August 28th, 2024

WELCOME BACK SKYHAWK FAMILIES!

Where does the time go!! I hope everyone had an amazing and relaxing summer with family and friends. It is really important to take time to rest, reconnect and recharge during the beautiful BC summertime. While we are always a little sad to see summer come to an end, we are very excited about another fantastic year ahead at HD Stafford Middle School!

Many of our staff have already been in, getting ready for our new and returning Skyhawks to break through the door – and we cannot wait to see their smiling faces in a week! I would like to send a special welcome to our new Grade 6 students, the HDSMS class of 2027. Our school has so much to offer, and we are excited to have you join the great legacy of the Skyhawks family.

We are also excited to share that all of our extra-curricular opportunities will be returning for students in the fall! We want to encourage all students to become involved in the many aspects of Skyhawks culture that make HDSMS such an amazing place to work and learn. There are so many ways to enrich your middle school experience within our community through academics, explorations, extra-curricular clubs, music, and athletics. So get involved!

Parents we invite you to become involved partners in all aspects of the school. To help you get the year started off right, you will find some important information about the first few days of school. Please take some time to read through it carefully.

STAYING CONNECTED

● HDSMS will continue to work towards being a completely paperless school when it comes to communication with parents. In order to stay informed, please be sure you use at least one of the following on-line methods:

• EMAIL: Email is a primary form of communication via MYEDBC or School Messenger. Please complete the school verification form that is sent home to ensure we have the most update contact information. The verification forms will be sent home with your child in the first two weeks of school.
• ATTENDANCE: If your child is going to be away from school – you can email hdsattendance@sd35.bc.ca to report the absence.
• TWITTER: Follow our feed at www.twitter.com/HDSMSskyhawks
• INSTAGRAM: Follow us at www.instagram.com/HDSMSskyhawks
• WEBSITE: Stay up-to-date at hdsms.sd35.bc.ca
• VIMEO: Check out our media! https://vimeo.com/hdsmsskyhawks

IMPORTANT DATES FOR SEPTEMBER

• Exploration rotations for all grades will start on Thursday, September 5th
  ○ Teachers will let students know what their first exploration will be (Tech Arts, OACES, Textiles, Drama, Cooking) and Exploration teachers will be “picking up” students from their homeroom classes.
• Friday, September 6th will be our first Spirit Day of the year: Stafford Pride!
  • Be sure to wear your Skyhawks gear and colours
• Grade Group Assemblies will be on Monday Sept. 9th, 2024
• Photo Day is on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024
• Welcome Back Social & Meet the Staff – September 19th, 2024
• Orange Shirt Day – September 27th, 2024
• National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (No school) – September 30th, 2024

HD STAFFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL BELL SCHEDULE:

Click the link below or image to see our 2024-2025 Bell Schedule.

HD STAFFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL CALENDAR

• This year, our school calendar will be available on-line. You can access it by going to our school website under quick links or by clicking here.

LOCKERS:

• Attached is the “Student Locker Conditions of Use” which outlines the expectations for students that are using lockers at HD Stafford. Staff will be helping students familiarize themselves with locks, lockers and expectations in the first couple of weeks of school.

STAFF LISTS AND CONTACTS

• As with every year, there have been some changes in our staff. We will be updating the website shortly with the full staff directory so be sure to check that out in the coming days.

SCHOOL FEES AND FORMS

• This year we will be using School Cash Online for payment of school fees, field trips etc. Please click here for information on how to register and pay through this method.
• This year, we will be collecting parent consents through an online form rather than on paper. At the beginning of the school year, an email will be sent to the primary guardian of each child as indicated in MYEDBC. Instructions will be included in that email.

SCHOOL SUPPLY LISTS

CLASS COMPOSITION & PLACEMENTS

• In May and June of last year, our staff worked extremely hard to create classes for students to best meet their learning needs. There are many factors that go into this process including meetings with previous teachers, admin, resource staff and support staff to ensure the best placement for all students. Ensuring students are into their classes during the first week will allow for those crucial relationships between staff and students to begin sooner while establishing important routines for the entire year.
• We understand that this can be an anxious time for students, however middle school is designed to encourage positive connections with peers and staff. This often results in new connections and friendships within the first weeks of school.
• As registrations are continuing to come in this week, classes are continually being adjusted accordingly and so, to that end, students will come on Wednesday, September 7th to their homeroom class.
• Out of respect for the class creation process, very few changes will be made for the first six weeks of school unless there are truly extraordinary circumstances.

HD STAFFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

At HD Stafford, we want our students to be able to empathize with others and have the moral courage to make the right decisions. We are confident our families will partner with us in using Restorative Action, where all adults in our school community establish and reinforce clear expectations.

If any students:
a) bully, disrespect, harass, interfere with, or endanger other students
b) are disrespectful toward school buildings, property, and the property of others
c) are disrespectful towards adults or peers
d) refuse to comply with a directive from any caring adult staff member at the school (including teachers and teaching assistants, parents acting as chaperones or coaches, noon hour supervisors, etc.), then they will be held accountable, and are subject to disciplinary consequences for their behaviour.

Bullying and Harassment

• Bullying or harassment in any form will result in students being held accountable for their actions and words and being subject to the school progressive disciplinary process.

Closed Campus

• HD Stafford is a closed campus; that is, students will not be allowed to leave the school premises after arriving in the morning unless they have a note from a parent/guardian. All visitors must check in at the office upon entering.

Bikes, Scooters, and E-Scooters

• As a school community, student safety is our priority and so in an effort to keep everyone safe, we will be moving forward with 2 expectations for all our students:
• We are asking students to “dismount” upon arriving on school grounds and that they WALK their bike, scooter or e-scooter along the path or sidewalk. Students will not be allowed to ride their bike, scooter, or e-scooter during these peak times on school grounds. We will be requiring students to dismount at the East side & West side crosswalks and the East side gate at 48th.

• We have offered to purchase a helmet for any student who does not have one. We want all our students to get to and from our school safely, and we will be recommending that all our students wear helmets when riding a bike, scooter or e- scooter. It is the law and we want to teach our student proper road safety. We appreciate that students may choose to not wear a helmet, however we do want to ensure that all our students can have a helmet if they need one.

Clothing – Langley School District Dress Guidelines

• If staff determines that a student’s clothing violates the Langley School District Dress Guidelines, students will be drawn aside for a private conversation. If students cannot provide clothing that adheres to the guidelines, they will be given clean clothes to wear from the office.Hats
• Hats are welcome to be worn indoors at HD Stafford Middle except during assemblies or formal occasions (i.e. Remembrance Day)Hoodies
• With the interest of maintaining safety in our school, students are asked to keep their hoods down while inside the school building.

Language

• Students will be expected to use proper language for school, both inside the building and outside. Therefore swearing, disrespectful or racist language, either verbal or written, will not be tolerated at any time. Students may expect immediate consequences for use of improper language.

Lunchtime

• We do not have a cafeteria, so students will eat lunch in their classroom, sitting at their desks. Respectful inside behaviour will be expected at all times. After the eating period there may be activities such as clubs and intramurals. All other students will be expected to go outside for the duration of the lunch period.

Outside Days

• All days are outside days; that is, students will go outside for recess and lunch play periods. Students must therefore come dressed for the weather each day.

Personal Technology

• Our school utilizes a BELL-TO-BELL policy that has been incredibly beneficial for our students learning and success.
• Students will be expected to put away personal technology upon school entry in their locker and it is not to be used until the bell at the end of the day.
• Electronic devices will not be used during recess and lunch and will not be allowed outside during these times.
• This is in alignment with the Provincial directives and SD35 AP 350 – Student Use of Personal Digital Devices.

• We kindly ask parents to support our Personal Technology policy by contacting the school directly if you would like to contact your child during the school day.

Physical Contact

• ‘Hands and feet to yourself’ will govern our behaviour. This means no tackle football, rough play or play fighting. A simple hug when greeting someone is acceptable, but displays of affection such as kissing or extended hugging are not.

Harmful Items

• Students must not bring any kind of harmful items to school. These include vapes, lighters, any kind of household knife, laser pointers, other chemical substances, or any object that may be a danger to others or could be considered a weapon. If a student accidentally brings any object like this to school, they must tell a staff member immediately and bring the item to the office. Parents may pick up the item later at the office.
• The RCMP will be notified if a staff member feels that the incident is sufficiently serious.Illness / Absence

• It is always best to keep sick children home from school. This way they do not infect other children.
• HD Stafford has an automated system where we contact the home of every student who is absent to inform parents of their child’s absence. You can help our wonderful admin assistants by emailing the school at hdsattendance@sd35.bc.ca and letting us know your son or daughter will be absent or late. If this is not an option, we ask that you phone the school at 604-534-9285. This not only saves us from making an unnecessary call, but if there are students out there who need our help, it helps us identify them faster.Paying for Extras
• Many times, during the year families may be asked to pay for extras around the school including field trips, agendas, sports team, spirit wear, etc. In order to make this as easy as possible we have set up a system whereby families can pay through School Cash Online as well as the traditional options of cheque or cash.

Communication

• Good communication between home and school is a critical factor in student success. We encourage parents to read the weekly newsletter on Fridays. Agendas are an excellent way to communicate with teachers, or families can phone the school (604-534-9285), email, or make an appointment to see a staff member. We welcome your involvement, and your suggestions.

Please feel free to communicate with us, by following:
Website: https://hdsms.sd35.bc.ca
Twitter: @HDSMSskyhawks
Instagram: hdsmsskyhawks

HDSMS Advisory – F.L.O.C.K.

The goal of advisory class is for all students to build another positive connection with an adult in the building and to develop areas of student growth that other aspects of the school are not working on. FLOCK classes will discuss topics around developing school culture, leadership and team building and other areas of social emotional learning. FLOCK classes occur twice a week for 25 minutes on Mondays and Thursdays.

MTSS (Multi-Tier Support System) – S.O.A.R.

This year, we will continue with a 25-minute period following the first block of the day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in which students can receive support for learning and enrichment. The goal of this time is to ensure students have additional support or extension opportunities for grade level instruction so that we can better individualize the learning experience for each of our students. There will be no new instruction during this time, students can access the support or enrichment they need using the staff across the school.

PAC GENERAL INFORMATION:

Our PAC works to help create effective partnerships between the school and parent community. Building the triangle of support between parent, school, and child will create powerful learning opportunities and ensure our children’s success.

Each and every parent or guardian is a member of our PAC. We encourage you to join us for the monthly meetings to participate in the building of PAC community and create learning opportunities for your child.

Our first PAC meeting of the year is Tuesday, Sept 10th @ 6:30 in the Library Commons All parents and guardians encouraged to attend !

If you’re interested to be more involved in the PAC, daytime or evening, reach out to hdsmspresident@gmail.com or hdsmspac@gmail.com.

The 2024/25 HDSMS PAC EXECUTIVE:

Kristina Peters – PRESIDENT – hdsmspresident@gmail.com
Michelle Springman – VICE PRESIDENT – hdsmsvicepresident@gmail.com
Drea Baird – TREASURER – hdsmstreasurer@gmail.com
Matt Cleveland – MEMBER AT LARGE – hdsmsmal1@gmail.com
Ciara Barber – MEMBER AT LARGE – hdsmsmal2@gmail.com
Cristina Sherwood-Gray – MEMBER AT LARGE – hdsmsmal3@gmail.com