ADVANCE ABSENCE FORM

Students learn at home, in school, and in the community; however, if your child is going to be out for an extended period, parents/guardians must complete an Advance Absence Form to apply for an "excused absence" prior to the missed day(s).  Please click on the following link to print your copy and follow the instructions included on the form: Advance Absence Form

Upon the absence of a student, a signed and dated note from a parent/guardian must be received within 3 school days of the absence.  A doctor's appointment must be validated with a note from the doctor.  For more details concerning attendance, please refer to the Code of Student Conduct, Section IV - Attendance.

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

Students learn at home, in school, and in the community. Research shows that parent involvement is the single most important indicator of school success. The staff of HMS is committed to excellence in education and encourages parents to become involved in their students' education. There are opportunities for parent and community involvement at Howard Middle School. Every effort will be made to find every parent a way to participate actively in his/her child's education. Volunteers are needed to tutor students, shelve library books, make games, file papers, and chaperon field trips. If you are interested in helping out, contact our School Volunteer Coordinator:
Ms. Elizabeth Omalley at 671-7225 or e-mail Elizabeth.Omalley@marion.k12.fl.us

Volunteer forms are available through the Marion County Public Schools Volunteers webpage. You may access their page by clicking on: Volunteer Forms

Chaperones

Adults that want to be considered as a chaperone for field trips, must complete all paperwork beforehand and must submit their own paperwork and fees by the deadline date for each field trip.  The submission of paperwork does not guarantee acceptance as a chaperone for various field trips.  Chaperones must pay all fees for field trips - there are no free chaperone spots for field trips with expenses.  There are a finite number of chaperone slots with each field trip. 

Mentors and Tutors

Volunteers are needed at HMS to serve as mentors and tutors. Tutors and mentors assist students in preparation for FAST, in developing reading skills, in exploring careers, and researching topics in the Media Center. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer and making a difference in a child's life at HMS, contact Ms. Elizabeth Omalley at 671-7225 or e-mail Elizabeth.Omalley@marion.k12.fl.us.

Volunteer forms are available through the Marion County Public Schools Volunteers webpage. You may access their page by clicking on: Volunteer Forms

CLASS SIZE AMENDMENT

How does the Class Size Amendment impact middle schools?

The final phase of the Class Size Amendment will take effect during the 2010-11 school year. Article IX, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution requires that action must be taken once a class exceeds the cap by just one student. To read more details about this issue, please click on the following link: Class Size Amendment

DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT AND ASSISTANCE PLAN

The District Improvement and Assistance Plan is now available on the Grants and Federal Programs Home page or by clicking on the following link: District Improvement and Assistance Plan.

BOX TOPS AND LABELS

HMS continues to participate in "Box Tops for Education" and "Labels for Education." Take your box tops and labels (from General Mills and Campbell's food products) to the school administrative office.  You are also welcome to link HMS to your profile in the box tops application. 

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT

Your child may be eligible to take high school level course work next school year due to his/her hard work and dedication to academic excellence. While taking courses for high school credit is a great way to challenge an outstanding middle school student, there are some things that you need to keep in mind as you make a decision on whether taking a high school level course is right for your child, including motivation and capability for rigorous advanced instruction. 

To receive more details about this information you may want to investigate the Florida DOE website and reference Florida Statute 1003.428 at the following link: FLDOE Home Page