October 17th
Dear Parents,
Calendar of events for the Week of October 20th -24th:
Monday, October 20th: Hopewell Pet Clinic 5-7PM @ Hopewell Front Entrance (See attached file)
Monday, October 20th: Boys 7th Grade FB @ CD Fulkes 5:30PM
Tuesday, October 21st: Boys 8th Grade FB vs. CD Fulkes @ Dragon Stadium
Wednesday, October 22nd: Fall Orchestra Concert, Cafeteria 7PM
Thursday, October 23rd: Volley Ball vs. Ridgeview, 7th @ Ridgeview, 8th @ Home
Friday, October 24th: Student Council Dance-6th Grade: 6-7:30PM, 7th/8th Grades 7:30-9PM
Saturday, October 25th: All Region Choir Auditions, Henry Middle School
Our Hopewell Girls volleyball teams were in action Thursday after school as they played Hernandez MS @ Stony Point HS. Our two SPHS feeder rivals squared off and our 7th grade A and B teams both won while Hernandez got the best of both our 8th grade teams in very close matches. The girls fought hard and represented our great school with great pride. We are very proud of our girls Hornet volleyball teams and coaches!
We had a great day of professional learning on Monday as teachers met in their departments and grade level teams throughout the day. They spent the day collaborating and planning lessons, reviewing assessment data, and looking at future units of study for the students. Their mission in every lesson is to incorporate both academic rigor and to make the learning relevant for the students. I invited the Elective staff from Hernandez Middle School to collaborate with our Elective staff on lesson and unit ideas, and benchmark ways to make their subjects more engaging for our students. Although our students had the day off, our teachers were at Hopewell working hard to ensure that your children are getting the best education possible and are ready for high school when they leave us.
8th grade parents and students mark your calendars for our first HIGH SCHOOL 101 Middle School to High School transition evening event on Wednesday, November 5th from 6:30-8:00PM in our Hopewell Cafeteria! The Stony Point High School Academy Directors, International Baccalaureate, and Navy ROTC will be presenting the five academies that all students will be choosing, an overview of House Bill 5 and required endorsements, and what the 2014-2015 timeline will be for transitioning our students to high school. This event is for both 8th grade parents AND students and our incredible PTA will be providing some sweet treats. We will have a general meeting starting promptly at 6:30PM in the cafeteria followed by time for you to visit with the various academy directors and Stony Point HS students involved in those programs of study. This will be an incredible evening and I hope all 8th grade parents and students will attend.
If you have not purchased your PTA membership for $8.00 yet, please do so. You may go to our school website and click on the PTA link on the left side, then go to forms and documents, then PTA membership form. It’s as easy as that! I am only a few teachers shy of having 100% Hopewell staff participation and am hoping that our parents will join as well to help support this hard working organization. Thanks!
Our Hopewell School-Wide Reading Initiative is off to a great start. Thanks for your help and support in getting this important initiative successfully launched. Our Language Arts staff will be checking in with our students each week to see where they are with their books, check comprehension and vocabulary development. It does seem pretty obvious the benefits this program will bring for all our students and will be a part of Hopewell as long as I’m here. Thanks again for your support.
When you get a chance to take a minute out of your busy schedules, drop some of your child’s teachers an email or note thanking them for all they do. Our teachers work so hard for your children and go above and beyond the call of duty each and every day. I have yet to be a part of a more dedicated, student-centered staff than ours as a whole. I will tell you that they will truly appreciate your acknowledgement and confirmation for their hard work.
As we head into flu season, we will be taking precautions here at Hopewell. Our custodians do an exceptional job keeping our school clean and disinfected every day. We will have extra alcohol free hand sanitizers in classrooms, restrooms, and the cafeteria throughout the building. We are encouraging our staff to get their flu shots and keep their hands washed throughout the day. It’s important that we collectively do all we can here at Hopewell to keep our students and staff well this winter.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Karl
