Week of December 1, 2025

The Week in Review at HMS: Notes from Dr. Cockley

Week of December 1, 2025

 

We’re grateful to share that, through our Holiday Sharing program, our school and community came together to support 90 Hudson families with a Thanksgiving meal and food for the holiday season. HMS collected more than 12,000 food items and gift-card dollars - an incredible show of generosity!! Here are just a few of the 90 boxes filled solely with Middle School donations for our local families. Wow!

 

What an incredible night! Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade orchestras took the stage and absolutely lit up the stage - even on a snow day! Thank you to our amazing audience for braving the weather and filling the auditorium. And thanks to Mr. Iriarte for leading this outstanding performance!  

 

An inspirational evening with our middle school choirs for their Winter Concert! Their talent and joy for music made the whole night unforgettable. Special thanks to Ms. Platek, for helping our students be their absolute best!

 

Students visit the media center to select choice books…including the opportunity to participate in their class book challenge. This month - graphic novels! 

 

Students in Digital Art are bringing their ideas to life, using light boxes to sketch and create their own one-of-a-kind animated flip books!

 

In Medical Detectives, students took on the role of doctors as our special guest “patients” came in with a variety of symptoms to diagnose. Such a great, hands-on learning lesson!

 

Important Notes:

 

POE Day - Tuesday, 12/9

• Next Tuesday, December 9, is our next Portrait of an Explorer Day! 
• Our students and staff are encouraged to wear their Why Not? t-shirts as a celebration of our PreK-12 school community. 
• We'll be focused on the theme of Engaged Collaborator!
• Engaged Collaborator: An Explorer helps everyone learn and grow by proactively listening, thoughtfully presenting ideas, respecting all voices, and collaborating to achieve shared goals.

 

Important Reminders from our Attendance Office: 

• A friendly reminder to please send your child with a dismissal note, to the attendance desk, the morning of their appointment, if you will be picking them up early. This will allow the attendance office to give your child a pass to return to the office for their appointment time. This process allows us to keep classroom interruptions to a minimum and prompt arrival of your students for their departure.
• If you did not send in a note with your child, please bring your photo ID for verification, and please be prepared to wait for your child to arrive from class - thank you for your patience and understanding. 
• In addition, if your child will be missing school for a planned time away, please have them fill out an Advanced Absence Form, available in the Main Office. These forms are an important communication tool between the student and their teachers and will be noted upon being filled out and returned to the Attendance Office.

 

Supporting Our Kids Together: Technology & Online Safety

• As a school community, we want to partner closely with families to help our children navigate the digital world with confidence and care. Our students are growing up in a time when technology brings incredible opportunities…and real challenges. Working together, we can help our students build healthy habits, stay safe, and use technology in ways that support their learning and well-being. 
• In October, we shared several parent resources leading up to our November 4th Be Kind and Safe Online presentation by the Hudson Police Department. These tools are still available and offer guidance on a number of topics from setting healthy screen-time boundaries to talking with kids about online risks.
• Parent/Guardian Resources to Support Your Children
  • Online Safety - Akron Children's
  • Media Use Guidelines: Big Kids - Akron Children's
  • Sexting: What Parents Need to Know - Akron Children's
  • 5 Internet Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens - Scholastic
  • FBI Sextortion Information - What Caregivers and Kids/Teens Need to Know
  • CommonSense Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between - a number of articles about a wide variety of individualized topics (e.g., Parental Controls, Practical Tips for Easing Kids’ Social Media Anxiety, How to Help Kids Spot Misinformation, etc)
  • Creating a Family Cell Phone Contract - ‘Your Teen for Parents’ Magazine

 

HMS Lunch Aide Position Available:

• Perfect lunch-time hours! Outstanding people! 
• We have an HMS lunch aide position available. The role is part-time daily from 10:30am - 1:00pm. 
• This is such an important part of our students’ day, and we are truly appreciative of the individuals who support them during lunch. 
• If you know of anyone who might consider this role, please reach out to them to share about this opportunity. You may know a retired friend, a recent graduate, or someone thinking about re-entering the workforce. Thank you so much for helping to spread the news.  
• Anyone interested can apply via our district website under Job ID 2795 (Educational Aide/Lunch at the Middle School). 
• We also are always looking for substitutes, for those who need a little more flexibility.

 

Interested in Serving as a Substitute? 

• Our district is actively looking for substitute teachers and staff members to help support our students. If you’ve ever considered stepping into our schools, this is a wonderful way to make a difference in the lives of students and support our community. Even a day or two of your time can have a big impact.
• We’d love for you to consider joining us - our students (and staff!) would truly appreciate your help! 
• Now Hiring! Substitute Rates and Information Flyer

 

HMS Staff Shout Outs: 

Has an HMS staff member made a difference for your child? We love to show appreciation for our amazing staff at HMS! Here’s an opportunity to share more personally if a staff member has made a difference, no matter how big or small. I will be sure to recognize their efforts individually and quietly. HMS Staff Shout Out Google Form

 

PeachJar Flyers - For event information about district and community events, please view the latest Peachjar flyers here: HCSD PeachJar Link