Uncategorized Archives - Hutchinson Public Schools

Picture Day!

August 24, 2022 By Jamie Kaping

Tiger Elementary Picture Day is September 20th. Click here for more information.

Middle School Sports Information

August 8, 2022 By Shannon Hendrickson

Middle School Fall Sports will be starting soon!

Please click on the information below regarding start times, contact information, and how to register your daughter/son.

MS Fall Sports Info

2022 7 & 8th GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Info

2022 6th GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Info

If you have any additional questions regarding this information, please reach out to our Activities Office: by phone @ 320-587-2151, or email; [email protected] (Activities Admin Assistant)

22-23 6-8 Grade Student Schedules

August 8, 2022 By Shannon Hendrickson

All 6th thru 8th Grade Student’s Schedules will be open to view on the student/parent portal (Infinite Campus) on Friday, August 12th starting at 12:00 p.m.

7th and 8th Schedules will be not available on paper (printed) until Open House Night on Wednesday, August 24th from 4-7 p.m. 6th Grade Students will get a paper copy of their schedule during their new student orientation.

All parents and students should be able to log in and view. Parents that might need log-in assistance or this would be your first time logging in for the parent portal/Infinite Campus please contact [email protected]

Back On Track

December 8, 2021 By Hutch Tiger

By Jennifer Telecky, Assistant Principal, Hutchinson Middle School

The current 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Hutchinson Middle School (HMS) have never experienced a “normal” year of middle school. During this time when students are growing at a tremendous rate, physically, socially, and emotionally, they are also now living through a time in history unlike anything they have seen. As we try to return to normalcy and get back on track, schools everywhere are increasing their support for academics. HMS is also supporting students socially, emotionally and behaviorally through Restorative Practices and through the implementation of the REACH program at the middle school level.

Restorative Practices

Hutchinson Middle School has been working to become a Restorative School, using expectations and restorative practices to handle conflict and discipline issues. What are Restorative Practices? It is a way of developing relationships and community, as well as repairing community when harm is done. After conflict or harm, Restorative Practices provide a way of thinking about, talking about, and responding to issues and problems by involving all participants to discuss their feelings and opinions, identify what happened, describe how it affected everyone, and find solutions to make things right.

At HMS, we have been talking with students about behavioral expectations at the middle school. Because students have not been in the school building and classroom consistently over the past two years they have missed out on gradual learning of school norms. These conversations are helping us all get back to the basics: being kind even if you aren’t friends, how to respectfully walk through the hallway, how to work with a partner, and how to resolve conflicts.

Parents could also use the same five guiding questions when helping their kids work through conflict. These questions are: What happened? What were you thinking at the time? What have you thought about since? Who has been harmed? What will you do to repair the harm?

REACH

This school year, Hutchinson Middle School implemented the REACH program. This program has been a successful part of the high school for 14 years. REACH’s acronym, Relationships, Education, Accountability, Character and Hard Work are the cornerstone of the program. Part of the REACH philosophy is Believing in the ability of every student to overcome academic and personal obstacles to achieve success. This is exactly what REACH does – works with and alongside our middle school students, as well as their families, who may be looking for that extra support to be successful. We currently have 3 REACH classes (one for each grade level) that meet during HMS’s WIN (What I Need) time. Already, we are seeing success and hope in students who have not experienced it.

We are confident that by implementing Restorative Practices and the REACH program, our students will get back on track academically as well as growing socially, emotionally and behaviorally as middle level learners.

Enforceable Statements

January 13, 2021 By Hutch Tiger

Keri Buker, Licensed School Counselor, Hutchinson Middle School

As we approach the midpoint of what has undoubtedly been a very difficult school year for a multitude of reasons, power struggles with your children are sure to emerge. Stress levels have likely been running high for months, and patience for both parents and kids is low. It’s not uncommon for parents to make big threats when their child is not complying with their requests. These threats (sometimes empty) only perpetuate an on-going cycle of a parent/child power struggle.

What can you do? In 1977 Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D. founded Love and Logic. “Love and Logic is a philosophy of raising and teaching children which allows adults to be happier, empowered, and more skilled in the interactions with children. Love allows children to grow through their mistakes. Logic allows children to live with the consequences of their choices. Love and Logic is a way of working with children that puts parents and teachers back in control, teaches children to be responsible, and prepares young people to live in the real world, with its many choices and consequences.”

Using Love and Logic’s “enforceable statements” with your child is just one way to avoid power struggles. Enforceable statements follow an easy fill-in-the-blank formula. There are many versions, and if you use them enough you’ll find the one that rolls right off your tongue.

Enforceable statements tell kids what WE will do or allow rather than trying to tell THEM what to do. As a parent, you get to decide what you will provide and under what circumstances.

Here are a few examples:

Feel free to _____ after you _____. Feel free to play XBox after you complete your homework for today.
I’d be happy to _____ when you _____. I’d be happy to bring you to your friend’s house when you finish your chores.
You may _____ as long as _____. You may have your phone as long as you have passing grades.
I’ll _____ when _____. I’ll listen when your voice is calm. I’ll do that when manners are used.

Enforceable statements are not bribes. A bribe might sound something like this, “if you want to come on the fishing trip, you need to pass all of your classes.” It puts the child in complete control of the situation. An enforceable statement, however, gives power of their behavior to both parties. An enforceable statement in this scenario would sound like this, “I’d be happy to have you join us on the fishing trip when you have passing grades.”

When you phrase it in this manner, if your child makes a poor choice he/she has the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. However, that is dependent on a parents follow-through with what they said they would or wouldn’t do. Setting and enforcing those limits can be really hard, but boundaries=love.

Keep a few of these phrases in mind the next time you feel yourself being sucked into a power struggle. Try one out and see how telling them what you will allow rather than telling them what to do shifts the dynamic in a positive direction.

Happy New Year!