Tuesday, October 19, 2010

New Quarter...NEW Start!

Dear Students, Parents and Friends of HANDS,

I am excited to start a new quarter, especially as we welcome two new students.  Report cards and Fall MAP scores are printed, portfolios are being assembled, and we are finishing our first thematic unit on "Courage."  I appreciate all of the support and involvement from the families and friends of HANDS.  We are really getting into the groove. Don't forget to sign-up for student-led conferences on October 27th.  Please email me if you haven't been receiving my updates handstms@gmail.com or hilmcp@taosschools.org.

Here are some things I want to make sure we don't forget...

Our class constitution states:
"We the people of the HANDS Program, in order to form a positive and safe classroom pledge to 'fix it' or ask for help, treat others as we want to be treated, and challenge each other."

All students have signed off on this constitution and everyday we face the challenge of adhering to it.  I want to encourage the parents and family members of HANDS students to try to follow this pledge as well. After all we are all role models.  Bullying is not just a problem on school grounds, but in the world.  One fact that struck me was that 85% of bullying happens in front of others.  I have posted a bullying video on the bottom of the page.  The class watched it with me today and wrote journal entries in response.  Some of the quotes might impress you...

  • Bullying "happens because maybe the person who's bullying really doesn't feel that good about themselves or maybe they think they need power."
  • "I think this world could be better if people stopped bullying and just be nice to people...
or might worry you...
  •  "There is nothing I can do to stop it."
  • Bullying "makes people more popular"
  • "bullying happens while people watch so we can enjoy ourselves"
Please talk to your child about bullying and how to avoid it.  Encourage them to stand up for themselves and others by telling the bully its wrong to pick on others, and address the issue with an adult.

Together we can change how we treat each other.
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School Supplies and Classroom Needs

HANDS Students share supplies that are pooled in community bins for everyone to use. I am also listing personal supplies students will want/need. Please also check out my national teacher registry at nationalteacherregistry.com Registry can be found through McPartlon or Registry #499999125243 or Taos Middle School.

Community Supplies: No. 2 Non-mechanical pencils, loose leaf paper, blue pens, washable markers, sticky notes (all sizes), tissues, clorox wipes, windex or all-purpose cleaner, paper towels, pencil erasers, and highlighters.

Personal Supplies: No. 2 Non-mechanical pencils, loose leaf paper, 2 lined composition notebooks, 2 graph paper notebooks, 1" binder w/tab dividers (flexible kind preferred), water bottle, calculator, personal pencil sharpener, thesaurus, World Atlas, dictionary, pencil erasers.

Suggestion: Math Facts Flash Cards (All students must be able to pass basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division 100 facts tests by the end of the first 9 weeks of school. They have 5 mins to complete 100 problems with a 90% or higher pass rate.)

Things we need for the classroom: electric pencil sharpener, curtains, rugs, two large welcome mats, outdoor paint (for metal railings) & painting supplies, cups, plates, knives, forks, curtains, bookshelves

Things that would be fun in the classroom: plants and small pets - must be approved by Mr. Cordova.


About Me

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Taos, New Mexico, United States
My name is Hillary McPartlon. I am the teacher of the HANDS Program. H.A.N.D.S (Helping Academic Needs of Diverse Students) is a pilot program at Taos Middle School for 6th graders. It is designed for students who seek a challenging environment with a hands-on approach. Through multi-disciplinary learning, students will learn core academics, real-world challenges, and leadership skills. The HANDS Lab is for learners of all levels and backgrounds. The ultimate goal is to treat each student as an individual learner as part of a cooperative team.

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