Thank You

Parents of second and third grade students:

Thank you so much for those of you who participated in this year's Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser. After running the numbers, it appears that HMS has raised over $3,000 for cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention! It continues to amaze me how supportive this community is of our school and it's programs.

As a thank you for our efforts, the American Heart Association will not only provide small gifts to participating students but will also donate gift certificates for new PE equipment. As it looks now, we should be receiving about $200 in certificates. I will make sure this money is spent on new and creative ways to help children enjoy physical activity.

Thank you again and remember to take care of your heart :-)

lsusd.net

Concord's Rock N' Race

Concordhospital.org 

Don't forget to sign up, if you haven't already, for this years Rock 'n Race! If you would like more information head to the official website, here. A group of HMS staff members, including myself, will be in the crowd walking or running. Hope to see you there!

Jump Rope for Heart 2013

www.heart.org

HMS Families:

Your son or daughter will be coming home with a jump rope for heart fundraising form this week. If you choose to participate, you'll have from now until April vacation to collect donations. All of the money goes to the American Heart Association for cardiovascular diseases and stroke prevention. Collecting donations is completely voluntary so don't feel obligated to participate. As a thank you, the AHA will provide students with small prizes for raising money. You can read about the details on the form itself or head to their website here.

All second and third graders are participating in a fitness unit during their PE classes (which include various jump rope activities). There will not be an official jump rope "event." If students would like to participate in the fundraiser on the side, all they need to do is ask for donations for the American Heart Association...the jump roping will be done at school, in class.

Thank you so much for your consideration and support of this great event. Also, please convert all cash to a check(s) payable to the American Heart Association.

Gymnastics!

Obstacle Course

Due to the frigid temperature outside, PE classes did not go outside to snowshoe. However, there was no shortage of fun with today's obstacle course. Take a look...

7th Annual Spaghetti Supper

nvtech.com

HMS Families:

The staff at Harold Martin School cordially invites you to attend our famous spaghetti dinner with all the fixings. This event is a fundraiser with all proceeds going to support HMS. In the past, we have purchased a storage shed, swings, a sandbox, cleared trees to expand the playground space, installed two state-of-the-art playground structures, two sturdy trash bins and most recently helped pay for the installation of a baseball diamond. Your support is truly appreciated by both the students and staff. With your help, we look ahead to adding a shade structure to the playground this spring.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12th 2013

COME JOIN US FOR DINNER

Spaghetti

Choice of Red Sauce or Meat Sauce

Bread Sticks

Salad with dressing

Dessert

Milk or Water

ALL MONEY WILL BE COLLECTED ON 2/22/13

ADULTS $6.00          CHILDREN $3.00             FAMILY RATE: $18

THERE WILL BE TWO SERVING TIMES

5:15 AND 6:15

3T Snowshoeing

Although the snow was not ideal, Mr. Tilley's 3rd grade class enjoyed their debut snowshoeing lesson at HMS. For many students, this was their first time trying out snowshoes in the snow! My hope is that we will get some additional snow later in the month for all classes to experience the fun.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone's time off allowed for some exercise and relaxation. During the holidays it may seem impossible to find time for ourselves in between the shopping, traveling, cooking and entertaining but it is imperative for our wellness to try. Sleeping in a bit later, going for a walk around the block, or eating a bit of fruit along with the (less healthy :-) desserts are some small things that can make a big difference in how we feel.

www.ankn.uaf.edu

Starting this week, the 2nd and 3rd grade PE classes will have the opportunity to learn about great a winter activity that can be both relaxing and count as exercise. As long as the weather cooperates, I will be teaching a unit on snowshoeing throughout the month of January. I enjoy teaching these lessons immensely because it shows the students that there are ways to be active (outdoors) during the winter months. Plus, unlike skiing or snowboarding, snowshoeing requires less money because no ticket or pass needs to be purchased. Especially in Hopkinton, one can find trails through the woods that will allow for a great snowshoeing experience.

If your son or daughter is in 2nd or 3rd grade, please remember to pack their outside clothing and boots so they can enjoy these lessons. Thank you so much!

Pillo Polo

Below are some 3rd grade students practicing stick handling, shooting, and defensive skills. I chose to have the students play with soft "pillo polo" sticks instead of traditional hockey sticks to ensure safety. The various skills that are taught in this unit transfer easily to sports such as lacrosse, field/ice hockey, soccer, and golf. 

Student Teacher

Happy Fall, HMS Families!

www.sxc.hu

For the past month or so I have been working with Garret Fischer, a student teacher from Plymouth State University. You may have seen us on our playground duty together, walking to school with the "walking school bus" or heard from your son or daughter about a new P.E teacher :-) Mr. Fischer is working towards his teaching certification in Health as well as Physical Education. Although this is only my fifth school year in the profession, it has become apparent to me that all students should be exposed to both subjects as early as possible. It is great to see that more and more colleges are encouraging their teachers-in-training to become certified in both fields.

Mr. Fischer will be working at HMS for the next couple of weeks until the beginning of November. Towards the end of his time here, we will slowly start to transition back to me as the sole teacher. At that point, I will start to post more pictures and videos of the students during our fun activities. Be sure to check back here soon for updates!