Dear Families in the Middle,

Thanks to seventh grade student Ella Dockery, each grade level was treated to a Talent Show last Friday. We were entertained by a variety of performances, including magic card tricks, unicycling, piano and flute solos, flips, martial arts and student-composed music (solo and small groups). "I want my classmates to see each other beyond our school day, beyond academics and athletics - to see their other interests and gifts," Ella stated when she proposed the Talent Show in a letter earlier this year. Thank you, Ella, for your leadership and compassion, courage and vision!


Hudson Destination Imagination teams traveled to the state tournament in Stevens Point last weekend. Liz Malanaphy reported FOUR of our Hudson Destination Imagination teams qualified for Global Finals! The teams include one fifth grade team from Willow River Elementary, two Hudson Middle School teams, and one Hudson High School team. All four teams will represent our district in the Global competition in Knoxville, TN in May.  This is the 13th consecutive year at least one Hudson team has represented our district at this Global competition. Many thanks to our DI coaches and community for supporting this creative opportunity for our youth!

More good news! The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM) has (once again) named Hudson School District one of the "Best Communities for Music Education" for 2017! The recognition is awarded to districts demonstrating outstanding achievement in providing music access and education to all students. "IT's an honor to be nationally recognized for the commitment to music education by our district staff, administration, and school board, as well as by the continued support from the community," says our HMS Music Team (Mrs. Root, Mrs. Stein, Ms. Brown, Ms. Maher, Mr. Krasin). The honor is also important because of the research highlighting the personal benefits of making music as well as music's vital role in students' overall success in school. KUDOS to Hudson Schools and Hudson's music teachers for this recognition!

Thank you for your efforts to partner with us in limiting our middle-level learners use of their phones during the school day. You may find these articles inspiring as we navigate this challenging ease of access to social media:
60 Minutes story on Brain Hacking and Phone Addiction