Message From the Principal - Loudoun County Public Schools

Buzz
the
DECEMBER 20 12/ J ANUARY 201 3
www.lcps.org/harmony
Message From the Principal
NUMBERS TO
KNOW
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Can you believe that the first quarter of the year has ended, and we are launching the second
quarter? We are proud of our students and their academic accomplishments so far. The list
of students who achieved the A and A/B Honor Rolls for 1st quarter is included in this
newsletter. These students are to be commended for their achievement. Keep up the great
work Hornets!
540-751-2500 phone
540-751-2501 fax
540-751-2502
absentee call-in
As we move into the second marking period, our teachers and students are maintaining focus 540-751-2504 clinic
on instruction and learning in the midst of the excitement that comes with holiday activities.
The administrative team is observing in classrooms and the content departments are planning
unit and daily plans in their Professional Learning Communities. You can help us ensure our
In this issue
instructional focus by having your child attend school and each of their classes every day.
 Students of the Month
While we can provide make up work when he/she is absent, it does not provide the same
 Yearbook News
instructional benefit as actual classroom instruction.
Winter brings the possibility of bad weather, so this is a good time to plan for delayed
openings and early closings. Decisions to close school are usually made by 6:00 AM. Local
radio and television stations will carry the information, and you can access the LCPS website
to sign up for email notifications. Early releases are rare, but when they do occur, the
messages are sent via our ConnectEd phone communication, and also through the email
notifications. As such, it is important that we have current phone numbers and emails. If you
have not been receiving my ConnectEd notifications, please update your contact information
on the LCPS website under Parent Information System (PIMS) on the left side of the home
page. It will be very difficult to ensure that phone messages regarding transportation are
delivered to students at school in the event of an early closing, because weather related
emergencies cause the main office to get very hectic. So, please plan ahead and inform your
children of your family‘s response to weather related school closings.
This month, our students will take reading, social science, and math benchmark tests issued
from the Department of Instruction. They will also be involved in a number of fun events and
activities. These include a Choral concert on December 11th, an Orchestra concert on
December 13th, a Guitar concert December 18th, and a Band concert on December 20th. We
hope to see you here at school enjoying our students‘ beautiful music. Finally, our 7th and 8th
graders will attend a Ropes Course activity at Madeira School (7th Grade – November 30th and
December 3rd and 8th grade – December 6th and 7th).
Harmony is working on ways to involve parents more in the day to day operations of the
school. We want you here at school, and so do the students (even if they tell you they don‗t).
Look for information on the school‘s website about how you can volunteer your time, as much
or as little as you desire and/or are able.
(continued on Page 2)


















Band News
Choral News
Art Dept. News
At the Library
Team News
Guidance Dept. News
Drama News
German Club News
Harmony Outreach
Honor Rolls
International Night
Veteran‘s Day
PTA News
SPECTRUM News
Staff Recognition
December Lunch Menu
Calendar
Inclement Weather/School
Closing Info
PAGE 2
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
Message From the Principal
(continued)
Harmony has shown the spirit of philanthropy over the course of this quarter. Since school opened in August, students and
staff have contributed to United Way, collected nonperishable food items for the Western Loudoun Food Pantry, collected
Yoplait yogurt lids to support Breast Cancer Awareness month, gathered plastic grocery bags to reinforce county-wide recycling efforts, collected blankets for hurricane victims in New England, and organized a coat drive for the Loudoun Abused
Women‘s‘ shelter. It is a pleasure to be associated with such a giving school community!
As the holidays approach, I would like to wish each one of you, our Harmony family, a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. I hope that you will look out for those in our community who are less fortunate than you and those who are experiencing difficulty finding joy in the season.
Sincerely,
Yvonne Balfour
Acting Principal
Orion: Amy Brown and Seth Whitehurst
Phoenix: Navneet Kaur and James Camp
Taurus: CJ Hall and Hanah Smith
Ursa Major: Andrew Hale and Dominique Jean
Pegasus: Alexandra Lynham and Kaden Warren
Gemini: Meghan Cleary and Elijah Haynes
Eagle: Isaac Barona and Kendall Reid
Scorpion: McKay McBride and Shelby Vann
Hercules: Maddy Koester and Patrick Tolley
Please note: Students of the Month are chosen based on their accomplishments during the named month. Their names are
announced at the end of the month and their biographies are displayed in their house for the next month.
The BUZZ
The administrative newsletter of
Harmony Middle School
38174 West Colonial Hwy.
Hamilton, VA 20158
540-751-2500
FAX 540-751-2501
Sherron Gladden, Principal
Yvonne Balfour, Acting Principal
Jim Hepner, Assistant Principal
Gail Lucas, Assistant Principal
Christina Thompson, 8th Grade Dean
Patrick White, 7th Grade Dean
Andrew Olejer, 6th Grade Dean
NOTICE
If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you
to participate meaningfully in any school activity,
please contact Mrs. Gladden at 540-751-2500
at least five working days prior to the activity.
Homework 4-1-1
Homework is posted on the Harmony Website
on teachers‘ web pages at
www.lcps.org/harmony
Yearbooks!
Attention Parents: You received a yearbook order form in the mail
directly from our yearbook company, Jostens. Please use the form to
purchase your yearbook either by phone, through the mail, or online.
You may access the online link to order a yearbook from Harmony's
homepage. Please do not send any money to
school. If you have any questions, email Ms. Whitney
Svensson at Whitney.Svensson@lcps.org.
PAGE 3
B UZZ
@ the library
Winter, snow and holidays make a
great combination for reading a
favorite book. We encourage every
student to check out some great
books to read just in case of those
unexpected snow days! Check out
the Harmony library website for book suggestions under
―reader resources.‖
Do you have any suggestions for our library collection?
Your Harmony library staff welcomes your input as we
work to make our collection reflect the needs and
interests of Harmony students and staff. There is a
suggestion box located by the circulation desk.
Our 6th, 7th and 8th grade student book clubs have just
begun and will be meeting once a month during lunch.
Our ANNUAL USED BOOK FAIR is currently scheduled
to begin on March 7th. Please start saving your books for
this very popular library event. Donations can be
brought into the library at any time. All levels of books
are welcome, but please no textbooks or encyclopedias.
Fifty percent of our profit will be donated to the Empty
Cup project sponsored by our Art Department.
“Books, I found,
had the power to make time stand still,
retreat or fly into the future.” ~Jim Bishop
Art Department News
Please visit the art department‘s new Online Art Gallery.
Artwork from students in grades 6, 7 and 8 will be displayed on a rotating basis. The link to the Art Gallery
can be found on the main web page under announcements or in the drop down bar under site shortcuts. We
are also very excited to announce an upcoming winter
art show December 10th - December 22nd. Please remember to save the date for Family Arts Night and the
Empty Cup Dinner March 7, 2013.
Thank you for all your support!
The Harmony Art Department
Ms. Dowdy, Mrs. DeMark,
and Ms. McCormick
Band News
The Band cookie dough fund raiser was a great
success. A huge thank you to everyone who participated. Information and flyers about the band's
5Below December weekends fundraiser are forthcoming.
Please come out and support the bands by attending the winter
concerts. The 6th graders will have a mandatory on stage rehearsal on Wednesday, December 19th from 3:30-5 PM. The 6th
graders will perform their winter concert on Thursday, December
20th at 7 PM in the auditorium. Mr. Shoremount will instruct the
students on concert attire in class.
The Concert Band will perform their winter concert on Thursday,
December 20th at 7 PM in the auditorium. The 6th graders will
take the stage first with Concert Band immediately following.
Band All District Auditions will be Saturday, January 12th at
Stonebridge High School. The performance for this honor band
will be February 2, 2013 at John Champe High School.
All band parents are encouraged to attend the Band Boosters
meetings on Wednesday, December 12th at 7 PM and
January 9th at 7 PM in the Harmony Band room.
Choral News
Congratulations to the singers who performed
November 3rd at the All County Chorus event! Your
performance was outstanding! The results from the
District Chorus Audition are:
Soprano 1: Hannah Harrelson, Maryann Hayden, Zoe Lucas,
McKenna Morin, Alex Ruddy, Julia Stewart and
special congratulations to Georgia Peake who placed TOP
score for her section over all others in the county!
Alto: Maddy Barona, Kirsten Engel, McKenzie Flynn, Ella
Gwartney, Samantha Kerschner,
Caroline Roden and
2nd alternate, Bailey Brohard!
Congratulations Harmony Singers on a
job well done!
PAGE 4
Team Orion
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
8th Grade News
Science students have wrapped up their
investigations on Newton's Laws of Motion
and will be applying that to their ActionReaction racers...who will the winner
be? Currently, it has been determined that
Cameron Kilgour and Camryn Fagan have the most power
on Team Orion!!
As we near the holidays, Mrs. Sharp and I would like to
encourage you to enjoy the time with family and friends.
Everyone has been working so hard, we need to take time
to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Take advantage of
this holiday break and enjoy some much needed rest and
relaxation!
Civics students will be learning about the composition of the
Constitution and the addition of the Bill of Rights.
Some key events are in the near future with the team field
trips taking place. All three teams attended a day trip to the
Madeira school for team building activities. The entire day
was spent outside doing various activities like ropes courses
and zip lines.
Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Sharp
Readers in the 40 book challenge are gearing up for their
first book clubs. While English students are exploring the
theme of identity in their reading, they will be working on
weaving their own identity into their writing using voice!
Team Taurus
In science, students are studying the concepts of work, power, and simple machines. A cumulative year-long research
project will be introduced. Civics is studying the structure of the Constitution. English students will be moving into their first literature circle and
working on second quarter writing pieces, including poetry. The whole team is looking forward to their team building
field trip in December.
Team Phoenix
Team Phoenix is covering a variety of topics as we begin our
second semester. Ms. Banasik‘s English classes are
learning about voice and dialogue and working towards
adding both to their creative writing. Students will be reading
a novel in class. They will also be keeping up with their
reading outside of the classroom. Ms. Yearwood‘s Science
classes are investigating work, power, and simple machines.
In addition, students are working on balloon-powered cars
outside of class in order to apply Newton‘s
Laws of Motion. In US Civics, Mr.
Cassutto is wrapping up his examination of
the nation‘s key historical documents and
will begin a study of the US Constitution.
Address Changes
A proof of residence is required for students who move to
another physical address in order to make the change on
the student record. This is important to insure that the
students are attending the appropriate school. Please see
the Attendance Secretary in the main office, Mrs. Warr, if
you have any questions or concerns.
Hi-5 Winners!
Congratulations to the Hi-5 winners! The 6th grade winners
are Ben York and Amanda Imthurn; the 7th grade winners
are Jessica Gahafer and Brody White; and the 8th grade
winners are Amelia Bailey and Caydon Glasper! Great job!
PAGE 5
B UZZ
Team Gemini
Team Pegasus
In math, students are playing a little fantasy football to show
how to evaluate a complex variable expression. This leads
up to a Variable Expressions test. Science students talked
about the history of cells in November, and now they talk
about cell structure. Next, they work on cell processes. History students have risen with big business,
worked through industrialization, and progressed through
the Progressive Era. Next, they get inventive with inventions and then fight through the Spanish American War.
In science class, the cell unit has
begun and students are looking forward
to working with the microscopes and seeing living
cells! English students are diving head first into their newest writing unit, Memoirs. They have also started their third
cycle of literature circles. In U.S. History, students have
completed a unit on the "Progressive Era," in which they
studied the rise of unions, the muckrackers, labor strikes
(like the Homestead Strike), the temperance movement, woman's suffrage movement, and prohibition. Students are currently learning about the "Gilded Age" and will
then be studying the Spanish-American War, Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, and the effects of "Yellow Journalism."
November in English is comprised of two important writing
projects: novels for NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing
Month) and the preparation for Memoir projects. The Tiger
Rising is completed, and now book selection is taking place
for Literature Circles. So many golden
lines from The Tiger Rising were found that
students are making a Golden Line Quilt for
the hallway. This quarter, focus moves
from narrative elements of a story to figurative language, or, IHASMOP.
Team Ursa Major
In Math 7, students are learning to write and
evaluate algebraic expressions. This topic
helps introduce algebra to the students and
leads into solving algebraic equations later this quarter.
Science students are getting to know the parts of plant and
animal cells. This also means that the Cell Model Project
Challenge is coming up! Building Day is December 14th for A
day students and December 17th for B day students. Groups
plan their project and bring in their recyclable building
materials during the week prior to Building Day. Materials
MAY NOT BE BOUGHT for this project! Encourage your
student to sift through the recycle bin for building supplies.
Also, please make sure your child is IN SCHOOL on his/her
Building Day as an absence is detrimental to the team. .
In history class, students are finishing up the Inventions unit
and beginning the Spanish-American War. Don't forget that
the Immigration Project is due on December 13th. English
students are working on memoirs. Be sure to ask your
student to describe the situation about which he or she is
writing, and make sure there are descriptions which cover all
five of the senses.
7th Grade News
As we near the holidays, Mr. Thomas and I would like to
encourage you to spend some much needed time with your
family and loved ones and celebrate the achievements of
our students. With the first quarter well behind us now, it
has been our pleasure seeing our students grow and mature into young adults.
Some key events have taken place. All three teams attended a day trip to the Madeira School for team building
activities. Team Ursa Major was on November 29th, Team
Pegasus on November 30th, and Team Gemini will be
December 3rd. All students attending are encouraged to
bring a packed lunch and dress for the expected cold temperatures. The entire day is outside doing various activities
like ropes courses and zip lines. The terrain is rough so
please encourage your child to wear adequate footwear like
hiking boots.
The Team Competition is in full swing with the score at the
time of this newsletter of Pegasus with 3927, Gemini with
3783 and Ursa Major with 3648. The competition is very
close, and the first reward will take place on December 21st
with our first visit to the skate rink for the top two teams.
Encourage your child to earn those ―Hi-5‘s‖, complete their
Resource Log appropriately, and continue to strive for good
grades.
Take care and enjoy the holidays!
Mr. White and Mr. Thomas
PAGE 6
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
6th Grade News
On November 8th, the ―Just Dance Party‖ was well attended by our 6th Graders. November 13th, we had our first
―Mix It Up Day‖ at lunch. Students and facultly wore mismatched clothing. The purpose of the day was to have
students meet and appreciate new people. As students
entered the café, they were greeted with a color themed
event. All students were assigned a table by a colored
sticker they were given. Students and staff participated in
light hearted conversations about a variety of topics.
Team Eagle
(continued)
English students have started researching a topic of their
choice from their independent novels and will write a magazine
article. They are also learning figurative language and will incorporate it into future writing. Mrs. Richard's classes will finish
Crash and start literature circles, while Mrs. Walters‘ classes
are reading Touching Spirit Bear. In math, students are multiplying and dividing fractions. They are also learning how to do
two step equations. History classes have finished the unit on
the explorers, and the next unit is on the early colonies. Everyone is looking forward to the team building field trip
on November 19th.
Our field trips to InnerQuest on November 19th, 20th and
26th were a great success. All students participated in a
wide variety of team building activities, and everyone had
the opportunity to do a zip line. Most overcame their fears Team Hercules
of being 90 feet in the air and stepping off the platform for a
English is wrapping up a fascinating research
great ride. Thank you to all the parents who chaperoned
unit, where students published some very interthe trip.
esting magazine articles. Please make sure your
child is reading at home every night.
Many thanks to all of the parents who donated nonperishHistory is finishing exploring an odd body of land between
able food items for our Can the Dean competition. Your
Spain and China (to the west) and moving onto planting colochildren (along with your help) made sure that I would be
nies there! Science is ending their matter unit and moving
the Dean in the Gorilla Suit.
on in order to discover the wonderful properties of water!
Math is working on fractions and sequences. Soon students
Team Scorpion won our incentive competition and Hercules came in second. The competition was a combination of will work on perfect squares, square roots, integers, comparing
& ordering, absolute value, order of operations, expressions
points based on the team‘s overall quarter one grades,
and equations. Practice math with holiday cooking!
resource productivity, and Hornet High Fives. We will be
going to the Purcellville skate rink on December 20th in the
afternoon for a couple of hours to celebrate their accomplishments. Please be on the lookout for permission forms
as they will be going home soon.
Team Scorpion
In Math 6, students have completed a unit on
fractions and are now moving into algebra by
solving equations and evaluating
Please speak with your children about the importance of
expressions. There are several new vocabulary
staying focused through the holidays. As always, if you
terms that are part of this unit. Please help your child make
have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
flashcards of the new terms and review them nightly.
Mr. Olejer In Accel Math 6/7, students will complete their unit on solving
equations and move into solving and graphing
inequalities. Please continue to encourage them to show their
Team Eagle
work and seek help when they need it.
Science students are learning about physical
and chemical changes and doing many labs
Science students are investigating the properties of water.
in class. Students are reviewing finding denEnglish classes will wrap up their research and figurative
sity (physical) and mixing "unknowns" from
language units, plus practice identifying main idea. All
the moon mission in 1969 with chemicals to
students should be reading at least 20 minutes a night in
find chemical reactions. English students have started
preparation for a book review in January.
researching a topic of their choice from their independent
In social studies, students will be looking at Colonial America
novels. The final product will be a magazine article.
as well as beginning the Revolutionary War.
PAGE 7
B UZZ
From the Guidance Corner of the Hive
Counselors:
Mrs. Jamie Sharp - Lead Counselor, 8th Grade - Teams: Orion, Phoenix, Taurus
Mr. Henry Thomas—7th Grade - Teams: Gemini, Pegasus, Ursa Major
Mrs. DeHaven-Dawson - 6th Grade - Teams: Eagle, Hercules, Scorpion
Dates to Remember
Interims:
Grading Period Ends:
Report Cards:
Dec. 12th
Jan. 17th
Jan. 30th
st
rd
Feb. 21
March 3
April 10th
May 3rd
June 6th
June 12th
COLLEGE SEARCH-8th grade students will be working on college searches through resource classes during the
month of December. Have your 8th grader show you their results and continue exploring at
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search.
Step UP Loudoun 2012-2013-Call to Action –Make a difference at Step up Loudoun. Step UP Loudoun is a
county wide competition for middle and high school students. Working in teams or individually, teens identify and issue that
matters to them, develop a plan of action, and share the implemented plans and ideas to Step Up Loudoun. Online registration is now open. The entry deadline is January 4th. Register at www.stepuploudoun.org.
Attention 8th Grade Students Applying to AOS- Remember, Part II of your application is online and
due on December 17th.
Loudoun County Parent Resource Center is a wonderful resource for parents; it is located in Leesburg. The
website for the parent resource center is http://www.lcps.org/prc.
The center provides workshops for parents, an updated tutor list, an online live homework help link, and so much
more. Check it out today.
Getting the E-Alerts
Parents can subscribe to receive automated notifications through E-mail when updates or changes are
made to our web site, including when the monthly
newsletter has been posted. You can receive EAlerts for announcements that are made on the
Web site including emergency announcements or
changes in event scheduling, when additions are
made to the Harmony calendar, daily morning announcements, when teachers post announcements
on their pages, and more. Just register for this
free automated service. Please note that you will
only get an E-mail when the web editor, or the
teacher sends an E-Alert to let you know of anything important that has been posted.
Parent – Student – Staff
Book Club
Please join us in the Harmony library on
Thursday, January 24th at 7 PM for our book
club meeting. This club is open to all Harmony students and their parents. We will
discuss the book, The Running Dream, by
Wendelin Van Draanen. Copies of the book
are available for check out.
Drop-Off Reminder
Parents, please remember that students may
not be dropped-off at school until 8:10 AM
daily.
PAGE 8
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
Drama News
The spring musical is cast and ready to start making magic!
Thanks to all of the 100+ talented students who auditioned! We will be starting rehearsals soon and will really
ramp up after the New Year, so if you walk by the auditorium
and hear beautiful music don‘t peek. Wait until
March 14-17th and let us dazzle you!
Spring Musical CAST:
Prince Christopher
King Maximillian
Lionel
Queen Constantina
Cinderella
Stepsister Grace
Stepsister Joy
Step Mother
Fairy Godmother
Charles the Cat
Dove
Mice
John Burroughs
Dennis Potts
Jon Wilkerson
Hannah Harrelson
McKenna Morin
MaryAnn Hayden
Georgia Peake
Julia Stewart
Zoe Lucas
Liam Harrelson
Lily Smeraldo
Ana Biondo, Emma Harlowe,
Beca Rodal, Liz Clark
Mother Ballerina
Erin Stitt
Child Cinderella:
Sabrina Doyon
Cinderella‘s father
Henry Carlson
Jesters:
Maggie Miles,
Jess Derrow
ROSEettes 8 Ladies_The Queens Ladies in Waiting- Preshow Song: Caroline Roden, Katie Smeraldo, Caroline
Potts, Kirsten Engel, Samantha
Kershner, Julie Paschal, Lauren Bogle,
Ella Gwartney
Drama News
(continued)
Villagers and ―Disney‖ Ball Guests Chorus Ensemble
(SOLOISTS TBD)
Shea Geremia, Sleeping Beauty - Aurora
Connor Gilfillan, Prince Philip
Maddy Gingerich, Pocohontes
Will Hayden, John Smith
Jennifer Glazebrook, Belle
Alex Florimbio, Beast
Kayleigh Schall, Merida -Brave
Bobby Zoldos, Haggas
Miranda Huffer, Jasmine
Luke D‘errico Aladdin
Sophia D‘errico, Snow White
Ethan Caldas, Prince Charming
Ashley Meadows, Tiana
Anthony Jackson, Prince Naveen
Grace Robinson, Ariel
Ethan Samaha, Eric
Villagers/Merchants:
1. Henry Carlson
2. Laura Shelton
3. Mercedes Bloin-Escoto
4. Stephania Dodd
5. Sarah Rector
6. Hailey Dunster
7. Marleah Puckett
8. Eva Freeland
9. Kylie Brophy Strickroth
10. Sarah Bellman
11. Sarah Ayers
12. Katie Kessler
Tech Crew:
1. Rachel Petterson-Stage Manager
2. Lexie Pound
3. Ryan Packard
4. Sara Kershner
5. Sydney Sparbanie
6. Caitlin Williams
7. Luke Dillon
8. Ellie Dillon
9. Abigail Horton
10. Julia Horton
PAGE 9
B UZZ
Computer Technology
Ink Cartridge Recycling Program—Don't forget our ink
cartridge recycling program. We accept any ink jet or
laser toner cartridge as well as cell phones. We have
used these monies in the past to purchase extra technology equipment and
computer project supplies for our
school. Ask your employer if you can
have the old cartridges they may be
throwing away. Please drop them off
at school or send them with your child.
Harmony Outreach
November is the time of year when we all start thinking
about the holidays. We begin asking questions like
―Who’s going to cook this year’s turkey, what do the
kids want, and how much should we spend?‖
German Department
News Blitz
Christkindlmarkt: The German Society of Lovettsville hosted
its annual Christkindlmarkt during the weekend of November
24th and 25th. The German students from Harmony volunteered by entertaining the children while their parents
shopped. Students read the children German stories, did face
paint, colored hair spray, and taught them German phrases.
Nikolaustagfest: Woodgrove High School will be hosting a
festival in celebration of Nikolaustag on Thursday, December
6th. The German students at Harmony are encouraged to attend. The event is from 6:30-8:30 PM. There will be a banquet as well as entertainment: singing, skits, gingerbread
house judging, and a fun (optional) gift exchange. Students
will need to coordinate their own rides. Parents are welcome
to attend. The cost per person is $2.
Holiday Calendars: The German Club at Harmony is selling
Advent Calendars. The cost per calendar is $3. These calendars are a German tradition and offer sweet, little chocolate
For some of our Harmony families their questions are a
surprises behind each of the 24 doors. Prizes will be awarded
little different. ― Is someone going to bring us a turkey, to the top sellers. Proceeds from these sales will be donated
are we going to be able to buy any gifts or will we have to the Harmony Outreach Fund (helping needy families), help
money to pay the electric bill?‖
fund the Club trip to the German Convention in Fredericksburg
in February, and will also be put towards various activities,
For those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to
prizes and treats throughout the year.
provide for our families, I hope we keep in mind the families that cannot. I would like to invite our parents to partici- Tutoring: Bitte see Frau Lenz if you need extra help!
pate in our ―Holiday Giving‖ for these families. Your donation can be as small or as big as you‘d like. It can be in German Class: German students participate in an ―Auktion‖
the form of a gift card, check or cash. This can be
at the end of the year with their hard earned Euros. Donations
dropped off in the school office anytime or sent in with your are always welcome!
child. 100% of the money collected will be distributed
to the Harmony families I help. You may donate starting
now and collection will continue through Friday.
December 14th. Gift cards can be from Giant, Food Lion,
Kohls, Target, Walmart or the Outlet Mall. Checks should
be made payable to Harmony Middle School. There will
be a special ―Giving Box‖ in the school office to drop off
your donation.
Harmony thanks you and truly appreciates your support.
Rhonda Lough, Parent Liaison, Rhonda.Lough@lcps.org
Coats for
Friends
Sra. Igoe is sponsoring "Abrigos
por amigos" (coats for friends).
We appreciate gently used
coats and jackets to help those
who are less fortunate. Please
bring the coats or jackets to
Sra. Igoe in room B-11 through December 21st. ¡Gracias!
PAGE 1 0
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
All A Honor Roll - First Marking Period
6thGrade
Yasameen Anwari
Drake Bachman
Isaac Barona
Olivia Beck
Elizabeth Camp
Rachel Chatfield
Giovanni Cianciaruso
Elizabeth Clark
Kevin Crandall
Lukas D`Errico
Carson Forsyth
Liam Franco
Hannah Franklin
Adeline Furlow
Jason Garner
Alice Glass
Cara Grady
Nicole Grant
Alexandra Greenberger
Mark Hasenfang
Thomas Hegerich
Andrew Hitrik
Julia Horton
James Huang
Connor Izzo
Adam Jardines
Zack Johnson
Calle Junker
Kelly Klimek
Gavin Kline
Madeleine Koester
Grace Kostal
Shelby Kostal
Theodore Kostal
David Kratz
Gareth Krise
Keagan Lanham
Lauren Lawson
Ryan Maad
Erin Markel
Matthew Mellstrom
Lauren Miller
Robert Mustacchio
Faith Ortiz
William Owen
Reena Rajah
Erin Ramsey
Alexander Regnery
Sara Roach
Mary Schultejans
Liam Sheen
Chandler Siek
Ryan Smith
Everly Soyka
Joseph Stitt
River Stone
Melissa Stuckey
Niklas Stump
Patrick Swisher
Grace Szalay
Carley Tantlinger
Alexis Taylor
Caroline Thomas
Victoria Thompson
Patrick Tolley
Sayler Wampler
Shea Whitehurst
Nicholas Zimmerman
7thGrade
Samuel Allison
Addison Allred
Elizabeth Aramayo
Noah Balaban
John Beisler
Emerson Berlik
Matthew Bland
Bailey Brooks
John Burroughs
Ethan Caldas
Virginia Carpenter
Cameron Caylor
Sophia Christian
Meghan Cleary
Jared Cordova
Katie Cox
Matthew Davison
Eleanor Dillon
Taylor Donches
Joseph Eastman
Kirsten Engel
Melanie Fann
John Flaherty
Emily Franklin
John Friberg
Emily Gardner
Julianne Ghiorzi
Conor Gilfillan
Meghan Glidden
Hannah Greenburg
Ella Gwartney
Luke Hall
Helen Hardy
Lauren Heine
Gabrielle Heinze
Kaitlin Hill
Rachel Hubbuch
Miranda Huffer
Jared Hyland
Ranger Kasdorf
Kassidy Kavanaugh
Fatimah Khan
Jessica Klinkam
Christine Lewis
Justin Lindo
Alexandra Lynham
Sophia Makarita
Turner Manning
Reese Markel
Sarah Nasser
John Nerantzis
Lane Newland
Mpeh Ntantang
Charles Oakes
Elizabeth Olchevski
Somerset Peede
Holly Peterson
Antanas Petraitis
Cathy Phan
Genovi Rattana-Jones
Caroline Roden
Haley Saffer
Christopher Scruggs
Sophia Sgarrella
Lillian Smeraldo
Joshua Smith
Kathryn Smith
Jessica Stewart
Robert Stribling
Nicole Stuva
Dominic Sullivan
Matthew Thomas
Lydia Troxell
Fallon Valakis
Bridget Vasta
Collin Warner
Sean Whalen
Madison White
Allison Widzinski
Caitlin Williams
Katherine Williams
Paul Woldt
Sierra Woodward
Page 11
B UZZ
All A Honor Roll - First Marking Period
(continued)
8thGrade
Lexi Acton
Nazaneen Anwari
Amanda Arnold
Amelia Bailey
Madylaine Barona
Siri Berge
Wyatt Black
Jason Blevins
Amelia Brown
Peter Bruton
James Camp
James Cromwell
Christian Dietrich
Stefania Dodd
Hailey Dunster
Shahdin Ghaffari
Robert Grady
Shannon Grady
Sara Hallam
Hannah Harrelson
Catherine Harris
Maryann Hayden
Mary Hurst
Navneet Kaur
Puneet Kaur
Samantha Kershner
Kaitlyn Lynham
Taylor Manno
Noah McBride
Bridgette McGallicher
Abhishek Mogili
Kelsey Mullen
Echo Norcott
Arthur Olsen
Annabel Oruma
Kaleigh Owen
Rachel Pack
Georgia Peake
Andrew Perry
Rachel Petterson
Annie Piland
Justin Rader
Grace Robinson
Jacob Rodal
Katherine Smeraldo
Sarah Snare
Julia Stang
Erin Stitt
Nicole Stutt
Casey Taylor
Isabel Thompson
Caden Vandervort
James Warndorf
Joseph Warndorf
Molly Warndorf
Thomas White
Seth Whitehurst
David Zhang
Alexis Zimmer-Chu
Josef Zimmerman
A/B Honor Roll - First Marking Period
6th Grade
Riley Abashian
Darby Adams
Nolan Alvarez
Mason Anderson
Ethan Araneda
Paisley Ashland
Darin Avila
Claire Baine
Luke Barbour
Tanner Barbour
Maxine Barnes
Sophia Baxter
Wesley Beddow
Andrew Bennett
Kelsie Benney
Ryan Best
Owen Black
Timothy Blankenship
Wyatt Blauer
Mercedes Blouin-Escoto
Delaney Boyer
Madelyn Brashear
Meghan Breeden
Rachelle Bresnahan
Alyssa Brown
Jensen Bury
Alicia Bye
Brianna Cantrall
Katherine Cantrall
Dominick Caputo
Zachary Carpenter
Raven Case
Benjamin Castellano
Madeline Cell
Chloe Chiesa
Rachel Cohen
Gabriel Consaul
Sean Conway
Jordan Crigger
Rick Crowson
Dominique Cruz
Sofia D`Errico
Hope Davison
Jason Demarco
Brooke Diederich
John Dillon
Joseph Dodge
Chelsea Dougherty
Sophie Downing
Daniel Duggan
Curtis East
Katelyn Edmonston
Zachary Fahrner
Matthew Farmer
Kaivon Fields
Aiden Fitzwater
Zachary Fones
Lily Fortunato
John Fuchs
Madelyn Geremia
Eli Goossens
Diana Greene
Mckenna Greene
William Gutshall
Melody Haak
Olivia Hall
Katelyn Harris
Nathan Hartung
William Hayden
Madison Hines
Colin Hoffer
Dillon Holdridge
Tyler Holdridge
Reagan Hollar
Wesley Hope
Aidan Howard
Sophia Hudak
Jack Hurst
Anthony Hylton
Seth Hyman
Amanda Imthurn
Corey Johnson
Taylor Johnson
Erin Kaplan
Danielle Kimbrough
Lauryl King
Rebekah King
Christina Kinzer
Thomas Kirby
Thomas Kleeb
Sasha Kourakina
Tara Kulak
Rachel Lambert
Mackenzie Langley
Connor Lannon
Katarina Lass
Lauren Lynch
Laura Macielinski
Tyler Madden
Andrew Malacarne
Molly Malacarne
Johnathan Marquart
Cole Marsh
Sami Marzougui
Mckay McBride
James McCann
Michael McKim
Logan McKinney
Isabel McLaughlin
Lauren Mellstrom
Timothy Mercendetti
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
PAGE 1 2
A/B Honor Roll - First Marking Period*
6th Grade
(continued)
Riannon Miller
Lauren Mural
Sarah Murtaugh
Emily Novotny
Colin O`Brien
Jonathan Owen
Felice Parrish
Lorallye Partlow
Caden Paterson
Rylan Pettit
Alex Price
Robert Purnell
Olivia Reed
Brent Rittner
Craig Robertson
Rebecca Rodal
James Rogers
Gabrielle Rollins
Olga Romanenko
Maxwell Rucker
Jacob Rumsey
Laura Shelton
Cullen Smith
Conrad Speak
Amethyst Sturrock
Grant Sutphin
Emma Szabo
Daniel Thomas
Christian Ubial
Jacob Umbaugh
Sara Upton
Shelby Vann
Robert Vasjuta
Charlotte Vea
Julianne Vennitti
Landen Warren
Steven Webber
Kaden Welch
Annika Williams
Portia Wilson
Benjamin Wise
Kendall Wisniewski
Matthew Woodworth
Bonney Wright
Benjamin York
Anatalya Zapanta
Carly Zurschmeide
7thGrade:
Emily Alvarez
Nicolas Ammann
Joshua Anderson
Eihmear Arlington
Ryan Badillo
Jacob Bailey
Samuel Ball
Brandon Barker
Faye Bauer
Beatrice Baxter
Logan Beach
Alissa Beason
Tyler Beddow
Mikayla Benner
Frey Berge
Analiese Biondo
Audrey Birch
Natalie Blankenship
Lauren Bogle
Camie Bowers
Emily Bowman
Zachary Branch
Kennady Briscoe
Kylie Brophy-Strickroth
Erika Burns
John Bury
Quinlan Byrd
Susan Cahan
Charles Caines
Conor Carey
Hanna Carey
Hannah Carter
Sophia Carver
Dylan Cassidy
Colin Cernetich
Sarah Cohen
Logan Cooper
Brock Criales
Zachary Cunningham
Lance Czarnecki
Kyle Dant
Zachary David
Luke Dedekind
John Delmonte
Camryn Dolby
Jacob Dorn
Craig Durden
Caroline Earnshaw
Eleanor Earnshaw
Adam Eckenrode
Carson Egan
Fitzhugh Elder
Madison Erb
Ella Erickson
Bijan Fesharaki
Casey Flynn
Anthony Forrest
Cullen Franklin
Luke Frederick
Owen Fuller
Juan Garcia
Benjamin Gehl
Matthew Geier
Gabriella Geiger
Keeley Glasper
Jennifer Glazebrook
Jacob Groff
Cristina Guerra
Andrew Hale
Nicholas Hallam
Spencer Halveland
Ryan Hammer
Hannah Hanes
Justin Hanvey
Emma Harlowe
Justin Harrington
Daniel Harris
Clayton Hauck
Lindsey Haun
Elijah Haynes
Madeline Hegerich
Keely Hemminger
Mable Henry
Matthew Hudler
Annalise Jackson
Dominique Jean
Brian Jo
Shelby Jones
Olivia Jordan
Ian Joslyn
Maricielo Juarez-Carrera
Jessica Kaufman
Grace Keelor
Eunice Kim
Hunter Kobler
Jacob Kopp
(continued)
Kaziah Korpacz
Alexander Kozar
Alexander
Kreuch
Lauren Lafollette
Matthew Lanzer
Abigail Lenhart
Sam Lewis
Ailish Liston
Amanda Loch
John Loeffler
Justine Longerbeam
Maya Lopez
Jarett Lorusso
Samuel Lynch
Skylar Manning
Alexandra Mare
Declan McCormack
Mark McGregor
Travis McMillan
Chance McQuaid
Ashley-Nicole Meadows
Michelle Meed
Andre Meyer
Elisha Millard
Cassidy Miller
Avery Mills
Luca Morelli
Mckenna Morin
Mia Morrison
Evans Moyo
Breandan Muldowney
Ellie Mumaw
Sean Murphy
Annabel Nelson
Brittany Nelson
Sage Nelson
Nicolas Newkirk
Carrie Nichols
Anastasia Niemann
Darya Nouri
Taylor Nutter
Bradley Oakes
Zachary Ochs Thomas
Sydney Partin
Katie Pasielski
Gregory Payne
Zachary Petruso
Samantha Pierce
Page 13
B UZZ
A/B Honor Roll - First Marking Period*
7thGrade
(continued)
Christian Reid
Matthew Renner
Shane Reynolds
Frank Ricker
Brooke Rittner
Joshua Roach
Elizabeth Rosa
Alexandra Ruddy
Thomas Russello
Francheska Sacoto
Brigitte Schara
Cassidy Schooling
Adrianna Scruggs
Grant Seburn
Raven Seidelman
Daniel Shelton
Derek Shockey
Zoe Skrobialowski
Hayden Smith
Jacob Smith
Andres Soler Parilla
Ryan Sorensen
Eva Speacht
Olivia Stah Adams
Dawson Stephens
Jack Stewart
Lauren Sutara
Katelynn Tansley
Jennifer Tapia-Rios
Jarrett Tardiff
Tanner Testerman
Aidan Thatcher
Hannah Thomas
Trung-Hieu Tran Le
Alexis Trombly
Eloise Tuell
Samuel Upton
Brayden Vacca
Derrick Veney
Thomas Vergeres
Hudson Vetter
Joseph Volpone
Preston Ward
Kaden Warren
Kaylee Washington
Jonathan Wenham
Broderick White
Joshua Wiles
Jonathon Wilkerson
Paige Williamson
Sydnie Wilson
Calvin Woehrle
Nathan Wright
Johann Wunder
William Zach
Robert Zoldos
Katherine Zwicker
8thGrade
Matthew Adams
Kenneth Albanese
Kyle Aldridge
Emily Alexander
Iris Alexander
Luke Andrews
Sarah Ayers
Nicholas Ball
Amber Bartling
Sohaib Basha
Christopher Bava
Emily Beach
Parker Beverly
Russell Blackwell
Andrea Bonilla Cruz
Lidell Booysen
Kate Brantingham
Bailey Brohard
Emily Broman
Cortland Brower
Kevin Burke
Kevin Burns
Jonathan Candelaria
Joseph Candelaria
Amanda Caputo
Henry Carlson
Cory Casper
Nicole Cassella
Catherine Cavallaro
Amanda Clark
Mason Coates
Calvin Combs
Krista Connolly
Erik Crossfield
Jared Dahlberg
Eric Deberry
Kaycee Delitta
Jessica Derrow
Brendan Diederich
Audrey Dimitrew
Mark Doherty
Brett Donaty
Eric Dorsch
Alexis Earles
Jacob Earnshaw
Margaret Eastman
Megan Eiynck
Thomas Ellis
Camryn Fagan
Andrew Ferrari
Andrew Fiedler
Madeline Fortin
Eva Freeland
Thomas Freeland
Madison Fritz
Hunter Fulton
Harrison Furlow
Dianet Garduno
Shea Geremia
Sarah Gernerd
Madeline Gingerich
Caydon Glasper
Brittany Glidden
Matthew Gusmerotti
Luke Guyre
Sarah Haene
Christopher Hall
Sean Hallissey
Tess Hardesty
Kaitlin Hawes
Sara Healy
Jonathan Heinze
Kai Hendrikson
Matthew Herrity
Clark Hile
Cameron Hippler
Benjamin Hollar
Julie Hope
Willow Hughes
Spencer Hutchinson
Brandon Jones
Rachel Judd
Parker Juergensen
Hannah Kaplan
Peyton Kardos
(continued)
Kelly Keane
Sean Keane
Kathryn Kessler
Cameron Kilgour
Kayla King
Oliver Kline
Tyler Kollar
Arianna Larson
Elle Lassiter
Zoe Lucas
Connor Madden
Ashley Marques
Allison Marrs
Bradley Mattia
Nikole McClure
Jordan McConnell
Keegan McMahon
Ashley McMillan
Stephanie McMullen
Kyle McVey
Margaret Mengel
Allyson Miller
Kyle Miller
Gwyneth Morris
Virginia Mullins
William Neeves
Braden Nesselrodt
Rebecca Oelschlager
Connor Olivier
Nicholas Palmieri
Julie Paschal
Luanna Pavlinac
Samantha Pereira
Noah Phelps
Caroline Potts
Marleah Puckett
Patrick Ramsey
Tyler Raney
Grayson Reed
Emily Rehak
Brady Reynolds
Jacob Reynolds
Clayton Roberts
John Robic
Ryan Robotti
Lauren Rumsey
Renea Rupp
Teresa Russell
Trevor Saunders
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
PAGE 1 4
A/B Honor Roll - First Marking Period*
8th Grade
(continued):
William Saunders
Kayleigh Schall
Victoria Schara
Yadel Schnabel
Collin Shipp
Chase Simmons
Kolton Simmons
Alyssa Skinner
Kyra Smetana
Hanah Smith
Scott Smith
Michael Stephens
Shelby Sternberg
Julia Stewart
Nicholas Stewart
Casey Sutara
Jason Swavely
Tad Szalay
Corbyn Tabod
Benjamin Taylor
Blake Thomas
Berkley Umbaugh
Bradley Wacker
Patrick Ward
(continued)
Chad White
Jordan Wick
Nolan Wilk
Matthew Wolf
Thomas Wozny
Hilal Yalcin
Nessa York
Jacob Zurschmeide
*Grade changes after November 30th will not be reflected.
Sheriff’s Department on Internet Safety:
What Parents Need to Know
4th
5th,
On December and December
at 7 PM, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office will be at
Woodgrove to present their Internet Safety Presentation. This meeting is intended for Western Loudoun parents - the Loudoun Valley and Woodgrove clusters. The same presentation
will be delivered again at Loudoun Valley High School on March 5th and March 6th.
Module 1 will focus on use and abuse of traditional ―computers‖ to include desktops, laptops, tablets, and netbooks. Subjects Covered: User Demographics and Stats, Child Predators Awareness and Techniques, Chat Rooms and Forums,
Online Gaming (PC Based), Browser Gaming, Social Networking, Blogging, Pornography, Browser and Internet Surfing
Hazards, Parental Monitoring, Access Control, Case Study, Warning Signs.
Module 2 will focus on use and abuse of Non-Traditional access devices to include cell phones, smartphones, gaming consoles, and handheld gaming devices.
Subjects Covered: Demographics and Stats, Predator Awareness and techniques, Sexting and Texting, Chat Rooms and
Forums, Console and Handheld Gaming Hazards, Socials Networking Access Hazards, Geotagging, Trends in Technology,
Access Control and Techniques, Case Study, Warning Signs, and Parental Monitoring.
Internet Safety: What Parents Need to Know is an in- depth look at the modern hazards that are associated with use
of technology and the internet. This class consists of two one-hour modules each focusing on a specific sub-class of
technology most commonly used by youth. During each module, the Adult Only audience will get a straight forward and
graphic look at the dark world behind the technology. The audience will also learn about the hazards that are faced each
day by the youth who have made these devices a ―must have‖ part of their daily lives. This class will also educate the audience about the warning signs of technology abuse and provide advice on talking with their children about
the dangers. The audience will also learn about some of the most common access control techniques that can
be employed to keep their children safe.
Page 15
B UZZ
AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK
Harmony’s 3rd Annual
International Night
Veterans’ Day
11-12-12
Harmony hosted its 3rd International Night on
November 15th. The festivities, which celebrated the diversity of the community, began
with a covered dish dinner and continued with a
program of songs, music, and dance, culminating in an International Fashion Walk.
In observance of Veterans‘ Day, Harmony honored our servicemen and women. Team activities included writing letters of appreciation to soldiers. We would like to thank our
staff who served in the Armed Forces of the United States.
We appreciate all the veterans for their service in protecting
our freedoms which we enjoy every day. If you see the
following veterans, please show them your appreciation by
As guests arrived, they were greeted by the sounds of a
saluting them and thanking them for their service: Mr.
drumming circle. The more adventurous took a seat and
Henry Thomas –SSGT in the WV Air National Guard; Mr.
joined in while onlookers enjoyed the rhythms. Other guests John Fansler – Army Airborne; Mr. Clegg - US Navy; Mrs.
made their way to the cafeteria, where the dinner was held. Diane Warr—US Army; Stephen Schoenfeld – PA Army
More than 300 parents, students, and teachers tasted a wide National Guard.
variety of recipes from around the world. The evening‘s entertainment included guest appearances by the Woodgrove Harmony also wishes to express gratitude to those parents
High School‘s Bluegrass Club and Loudoun Valley‘s Ameri- currently deployed around the world. Your service is recan Sign Language Club. The audience enjoyed performmembered and appreciated as your families miss you during
ances by violinist Amelia Bailey, Mrs. Igoe‘s Spanish classes; the upcoming holiday season. We feel
Frau Lenz‘s German classes, Irish, hip hop and Brazilian
safe because of you!
dancing and a video of a traditional African chorus.
Thank you, veterans! We appreciate
The finale of the evening was the International Fashion Walk. you!
Students modeled the traditional dress of nations represented
within the Harmony community. As each group was introduced, students walked onto the stage carrying the nation‘s
flag while the audience listened to a brief narration. By the
Student Council
end of the evening, music, dances, fashions, and flags of 20
countries highlighted the diverse culture of Harmony Middle
Association (SCA)
School‘s community.
President: Molly Warndorf
Vice President: Shelby Jones
Many thanks go to all of the families who loaned clothing for
Secretary: Joshua Smith
the Fashion Walk and participated in the evening. Thanks to
Treasurer: Abhi Mogili
the students who worked hard to prepare the entertainment.
Publications Representatives: Joe Warndorf,
Special thanks go to the Equity Team and the Foreign LanAnd Marleah Puckett
guage Department for planning and hosting this special eveSCA Website Reporter: Matthew Bland
ning.
Historian: Jessica Klinkam
Advisors: Mr. Thomas, Ms. Hoppert and Mr. Clegg
The Harmony SCA (Student Council Association) sponsored
Can the Dean Contest! A competition among all grade levels
to bring in the most canned goods to contribute to the Western Loudoun Food Pantry. The winner was the 6th grade with
410 cans! Congratulations also to the runner up, the 8th
grade, bringing in 310 with the 7th grade trailing in last bringing in 241 cans for a grand total of 961 cans! The 6th grade
saw Mr. Olejer don a gorilla suit for a day!
PAGE 1 6
PTA News
At the request of the 6th grade Social Studies Department, the
PTA purchased $5400 history books entitled, Our America to
1865, to enrich students‘ understanding of the subject matter.
Over 100 6th graders from Ms. Orrisons‘s classes wrote, drew
and taped THANK YOU notes to the PTA. The students appreciate the books are ―not smelly‖, have great information,
pictures, and are new! The PTA has produced a binder containing all of the written THANK YOU‘s contained in protective sheets. The binder can be found in the front office, on
the tables near the chairs/benches. Please stop by the front
office and read the wonderful notes from the students.
December Meeting: The December PTA Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19th at 6:30 PM in the library.
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
PTA News
(continued)
Stay informed: The Harmony Middle School PTA currently
produces a weekly email newsletter. If you'd like to sign up
to receive the newsletter, click on the link below! You don't
have to be a member of the PTA to receive The Hornets'
Nest, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Make sure you
put our email address,
HarmonyMiddleSchoolPTA@gmail.com,
in your trusted contacts list on your email program so that
the newsletter doesn't end up in your spam or junk mail
folder. If you have any questions or difficulty, contact newsletter editors Barbara Petzen and Tom Regan.
Additional Spirit Wear in Stock at the School Store:
Remember Spirit Wear while shopping for your presents and
Committee News
the colder months! The school store recently received a
Events: A big thank you to Kim Chatfield and her volunteers new shipment of spirit wear, with many selections of sizes
for hosting a highly successful Spooktacular Halloween Party. and colors from which to choose. We have over 100 items
A great time was had by all. The next PTA hosted party will
in stock. So keep in mind the Harmony hoodies and shirts
be Friday, March 8, 2013 with a St. Patrick‘s Day theme.
make great gifts. Contact the PTA if you would like to know
Fall Fundraiser: The Fall Fundraiser, headed by Ginny
if a particular item is in stock, or just stop by the store in the
Skrabialowski, has delivered the initial orders. As always,
morning when it is open. Check out the Spirit Wear web
Ginny did yeoman‘s work, going above and beyond the call of page on the PTA site at
duty to ensure each family received the correct order. Altinyurl.com/HarmonyMiddleSchoolPTA
though ―final‖ packets have been turned in, families can still
(click on Spirit Wear).
shop on line all year and support the Harmony PTA. For
more information, go to the Harmony website:
http://www.lcps.org/Page/83955.
2012-2013 Calendar
After School Clubs:
August 27th: First Day of School for Students
The Running Club: Coach Todd Stuckey presented Kristen
September 3rd: Holiday (Labor Day)
Thatcher, HMS PTA President, with a check for $270 - $5 for
October 8th: Holiday (Columbus Day)
each of the students in the Running Club who participated in
November
2nd: End of the Grading Period
the Purcellville Turkey Trot 5K on November 11, 2012. Next
November 5th-6th: Student Holidays
spring, Coach Todd will hold the club again and welcomes
(Planning/Records/Conference Days)
new athletes.
November
21st-23rd: Holiday (Thanksgiving)
Lego, Mad Science, Chess and Knit Clubs are all active
December 24th-January 1st: Winter Break
this fall. Look for email invitations from Harmony Middle
(Classes Resume January 2nd)
School PTA for winter and spring sessions.
January 17th: End of Grading Period
January 18th: Moveable Student Holiday
Send in Box Tops: FREE MONEY ALERT!
(Planning/Records/Conference Day)
Help Harmony get FREE $$$ from the Grocery & Store
January 21st: Holiday
Points Programs—Giant, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Target
(Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
VISA. All the details at
th: Holiday (Presidents‘ Day)
February
18
http://cmsweb1.lcps.org/Page/77595
March 22nd: End of Grading Period
Help the PTA get FREE $$$ and Rewards from Turning in
March
25th-29th: Holiday (Spring Break)
Labels & Codes—Box Tops for
April 1st: Student Holiday
Education, Campbell's
(Planning/Records/Conference Day)
Labels for Education, My Coke
May
27th: Holiday (Memorial Day)
Rewards, Tyson Project A+ Labels Program. All the details
th
June 6 : Last Day of School for Students
at
End of Grading Period
http://cmsweb1.lcps.org/Page/70327.
PAGE 17
B UZZ
Spectrum Speaks
The 7th grade Spectrum students returned last Wednesday,
November 7th from their much anticipated field trip to the
Natural History Museum where they completed a forensics
lab entitled Criminal or Collector. Following their lab experience with lunch at Union Station made for an absolutely perfect day! Thanks to all our chaperones for a truly
―uneventful‖ trip!
The 6th grade Spectrum class students‘ field trip will be on
December 12th, also to the Natural History museum. The
6th and 7th grades will soon begin exploring various cultures, what it means to be a culture and what it takes to
become a culture! They will create cultures of their own,
even constructing a written language. Through a simulated
dig, students will learn excavation techniques and the importance of accurate documentation. Cultures will be on
display in the library following the winter break.
The 8th grade Spectrum class is greatly anticipating their
field trip to the Shakespeare Theater in downtown DC.
There, they will enjoy a performance of Shakespeare‘s, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a Q & A session with the
actresses and actors following the show. December 20th
will see all of the students decked out in theater garb as
they travel into the city for this much anticipated event.
Prior to the outing, 8th grade students at Harmony will have
the pleasure of hosting a pre-performance workshop given
by the Shakespeare Theater‘s Shakespearience staff. This
workshop will familiarize them with the play and give them
added insight into the world of Shakespeare. The 8th grade
unit of study during this nine weeks is communication
through the arts, highlighting claymation animated film
making. Students will be creating films to be entered into
the
Come and see our entries later in the year at our annual
Family Arts Night here at Harmony!
Advent Calendars
The German Club at Harmony is selling
Advent Calendars for $3 per calendar.
These calendars are a German tradition
and offer sweet, little chocolate surprises
behind each of the 24 doors.
Staff
Recognition
Mr. Richard Murdock graduated from
California State College (California,
PA) in December of 1974 and started
teaching at Blue Ridge in August of
1975. At the start of the 1989 school
year, he assisted in changing the 7th
grade curriculum over to the Technology Education curriculum with the 8th grade making the change over several years
later. In June of 1990, he and his BRMS partner (Mr.
Bovard) were recognized for "Outstanding Contributions to
Vocational Education" by the state Board of Education.
After 35 years of teaching at Blue Ridge Middle School,
Mr. Murdock retired in 2010 . In September of this year, he
was asked to come out of retirement to complete the academic year splitting time between Blue Ridge and Harmony
Middle schools. He feels very privileged to be able to teach
at these two schools which he considers to be the best in the
system. The students and faculties of each school make it a
pleasure to be working with them again.
Mr. Mike Blair Is very excited to begin the 7th grade school year as part
of the Gemini Team at Harmony Middle School. This is his 23rd year of
teaching with the last seven years in
Loudoun County Public Schools. He
earned his undergraduate degree in
Secondary Education, Social Sciences from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. After moving
to Virginia in 1991, he was able to complete his endorsement
in Special Education. While teaching in Virginia, he has had
an opportunity to teach in a number of educational settings,
with both middle school and high school student populations. He has coached varsity wrestling as head coach and
as an assistant.
PAGE 18
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
Attention Parents—
Please join us for our one-night workshop:
Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College
Attend expensive private schools for the same out-of-pocket as in-state public schools.
Pay for college in the most efficient and effective manner.
Avoid jeopardizing your retirement nest egg.
Qualify for your maximum Financial Aid package.
Discover unique student positioning techniques.
Gain an insider‘s view of the college admissions process.
Recapture your out-of-pocket college costs.
And much, much more!
2012 Fall Course Schedule:
—Each county has their own registration process and cost associated with the
workshop—
Loudoun, VA
click here--> Registration Info: 571-252-2119
Tuesday, December 5th
Heritage HS
6:30—9:00 PM
Howard, MD
click here--> Registration Info: 443-518-1700
Thursday, December 6th
Gateway Campus/Columbia
6:00—9:00 PM
Wye Mills, MD
Thursday, December 6th
Location TBD
6:00-9:00 PM
call--> 410-427-5810
Call 703-430-0789 to ask about custom presentations arranged for local schools and community organizations.
Your Instructor: Brock T. Jolly, CFP®, ChFC, CLU, CLTC, CASL, is a Financial Advisor and regular educator in community and professional groups on college financing, tax reduction strategies, and retirement planning. His practice is dedicated to
helping families implement creative long-term financial strategies to fund college and retirement with minimal out-of-pocket cost. Brock
is a graduate of the University of Virginia. For additional questions, please feel free to call Brock at 703-891-6681.
Trex Recycling Challenge
The Trex Recycling Challenge has begun here at Harmony as we are collecting plastic bags through Earth
Day- April 22nd. Bins are in each house area ,and plastic bags are not limited to those plastic grocery bags;
we can take pellet bags, dry cleaning bags, etc.
As a school, we will receive a birdhouse for participating. Also, the winning school in our area will receive a
bench. We could work on an outdoor classroom or adding to our courtyard???
PAGE 19
B UZZ
Nurturing Parenting Program
105 E. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20176
(703) 771-3973, ext. 27
nurturingprogram@lcsj.org
Schedule of Parenting Classes
Winter and Spring, 2013
Nurturing Program:
Introductory Meetings:
Class sessions:
Time:
Parenting Strategies for the Pre-teen (Ages 10-13)
Thursday, (1/10/13), between 4:00 – 8:30 PM
Thursdays, (1/17/13 – 2/28/13), (6 weeks)
6:00 – 7:30 PM
Nurturing Program:
Introductory Meetings:
Class sessions:
Time:
Parenting Strategies for Children (Ages birth-11)
Wednesday, 1/9/13, between 4 - 8 PM
Wednesdays, (1/16/13 - 3/13/13), (8 weeks)
5:30 - 8:00 PM,
(Course materials and instruction in SPANISH)
Nurturing Program:
Introductory Meetings:
Class sessions:
Time:
Parenting Strategies for the School Age Child (Ages 3-11)
Thursday (3/21/13), between 4 - 8 PM
Thursdays, (3/28/13 - 5/16/13), (8 weeks)
5:30 – 8:00 PM
Nurturing Program:
Introductory Meetings:
Class sessions:
Time:
Parenting Strategies for the Young Child (Ages 0-5)
Wednesday (3/20/13), between 9 AM – noon
Wednesdays, (3/27/13 - 5/15/13), (8 weeks)
9:30 – 11:00 AM
Classes cover a wide range of parenting topics:
families explore ways to establish effective methods for addressing problem behaviors;
strategies for increasing their child’s positive self-image;
how to develop effective family rules and decision making skills;
and many ways to reduce family conflict while increasing family fun!
Children/teens are encouraged to attend class sessions with their parent(s).
Age appropriate classes are offered to help children and teens develop communication and relationship skills.
Childcare is provided for infants and toddlers.
The programs are FREE to the public.
Class sizes are limited.
D E CE MBE R 201 2/ J ANU ARY 2 013
PAGE 20
Cafeteria News
Hot Meal Menu Schedule:
The Loudoun County Public Schools new Secondary Lunch Menu is a three week repeating menu. This menu may be
viewed online at www.lcps.org by selecting school menu.
Week of November 26th Week 2
Week of December 3rd Week 3
Week of December 10th Week 1
Week of December 17th Week 2
Week of December 24th No School
Week of December 31st Week 3
PAGE 21
B UZZ
DECEMBER EVENTS








December 2012
12/10 Spirit Week
12/11 Choral Concert @ 6 PM
12/12 Band Boosters Mtg @ 7 PM
12/13 Orchestra Concert @ 6 PM
12/8 Guitar Concert @ 6 PM
12/12 Interims
12/20 Band Concert @ 7 PM
12/24/12-1/02/13 Winter Break
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
4
5
B
9
6
A
10
B
11
Spirit Week
7
B
A
12
Choral
Concert
8
13
Band
Boosters
14
15
Orchestra
Concert
Interims
A
16
B
17
18
A
19
20
Guitar
Concert
B
23
21
22
Band
Concert
A
24
A
B
B
25
26
A
27
B
28
29
Winter Break
January 2013
JANUARY EVENTS
 1/3/13 Classes Resume
 1/9/2013 Band Booster Mtg, 7 PM
 1/17 End of Marking Period
 1/18 Student Holiday/Teacher Workday (moveable)
 1/21 MLK, Jr. Birthday—Holiday
 1/24 Winter Book Club in library
SUN
30
6
MON
TUE
31
1
7
Classes
Resume
8
14
THU
2
Winter Break
B
13
WED
3
15
10
B
16
20
21
B
22
17
23
12
B
18
19
Student Holiday
Teacher Workday
B
24
25
26
Winter Book Club
Holiday
A
27
A
A
A
5
11
End of Grading
Period
A
SAT
4
B
A
9
A
FRI
28
29
A
B
30
B
A
31
A
B
B
The
Buzz
Non-Profit Std. Mail
Permit 10
Hamilton, VA 20158
Harmony Middle School
38174 West Colonial Highway
Hamilton, VA 20158
School Cancellation/Delayed Opening/Early Closing and
Announcements
In the event that weather or other reasons require either closing or delaying the opening of school before buses start on their routes,
announcements will be made over the following radio/TV stations by 6:00 AM. These stations are notified by direct calls and should
be the primary stations that are monitored.
Comcast Cable (TV 21) Loudoun County
WRC (TV 4)
Washington, DC
WINC (92.5 FM) Winchester, VA
FOX (TV 5)
Washington, DC
WTOP (1500) Washington, DC
WJLA (TV 7) Washington, DC
WMAL (630 AM) Washington, DC
WUSA (TV 9) Washington, DC
News Channel 8 Washington, DC
In the event of a delayed opening, please stay tuned to the radio/TV station in case some change in the weather causes schools to be
closed for the day.
A one-hour delay would mean that all morning programs would operate as usual except that they would start one (1) hour later.
A two-hour delay would mean that school opening would be delayed for two (2) hours, with specific alternatives to certain programs.
Early Closing
In the event that circumstances necessitate the early closing of school after school is in session, announcements will be broadcast
from the same radio/TV stations as listed above. When we have an early closing, it will probably be announced that school will close
either one or two hours earlier than usual.
For more information log on to: http://alert.loudoun.gov to register for electronic notifications.