Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District

It is always a great day when the Naturalist comes to visit!

In second grade, the Naturalist challenged the students to create a waterproof home. Students used various materials to build a waterproof structure, able to withstand a flood!

In third grade, the Naturalist shared about animal classifications and their characteristics.

TK recently learned about foods that some animals need to survive the cold winters. Students observed the outside and inside of black walnuts and acorns. Earlier in the year, students made acorns out of torn paper to work on their fine motor skills.

FBLA, or Future Business Leaders of America group, is hosting an indoor trick-or-treating night on Friday, October 27th, at the High School for the public to attend. Join us for a fun, safe night of trick or treating!

🏈 Join us this Friday night for an exciting football game under the lights!

We’ll be honoring our amazing senior parents and guardians from cross country, cheer, and football—come celebrate their hard work and dedication! Let’s fill the stands and cheer on our Hawks!

🎟️ Buy your tickets online: https://www.gobound.com/ia/schools/hartleymelvinsanborn/tickets

Last week, the Middle School students practiced the “Work Together” part of our WINGS behavior expectations at the recent monthly PBIS assembly with a fun activity.

Introducing the Middle School Students of the Month for September!

5th: Baylee Syndergaard
6th: Alexander Diaz
7th: Averie Storm
8th: Skyler McCarter

Thanks to you all for being great role models and exemplifying what it means to be an HMS Hawk--way to show your Hawk WINGS (Working Together, Integrity, Never Giving Up, Generous in Spirit, and Show Respect)!

Today is National Instructional Coach Appreciation Day! Thank you to our Instructional Coach, Lindsey Maris, for all of the behind-the-scenes work you do to help the students and staff at HMS be successful!

😁Today is World Smile Day! 😁

We started our day off SMILING today, thanks to individuals from Prins Insurance! Thank you for joining us this morning for High Five Friday!

Today is National Custodian Day! We are grateful to all of our wonderful custodians for the hours they put in ensuring our buildings are clean and safe for our students and staff! We appreciate you!

At HMS High School, our Students of the Month embody what it means to Show Up. Step Up. Soar! by demonstrating dedication, leadership, and a positive example for their peers. Alongside them, students have also voted to recognize a staff member who consistently models these same values throughout every week of the school year. Congratulations to our September recipients!

October marks the start of National Principals Month! Thank you to our three building principals for the work you put in day in and day out to ensure the success of our students and staff! Your care and dedication are unmatched!

Last week, Mrs. Kroese invited our MS custodian, Keith Rohrs, to join her 8th grade science class to talk about his career as a diver. Keith was in the Navy and was a diver in the Gulf of America. They had been talking about science-related careers and were lucky to be able to hear the impact science has had on Keith’s life. Keith has also been an EMT and has his RN degree. We are grateful to Keith for being able to share his journey! Thanks, Keith!

In Ms. Grooters' Animal Science class, students were learning the different identification methods in animals. Students practiced ear notching pigs. They used an ear notcher and leather pig ears to cut the correct notch. Notches were created based on the litter number and piglet number.

A special thank you to Iowa State Bank of Sanborn and Melvin for joining us this morning for High Five Friday! It was a great morning filled with so many smiles!

Officer Rob Hegenbarth stopped by in the morning to play some football with our MS students this this week!

TK learned about caterpillars and butterflies and the change they go through called metamorphosis. We read about butterflies, watched a video, drew a butterfly, and wrote the letter "b" for the butterflies' first letter. We released butterflies and watched them fly towards a warmer place. We also learned that not all caterpillars make it through the entire life cycle, as one is still in its chrysalis.

Thank you, Vicki Conway, for bringing in six caterpillars so we can see the beauty nature provides!

Thank you to St Andrew’s Women’s Ministry Group for donating new recess balls for our middle school students!

The second graders welcomed back the O'Brien County Naturalist last week! Students learned all about the different wild animals that live in Iowa. They explored animal hides, bones, and teeth of these animals.

Congratulations to the Homecoming king and queen, Landon Stuecker and Lindsey Van Es!

Members of the Queen's Court include: Natalie Daggett, Moriah Otto, Payton Diehm, and Eva Stammer.
Members of the King's Court include: Owen Tifft, Isaac Schierholz, Alex Billings, and Lawton Schiphoff.

Class Attendants: Kloe Wolthuis, Eli Mastbergen, Ellie Pals, James Carlin, Audra Vollink, and Alex Vogt.