Thursday, June 16, 2016

Dear Families in the Middle,

Our school is in summer mode. That means we have the joy of seeing several students and adults each day enjoying summer enrichment classes (like digital photography, computer programming, movie-making, and painting). The presence of students - whether for swimming, School Age Care, or summer classes helps keep the spirit in our learning community!

We're also very grateful for a hard-working crew of custodians cleaning, repairing, and re-organizing spaces amid all the activity. Please take a moment when you're in our building to express your gratitude for their diligence. Mr. Stejskal, our District Director of Facilities & Grounds noted during the school board meeting Monday night: Hudson School District custodians clean the equivalent of 24,000 square feet per 8 hour shift. That translates into cleaning one 3000 sq. ft. home per hour! Another consideration? Based on our enrollment, that home would have 17 occupants. KUDOS to our HSD Custodians!!

Bray Architects have been meeting with several groups over the past couple of weeks to learn more about the needs at the High School and at our Middle School. Our efforts at HMS are focused on designing the addition of two Houses and integrating Special Education spaces, so that the Merlin House can be converted to a third additional house. The opportunity presents challenges and trade-offs as we think about supporting collaboration and consider changes in the way we learn.

We've been interviewing for several positions - Physical Education and Health, Special Education, Secretary, Social Studies - over the past two weeks as well. We hope to share new staff information in the coming weeks.

Hoping you've found time for family fun between the storms and sunshine!
Warmly,

Mrs. Ann Mitchell

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Dear Families in the Middle,

This Fare Thee Well Message shared with our 8th graders last Thursday evening is a testament to the thoughtfulness, strength and compassion in our middle learning community. Many thanks to Mrs. Paakkonen for initiating the video project and to Mr. St. John and Mrs. Bjerk for the collaboration and production of this meaningful message for ALL middle school students. We hope everyone enjoys a summer of healthy risk-taking, memorable moments, and inspiring experiences!



We're going to try to provide a weekly blog post update through the summer to keep our families updated with information on registration, building plans, and summer opportunities. Please feel free to e-mail or post a question to help us know what you are wondering!

Warmly,

Mrs. Ann Mitchell

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Dear Families in the Middle,

Our Hudson Middle School students and families, with the coordination of Student Council and Advisors Jaclyn Smith and Nicole Anthony, raised $1200 for Pennies for Patients, a program of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Thank you to all who contributed!

Walking Wednesdays
Thanks to the initiative of our HMS Health & Wellness Team, we've started Walking Wednesdays. Students have the option to walk our track from 7:15 - 7:30 every Wednesday morning. It's a great way to give everyone a break from devices and get energized for the day! Click here to see more images.

CHROMEBOOK collection:
Please make sure your student turns in the Chromebook and charger. An invoice will be sent to parents for any unreturned equipment. New Chromebooks will be issued to all 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in the fall. Thank you!

Please consider visiting Kye Bartlett's Caring Bridge site. Kye is an 8th grader here at Hudson Middle School who had open heart surgery last Saturday (May 21).  He is recovering and wishes he could come back to school. We're hopeful to see him at the Fare-Thee-Well.
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kyebartlett

Our neighbor, Prairie Elementary, is anticipating a special event this summer (June 24) to surprise Mrs. Klanderman, a first grade teacher, diagnosed with fourth stage melanoma in her lung. For more information please click here.

I am reminded of a sign on Ms. Blakeley's, one of our counselors, door: Everyone you meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Be kind. Always. 

We will continue to share Middle Musings blog posts throughout the summer to help families learn new information, anticipate changes and opportunities, and prepare for the upcoming school year.

Happy June!

Mrs. Ann Mitchell

Principal