information

concerning Fall Sports

Page 9 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Parent Resource Page

Counselors: Ms. Debbie King x117 Ms. Lisa Leix x110

Communities in Schools – Graduation Coach

Iris S. Davis, Graduation Coach

Parent Resource Room Parent Involvement Paraprofessional Ms. Linda Williams x218 Communities in Schools of Henry County

Parent Involvement Standards

Henry County Title I Schools and our parents

have adopted the National PTA Standards for

Family-School Partnerships as the school’s model

in engaging parents, students, and the communi-

ty. These standards are –

Welcoming All Families

Communicating Effectively

Supporting Student Success

Speaking Up for Every Child

Sharing Power

Collaborating with Community

Parental Involvement

Henry County Middle School believes that parent

involvement means the participation of parents

in regular two-way, and meaningful communica-

tion involving student academic learning and

other school activities. HCMS will communicate

with parents using the following methods in

order to provide timely information about school

activities and student progress

Monthly Title I Newsletter

Phone Calls

Text Messages

Flyers

Outdoor marquee in parking lot

HCMS website (http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/hcm/

site/default.asp)

Agenda Use

Parent/Teacher conferences

Grade reports (10/22, 01/15, 03/26)

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

Infinite Campus Messaging System (Voice

Messaging & Emails)

Front Lobby Sign

Page 10 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Roofing Residential Commercial

770-872-4696 www.excel-build.com

155 Westridge Pkwy Suite 223;

McDonough, GA 30253

Parent Engagement Program http://www.gadoe.org/

Parent Engagement is an ongoing process that increases active participation,

communication, and collaboration between parents, schools, and communities with the

goal of educating the whole child to ensure student achievement and success.

The Georgia Department of Education’s Parent Engagement Program ensures that Title I, Part A

parental involvement regulations are met with meaningful and strategic actions to build parent

capacity as mandated by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

(ESEA). Schools and districts must ensure that strong strategies are in place to: 1) build

capacity to involve parents/stakeholders in an effective partnership with the school; and 2) share

and support high student academic achievement. See more at: http://www.gadoe.org/School-

Improvement/Federal-Programs/Pages/Parent-Engagement-

Program.aspx#sthash.JcWTTsmx.dpuf

Page 11 Henry County Middle School Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 1

Parent Resource Page, continued...

Attention Fathers, Grandfathers, and Men within our local community:

We want to extend an invitation to you to attend our All-Pro Dad’s Breakfast held at Henry

County Middle School. Our meetings are on the fourth Friday of each month at 8:00am. Please

visit our school webpage for our next meeting date

All Pro Dad's Day is a simple idea with a profound impact. It's a one-hour monthly breakfast

held before school where fathers and their children meet with other dads and kids in the Media

Center. During this time, they discuss a wide range of family topics, spend time together, create

fun memories, and are equipped with resources to strengthen their relationship. For more about

All Pro Dad’s Day, please visit Allprodad.com or visit our Parent Resource Room.

Attention Mothers, Grandmothers, and Women within our local

community:

We want to extend an invitation to you to attend our iMOM Breakfast held at Henry County

Middle School. Our meetings are the second Friday of each month at 8:00a.m. iMOM morning

is a simple idea with a profound impact that can really strengthen a mom’s relationship with her

children. iMOM exists for you to inspire you to love your family well. We want to give you

help and hope so that you can enjoy the days to come…being a mom! http://www.imom.com/

about/

Parent Log-in to Infinite Campus will be available soon!!

If you need this document in Spanish, please contact arnola@henry.k12.ga.us