Dear HMS parents, guardians, and caregivers,
We hope this update finds you and your family well! On Thursday, November 4, HMS celebrated the Day of Welcome. Civil Rights Teams from across Maine participate in a Day of Welcome to celebrate and promote the idea that school communities are for everyone, and we acknowledge that all parts of identities are protected under the Maine Civil Rights Act, regardless of race and skin color, national origin and ancestry, religion, disabilities, gender (including gender identity and expression), and sexual orientation. The event is sponsored by the Maine Office of the Attorney General through the Civil Rights Team Project (CRTP). We want to send a huge thank you to our CRT and their advisors, Stephanie Hill and Charlotte Agell, for organizing this event for HMS!
In this update, you will find information about the following topics:
Covid 19 Vaccination Clinic (ages 5-11)
HMS Food Drive
Thanksgiving Basket and Project Holiday
Water Bottles
SEL Resource: Kindness and Empathy
2021 Ski Sale and Swap
PTO News to Use
Dates to Remember
HMS Update #8 will be sent on November 19, 2021. Please continue to reach out with any questions.
With gratitude,
Mandy Lewis and Tom McDowell
HMS Administrative Team
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Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic
The FDA has given emergency authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot to vaccinate children ages 5-11. Yarmouth Schools will be offering vaccine clinics to accommodate students in each building who fall into this age range. These clinics will be run by Northern Light Health. Students will only receive vaccinations with parent/guardian permission. The full vaccination is delivered in two separate doses that are spaced four weeks apart. The clinics will take place during the school day. The scheduled dates for HMS are: November 22 and December 20, 2021.
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HMS Food Drive
HMS Student Leadership is organizing a food drive to support our local food pantry as they create over 80 Thanksgiving baskets for Yarmouth families. All items listed should be brought to HMS by Wednesday, November 10, so that we may organize and deliver the items to the food pantry. The following items are most needed, and we have divided them up amongst grade levels to help collect different items; any item that is donated with be graciously accepted:
5th grade:
Cranberry sauce
Canned corn
Canned peas
6th grade:
Canned green beans
Packets of stuffing mix
Jars of gravy
7th grade:
Pie crust mix
Canned pumpkin
8th grade:
Canned pie filling
Shelf-stable juices - apple, orange, cranberry
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Thanksgiving Basket and Project Holiday (Reminder)
Thanksgiving Meal Request If your family is in need of assistance in order to celebrate Thanksgiving, please complete the form linked in this message. The form is due by Friday, November 12, 2021.
Project Holiday is a program coordinated by Yarmouth Cares about Neighbors (YCAN) with assistance from YCS, Yarmouth Food Pantry, and the Lions Club. The goal of this program is to enhance the holiday spirit of giving in the Yarmouth community by connecting anonymous donors with Yarmouth families who confidentially request assistance. Food baskets are also available on this form. The application is due by November 15, 2021. Families should submit one application per household.
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Water Bottles
Students are encouraged to stay hydrated. Please encourage your child to bring a refillable water bottle to school. We have bottle fillers throughout the building for students to use.
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SEL Resource: Kindness and Empathy
HMS staff continue to explore social emotional learning strategies in the classroom and in our school community. In an effort to expand that focus, we wanted to share with you this resource from Edutopia focused on encouraging kindness and empathy (from the Center for Child and Family Well-Being, University of Washington, 2014). “Kimberly Schonert-Reichl underscores the importance of promoting social and emotional learning, reviews some of the research about cultivating kindness and compassion in children, and discusses five practical strategies that parents can try. For even more parent tips, read Schonert-Reichl's Kindness Booklet.” We hope you find this brief read helpful.
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2021 Ski Sale and Swap
The annual Ski Sale and Swap will take place on Saturday, November 20 from 9am-noon at the Rowe School. Full details are on the flyer linked here.
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PTO News to Use
Staff Appreciation: Thank you to everyone who helped us raise enough to bring brunch to all the incredible Yarmouth school staff this month!
Spirit Wear: Items are going home this week, so keep an eye out for them.
Hannaford: 11/17 by noon. This load is a great one to participate in with Thanksgiving coming up right afterward! Hannaford Form
PTO Meeting:11/18 @7pm. All are welcome! Look for a zoom link on our website and social media pages closer to the date.
October Newsletter: In case you missed it, click here!
Questions: Please reach out to Kim Tyau and Elaine Hughes at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com
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Dates to Remember
Thursday, November 11 and Friday, November 12, 2021 - Veterans Day break - No School
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 - School Photo retakes (flyer linked here)
Monday, November 22 and Monday, December 20, 2021 - Covid 19 Vaccination Clinics at HMS
November 22-24, 2021 - Thanksgiving Break - No School
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