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!
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.
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
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.
STUDENT MEDICATION
Taking medication during school hours or during school-related activities is prohibited unless it is necessary for a student’s health and well-being. When a student’s licensed health care provider and parent/guardian believe that it is necessary for the student to take a medication during school hours or school-related activities, the parent/guardian must request that the school dispense the medication to the child by completing a student medical authorization form.
The student must submit a completed school-issued medication form that explains what type of medication he/she is taking, proper dosage, and how often it should be given/taken. He/she should turn the form, along with prescription medications, into the office. The form must be signed by a doctor--this is true for prescription and non-prescription medications. Without a completed form, your child will be in violation of our district’s drug policy.
The office stores all prescription and non-prescription medication and makes parental arrangements for the time and availability of the medication as well as its administration. All medications must be taken home at the end of the school year. Those left unclaimed will be disposed of.
No school or district employee is allowed to administer to any student, or supervise a student self-administration of, any prescription or non-prescription medication until a completed and signed school medication authorization form is submitted by the student’s parent/guardian. This form must be signed by a doctor. This does not include the emergency administration of an epinephrine auto injector (an EpiPen) by a trained school or district employee as provided under state law. No student is allowed to possess or consume any prescription or nonprescription medication on school grounds or at a school-related function. A student may possess an epinephrine auto injector (an EpiPen) and/or an asthma inhaler prescribed for immediate use at the student’s discretion, provided the student’s parent/guardian has completed and signed an authorization for student self-medication form.
If you can name what this piece of technology is, comment back with your answer. First person with the correct answer can claim it as a prize by stopping by the middle school office. A big shout out to Mr. Kunold, who 23 years ago passed this item in the a rookie teacher named Mr. Doan. My hunch is that if you know what this is, you may still have your 8 track collection in your attic and your first "scientific calculator" could do fancy things like add and subtract, multiply and divide. Am I right? Have a great day!
Hemlock teachers learning help students develop skills in the 4 C's + I & E. Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Good Afternoon:
On behalf of the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Public Policy Associates, Inc. (PPA) would like to invite parents in our area to a focus group feedback session at the Saginaw ISD.
The purpose of this event is to gain parent perspectives on the current 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 11th grade assessment reports, and to collect recommendations to help guide the creation of an updated report that will be useful for parents like you!
The feedback session will be at the Saginaw ISD on Wednesday, September 18th at 6:00 p.m.
Individuals who participate will receive $40 for providing their time and input. If you are interested in attending, please register here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SaginawISDFG
If you have any questions regarding the parent feedback session for MDE, contact Paige Haight at phaight@publicpolicy.com or call 517-485-4477.
Thank you for your interest! We look forward to hearing your feedback.
Sincerely Public Policy Associates, Inc. team