Middle School Newsletter – November 2019
As I reflect on the first quarter of our school year, I am thankful for each and every student that we get to teach, mentor and nurture. It is such a blessing to be able to pour into each student with their unique gifts and personalities. I’m also thankful for our staff, who work so well together to continually get better at their craft. I am blessed to work with people who truly love your students and want what is best for them. Finally, I’m thankful for you, the parents, who entrust us to care for your children. As we enter the season for thanksgiving, please pray that our staff and students thrive at HC.
One of the keys to thriving at HC is learning about our changing world. As you have seen in the media, vaping is on the rise and it negatively impacts our youth. We are hearing and seeing evidence that vaping has become an issue in our schools and community. Therefore, we are having two presentations on the dangers of vaping – one for parents on Monday, December 2 from 7:00 to 7:50 in the high school auditorium and one for our students Wednesday, December 4 from 11:45 to 12:30.
These presentations will be done by Dave Stults, who is a local expert on the Vaping Industry and has spoken to more than 25,000 people throughout West Michigan in 2019 alone. Dave has been featured by News TV-8, Fox News and MLive, along with his speaking partner, Dr. Shelley Schmidt, a Pulmonologist with Spectrum Health. Dave is a former Healthcare executive with GE Healthcare, responsible for Strategy and Development.
Topics include:
- Why are teens so attracted to Vaping?
- Who is Juul and how did they go from unknown to 75% market share?
- How can I know if my teen is Vaping?
- How to talk with your kids about Vaping?
- What are schools doing to help in this war for the health of our kids?
- Why is vaping so addictive?
- Why is this “fad” so dangerous?
My hope is that these presentations will promote positive discussions with your sons and daughters about making wise choices. As you continue to develop your family culture, please consider how important it is for you, the parents, to continue to have honest and open communication with the adolescents God has blessed you with. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tom Strikwerda
Assistant Principal
/ November at HCMS
7th Grade Parents
Please see this Letter from project Best Life.
Middle School CHAMPS Coupon Book Fundraiser
CHAMPS Coupon Books will be available beginning Monday, November 11. Middle school students will be coming home on Friday, November 15 with one coupon book, which we’d love them to sell for our annual CHAMPS Book Fundraiser. The fundraiser ends for the middle school students on December 2.
HCMS “Food Fight”
On November 11, we will launch our third ever HCMS “Food Fight” to raise awareness and donations for our neighbor, Providence CRC, and it’s outreach, the Care Closet. The Care Closet provides food for numerous families in our community and Providence CRC needs our help to increase their supplies of non-perishable foods for these families. So, that’s where we come into the picture! The “Food Fight” will be a color war competition and will run from November 11-November 19. Items will be delivered to Providence on November 20. Specific donation items include: cereal, macaroni & cheese, tuna, soups, canned vegetables, ketchup, instant potatoes, pork & beans, spaghetti o’s, barbecue sauce.
Ski Club Information
Ski Club is ready to launch the 2019-2020 season! Students grades 6-8 pay $25.00 ($7 goes to club expense/transportation); adults and sibling passes are available for $18. Bittersweet forms as well as dates, discount and bussing information are available in the office. There will be an informational meeting for students during the week of November 4. Signed forms and check/cash needs to be in to the school office by November 15. This is a hard deadline, so don’t delay!
/ Important Dates
November
11 – HCMS attends Veterans Day chapel at HCHS, 8:45 to 9:30
11 – “Food Fight” Competition Begins
14 – HCMS attends HCHS’s matinee play performance, 11:45
15 – MS CHAMPS Coupon Book Sale Begins
15 – Ski Club Forms and Checks/Cash Due
19 – “Food Fight” Competition Ends
27 – Half Day – No Late Start
28, 29 – No School, Thanksgiving Weekend
December
2 – Parent Informational Meeting on Vaping, 7:00 at HCHS
4 – Student Informational Meeting on Vaping, 11:45 at HCHS
9 – HCMS Band/Orchestra Concert
12 – HCMS Choir Concert