The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Parent  Newsletter  January  16,  2015  

   Dear  Parents  and  Guardians,       This  year,  the  Dr.  Kevin  M.  Hurley  Middle  School  will  be  administering  the  PARCC  (Partnership  for  Assessment  of  Readiness  for  College  and  Careers)  assessment  rather  than  MCAS  in  ELA  and  mathematics.  The  grade  8  MCAS  for  science/technology  will  still  be  given  in  May.       There  are  two  parts  of  this  test.    The  first  part  is  the  PBA  (performance-­‐based  assessment),  which  is  given  in  March/April.    This  test  is  hand-­‐scored.    The  second  part,  EOY  (end-­‐of-­‐year)  is  given  in  May  and  is  computer  scored.       The PARCC assessment is taken on the computer rather than paper/pencil. The students have been introduced to all of the technological tools that will be available to them during the tests. Ask your child about them. Your child can even show them to you by taking an on-line practice test. An item of the week will be posted on the parcconline.org in the news and updates section each week until the start of the spring assessments. Unlike  the  MCAS  tests,  the  PARCC  tests  are  timed  so  that  the  students  have  sufficient  time  to  complete  the  assessments  yet  minimize  the  amount  of  time  spent  on  testing.    Tests  times  vary  from  60-­‐90  minutes  each  day.    More  information  will  be  included  in  our  weekly  newsletter  regarding  the  PARCC  assessment  in  the  upcoming  weeks  prior  to  the  start  of  the  testing,  including  the  testing  schedule  for  our  school.       Our  HMS  basketball  teams  are  on  a  roll  with  victories  this  week  versus  Beckwith  Middle  School  of  Rehoboth,  as  well  as  Somerset  Middle  School.  The  teams  have  a  home  game  on  Wednesday  of  next  week  against  Middleboro.  The  teams  will  be  on  the  road  next  Thursday,  January  22nd,  in  Swansea  vs.  Case  Junior  High  School.  HMS  is  hosting  a  winter  basketball  tournament  over  the  weekend  of  January  24th  and  January  25th.  This  newsletter  has  more  information  on  that  tournament.       Our  HMS  math  team  will  compete  against  other  schools  in  the  Massasoit  League  next  Friday,  January  23rd,  at  Nichols  Middle  School  in  Middleboro.  The  students  on  the  math  team  and  their  advisor,  Mrs.  Costa,  have  been  working  hard  in  preparation  for  the  meet.  Best  of  luck  to  our  math  warriors  at  the  meet  next  Friday!       8th  grade  students  that  are  going  on  the  class  trip  to  Washington  DC  have  received  a  form  in  regard  to  the  Calendar  Fundraiser.  I  am  including  the  form  on  the  next  page  of  the  newsletter.  The  calendar  is  not  finalized  yet,  but  I  am  including  some  of  the  prizes  that  will  be  featured  on  the  calendar  in  this  newsletter  in  order  to  give  people  an  idea.  Also,  payment  #2  was  due  on  Thursday  of  this  week.  Students  should  bring  their  payment  to  Mr.  Holden  if  they  have  not  done  so  yet.       Have  a  great  weekend!    Sincerely,    Dr.  William  V.  Whalen  III  Principal  

Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle SchoolDr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School 650 Newman Ave.650 Newman Ave.

Seekonk, MA. 02771Seekonk, MA. 02771 508508 -- 761761 -- 75707570

www.seekonk.k12.ma.uswww.seekonk.k12.ma.us Dr. William V. Whalen III Mrs. Mary C. Westcoat Principal Assistant Principal

                   

     

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

                   January  13,  2015    Dear  Parent/Guardian:    Our  fundraiser  calendar  for  the  8th  grade  Washington  DC  Trip  is  being  printed  and  will  be  ready  for  distribution  to  the  students  on  Monday,  January  26,  2015.    The  students  will  have  5  weeks  to  sell  the  calendars.    All  money  and  entry  slips  will  be  due  on  Thursday,  February  26th.    In  order  to  make  sure  that  everyone  who  wants  to  participate  in  this  fundraiser  gets  enough  calendars  to  sell,  I  am  asking  you  to  complete  the  bottom  half  of  this  paper  and  have  your  child  return  it  to  Mr.  Holden  by  Thursday,  January  22nd.    By  doing  this,  you  are  providing  the  school  with  an  estimate  of  how  many  calendars  you  expect  to  be  able  to  sell.  The  quantity  that  you  indicate  on  this  form  will  be  the  amount  of  calendars  that  you  receive  on  January  26th.  There  are  some  excellent  prizes  available,  so  the  calendars  should  be  easy  to  sell.    The  price  will  be  $5.00  each  or  3  for  $10.00.    You  can  always  get  more  calendars  at  a  later  date  should  you  need  them.  Please  keep  in  mind  that  the  week  of  February  16th  is  school  vacation.    All  money  earned  by  individual  students  will  be  credited  directly  to  their  account  once  the  money  is  turned  in  to  Mr.  Holden.    If  you  have  any  questions,  please  contact  Mr.  Holden  at  holdent@seekonk.k12.ma.us.    Please  remember  that  only  checks  or  money  orders  made  payable  to  TOWN  OF  SEEKONK  will  be  accepted.    Yours  truly,      Dr.  William  V.  Whalen  III  Principal      Student’s  name_______________________________________________________________      Number  of  calendars  requested_____________      Parent/Guardian  signature______________________________________________________  

 

Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle SchoolDr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School 650 Newman Ave.650 Newman Ave.

Seekonk, MA. 02771Seekonk, MA. 02771 508508 -- 761761 -- 75707570

www.seekonk.k12.ma.uswww.seekonk.k12.ma.us Dr. William V. Whalen III Mrs. Mary C. Westcoat Principal Assistant Principal

                   

     

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Here  is  a  sneak  preview  of  some  of  the  prizes  that  will  be  featured  on  the  8th  Grade  Calendar  Raffle  Fundraiser:    Honey  Dew  Donuts   $25  Gift  Card    Providence  Bruins       4  Tickets  to  a  Game  TBD    Micheletti’s  Restaurant       TWO    $25  Gift  Cards    Rehoboth  Country  Club                Gift  Certificate    Pub  99  Seekonk         $25  Gift  Certificate    Parker’s  Meat  Market       $25  Gift  Certificate    Pawtucket  Red  Sox       Box  Seat  Tickets  to  a  Game  TBD    Lemon  and  Oil       Gift  Certificate    Pawtriotic  Pet  Supplies       $25  Gift  Certificate    Dublin  Rose       $25  Gift  Card    Seekonk  Floral  Design       $25  Gift  Card    Seekonk  Grand  Prix       Family  Passes    First  Auto  Group       2  Free  Oil  Changes    First  Auto  Group       Free  Auto  Detail      Dee  Jay’s  Car  Wash       Free  Wash  Passes    Many  Local  Pizza  Restaurants     Gift  Certificates    Bowling  Academy,  E.  Prov.,  RI     Gift  Certificate    AND  MUCH,  MUCH  MORE!!!!      This  is  just  a  sneak  peak.        We  have  a  few  spaces  left  if  you  know  someone  that  would  like  to  make  a  donation.  Contact  Dr.  Whalen,  Mrs.  Westcoat,  or  Mr.  Holden.    

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Yellow Team Science: The past two weeks in science we have been learning about the natural geocycles of our planet, specifically the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and the nitrogen cycle. We simulated the water cycle with a boiling pot of water and a plastic baggy to catch the water vapor. We watched the vapor condense into water droplets and then fall again as precipitation. We played a carbon cycle board game where some of us got stuck in the atmosphere/ocean part of the board and could never escape! That's because the ocean is the largest store of carbon on our planet! Next we traveled with our nitrogen passports to different nitrogen locations. We "stamped" our passports as we went! We are taking our quiz today, and then jumping right in to our big Ecosystem Interactions Research Project! We will be visiting Mrs. St. Michel in the library often, learning some research skills as we apply our ecology knowledge to the creation of a poster. This is an IN-SCHOOL project and it will count for 250 points! It should take us about two weeks but the final products will be FANTASTIC! I can't wait to get started!

     

       

   

PTO    BOX  TOPS  for  Education  

   

We  have  ONE  final  collection  of  Box  Tops  before  the  contest  ends  for  the  year,  so  PLEASE  keep  the  Box  Tops  coming  in  to  your  homerooms!  The  last  collection  date  is  the  week  before  February  vacation,  and  the  reward  will  have  a  special  twist  to  it  this  year  :)  Currently,  Mrs.  Dumas  is  in  the  lead,  followed  by  Mrs.  Costa  and  then  Mr.  Moszczenski!  Thanks  for  helping  raise  $  for  Hurley!  It's  especially  needed  this  year  with  the  budget  cuts,  so  every  Box  Top  counts!          

     

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

   PLEASE  NOTE:  DUE  TO  THE  MONDAY  HOLIDAY,  JAZZ  BAND  WILL  BE  HELD  TUESDAY  MORNING  AT  7:15.  PLEASE  KNOCK  ON  THE  FARM  ENTRANCE  DOOR  TO  COME  IN.    We  are  back  to  work  in  band  classes  this  new  year.  All  grades  have  received  new  music.  You  should  be  hearing  different  melodies  coming  from  the  practice  rooms.  Ask  your  band  child  the  4  main  "things"  to  know  when  getting    a  new  piece  of  music.  They  should  tell  you:  1)  the  title,  2)  the  composer,  3)  the  time  signature  (it  may  change),  4)  the  individual  key  signature  (this  may  change  too).  We  are  working  on  recognizing  all  these  important  elements  as  well  as  note  values,  complex  rhythms,  and  scales.    On  Friday,  Feb.  13th,  the  SHS  Marching  Band  will  perform  here  at  the  HMS  for  all  band  students.  This  is  a  wonderful  time  to  see  and  hear  what  happens  at  the  high  school.  HS  students  will  speak  to  the  MS  students  about  band  as  a  class  at  the  high  school.  It  is  wonderful  to  see  so  many  students  participating  at  the  high  school  level  after  completing  their  middle  school  band  years  here.    The  next  HMS  Band  Parent  meeting  is  Wednesday,  Feb.  4th  at  6:00  in  the  band  room.  Please  come  to  help  make  plans  for  the  annual  jazz  dinner  and  band  festival.      

Next  School  Dance    

January  30th    

6:30  –  9  PM    $5    

   

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Computer Applications News from Mrs. DeLeo Note to all students: We only have a few class periods left! If you are missing any work due to absence, see me ASAP to schedule make-ups! Health Education News from Mrs. Latimer HEALTH EDUCATION Final Take-Home Exam Schedule ALL STUDENTS will be getting their take-home final exams on the week of January 19th . This test will cover all material covered since the beginning of the semester. Students will have one night to complete the exam and will need to turn it in the following morning by 8:15 with their organized Health folders in my classroom. It is an open-folder test, so if students do not know the answer to a question, they can look for the answer on one of the papers in their folder (which is listed on their folder checklist). Their folder will need to be organized when they turn it in with their test. They will receive a folder checklist ahead of time and we will spend time in class organizing their folders. It is stated in their class expectation that students are responsible for holding on to all of their papers they receive in class and should not throw any papers away. Any papers missing will result in deducted points from their folder grade. I will not provide extra copies. Folders not organized will receive a grade of zero . Tests/folders will go down a letter grade each day it is late and will not be accepted after three school days. Students will be given this information in class and it will also be printed on their final exam cover sheet. My classes are color-coded so please be aware of which class your child is in. Exams will be given to the following classes on Wednesday, January 21st and will be due by 8:15am on Thursday, January 22nd: 8/BLUE 6/RED 6/PURPLE 7/ORANGE 8/WHITE *Tests/folders for above classes will not be accepted after Monday, January 26th. Exams will be given to the following classes on Thursday, January 22nd and will be due by 8:15am on Friday, January 23rd: 7/YELLOW 8 /PINK 6/GRAY 7/GREEN *Tests/folders for above classes will not be accepted after Tuesday, January 27th.

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Library News from Mrs. St.Michel Sixth grade students in Mrs. Thivierge’s classes have started their first research project in the library! Students are researching their own personal hero, and have learned about citation and ways to avoid plagiarism. Students have many online resources to use for their research, including the EasyBib online citation generator! These resources are listed on the Current Research Projects page of my library website.  

PHYSICAL  EDUCATION  NEWS……………..                        -­‐  We  are  now  in  our  second  week  of  Floor  Hockey.    We  began  the  unit  discussing  the  history  of  the  sport  and  learning/refining  skills  (stick  handling,  passing,  shooting).    Students  have  done  an  outstanding  job  applying  game  concepts  from  soccer/speedball  to  floor  hockey  in  our  games.  Next  week  we  will  wrap  up  the  unit  with  a  Hurley  Cup  playoff!    -­‐Study  guides  went  out  this  week-­‐  Students  will  take  a  cumulative  semester  quiz  covering  material  from  both  quarters  on  1/22/15  &  1/23/15.      -­‐Extra  credit  went  out  this  week  also  and  is  due  1/20/15  &  1/21/15….students  could  earn  up  to  5  points  on  their  participation  portion  of  their  final  grade.    Physical  Education  Teachers:  Ms.  Bouchard  &  Mr.  Pellegrino              

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

   

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

         

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

What's Happening in Art Classes with Mrs. Farrow 6th graders are working on tissue paper paintings. They use watered down glue, a paint brush, along with torn tissue paper. They start by drawing something in nature. They carefully tear and overlap pieces to fill in the drawing. The process is time consuming, but the results are excellent! 7th graders are drawing gargoyles with a focus on applying the illusion of depth into their artwork. They are able to choose which medium they work in: pastels, charcoal, colored pencils, Sharpies, etc. 8th graders are drawings hands. They can work from their own hands, the classroom plaster castings of hands, or from a printed image. Students will focus on making their drawings 3-dimensional with shading and value techniques.      

                                 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Need a tutor?  8th grade students at Hurley Middle School want to help!    Anyone who’s interested in being tutored in any of the four core subjects by 8th grade students, now’s the time. There are eight students who each are willing to assist you in Math, Science, English, and Social Studies.  For those who are open to being tutored, we will meet on Wednesdays in Mrs. Metcalf’s from 2:25 until 4:00.    English: Abigail Brennick & Abigail Sampson  math: Hanna Saisselin & Thomas Ciolfi  science: Bethany Smith & Ethan Paiva  social Studies: Matthew Silveira & Aditi Patel    To sign up, fill out the form down below and please hand in to Mrs. Metcalf by the Tuesday before the session you plan on attending.  * If teachers would like to recommend students, you can also fill out the form below.*  * You may also fill out the form if you would like to become a tutor in the future.*    Upcoming Sessions!  Wednesday, January 21  Wednesday, January 28  Wednesday, February 4  MORE DATES COMING SOON!  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Name:    Date of session you want to attend (Dates shown above): Grade: 6 7 8    Homeroom teacher:    Subject(s) you need help in:    Teacher recommendation: Yes/No    I am interested in becoming a tutor! (please indicate the subject):    

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

 

 WINTER  TOURNAMENT  2015    We  are  excited  to  announce  that  Hurley  Middle  School  will  be  hosting  the  1st  annual  HMS  Winter  tournament  on  Saturday  and  Sunday,  January  24th  and  25th.    All  proceeds  go  to  the  HMS  hardship  fund.    Price  of  admission  is  $3.00  for  adults  and  free  for  middle  school  age  or  younger  children.    We  are  looking  for  student  or  parent  volunteers  to  work  the  admissions  and  concession  table  as  well  as  the  scorebook  and  clock.    Please  email  Coach  Botelho  @  botelhop@seekonk.k12.ma.us  if  you  are  interested.    We  are  looking  forward  to  a  great  weekend  of  basketball,  GO  WARRIORS!!      Thank  you,  Coach  Botelho  and  Coach  Holden    

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

Winter  Tournament  2015  

January  24th  and  25th  Game  Schedule    

    TIME     TEAMS    BOYS     Game  1   10:00   Warren  vs.  Rehoboth  GIRLS     Game  2     11:15   Warren  vs.  Warwick  BOYS   Game  3   12:30   Seekonk  vs.  Taunton    GIRLS     Game  4   1:45   Seekonk  vs.  Taunton    GIRLS     Game  5   9:00   Rehoboth  vs.  Winner  of  3/6  BOYS   Game  6   10:15   Riverside  vs.  Winner  of  4/5  GIRLS   Game  7   11:30   Riverside  vs.  Winner  of  4/5  BOYS     Game  8   12:45   Warwick  vs.  Winner  of  3/6  GIRLS     Game  9   2:00   CHAMPIONSHIP  /  Award  

Ceromony    BOYS   Game  10   3:30   CHAMPIONSHIP  /  Award  

Ceromony      

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

   

 

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

.  

   

                                                                                                                   

     

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

               

   

                                                                                                   

The Seekonk School Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.