Waggoner's Word - October 2, 2015

October 2^nd, 2015

Dear Parents,

Calendar of Events for the Week of October 5th – 9^th

Tuesday, October 6^th: 7^th Grade Football vs. Grisham @ Dragon Stadium 5:30PM

Wednesday, October 7^th: 8^th Grade Football vs. Grisham @ Dragon Stadium 5:30PM

Thursday, October 8^th: 7^th & 8^th Volleyball vs. C.D. Fulkes 5:30PM.  7^th Away/8^th Home

Friday and Saturday, October 9^th and 10^th: Region Orchestra Auditions @ Lake Travis

Monday, October 12^th: Staff In-Service day-Student Holiday

HOPEWELL CROSS COUNTRY UPCOMING MEETS

Oct 3 Cross Country Meet at Old Settler's Park 7:30 am

Oct. 7 Cross Country Meet at cedar Valley 4:30

Hernandez vs. Hopewell October 19^th and 20th 7^th and 8^th grade football site and time change:

I wanted to give the parents a head’s up that we will be playing our rival Hernandez MS at Stony Point High School this year to promote our Stony Point Vertical Team approach for all our Stony Point feeder schools. We are trying to both promote and coordinate events throughout the school year as a Stony Point Vertical Team.  Both Hernandez and Hopewell both feed into Stony Point so it would be a natural event to play the games at the high school where students from both these great middle schools will end up together.  Both athletes will eventually be Stony Point Tigers and settling the rivalry on that field will be memorable for our students and parents.  The B games both nights will start at 6:00 PM instead of 5:30 PM to allow the 9^th and JV teams to complete their practice.  Our coaches will be getting you additional information regarding these games and will be posted on our school website.  Exciting times for our students!!

ONE MORE STONY POINT VERTICAL TEAM EVENT

Mr. Jerry Cordova-Hopewell Director of Choirs, would like to invite you all to their Fall 7^th and 8^th grade Choir Concert at 7 PM on Monday, October 5^th in the Stony Point HS Cafeteria. In line with our Stony Point Vertical Team approach, our Hopewell Choir will be performing with the Hernandez MS and Stony Point HS choirs! This is another wonderful opportunity for our kids to perform at their future High School and take in the experience.  One they will not forget I’m sure.  Additionally, our 6^th Grade choir will be performing with the 6^th grade Hernandez MS choir at Stony Point in the cafeteria on Thursday, November 5^th.  More info on that event will be coming your way in the next couple of weeks. 

SCHOLASTIC SCOPE MAGAZINE FOR Two 6^th GRADE TEACHERS

Both Mrs. Byrd’s and Mrs. Alvarez’s 6^th grade Language Arts classes will be subscribing to this informative and relevant magazine.  Mrs. Holland’s class will be using alternate materials to attain the same learning for her students. They will be using it weekly to have students read current events, discuss interesting topics, and write follow up reflections on these articles.  I wanted to give you 6^th grade parents a head’s up that we will be asking for some help to defray the cost of this magazine for the students.  The cost will be $8 per Byrd/Alvarez student. More info will be coming home with your child regarding this feel.  Thanks!

PTA INFORMATION: PLEASE READ!!

Volunteers Needed 

Hello Hornet Parents, We need your help with concessions at the volleyball games.  Even if your child isn't playing, bring them out to support their school while you are volunteering.  You will both have a great time! Please click on the link to take a look at the available slots. 

Volleyball Concessions Sign-up

Clip and Turn In BOX TOPS, Earn $$$ for HMS! 

The “BLAST OFF with BOXTOPS”  Contest begins OCT 5th & ends OCT 30th.  Let’s see which ADVISORY CLASS per GRADE LEVEL can “ROCK – IT” with the MOST BOXTOPS  !!!!!!

SEND in your BOXTOPS starting Oct 5th.…. Put ADVISORY TEACHERS NAME  & the # OF BOXTOPS on a PAPER INSIDE a snack BAGGIE.  BOXTOPS are picked up every FRIDAY atNOON.  The CONTEST WALL in the CAFETERIA will be updated every MONDAY to SEE who’s leading the ROCKET in each GRADE LEVEL.

“WINNERS” for EACH GRADE LEVEL to be announced 1st week in NOV & will WIN a PIZZA PARTY that is OUT of THIS WORLD !  Questions – email DRangel01@hotmail.com

CHECK OUT the BOXTOPS website (BTFE.COM ) to earn 5 BOXTOPS when you sign up and then ENTER any and ALL the sweepstakes to HELP us WIN 1,000’s of BONUS BOXTOPS.  It’s FREE and you can ENTER DAILY !!!!!!!  So please go to BTFE.COMand sign up today.  OUR SCHOOL ID is 586175          

http://www.boxtops4education.com/

Still Need HMS Spirit Wear? 

Want to show support for your student at  an upcoming event? Ms. Riveria in the school Front Office has a supply of HMS t-shirts to sell on behalf of the PTA.  Stop by and see her during school hours for your Spiritwear needs.

FROM THE RRISD REGARDING THE NEW ABSENCE POLICY and LETTER ATTACHED TO THIS NEWSLETTER

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

Round Rock ISD is dedicated to academic achievement and success for all students. Regular school attendance is a critical part of that success; therefore, attendance is essential for a student to make the most of his or her education. Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s mastery of content; therefore, the student and parent should make every effort to avoid unnecessary absences.

This past summer House Bill (HB) 2398 of the 84^th legislative session was enacted changing the truancy laws in the State of Texas. This piece of legislation, effective September 1, 2015, addresses a school district’s responsibility to address student truant conduct, including additional requirements for implementation of truancy prevention measures, and referral of a student to truancy court. Heading into the 2015-2016 school year, school attendance officers, principals, school resource officers, assistant principals, and other pertinent school officials will be working collaboratively to ensure all parents/guardians understand the truancy law as described in HB 2398.

Section 25.085 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) states a child who is required to attend school under this section shall attend school each school day for the entire period the program of instruction is provided, unless exempted by law.  Individuals who begin the school year between the ages of 6 and 18, or those individuals who voluntarily enroll in a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten program, or after their eighteenth birthday, must be in attendance the entire time school is offered. Truant conduct is defined in section 65.003 of the Texas Family Code to be failure to attend school on ten or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year.

In Round Rock ISD the only excused absences are personal illness, death in the immediate family (parent, sibling, grandparent or a member of the immediate household), or school-related absence.  A student absent from school for any other reason will be assigned an unexcused absence.

If a student receives three unexcused absences, parents/guardians will be contacted by a campus administrator and a warning letter will be sent home. It will be necessary that the parent/guardian contact the school to discuss the attendance issue with the campus administrator.  If the unexcused absences continue, and a student misses 10 or more days in a six month period during the same school year, without a valid excuse, the student is truant. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to take the necessary measures to make certain that the student is attending school regularly or the student will be referred to a truancy court.

Parents are also responsible for notifying the school the day of any absence.  If the parent/guardian does not contact the school, they are responsible for making sure that an excuse for the absence is submitted, in writing, to the student’s attendance office.  This must be done the day the student returns to school from the absence.  This will ensure that an absence does not remain as unexcused.  Also, a student must have a legitimate excuse for arriving late or leaving early from school.  The school attendance office must be notified, in writing, with a valid reason for the tardy or early dismissal.  If a student becomes truant, the parent/guardian will be notified about the attendance issue and will be required to attend future meetings regarding the student’s truant behavior.  It is also the parent/guardian’s responsibility to contact the school immediately if there has been an error in your child’s attendance. 

Round Rock ISD attendance procedures are addressed in the student-parent handbooks. Please carefully read p.p. 40-48 (secondary) and p.p. 16-20 (elementary) regarding attendance. If you have attendance concerns, please contact the school as soon as possible. We also would like to work with you to help ensure that your child can make up for what he or she missed in class. This will prevent your student from having unexcused absences that may hinder his or her progress in school.

If you have any questions regarding attendance, please contact your child’s school.   Round Rock ISD wants every student in this district to be successful…Best wishes on a very successful school year! 

2015 – 2016 Hopewell School Dance Schedule

·         7^th and 8^th grades only Halloween costume dance Friday, October 30^th 6:30-8:00 PM sponsored by the Hopewell MS PTA. 

·         6^th Grade Game Night: Friday, November 13^th from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM sponsored by WEB

·         6^th-8^th Grade Valentines Dance Friday, February 12^th.  6^th grade from 6:00-7:30 & 7^th and 8^th grades from 7:30-9:00 PM sponsored by Student Council

·         6^th-8^th Grade Spring Fling Dance Friday, April 1^st .  6^th grade from 6:00-7:30 PM & 7^th and 8^th grades from 7:30-9:00 PM sponsored by PTA

·         6^th and 7^th Grade Dance Friday, May 13^th from 6:30 PM-8:00 PM sponsored by WEB

·         8^th Grade Formal Dance on Saturday, May 21^st from 7:00-9:30 PM sponsored by Student Council

Admission to all dances will be $5.00 and all students must display their Hopewell MS ID in order to be admitted.  Hopewell MS dances are for current Hopewell students only. Students from other schools or family visitors will not be admitted.  All dances, dates, times will be posted on the school website.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Karl