Student Pick Up and Drop Off

Children should not arrive before 7:30 AM each day. If parents transport, students may
be dropped off at the area indicated in the large parking lot between 7:30 and 8:00 AM. It
is imperative that parents follow the traffic patterns established by the school when
dropping students off. It is preferred that parents not park their cars and walk their child
to the playground as this takes up parking space which is at a premium. Instead,
students should walk directly to the playground. If recess is inside, students go directly to
the Multi-Purpose Room. Students may not go to the classrooms before 8:00 AM.

Dismissal for morning kindergarten is at 11:20 AM and the afternoon session begins at
11:20 AM as well. Parents who transport their children to PM kindergarten should bring
them to the office and sign in. PM kindergarten students may not arrive before 11:20
AM. School dismissal for all other students is at 2:35 PM. If you are picking your child up
after school, please do so by 2:40 in the Preschool Room (former Music Room), where
an HMS staff member will sign your child out. Vehicles are not permitted in the bus
unloading/loading circle area near the main office before 8:15 AM or after 2:25 PM.
Please follow the signs and painted arrows on the pavement.

Preschool parents will drop off and pick up their children at the entrance by the
preschool room in the large parking lot. Parents will need to park and head into the
building. There will be some new spaces in front of the parking lot entrance that are
reserved for preschool parking.

School Bus Safety

School buses are quite safe and easily the safest means for
children to get to school and back. But here are some
practical lessons taken partly from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and my own background to
maximize their protection:

1. Allow plenty of time to get kids to the bus stop. Children
who are late may be tempted to run into a busy street.

2. Children need to wait in a safe place at the bus stop away
from any traffic.

3. Instruct your children to never, ever, walk behind a bus or
too close in front of a bus. Buses have blind spots that kids
need to be aware of. Before crossing in front of the bus, take
five “giant steps” (about 10 feet) away from the bus.

4. Kids should never stick their hands, heads, or any objects
out bus windows.

5. When in line to get in or out a bus, children need to walk
orderly. This may seem obvious but students become so
comfortable with the bus that they forget it?s a very large
moving vehicle that they need to respect.

6. Students should walk three “giant steps” away from the
bus after they arrive at their destination.

7. If a child drops something near the bus, they should not
pick it up until they talk to a driver or an adult on duty.
Drivers cannot always see children if they are close to the
bus.

I hope you get a chance to speak to your children about bus
safety. If you want more information, check out this site.

Reaching For The Stars

Reaching for The Stars and Expanding Horizons

Reaching for The Stars and Maple Street’s version, Expanding Horizons, are enrichment programs which run every Friday for six weeks every spring. The program exists on the generosity of talented Hopkinton parents and community members and has grown in participation through the years. In fact, RFTS is essentially an extended school day for six Fridays every spring.

The current program coordinator for HMS’s program is Arlene McGrath and you can contact her via email by clicking here.

We are always in need of volunteers. Please contact Arlene if you are interested or even curious! Here’s more info:

Who are we?

A Brief History

Eleven years ago, at the request of her kindergartener Colby, Harold Martin School (HMS) parent Shannan Tawney met with Principal Bill Carozza and Superintendent Dick Ayers to talk about starting a Science Club at Harold Martin.  Dr. Ayers and Mr. Carozza saw it as a potential pilot for a more extensive enrichment program.

With their guidance and support – and after speaking with several fellow parents with similar desires – Shannan decided to start a pilot enrichment program, which she called.  In it she helped kids explore a variety of science topics:  some topics she researched and taught herself, and for some she recruited experts from within the community.

Due to healthy demand, she offered Science Club twice during the 2001-02 school year.  About 30 kids were included in each session, and there was a waiting list each time.

Based on the success of Science Club, Shannan and Bill formed a committee of advisors from active, involved parents from the HMS Parent Advisory Council (PAC), Hopkinton PTA and other organizations, in the spring of 2002.

The following year, the Advisory Committee decided to offer and run 4 classes:  Art and Artists, Language and Culture, Science, and Thinking Games. Child care was offered to volunteers with younger children.  Each class ran for two, 5 week sessions following the Holiday and Winter Breaks.  That year, sixty five students participated in Reaching for the Stars.

In the spring of 2003, Jeff Eitreim, having signed his son up for an introduction to musical instruments class that was cancelled for lack of interest, began a dialogue with the Concord Community Music School (CCMS) and Principal Carozza.  If Hopkinton could come up with enough community interest, would CCMS be willing to offer this class at HMS?  They would, and thus began a partnership between CCMS and HMS.  Hopkinton resident Heather Oberheim offered the first HMS Music and Movement class in the fall of 2002, and again in March 2003.

In addition, for the 2003-4 school year, Reaching for the Stars offered a total of 7 enrichment classes, beginning the first Friday after Winter Break and running for 6 weeks.  To the original 4 classes, 3 were added:  Nature and Tracking, Kitchen Kids, and How Things Work.  Art & Artists and Science Club were largely unchanged, but Language and Culture became Spanish, and Thinking Games became Chess Club.  Nearly 130 students participate, and most classes were quite full.  By now, our staff consisted of nearly 30 parent volunteers, plus a high school student.  Heather Oberheim once again offered Music and Movement as a CCMS extension offering.

Late in 2004, some parent instigators approached Maple Street School (MSS) Principal Michael Bessette about starting an after school enrichment program there.  The program was dubbed Expanding Horizons.

For 2004-5, Reaching for the Stars offered 10 classes during the six Fridays following Winter Break.  Over 150 kids participated.  Spanish class and Chess Club were dropped, and Fit Kids, Legal Eagles, Sew-a-Bear, Kid Lit and Kid Sign were added.  The able volunteer staff expanded to 40 or so.

Also for 2004-5, Expanding Horizons kicked off at Maple Street with 4 classes:  Young Investigators (run by none other than Principal Bessette), Engineering Adventures, Fit Kids, and Mock Trial.  The program ran roughly concurrently with Reaching for the Stars – 6 Mondays after Winter Break – with the exception of Mock Trial, which began in early January.  It was a big hit, with over 40 kids participating in the first year.  Volunteers numbered 16 or so, most of them seasoned veterans from Reaching for the Stars.

In 2005-6, we offered 7 classes in Expanding Horizons’ second year, with capacity for 85 kids.  To the original 4, we added For the Love of Art, Green Thumbs, Maple Street Monitor, and Talking Hands.  Engineering Adventures has become Ancient Mysteries, and Crime Scene Investigators has been replaced by Phantoms of the Deep.

The program has continued ever since with an average of 10 courses offered  and more than 100 students participating. If you are interested in volunteering for this year’s program, please contact Arlene McGrath.  Thank you for your interest!

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