Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.
Did you know?...Students who missed 2 or more days in September were significantly more likely to be chronically absent for the year. In fact,
• Students who missed 2 to 4 days in September were 5 times more likely to be chronically absent than students who were absent fewer than 2 days
• Students who missed more than 4 days were over 16 times as likely to be chronically absent than students who were absent fewer than 2 days
This suggests that parents and schools need to pay attention to student attendance from the earliest days in September, and intervene to get students back on track quickly.
Getting a good education is a two-way street between students, school staff and parents. With that in mind, the following are the expectations we expect to meet ourselves as well as those expected from our students:
Hemlock Middle School Student/School Contract
Student: I understand that as a student of the Hemlock Middle School I agree to the following:
I will come to school ready to learn and work actively for success.
I will attend all classes on any day school is scheduled and remain in class unless released by the teacher.
I will be punctual and prepared for class; submit each day’s work completed as directed; and fully utilize materials provided for planning..
I will work to reach the highest expectation and be responsible for my actions.
I will respect our school and private property when on school grounds.
I will be courteous and respectful of each person’s right to an education, to instruction and to be instructed.
I will respect our school staff members and not criticize them.
I will participate in learning conflict resolution.
I will make my parents/guardians aware of parent/guardian-teacher conferences and encourage them to attend.
I will adhere to state laws and district policies concerning drugs, alcohol, weapons, assault, and harassment.
I will maintain appropriate behavior on school grounds, under the jurisdiction of school personnel.
I will be involved in at least one extracurricular activity during the school year.
I will complete make-up assignments when absent.
I will respect other people’s ideas and opinions.
I will remain fully informed of these written expectations.
School: As a school, in order to give students every opportunity to be successful, we agree to the following:
1. We will make every effort to provide you with a safe environment.
2. We will offer to you challenging instruction in a respectful environment.
3. We will offer a variety of extracurricular activities.
4. We will notify your parents/guardians whenever there is an unusual situation involving you.
5 We will treat you and your parents/guardians with respect.
6. We will give you the necessary time and help to learn conflict resolution skills.
Ready to Ride the School Bus?
School bus transportation is provided for all students living within the confines of the school district. This privilege may be denied for improper conduct while riding the bus. The length of this denial may vary from one day to the complete school year depending on the number of times reported and the seriousness of the misconduct. Students are not allowed to ride a different bus to another student’s home.
Each driver reviews the basic rules and regulations regarding riding a bus with his/her students. He/she has authority to stop the bus to talk with a student who is not conducting himself/herself properly and to report the student to the bus supervisor and/or principal. Proper disciplinary action will be reported to parents or guardians.
When your child remains after school or is required to serve a detention, transportation is the responsibility of the parents/guardians. Students are required to travel by bus to and from extra-curricular activities unless prior arrangements are made in writing through the office.
Saginaw County truancy policy requires us to report all absences, regardless of reason, to the Intermediate School District and to send written absence notifications to parents regularly. The county does not differentiate between excused absences and unexcused absences. We believe, and the court system supports, that students should be in school every day for their maximum academic potential to be realized. Please keep this in mind when planning your student’s day around things such as health professional appointments, family vacations, etc. We are required to report excessive (TEN OR MORE DAYS PER SEMESTER) student absences of any reason to the county truancy office for follow-up.
We will contact parents/guardians by letter when your child has been absent four (4) and eight (8) times before contacting the truancy authorities.
What do students do after school is over for the day?
When school is not in session, students are to leave school property. Students should leave immediately after dismissal unless under direct supervision of a teacher or coach. Athletes/special group activity members are to leave the building until their group is scheduled to depart. Our library is open for student use from 7:00 AM until 4:00 PM each day. Students remaining here for any reason should stay in the library engaged in school work.
Does your child ride the bus?
The district provides bus transportation to and from school for students. A list of bus stops is published at the beginning of the school year before student registration. Parents/guardians must at the beginning of the school year select a bus stop at which the students to be picked up, and a stop at which a student has to be dropped off. Students are not permitted to ride a bus other than the bus to which they are assigned. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the transportation supervisor. When students are on the bus, they are under the supervision of the bus driver. In most cases, bus discipline problems can be handled by the bus driver. In the case of a written disciplinary referral, student bus problems will be investigated and handled by the transportation supervisor. Parents will be informed of any and all inappropriate student behavior on the bus. Parents are encouraged to discuss bus safety and appropriate behavior with her children before the beginning of the school year and regularly during the year. In the interest of the student safety, students are expected to observe the following rules:
Choose a seat and sit in and immediately upon entering the bus. Do not stand in the interest or in the isles.
Do not move from one state to another while on the bus.
Keep all parts of the body and all objects inside the bus.
Loud conversation, singing, boisterous activity, unnecessary noise, or profanity is not allowed.
Enter and exit the bus only when the bus is fully stopped.
All school rules apply while on the bus, at a bus stop, or waiting for the bus.
Use emergency door only in an emergency.
In the event of emergency stay on the bus and await instructions from the bus driver.
Good behavior and behavior that will not distract the bus driver from operating the bus safely as required. Crowding, pushing, scuffling, and other needless commotion are grounds for disciplinary action.
Do not open windows unless Directed to do so by the bus driver.
Keep the bus neat and clean.
Athletic footwear equipped with cleats or spikes are not allowed on the bus.
Inappropriate behavior will be be reported to school authorities and failure to observe safety rules may result in suspension from bus services.
Attendance matters!
Back to School Anxiety? Read this article! https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/08/28/545393966/how-to-counter-back-to-school-anxiety
Your Board of Education, Teachers, Staff Members and Principal are excited about the new school year and its possibilities. We hope that you are too!
Please do everything you can each day to ensure that our school remains in tip-top condition. Our school is a reflection of the people who are in it each day. Do your part to ensure that you make positive additions to your education, the people around you, and to our school each day you are here.
Put Huskie Spirit in all you do each day!
Kris Kienitz is our afternoon secretary at Hemlock Middle School.
HMS Principal, Terry Keyser said, “Kris is warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. She is also very creative and can think “outside of the box”. She is a smiling face for our students and staff. She has worked hard to make our building more inviting with decorated bulletin boards, by posting student and staff birthdays each month in our cafeteria, and decorating various other parts of the building to reflect Huskie Pride.”
Kris grew up on a dairy farm in Hemlock and graduated from Hemlock High School. From there she went on to earn an Associate’s degree from Delta College. Kris has two grown children: Courtney (27) and Karen (26). Her favorite place visited is Hawaii. Her 2019 summer highlight is camping. She loves to bake, garden (she’s famous in the area for her pumpkins!) and go camping. Kris’s favorite author is Nicholas Sparks. She worked as a secretary at several other places before joining our team at HMS. Kris is most proud of our students when they are respectful.
Karen Stine, middle school secretary said, “We are so blessed to be working side-by-side with such a kind, thoughtful and funny lady. Kris is proud to be a graduate of Hemlock and a resident. She’s creative, has a special bond with students, and cares about them.”
For more information about this or other positive happenings at Hemlock Public School District please call (989) 642-5282 or visit us on the web at www.hemlockps.com
Welcome Back to School Night is right around the corner--Wednesday, August 21. As you are planning for back-to-school, please add this date to your calendar. Welcome Back to School Night is the chance for parents and students to learn more about what to expect this year, get student schedules, meet teachers, find you locker, and see friends. Schedule is as follows:
Fifth grade doors open @ 5:05. Pick up packets in cafeteria. General session in the gym starting @ 5:15, to homerooms @ 5:30 to meet teachers, get schedule, try locker combinations, must exit building by 6:05 p.m..
Sixth grade doors open @ 5:50, to get packets in cafeteria. General session in gym @ 6:00, to 1st hour classrooms @ 6:15 to meet teachers, get schedules, find locker etc., must exit building by 6:30.
Seventh/Eighth grade doors open @ 6:45, to get packets in the cafeteria, no general session, go to first hour class, get schedule, meet teachers, find locker, etc.
Steps to follow when absent from school are as follows:
A. Have parent or guardian phone in or write an excuse with name, date, and days absent and the reason for being absent. Absence will be excused. Absence will be recorded as unexcused otherwise. All excused absence notes should be submitted to the office when the student returns to school.
Arrangements for homework assignments can be made by the student accessing their Google Classroom application or by notifying the office before 8:00 AM. These materials should be picked up AFTER school. If students are absent for one day only, please do not request work.
VISITORS
We welcome visitors and balance that with our need to provide safety for all of our students and staff. All visitors, including parents and siblings, are required to use our secure entry system, enter through the front door of the building and proceed immediately to the main office. Visitors should identify themselves and inform office personnel of their reason for being at school.
Visitors must sign in, identifying their name, the date and time of arrival, and the classroom or location they are visiting. Approved visitors are given a tag identifying themselves as a guest and place the tag on their outer clothing in a clearly visible location. Visitors are required to proceed immediately to their stated location in a quiet manner. All visitors must return to the main office and sign out before leaving the school.
Visitors are expected to abide by all school rules during their time on school property. A visitor who fails to conduct himself/herself in an appropriate manner will be asked to leave and may be subject to criminal penalties for trespass and/or disruptive behavior.
Attendance matters!
Each year we honor students who have perfect attendance. Perfect attendance is no small feat.
Students qualifying for perfect attendance awards must be in attendance every hour of each school day. Each year we have upwards of 10 students who qualify for this award.
Welcome Back to School Night is August 21. As you are planning for back-to-school, please add this date to your calendar. Welcome Back to School Night is the chance for parents and students to learn more about what to expect this year, get student schedules, meet teachers, find you locker, and see friends. Schedule is as follows:
Fifth grade doors open @ 5:05. Pick up packets in cafeteria. General session in the gym starting @ 5:15, to homerooms @ 5:30 to meet teachers, get schedule, try locker combinations, must exit building by 6:05 p.m..
Sixth grade doors open @ 5:50, to get packets in cafeteria. General session in gym @ 6:00, to 1st hour classrooms @ 6:15 to meet teachers, get schedules, find locker etc., must exit building by 6:30.
Seventh/Eighth grade doors open @ 6:45, to get packets in the cafeteria, no general session, go to first hour class, get schedule, meet teachers, find locker, etc.
Welcome Back to School Night is August 21. As you are planning for back-to-school, please add this date to your calendar. Welcome Back to School Night is the chance for parents and students to learn more about what to expect this year, get student schedules, meet teachers, find you locker, and see friends. Schedule is as follows:
Fifth grade doors open @ 5:05. Pick up packets in cafeteria. General session in the gym starting @ 5:15, to homerooms @ 5:30 to meet teachers, get schedule, try locker combinations, must exit building by 6:05 p.m..
Sixth grade doors open @ 5:50, to get packets in cafeteria. General session in gym @ 6:00, to 1st hour classrooms @ 6:15 to meet teachers, get schedules, find locker etc., must exit building by 6:30.
Seventh/Eighth grade doors open @ 6:45, to get packets in the cafeteria, no general session, go to first hour class, get schedule, meet teachers, find locker, etc.
As you are planning for back-to-school, please add this date to your calendar. Welcome Back to School Night is the chance for parents and students to learn more about what to expect this year, get student schedules, meet teachers, find you locker, and see friends. Schedule is as follows:
Fifth grade doors open @ 5:05. Pick up packets in cafeteria. General session in the gym starting @ 5:15, to homerooms @ 5:30 to meet teachers, get schedule, try locker combinations, must exit building by 6:05 p.m..
Sixth grade doors open @ 5:50, to get packets in cafeteria. General session in gym @ 6:00, to 1st hour classrooms @ 6:15 to meet teachers, get schedules, find locker etc., must exit building by 6:30.
Seventh/Eighth grade doors open @ 6:45, to get packets in the cafeteria, no general session, go to first hour class, get schedule, meet teachers, find locker, etc.
What?! We're one week away from Welcome Back to School Night? Whoa! Let's get prepared.
