H AMPDE N C HARTE R S CHOO L
OF
S CIENC E
Hampden Charter School of Science 20 Johnson Road Chicopee, MA 01022 Phone. (413) 593-9090 Fax. (413) 294 2648
[email protected] www.hampdencharter.org
May 4, 2016 Dear Parents and Guardians, Here are some of the upcoming events and reminders: As we come to the end of the year, please review the HCSS Attendance Policy (attached below). You can always check your student's attendance using the database. If there are further questions, please contact administration. PARCC Testing is now in full swing! Here is the upcoming PARCC and MCAS Testing schedule for May: o ELA PARCC Grades 6-8: Tuesday 5/3-Thursday 5/5 o Math PARCC Grades 6-8: Tuesday 5/17-Thursday 5/19 o Math MCAS Grade 10: Tuesday 5/17-Wednesday 5/18 o Science MCAS Grade 8: Tuesday 5/24 Do not forget that there is no study hall or after school activities on testing days. Dismissal on testing days is at 3:19pm. There are no visitors allowed on PARCC and MCAS days, so please plan accordingly. Prom Tickets are now on SALE! Seniors must purchase tickets from Mrs. Ross before Friday, May 13th. Seniors will need their permission slips and money for the Senior Trip by May 13th as well! Permission slips and money for the Junior Reward trips are due on Friday, May 20th. The next PTO Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 14th from 12:00-1:00 pm in the HCSS Teacher’s Lounge. If your student attends Saturday School, this is a great opportunity to attend a PTO Meeting! ALL ARE WELCOME! Thank you and May the Fourth Be with You!
Brittany Ross Activity Coordinator
[email protected] | 413.593.9090 ext 203
HCSS ATTENDANCE POLICY Attendance is a leading indicator for student success. Regular school attendance is essential for learning. When students miss school they miss instruction. - If the student reaches (5) five unexcused absences within one quarter marking period, that student shall fail all subjects with a (45) forty-five within that marking period. - If the student reaches (10) unexcused absences within school year, the student will fail for the entire school year. - If the student misses fifty percent (50%) or more of classroom instruction periods within one quarter marking period, the student will receive an incomplete grade within that marking period whether the absences are excused or unexcused. -If the student misses forty percent (40%) or more of any individual course, the student will receive an incomplete grade for the specific course within that marking period whether the absences are excused or unexcused. HCSS tracks attendance using our online database system. This system allows students and their parents or guardians to view quarterly, daily, and course based attendance.
Acceptance Group IS BACK!!!! We will have 5 more groups held in the HCSS meeting room with activities addressing the Group Goal of Positive Self Awareness We hope to see new faces as well as previous participants. This will remain a High School group this year.
Time: Tuesdays 6th Period Recess
Place: Meeting Room
HUMANITIES SHOWCASE
MULTICULTURAL NIGHT MAY 26, 2016 5-7:30P.M. HCSS’ GYMNASIUM
Come and support our student performers as we celebrate our differences and share what we have learned in our art, music, foreign language, and Social Studies classes.
th
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8 and 9 Grade MCAS Prep Tutoring Sessions Thursdays after school Saturday mornings Join us!
Important News From The Nurse
Hello HCSS Families, This week I would like to address two rising concerns with today’s youth populations. The concerns of inappropriate opioid use, and sports related concussions. On March 14, 2016 Governor Charlie Baker signed landmark legislation into law to address the deadly opioid epidemic plaguing the Commonwealth. The bill is titled An Act relative to substance use, treatment, education and prevention. This new law includes multiple provisions including a 7-day limit on every opiate prescription for minors (with certain exceptions), a mandate for a verbal screen for substance use disorders in students and a requirement that information on opiate-use and misuse be disseminated to all students participating in an extracurricular athletic activity prior to their athletic season. This information, and helpful information for parents and families about this concern can be found at http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/community-health/dvip/injuryprevention/substance-use-disorder.html Here you will find information on substance use and misuse, where to get help for your child, resources and a link to the Dept. of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. It is also crucial to know the risks, signs, and treatment of a concussion. You may have heard a lot in the media about professional athletes and concussions, etc.. It is also a common concern amongst youth athletes as well. There is legislation in place that information about concussions be disseminated to all student athletes prior to a sports season. Pre-concussion screens are required as well as screens for inseason and post-season if a suspected head injury occurs. Information about this and related information can be found at http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/communityhealth/dvip/injury-prevention/sports-related-concussions-and-head-injuries.html For your convenience related information and forms can be found below. Let’s continue to work together to keep our children healthy. Thank you. ~Nurse Gemme
We are facing an epidemic of opioid addiction and overdose deaths in Massachusetts. For youth, opioid addiction may start when a clinician prescribes opioids following an injury; through having access to painkillers in the family medicine cabinet; or by borrowing from friends.
Get More Information If you suspect your child is having a problem with prescription opioids or heroin, call the MA Substance Abuse Information and Education Helpline for free and confidential information about substance abuse, education and counseling resources for adolescents, families and adults.
Tips for Protecting Your Kids from
Addiction
With your help we can
Stop Addiction In Its Tracks
Opioids are powerful prescription painkillers. Examples of commonly prescribed opioids include Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin and Fentanyl.
Although these medications are effective when prescribed and taken appropriately, they can be misused and lead to significant negative consequences, including overdose and addiction. Some people who are addicted may even transition to heroin, which is less expensive and widely available.
Call: 1-800-327-5050 TTY: Use MassRelay at 711 or 1-800-720-3480 Or Visit: mass.gov/stopaddiction
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Some people who are addicted may even transition to heroin, which is less expensive and widely available.
Parents: Prevent
Opioid Prescription Abuse 1. Talk to your teen and warn them about the potential dangers of taking medications that are not prescribed for them, including addiction and overdose. 2. Be clear with your expectations about drug and alcohol use and follow through by supporting healthy decisions that they make. 3. If your son or daughter needs medications while at school, request an 8-12 hour dose so you can administer them at home. If medications must be taken during school hours, give them to the school nurse. 4. Ask your doctor if any medications prescribed for your family have a potential for abuse. 5. Take a regular inventory of medications that are kept in your home that can be abused. 6. Keep medications in a secure location away from your children. Consider purchasing a locked box at your local pharmacy to store medications that can be abused.
Dispose of Unused Prescription Drugs: • Bring unused medications to secure medication drop off boxes around the state. To find a drop box in your area, visit www.mass.gov/DrugDropbox. • Do not flush medicines down the drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so. • Remove medications from their containers, crush them and mix them with coffee grounds or kitty litter. Place the mixture in an unmarked container, like an empty can or sealable bag, and throw the container in the trash.
Know the Signs Many parents are often reluctant to believe that their children may misuse or develop an addiction to prescription opioids. But anyone who experiments with these powerful medications is at risk for negative consequences, including overdose and addiction.
Signs your child may be abusing or misusing opioids: • Pills or medication bottles are missing from your home • Taking medication in excess of how it has been prescribed • Abrupt changes in their finances • Dramatic mood changes • Lower grades, changes in friends, or changes in sleep or appetite • Loss of concern about appearance • Physical signs such as fatigue, confusion, weight loss, slurred speech, dizziness and changes in pupil size
Hampden Charter School of Science
CONCUSSION INFORMATION SHEET
This sheet has information to help protect your children or teens from concussion or other serious brain injury. Use this information at your children’s or teens’ games and practices to learn how to spot a concussion and what to do if a concussion occurs.
WHAT IS A CONCUSSION? A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. This fast movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging the brain cells.
[ INSERT YOUR LOGO ]
HOW CAN I SPOT A POSSIBLE CONCUSSION? Children and teens who show or report one or more of the signs and symptoms listed below—or simply say they just “don’t feel right” after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body—may have a concussion or other serious brain injury. SIGNS OBSERVED BY PARENTS OR COACHES
SYMPTOMS REPORTED BY CHILDREN AND TEENS
• Appears dazed or stunned. • Forgets an instruction, is confused about an assignment or position, or is unsure of the game, score, or opponent. • Moves clumsily. • Answers questions slowly. • Loses consciousness (even briefly). • Shows mood, behavior, or personality changes. • Can’t recall events prior to or after a hit or fall.
• Headache or “pressure” in head. • Nausea or vomiting. • Balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision. • Bothered by light or noise. • Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy. • Confusion, or concentration or memory problems. • Just not “feeling right,” or “feeling down.”
WHAT ARE SOME MORE SERIOUS DANGER SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR?
HOW CAN I HELP KEEP MY CHILDREN OR TEENS SAFE?
In rare cases, a dangerous collection of blood (hematoma) may form on the brain after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body and can squeeze the brain against the skull. Call 9-1-1 or take your child or teen to the emergency department right away if, after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, he or she has one or more of these danger signs:
Sports are a great way for children and teens to stay healthy and can help them do well in school. To help lower your children’s or teens’ chances of getting a concussion or other serious brain injury, you should:
• • • •
One pupil larger than the other. Drowsiness or inability to wake up. A headache that gets worse and does not go away. Slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination. • Repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures (shaking or twitching). • Unusual behavior, increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation. • Loss of consciousness (passed out/knocked out). Even a brief loss of consciousness should be taken seriously.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CHILD OR TEEN HAS A POSSIBLE CONCUSSION?
• Help create a culture of safety for the team. ›› Work with their coach to teach ways to lower the chances of getting a concussion. ›› Talk with your children or teens about concussion and ask if they have concerns about reporting a concussion. Talk with them about their concerns; emphasize the importance of reporting concussions and taking time to recover from one. ›› Ensure that they follow their coach’s rules for safety and the rules of the sport. ›› Tell your children or teens that you expect them to practice good sportsmanship at all times. • When appropriate for the sport or activity, teach your children or teens that they must wear a helmet to lower the chances of the most serious types of brain or head injury. However, there is no “concussionproof” helmet. So, even with a helmet, it is important for children and teens to avoid hits to the head.
As a parent, if you think your child or teen may have a concussion, you should: [ INSERT YOUR LOGO ]
1. Remove your child or teen from play. 2. Keep your child or teen out of play the day of the injury. Your child or teen should be seen by a health care provider and only return to play with permission from a health care provider who is experienced in evaluating for concussion. 3. Ask your child’s or teen’s health care provider for written instructions on helping your child or teen return to school. You can give the instructions to your child’s or teen’s school nurse and teacher(s) and return-to-play instructions to the coach and/or athletic trainer. Do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself. Only a health care provider should assess a child or teen for a possible concussion. Concussion signs and symptoms often show up soon after the injury. But you may not know how serious the concussion is at first, and some symptoms may not show up for hours or days. The brain needs time to heal after a concussion. A child’s or teen’s return to school and sports should be a gradual process that is carefully managed and monitored by a health care provider.
TO LEARN MORE GO TO
>> cdc.gov/HEADSUP
JOIN THE CONVERSATION AT www.facebook.com/CDCHEADSUP Content Source: CDC’s HEADS UP campaign. Customizable HEADS UP fact sheets were made possible through a grant to the CDC Foundation from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).
IF YOU BORROWED HOT PACKS OR CLOTHES FROM THE NURSE THEY MUST BE RETURNED ASAP! THANK YOU
MAY 2016 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
2
3 PARCC ELA (Grades 6-8)
4 PARCC ELA (Grades 6-8)
5 PARCC ELA (Grades 6-8)
6 Annual Student BBQ for Lunch
9
10
11 3rd Quarter Awards (MS)
12 3rd Quarter Awards (HS)
13 14 Science Lock-in PTO Meeting (Overnight) @ 12pm
16
17 PARCC Math (6, 7, 8) MCAS Math (10)
18 19 PARCC Math PARCC Math (6, 7, 8) (6, 7, 8) MCAS Math (10)
20 Senior Trip
21
23
24 Science MCAS (Grade 8)
25 Junior Class Field Trip
27 Half Day Senior Prom
28
30
31 School Closed (Memorial Day)
3 1 2 Biology MCAS (9) Biology MCAS (9) Senior’s Last Day Senior ELA Final Senior Math Final
Hampden Charter School of Science Activity Calendar
26 Multicultural Night
7
4 Uniform Sizing Day
*Dates are subject to change. For the most accurate event schedule, check HampdenCharter.org for the Activity Calendar!
