Thank you Meredith Bjorck Real Estate Team for sponsoring

Raider communications!

MAP Scores and Progress Reports available in Skyward

The MAP mid-year testing window has concluded and Student Progress Reports are available in Student Skyward Portfolio. Contact your student's teacher or grade-level counselor with questions about student progress.

Crossing Guard Appreciation Day is this Tuesday, February 6!



First Smile. Last Mile. 

Each and Every Day.

We've all seen them sweating in the heat, drenched in the pouring rain, and freezing in the cold temps, yet they are smiling. Let's show our crossing guards the Raider LOVE on Tuesday, February 6! Have your student make a card, bring a flower or treat, or simply say "thank you for being here and keeping me safe" - all great ways to show we appreciate the service they give each and every day! #showtheraiderlove

Our Dedicated Team of Crossing Guards

Reatha Chalmers

Granada & High School

Van Cole

McFarlin & High School

Kemberly "Peaches" Frye

Normandy & High School

Carolyn Henderson

Asbury & High School

Joe "Dancing" Lucero

Shenandoah & High School

Carla Sheffield

Binkley & High School

Want Another Way to Appreciate our Crossing Guards?

Help us keep our students safe and traffic moving smoothly

by observing our carpool guidelines.

5th Grade Coffee Talk 

Tuesday, January 30 at 8:30 am

5/6 Assembly room 

Guest Speaker: Jodie Elder, PhD, LPC-S, LMFT

Topic: "Getting to their Hearts Through Their Heads"

Friendship challenges, increasing academic demands, packed extracurricular schedules, plus hormones...middle school can feel like navigating a minefield! In this engaging and interactive presentation, Dr. Jodie Elder integrates current findings from neuroscience and the work of Dr. Brenè Brown to help you keep your sanity, and more importantly, show up in the ways your child needs during the middle school years.

7th Grade Coffee Talk

Thursday, February 1 at 8:30 am

7/8 Assembly Room

Topic: "Empowering Parents with Evidence-Based Tools for Managing Screen Use in Adolescence" 

Come hear from Moms and Psychologists, Drs. Alex Foxwell, PhD; Hayley Fournier, PhD; and Betsy Kennard, PsyD, ABPP, about how provide science-driven strategies to manage screen time in families. The presentation will cover self and adolescent assessments of screen time, recognizing the pros and cons of social media and technology, signs of problematic use, and how to communicate with your teens about social media and technology, including listening/validation skills and tips for checking in. There will be an opportunity for Q&A, and you'll leave with a collaborative family social media plan to take home. For more details about the presenters and their backgrounds, please click HERE.

New to MIS/HPMS? Join Us for a New Parent Coffee

If you are new to HPISD, please join us to connect with other parents and learn key information to help you navigate MIS/HPMS.

Monday, January 29, 9-10 am

5/6 Assembly Room

MIS Principal Dr. Skip Moran, HPMS Principal Dr. Kevin Hunt, counselors, and others will share valuable insight and information about our schools, what parents need to know, and other helpful tips for MIS/HPMS.

Questions? Please contact Newcomers Chairs: Annie Cochran, Elizabeth Conger, Jackie Converse, Stephanie Rushing, or Kathia Steel.

Please Join Us for Our February PTO Meeting 

Tuesday, February 6

12 - 1pm (lunch service begins at 11:45am)

7/8 Assembly Room

Guest Speaker: Kathleen Fischer

Topic: "Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste"

Thank you to our community sponsor, Johnson Oral Facial Surgery, 

for generously providing lunch at our February PTO meeting.

Letter from the Principal

Dear Raider Families,

Thank you for your continued support of great learning every day at McCulloch.  This week our students completed their mid-year MAP assessments, and teachers are reviewing this data to evaluate growth and achievement trends. We are continuing to identify those areas of our curriculum where we need to make adjustments, and learning more about implementing effective instructional practices identified in our district ELA and Math Frameworks to support student learning. At the individual student level, we also identify enrichment opportunities and intervention needs to support the growth of each student. As you review your student's results, please stay in close communication with your student's teachers about learning opportunities you can support at home.

Watch the calendar for upcoming transition meetings as we prepare for the next school year. We are excited about the continued growth and achievement of our students. 

Go Raiders!

Dr. Skip Moran, Principal

McCulloch Intermediate School

morans@hpisd.org (214) 780-3500

5th Grade Success Skills

Last week in our 5th grade Success Skills lessons, we learned about setting goals and making an action plan to reach our goals. Click HERE for a reflection sheet that you can discuss at home to continue the conversation about goal setting.

6th Grade DARE

Last week in our 6th grade DARE lesson we learned about communication skills and responsibility. Click HERE for a reflection sheet that you can discuss at home to continue the conversation about developing productive communication skills.

Community Service Spotlight

McCulloch Intermediate School and the Student Leadership Committee will be hosting a Food Drive from January 22 through February 2, benefitting the Children's Hunger Fund. Families interested in participating can request a FoodPak box from their student's advisory teacher, fill the box with items from the requested shopping list, and return the full box along with an $8 handling donation to support distribution.

Letter from the Principal

Hello Parents and Families,

I hope everyone had a great week. It was nice having a full week of school, and I enjoyed being in classes and seeing our students working hard and learning. We also spent the last two weeks with our teacher teams looking at middle-of-year student learning data to make instructional and intervention plans for the coming weeks. I am proud of our teacher teams for working collaboratively and being intentional about their instructional decisions. Below are a few things for the coming week:

Skill Focus for the week of 1/29 - "Reporting Inappropriate or Unsafe Behavior"

1. Find an adult as soon as you can.
2. Tell your teacher or parent exactly what is happening.
3. Stay calm.
4. Take responsibility for your own actions if necessary.
5. Know that reporting inappropriate or unsafe behavior is part of being a responsible Raider.

Study Skill Focus - Thinking about the Future

• Think about what you would like your future to look like and work backward.

1. If you want to go to a certain school, look up the requirements to get in.
2. If you want to do a certain job, think about the skills you would need or classes you could take to help get you the knowledge you need.
3. If you want to make a certain grade in a class, think about how you can get extra help when you need it.

• Take course selection seriously:

1. Think about trying new things - what are you interested in?
2. Play to your strengths.
3. Think about how much time you have to devote to trying something more challenging.

Our mission at HPMS is to ensure high levels of learning and personal growth for all Raiders in and beyond the classroom. Thank you for helping us achieve our mission!

As always, please let me know if you have questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Thanks and Go Raiders!

Dr. Kevin Hunt, Principal

Highland Park Middle School

huntk@hpisd.org  214-780-3600

Raider Career Review

Bailey Drennan and Kennedy Delpho interviewed Kathryn Harvey this week. Kathryn is dual board-certified Family Practice and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Nursing is her passion, and her goal with all of her patients is to help them achieve their best health ever. Every day Kathryn welcomes the challenges her career brings. To view this interview, click HERE.

Raider Roundup (Episode 2)

In this episode of The Raider Roundup Dr. Hunts talks with assistant principals Dr. Rico and Ms. Coates. Our teacher feature this week is 7th grade Science teacher, Ms. Bearden. To view this episode, click HERE.

TAG Waiver Application (Current 8th Graders)

HPMS musical theatre presents

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr. 

Come see your 7/8 classmates bring this beloved children's book (and pop culture phenomenon) to life. Everyone's favorite two dimensional hero, Flat Stanley and his friends will take you on a fun, family-friendly musical adventure around the world! 

Two performances will be held on Friday, February 23rd at 4pm and 7pm at the HPMS Auditorium. Tickets are general admission and available for $5 at the door and in the cafeteria the week of the show! Follow us on Instagram at adventures_of_hpms_flatstanley. 

Thank you to HP Arts, Raider Drama Booster Club, HPMS and Highland Park Education Foundation for their generous grants that made this show possible!

Auditions for The SpongeBob Musical

Interested in auditioning for The SpongeBob Musical? Students in all grades (5th-8th) are welcome!

• Crew auditions will be Jan 25, 26 and 29 from 4-5pm in Ms. Croft's classroom, B152. To sign up, please click HERE.

• Cast auditions will be Jan 30, 31 and Feb 1 from 4-7pm in the Black Box Theatre, D105. To sign up, please click HERE.

For more information please join the Google Classroom (Code: hemqtvb)

A HUGE congratulations to our 7th grade girls basketball teams on taking home another sweep on Thursday against Rogers! Our Lady Raiders were undefeated this season at HOME.

Please congratulate your 8th grade basketball teams on their hard fought games against Prosper Rogers this week!

Please congratulate the 7th grade boys on their sweep of Rogers and going undefeated at home this season. Come out and support your Raiders next week as we travel to Prosper Hays. 

The Raiders took on a very talented Prosper Rogers on Monday night, battling hard and making a strong showing. The Toughness Belt award winners this week were Walker Wegman and Henry Westcott. Please join us next Monday, January 29, for Teacher Appreciation Night as the Raiders take the home floor at HPMS one last time. These student athletes have represented well all year and would greatly appreciate your support!

Attention 7th and 8th grade parents! If your son or daughter is interested in playing tennis this spring for Highland Park Middle School, please attend the mandatory parent meeting on Thursday, February 1, at 6:00pm. The meeting will be virtual and should take no more than 30 minutes. If interested, please use the link below to attend the meeting:

https://meet.google.com/usg-dcaw-oyu?pli=1

Questions? Please contact Coach Hogan.

Raider Shop Temporarily Closed

Due to recent water damage, the Raider Shop will be temporarily closed until further notice. Thank you for your patience.

Attention 7th Grade Parents:

Is Your Student Interested in 8th Grade Cheerleading?

Does your student want to be an 8th grade cheerleader for the 2024-2025 school year? 

If so, please save the date of Tuesday, January 30, at 6:30pm for a mandatory parent meeting at HPMS in the 7/8 Assembly Room.

Please contact Erika Hultsman with questions.

Save the Date: Transition Meetings Coming in February

6th to 7th Grade Upcoming Transition Dates

HP Class of 2030

• Monday, February 5: 6th to 7th Transition Presentations for Students during their Social Studies classes
• Wednesday, February 7: 6th to 7th Transition Presentations for Parents in the MIS/HPMS Auditorium (9:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m.)
• Friday, February 16: 7th grade Elective Choice Sheets due to Students' Advisory Teachers
• Friday, February 16: Deadline for 7th grade elective selections submission on Skyward
• Friday, February 23: Deadline for Skyward Parent Verification of 7th grade elective selections

Google Slides from the Transition Presentations will be posted on Mrs. Richter's webpage after those meeting dates. Students & parents can also access additional helpful transition resources on the same website as the information is released in February.

Questions? Please contact 6th grade counselor Charlotte Richter.

5th to 6th Grade Upcoming Transition Dates

HP Class of 2031

• Friday, February 2: 5th Grade Fine Arts Showcase for Students during their Fine Arts Specials classes
• Thursday, February 8: 5th to 6th Grade Transition Presentations for Parents in the MIS/HPMS Auditorium (9:30am or 6:00pm)
• Monday, February 12 - Friday, February 16: 5th to 6th Grade Transition Presentations for Students during their Advisory by House
• Wednesday, February 21: 6th Grade Elective Choice Sheets due to Students' Advisory Teachers
• Friday, February 23: Deadline for 6th grade elective selections submission on Skyward

Questions? Please contact 5th grade counselor Rae Harvill.

Thank you to Whitney Donaldson, School Grounds Chair, for covering our seasonal color in front during last week's cold days.  

Thank you to Kristina Whitcomb, our PTO Secretary, along with Amy Barker, Tracy Cohen, Kelley Curtin, Allison Small, and Kitsy Smith who all served on Bylaws and Standing Rules Committee this year. You all worked very hard making sure all of our PTO governing documents are all updated.  They will be in excellent working order moving forward with the current semester and in transition to next year.

Thank you to our 6th Grade Coffee Talk Chairs, Emily Abubakar, Carroll Gurganus and Claire Swope for organizing a wonderful Coffee Talk session with our 6th Grade Counselor, Charlotte Richter, who gave great advice and tips for parents!

SEPAC Valentine's Day Fundraiser

Show Your Love to Staff Members During the Valentine's Day Notecard Sale

Recognize special teachers and staff members by purchasing a Valentine's Day gift! This year, sale features packs of blank notecards with the theme "Kindness Matters" for $7 or 4 packs for $20. Our teachers and staff are always in need of blank notecards for use throughout the year for thank you notes and sending words of encouragement to students and each other. Ordering is easy. Just click HERE. The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) will take care of delivery, so this is a super easy way to show your support and treat our amazing teachers and staff!

Deadline to order is February 3 or when our stock runs out, so please hurry! We have limited quantities available.

Money raised funds school materials, technology, events, and education that benefit special education teachers and students within HPISD.

HP Cheer

Raiders Reaching Out

Raiders Reaching Out is ready to serve our Raider students, families, and staff in need of support and to honor those who go above and beyond to serve our school and children. Please let us know if you know someone in our Raider community who needs some sunshine sent their way! You can email us confidentially raidersreachingout@mishpmspto.org.

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McCulloch Intermediate & Highland Park Middle School