Husky Families,
As we approach the Spring months, we often see an increase in off-task and disruptive behaviors among students. While excitement builds for the warmer months ahead, it’s important that we all work together to ensure our students remain focused, respectful, and committed to their academic success.
We ask for your continued support in reinforcing the academic and behavior expectations we hold at Hawfields Middle School. Please take a moment to talk with your child about:
Respecting adults and peers: Kindness and cooperation create a positive learning environment for everyone.
Completing classwork: Academic success depends on responsibility and effort in the classroom.
Avoiding disruptions: Every student deserves a distraction-free space to learn and grow.
To ensure clarity and consistency, we encourage you to review the ABSS Student Code of Conduct and the HMS Parent/Student Handbook. These resources outline the expectations and policies that help keep our school safe, structured, and focused on learning. Thank you for your partnership in keeping HMS a place where respect, responsibility, and excellence remain at the forefront.
Student Dismissal: Lately, we have seen an increasing number of students remaining on campus well past 4:10 p.m., some as late as 4:45 - 5:00 p.m., without supervision. This is not acceptable and cannot continue. All car riders must be picked up in the front of the school between 3:30 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. Any student still on campus after 4:10 p.m. who is not under the supervision of a staff member (a coach or classroom teacher) will be escorted to our After-School Care Program (The Husky Den), where parents will be required to park, come inside, and sign their child out. Families will also be charged the daily rate for after-school care.
If you are unable to pick up your child by 4:10 p.m., they should ride the bus home or be enrolled in The Husky Den, which offers structured supervision until 6:00 p.m. (Cost: $207 per month, paid in advance).To enroll in The Husky Den, use this link: Husky Den Enrollment Form.
HMS is committed to student safety, but we cannot provide unsupervised care for students outside of school hours. Please make the necessary arrangements to pick up your child on time. Thank you for respecting our policies and ensuring all students are picked up in a timely manner.
National School Social Worker Week: This week, we celebrate National School Social Worker Week and recognize the incredible work of Mrs. Ambraya Timmons, our dedicated school social worker! Ms. Timmons serves both Hawfields Middle and Garrett Elementary, the largest middle and elementary schools in the district. With a large caseload, she works tirelessly to support students and families, connecting them with resources, providing guidance, and helping remove barriers to success. Her commitment to student well-being and her ability to juggle the many needs of two large school communities is truly remarkable. Please take a moment this week to show your appreciation for Ms. Timmons. We are so grateful for all she does to support our students!
Lockdown Drill: We will be conducting a lockdown drill on Monday, March 3. Please know this drill is completely precautionary and an opportunity to practice keeping our students safe in the event of an emergency. At times, these drills are run in conjunction with our local emergency response teams. This helps ensure law enforcement and emergency responders are familiar with our buildings and procedures in the event of a real emergency and will help us build great relationships with these teams. This drill has been announced to our staff so they are not alarmed when the call goes out over the intercom. Lockdown drills provide us with useful information in how we design our School Safety Plans. We have a committee that regularly reviews our procedures to help ensure we are providing the safest building we can for our students and staff.
Tornado Drill: As part of North Carolina’s Severe Weather Preparedness Week, we will participate in the Statewide Tornado Drill on Wednesday, March 5, at 9:30 AM. This drill is an important opportunity for students and staff to practice emergency procedures in the event of a tornado. Severe Weather Preparedness Week is a statewide initiative led by the National Weather Service and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety to raise awareness about severe weather safety. With warmer weather approaching, now is the time to review safety plans and ensure readiness for severe storms and tornadoes. We appreciate everyone's cooperation in making this drill a success!
AYLA Recruitment for Rising 7th Graders: AYLA (Alamance Youth Leadership Academy) recruitment is now open for our rising seventh-grade students! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to cultivate their leadership skills through hands-on service projects and workshops with influential leaders from across our community. Applications are due to Mr. Leonard by Friday, March 7, 2025. Please encourage students who demonstrate leadership potential to apply! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Mr. Leonard. Thank you for your continued support in developing future leaders!
Free & Reduced Lunch Application: Breakfast and lunch are not universally free for all students. If you would like your child to eat meals at school, you will either need to put money on their online account or you will need to secure a free/reduced lunch status by filling out the required form. The form is available in the HMS main office or you can fill it out online: https://www.lunchapplication.com/ More information is available here. This year, we are asking that all families complete and return the form, regardless of whether your student will eat a meal at school.
HMS Boosters:
McTeacher’s Night Success: Thanks to our amazing school community, we earned $469 at McTeacher’s Night last week! A special shoutout to 7th grade for winning the Tip Jar Contest. Their prize will be announced and awarded soon!
Teacher Breakfast – Sign-Ups Opening Soon: Starting Monday, we’ll begin collecting donations and volunteer sign-ups for the March 17th Teacher Breakfast. Be sure to check the Booster Club Facebook page for the Signup Genius link!
March Madness is Coming:
Get ready for some fun! Keep an eye out for details on our upcoming March Madness Basketball Bracket Fundraiser and the March Madness Dance—more information coming soon!
Stay Connected - For more details about these events and other HMS Boosters activities, please follow the HMS Boosters Facebook page. Thank you for supporting HMS!
Athletics:
Free Physicals: We’re excited to announce a fantastic opportunity for all ABSS middle and high school student-athletes! Kernodle Clinic is offering FREE athletic physicals at multiple locations across the district.
Open to ALL ABSS Middle and High School students, regardless of their school.
Students can attend any date or location listed below.
Physicals will begin at 4:00 PM.
Bring your Pre-Participation Physical Form (available in English and Spanish)
Take advantage of this opportunity to ensure your student-athlete is ready for the upcoming sports season! If you need additional information, please reach out to your school’s athletic department.
Upcoming Calendar Events:
National School Social Worker Week - Week of March 3rd
Monday, March 3 - Lockdown Drill
Wednesday, March 5 - Tornado Drill at 9:30 am
Friday, March 7 - AYLA application due for rising 7th graders
Daylight Savings - March 9th
Required Teacher Workday - March 28th
School Librarian Appreciation Day - April 4th
Spring Break - April 12 - 21