To: Holly Ridge Middle Parents
From: Brian Pittman, Principal
Hornet eNews Update, 5/27/2013
Topics Include:
1. End-of-Grade Testing, May 28-31
2. 8th Grade Dance
3. Awards Day Celebrations
4. Bookbags - June 6, 7, & 10
5. Lost & Found
6. Promotion / Retention News
7. Fall 2013 Athletics
8. Looking Forward to 2013-14
9. HSHS Golden Hawks Golf Tournament
1. End-of-Grade Testing, May 28-31
On Tuesday - Friday of this week, we will be administering state testing to students. Students have worked hard this year and this is their opportunity to show all that they have learned. Truly the best things that you can do this week to help them do this is to encourage them to work diligently and take their time. I am confident that no group of students can perform better than our Hornets provided that they take their time and try to avoid careless errors. Let them know that as long as they work hard, read each question carefully, and do their best then you will be proud of them. I will be, too.
The daily plan for students can be found at the link below. Note that students will only go to 1-2 classes per day after testing on Tuesday - Thursday. We will do our best to get to all of them on Friday but we will not rush testing in order to do that.
Make-up testing will be on June 3-7 for all tests including EOCs missed this last Friday. Contact Mr. Cole (
jcole@wcpss.net) if you have questions about make-up testing.
A few other important reminders about testing:
- Early dismissals during EOGs should be by emergencies only and only as approved by the principal. Please note that testing may go as long as 1pm.
- Please talk with your student about their phone and/or other electronic devices. A phone going off or even a student doing so much as checking the time on their phone will invalidate their test and may invalidate the tests of others in the room. We will remind them of this, but you please do as well.
Please call the front office (577-1335) or email Mr. Cole with questions. (Please note that with staff members pulled off of their normal duties during testing, calls to the main phone line often will go to voicemail during testing but will be returned promptly).
2. 8th Grade Dance
The 8th grade dance will be this Friday, May 31. Tickets will be on sale for $5 during 8th grade lunch. Students will need their ticket and a signed permission list (distributed in homeroom last week) to enter the dance. A few quick notes about this dance:
- Given that it will be dark out at 9pm when the dance concludes, we will not permit students to walk home unless a parent is walking with them (or the group).
- Dress should be appropriate include a wrap or sweater for the young ladies if their dress has spaghetti straps. Jeans are not appropriate for the young men.
- Only 8th graders at HRMS may attend. No outside guests are permitted.
- All WCPSS are enforced at this event except for the rules on cell phones.
Questions about the 8th grade dance should be directed to the 8th grade assistant principal, Mrs. Cornell (
bjcornell1@wcpss.net).
3. Awards Day Celebrations
Our awards day celebrations will be on Friday, June 7 at 11:00am for 8th graders and on Monday, June 10 at 8:30am for sixth and seventh graders. Some key notes for these events:
- We anticipate parking will be difficult on both of these days. Please plan accordingly.
- We invite all parents to these events. We will send invitations later this week and early next week to parents of students who will be recognized at these events.
- As mentioned previously, our 8th grade program is an awards day, not a graduation event. All students will not cross the stage or have their names called.
For the 8th grade awards day, we have done our best to identify students who have earned all As for all three years or have achieved perfect attendance for all three years. If you feel your 8th grader should be on one of these lists and you want to make sure, please email Mrs. Jones at
NCWISE450@wcpss.net and we will double check that they are.
4. Bookbags - June 6, 7, and 10
During the last few days of school, students have a tendency to bring items that are either disruptive or lead to poor decision making on the part of the student. In an effort to be proactive on the last few days, we are asking that all students leave their bookbags at home. All teachers will plan lessons that assume the student is only bringing a pencil/pen. Teachers will provide all other materials that are needed. Students will not be asked to dress out for PE on these days. Please feel free to email me if you have questions about this procedure. (Note: This does not apply to our female students carrying a purse).
As a side note to this, teachers will ask students to have their lockers cleaned out by June 5. Just FYI.
5. Lost & Found
With about 10 days of school left, it is important for students to check in lost and found for any items that they have lost. Once school is dismissed for the school year, any remaining items will be donated to a local charity. Please call the front office (577-1335,
ldavis4@wcpss.net) if you have questions.
6. Promotion / Retention Information
At the beginning of next week, we will send notices home with students who have not met promotion requirements for the 2012-13 school year. The letter will indicate which part of the promotion standards has not been met and will indicate the recommendation of the team of teachers with regard to promotion/retention for the next school year. If you agree with the recommendation of the team, all you need to do is return the form signed. If you do not agree, please contact Ms. Wittmann (
kwittmann@wcpss.net, 919-577-1338) to schedule and appointment with the review committee to share your feelings. Either way, it is important that these forms are returned ASAP after they are distributed on June 4. Please feel free to contact me in the meantime if you have questions.
7. Fall 2013 Athletics
Interest meetings have been set for fall sports tryouts. While not required for participating in tryouts in August, it will give important information about tryouts, what the coach will be looking for in tryouts, etc. Please remember that in order to participate in tryouts in August, students must have a completed physical packet included the signed concussion information pages. This document is linked below. Please also remember that students must be academically eligible in order to tryout. Questions should be directed to our athletic director, Stephen Moss (
smoss@wcpss.net).
As a helpful hint, I strongly encourage all families to keep a photocopy of your physical form along with turning one in.
8. Looking Forward to 2013-14
Believe it or not, we are well into the planning process for the 2013-14 school year. Below are some key items that may help to answer questions for our returning families.
- Schedules will be available to families in mid-August.
- Open House for rising 7th and 8th graders will be on Tuesday, August 20 from 4-6pm. This will be a "pass through" event where you can pick up schedules, find classes, meet teachers, etc. It is unlikely that there will be any time of formal program to this event.
- SPAN will cease to exist in June. A new program will replace this that will provide MUCH easier parent access to real-time grades. At the moment, we are believing that we can use your existing SPAN activation paperwork to activate your new accounts with no further action on your part. Details will come to you about this in August.
- I am anticipating somewhere between 1,150 and 1,200 students in the fall.
Beginning of the school year information will be sent out in mid-July. Feel free to contact the front office (919-577-1335) over the summer if you have any questions. As always, I am happy to talk with you as well.
9. HSHS Golden Hawks Golf Tournament
The Holly Springs HS Golden Hawks Golf Tournament fundraiser will be at Devil's Ridge on June 17. This is a great way for rising 9th grade parents to get involved and support the Golden Hawks. See the link below for more information or email the tournament organizer, Mr. Ferguson, at
toddferguson@nc.rr.com. Informational handouts will also be available at the HRMS front desk.
Dear Parents and HRMS Families,
Unless I have forgotten something, this is likely to be the last weekend parent update of the school year. Assuming that is the case, I do want to share my appreciation for another excellent year at HRMS. I am fond of saying that "it's always a good day at the Ridge." In truth, it is. On some days bad things happen and all the pieces of the puzzle do not fully connect, but at the heart of the matter - each and every day we have extraordinary students who are simply amazing and parents who consistently show love, trust, and support to make HRMS strong and successful. They say change is a constant, but so is the soul of an incredible school community.
I appreciate you.
Enjoy a restful summer. For those of you leaving us for high school, I wish you all the best and know that great days are ahead. For those of you returning to the Ridge for another year, we will look forward to redoubling our efforts in August to make the experience at HRMS as positive for your family as possible.
Take care and all the best,
Brian Pittman
Principal, Holly Ridge Middle School
