Harwood High/Middle School Families -
It officially feels like autumn at Harwood. Not only the sight of our changing leaves and the temperature dip outside but the settling into routines by students. Students are balancing after school responsibilities and homework, our new ELO schedule has kicked off, sports games are well underway, the cast for the Fall play has been established and clubs are meeting.
We would also like to extend our congratulations to Ciera Fiaschetti and Jillian Rundle who have earned academic honors from the College Board’s National Recognition Program. These young women are recipients of the National Rural and Small Town Award, which is granted to students who have excelled on their PSAT/NMSQT or AP Exams and in the classroom. These National Recognition Programs can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them stand out during the admissions process.
Harwood Middle School continues to connect 7th and 8thth grade students in our new team structure. Both team Aqua and Terra continue to build a sense of HUMS community through group/classroom challenges that pair new friends together to complete a task. To keep our HUMS families updated on activities that promote Curious, Connected and Caring students please read their specific team newsletters. Harwood middle school will continue to share important calendar information, showcase student work/activities and provide general middle school information on this newsletter. Please email dpierson@huusd.org if you have any questions.
On Monday, Harwood grades 9-12 will be participating in our College and Training fair - a collaboration between our counseling office and Aspirations committee as we continue to work to increase student access to opportunities beyond high school.
Harwood strong,
Meg, Laurie and Duane
Calendar:
9/23 - Picture day - more information below
10/13 - 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. Open House *more details to come
10/15 - Homecoming *more details to come
11/9 & 11/15 - 3:30 - 7p.m. Family Conferences
Safe - seen, heard, respected & understood:
Topics | Information/Links |
|---|---|
Health Office Updates  | Omicron-specific COVID-19 boosters are now available in Vermont. The updated booster is for people 12 and older who have completed their primary COVID-19 vaccine series and received their last booster or additional dose at least two months ago. Look for Pfizer Bivalent Booster 12+ and Moderna Bivalent Booster 18+ in the list of walk-in clinics. Bivalent boosters are also available at some pharmacies across the state beginning this week. Contact pharmacies directly for details on available products and scheduling. Boosters will be arriving in doctors' offices in the coming weeks. Learn more about these boosters |
 | HARWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL “Connecting” and “Caring” with others  Harwood Middle School students share time together as a whole school in the mornings (listening to DJ Pierson spin crazy awesome music), at Lunch and Recess and during our whole school assemblies. We are getting to know each other as the school year begins. |
Rigorous & Robust Academic Program:
Topics | Information/Links |
|---|---|
 | College and Training Fair On Monday, September 19th, Harwood Union High School is excited to announce it is bringing back its annual College and Training Fair. All students in grades 9 through 12 will have the opportunity to explore and interact with admissions representatives from 45 colleges and universities from around the country. There will also be representatives from Americorps, Job Corps, the Advanced Welding Institute and the Central Vermont Medical Center to talk about alternate training opportunities. Activities to prepare and engage students with the fair will be provided in Teacher Advisory (TA) throughout the week leading up to the event. For students and families who would like to explore additional College Fair opportunities there will be a NEACAC College Fair at Saint Michael’s College’s Tarrant Recreation Center that same evening from 6:30 -8:30 PM. Registration is not required for this fair. |
 | All students and families received JumpRope login information this week so that you can track students’ progress in their courses throughout the year. It is important to note that, as courses ramp up at the beginning of the school year, a course will not appear on your dashboard in JumpRope until the first score has been entered by a teacher. Throughout the year, we will email JumpRope progress reports home that show more detailed information about student progress on our Learning Expectations (the transferable skills that students are practicing in their courses). These progress reports will be emailed home at the midpoint and end of each quarter, and will also prompt conferencing between students and their TA teacher. If you are looking at JumpRope and have course-specific questions, please email the teacher. If you have general JumpRope questions, reach out to Jessica Deane, teaching and learning coordinator, at jdeane@huusd.org. |
 | Picture Day is September 23rd! Click on the flyers for more information. (These will also be going home with each student next week).   |
| HARWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL “Curious” Scientists at work Team Aqua and Terra scientists are starting the year by performing tasks  that help us identify and strengthen scientific skills. When “doing science” some skills we use include asking questions, defining problems, analyzing data, using evidence to support arguments, and constructing explanations. We connected these skills as we discussed some current events like the NASA Artemis missions, the drought in the USA and Europe, the flooding in Pakistan and the genetic editing of mammals. HARWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL CHEFS ”Curious” about food.  You may be amazed one day when your HUMS school highlander is making something in your kitchen. |
Positive School Climate and Culture:
Topic | Information/Links |
|---|---|
 Detention ALL Students 7th-12th grade | Detentions will begin Tuesday, September 20th. Throughout the year, after school detentions will be held on TUESDAYS and WEDNESDAYS each week, from 3:40-4:40pm. Students can take the late bus home. Please contact the Bus Barn at 802-244-6422, or check out the bus route links HERE. Caregivers and students will receive an email from the Student Support Team with the details, if your student is expected. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting students and teaching them the importance of accountability. |
 | Tardies: Being on time and prepared for class is correlated with positive student success. We want to encourage Harwood students to arrive in time to settle in, and get ready to learn! **Any student who accumulates three (3) unexcused tardies will be asked to serve one after school detention. Student-athletes will not be able to participate in that day’s practice. Patterns of tardies may result in additional consequences. Class Cuts: A class cut is when a student arrives to class more than ten (10) minutes after the final bell; OR leaves class at any time without permission. Class cuts will result in after school detentions. Student-athletes will not be able to participate in that day’s practice. Patterns of cuts may result in additional consequences. Student attendance matters! We miss you (students) when you are not in class! |
 | HARWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL “Connecting” as teammates! Team Aqua had their first whole team challenge…get all members across a raging river safely. Will they figure out how to work together, or strike out alone and struggle to succeed? Stay tuned…
Combined Team Aqua and Terra taking a break to play a game of basketball!  |