Bilingual liaison services

HMS Foundation supports a bilingual liaison to help parents communicate with the school. The liaison's schedule helps fill gaps in the schedule of the school's Spanish language interpreter. ​

Ms. Garay started DRUMBEAT at HMS

The HMS Foundation supports teachers in bringing innovative and effective programs to the school. Ms. Garay had great success with the DRUMBEAT program at her previous school. Through funding from the HMS Foundation, she was able to purchase drums and bring this new way to help students with social-emotional learning  Want to know what it's about: Watch this overview  https://youtu.be/cBhXS1Tov60  

Atlanta Science Festival 

The HMS Foundation has supported students by providing the bus transportation to the Atlanta Science Festival Expo.  It's Atlanta’s biggest interactive science event with more than 100 hands-on, interactive science booths from local organizations, universities, and companies. 

Disc Golf at HMS!

With the support of the HMS Foundation, Coach Morrison is starting a new, exciting activity that will combine physical activity and STEM. A movable Disc Golf course (think Frisbee). Students will set up the course, test it, and use it, which involves science and math - figuring out speed, velocity, angles, arches, motion, inertia, etc. All the while they will also be outside and moving! ​

Clorox Foundation - Community Development Program Grant will support our STEM gardens

In addition to donations, we apply for grants to help the school. In February 2019 we received a $2,500 Community Development Program grant from the Clorox Foundation to expand the STEM gardens, including a green house so that the activities can be done year-round. 

Other STEM Garden Donations - Thank You Sponsors! 

We work with businesses and combine financial donations from the school community and donations of materials and services to make things happen. The student gardens are a great example! ​Lumber and accessories were donated, the foundation purchased the soil. 
Thank you to Lisa Anderson from Handy Ace Hardware in Tucker! Mr. Purdy and all the STEM garden students will make use of the donated garden hose and caddy just as soon as the growing season starts! 
Thank you to Simeon Niolon from Niolon Lumber Sales in Suwanee! Mr. Purdy and the STEM garden students will use the donated lumber to build more gardens just as soon as it's warm enough.

What HMS Foundation has funded so far:

The overall aim of the foundation is to provide educational resources to the school, to enrich the school’s academic and cultural offerings. Starting with an initial goal to bring STEM education to the school, the focus has expanded to support school-wide activities so that all children can benefit from innovative and evidence-based approaches to learning. 
  
With the help of our donors, the foundation has provided:
  • Incentives for several teachers to go through training to obtain gifted certification
  • A bilingual liaison to help Spanish language parents on days where there is no DCDS interpreter available. 
  • Flocabulary for school-wide use
  • French newspapers for the first cohort of  Henderson Middle School's French immersion students  
  • Entry fees for the district level science fair for several 8th grade students 
  • Support the successful completion of STEM certification
    • Access to DefineSTEM, an integrated STEM curriculum that will make it easy for all teachers to develop hands-on learning activities
    • Teacher training for STEM education 
    • Attendance at STEM conferences
    • Creation of a STEM garden
    • Transportation for students to attend STEM and Science Expos (e.g., bus transport to the Atlanta Science Festival)
  • Teacher workbooks to bring the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, an evidence-based approach to improve ELA skills, to the classroom
  • Support to the PTSA to bring Alice Between, an innovative cultural arts program, to the school
  • Support to expand the student gardens as a school-wide learning opportunity 
In previous years:
  • STEM training and supplies
  • Scientific calculators for the school
  • Science world magazines
We have made great progress towards STEM accreditation!  HMS received STEM program accreditation in 2018. STEM activities are integrated in all teams, and plans are underway to fully integrate STEM to the entire school. 
STEM has been a success! Read what parents and students say about the program:
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