Family Newsletter- 10.14.22
- Webmaster
- Oct 14, 2022
- 1 min read
Harwood Families -
It was wonderful to have so many families and caregivers once again filling the halls and rooms of Harwood during Open House last night. A HUGE thank you to our Farm to School club and incredible Food service staff for hosting such a delicious and local community dinner.
And to our Student Assembly crew for giving the community a snapshot of our creative and very fun Assembly program!
We are eager to continue to share the happenings of Harwood’s programming through upcoming Newsletters and Instagram posts. From the purpose of Teaching Advisory, to the role of the Student Support team, to what our Wellness Center looks like, to who Aspirations is at Harwood and what a proficiency based learning system means for your child - there is much to understand and get excited about.
Knowing there was more to see than there was time last evening please find some more information below.
With gratitude,
Meg, Laurie and Duane
Calendar:
10/15 - Homecoming
10/15 - PSAT
10/18 - Photo Retakes 9am - 1pm
10/18 - Assembly 2:45 - 3:20
10/26 - VSAC Forms Night 6pm
10/28 - End of Quarter 1
11/1 - VSAC Managing College Costs
11/4 - Stepping Stone Leadership Retreat
11/9 & 11/15 - 3:30 - 7p.m. Family Conferences
11/11 - NO school for students (staff in service day)
11/20 - National Honors Society Induction ceremony
11/21 - Blood Drive
11/23 - 11/25 - NO School Thanksgiving Break
12/6 - Socrates Cafe 6 p.m. (led by Harkness leaders)
Safe - seen, heard, respected & understood:
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TA conferences  | Check in and Goal Setting Conference Harwood is holding our November check in and goal setting conferences. The purpose of this meeting is to check in on the school year so far by sharing bright spots and possible challenges. Students will also be sharing a goal for the year with a focus related to their grade in school. Seniors - transition plans for success following graduation Juniors - developing a more detailed awareness of options beyond high school Sophomores - academic skill(s) that will help to manage more demanding classes and schedules Freshmen - building executive functioning skills (s/a time management, organization, working memory, etc.) When? Wednesday, November 9th or Tuesday, November 15th, from 3:30-7:00 Where? In person or virtually (NOTE: if you prefer to meet virtually, please email your student’s TA teacher so they can send you a link) How do I sign up? You will be receiving a letter with the instructions to sign up by next week. We look forward to continuing to build a connection between school and home through the advisory program! |
Student Support Updates  | Tardies & Detentions: It is important for students to be present and on time for school and class. This helps with preparation and successful engagement and learning. It also can impact others’ student learning and engagement. A reminder that any student with 3+ cumulative unexcused tardies (TU) will be expected to serve a detention. Thank YOU for your continued partnership in attendance and supporting our students' school experience. Student Services Team Slideshow: If you were unable to come to Open House (10/13/2022), please check out this HUMHS Student Services Team Slideshow, to learn more about the team members and the role they play at Harwood Middle/High School! We really enjoyed meeting the folks at parent night. Thanks to all who could make it. Student Support Leadership: Please check the photo (in the left column) of the Tri-Fold from Parent Night. Use this LINK to answer the question we asked of attendees: What does it mean for your student to feel a sense of belonging? Student Services Staff Highlights: Each newsletter, we will be highlighting our student services staff and their roles in more detail. |
 | Please use the QR code below to learn more about our Health Office Nurses or click HERE.  Magge Stone, BSN, RN, NPD-BC & Becca Simon, MSM, BSN, RN |
Wellness Center  | Parents, students, and guardians visited the Wellness Center during Open House and we are thrilled to finally share our space with you all IN  PERSON! The Harwood Wellness Center aims to create a safe space that supports students by raising awareness surrounding mental health and promoting a kind, empathetic, and accepting culture to help our communities thrive. The Wellness Center is a space where students can take up to a 15 minute technology-free break in a calming environment. We are offering many wellness ELO’s such as stress-reduction and healthy sleep workshops and will be open to students starting on Wednesday, October 19 for drop-ins. Please contact Jen Dreimiller with any questions at Jdreimiller@huusd.org ****We are welcoming tea donations!! Please send students with any sealed, pre-bagged tea and drop at the Wellness Center. Tea is wonderful for students during the cold winter months. Thanks in advance! |
School Counseling  | If we missed you at the Open House event please see our attached summary of HUHMS School Counseling services. Upcoming Events: 10/26 VSAC Forms Night - 6-7:30pm - VSAC will be at Harwood to discuss the process of applying for financial aid and helping individuals fill out the FAFSA & Vermont Grant application. Please be sure to create your FSA ID a few days prior to coming to the workshop. Students and parents will each need their own ID. View this list of information that you will need to bring with you to complete your applications. This event is only open to students and families of Harwood Union High School. Please register with this link. or contact the guidance office with any questions. 11/1 VSAC Managing College Costs - 6-7:00pm - Join VSAC Aspirations School Specialist, Ellen Bagnato, for a Financial Aid & Managing College Costs presentation. At this presentation, we will provide an overview of how families pay for college costs and the different types of financial aid, as well as the application process and timelines. We will also share with you several websites that can help you research the true cost of colleges and get ready to file financial aid forms. For more information on upcoming events, click here. |
Rigorous & Robust Academic Program:
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Proficiency Based Learning at Harwood  | Last night, open house also doubled as a film premiere as we released our first interview in a series about proficiencies at Harwood. We present to you… (drumroll…) Educators talking Proficiencies over Local Food In this first episode, Jonah Ibson (English teacher) and Jess Deane (teaching and learning coordinator) discuss the larger philosophy behind proficiencies, and what it looks like in the classrooms at Harwood, all while chowing down on chicken fingers and onion rings from Canteen Creemee Company in Waitsfield. Our hope is to share more with our community about what proficiencies are, what proficiency-based learning looks like, and how our system works at Harwood. This episode includes
Check it out, and reach out to Jess Deane (jdeane@huusd.org) if you have questions or suggestions for what additional topics would be helpful to cover in this interview series. |
Intervention at Harwood  | Meet Jacki McCarty and Tari Priddy! They, along with Ellen Parent, make up our team of Interventionists who are here to support students in math, reading, and writing throughout their 7-12 journey. If you didn’t get a chance to say hi to them last night, here are a few resources to share:
Across the middle and high school, we continue to use many different data points (including MAP testing, course and Learning Expectation scores, teacher input, and student interviews) to identify and support students who could benefit from additional skill instruction and practice. |
What is Aspirations?  | I am thrilled to be consulting with Harwood for the VSAC Aspirations program. Harwood was selected as a VSAC Aspirations School with the goal of building the school’s capacity to support ALL students in planning for life after high school. But what does that REALLY mean? I work directly with school staff (not students) to look at data, trends and practices within the school and consider what changes can be made so that post-high school planning doesn’t have to be “mysterious”, stressful or inequitable. Harwood has an amazing team of counselors and educators who are smart, caring, experienced and who are driven to support each student. Our goals for this school year include:
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Positive school climate and culture:
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 | YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY! Click on the button below to get started.VIEW AND ORDER PHOTOS HERE IF PHOTOS NOT APPEARING IN YOUR GALLERY? FIND YOUR STUDENT USING EVENT CODE: FE83522 HARWOOD HIGH SCHOOL FE83722 HARWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL Also Needed: PowerSchool Student ID |
 | Harwood’s ROC club is organizing a product drive, and this time we are collecting winter clothing items! The drive will run until October 21, and all contributions big and small are appreciated—we are accepting winter coats, hats, mittens/gloves, and boots. All donations will go to the USCRI in Colchester, who will then distribute the items to new Vermonters. Drop-off boxes are located at Crossett Brook Middle School, Harwood Union High School, and the Joslin Memorial Library. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact cfiaschetti2023@huusd.org or lboyden2025@huusd.org. |
