Hampden Meadows School

🌼👏👨‍🏫CELEBRATING NATIONAL PRINCIPALS MONTH: October is National Principals Month, a time for us to celebrate the important leadership role of school principals. At Barrington Public Schools, we are fortunate to have the leadership of six dedicated, innovative, and empathetic principals who are committed to our mission of empowering excellence. Mr. Ashley, Dr. Anderson, Mr. Sangiuliano, Mr. Callahan, Mrs. Moniz, and Ms. August lead with vision and compassion, fostering learning communities that are rigorous, supportive, inclusive, and kind. Thank you, BPS principals! 💛💙

🌟🏅💙BLUE RIBBON DAY AT SOWAMS SCHOOL: What a beautiful day to honor Sowams School! The Commissioner of Rhode Island Department of Education - RIDE, state and local officials, community leaders, and BPS families joined Sowams School staff and students to celebrate Sowams School becoming a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence!

🚧🏗⚠️SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT UPDATE: We are now in Stage III, the design and development phase, of the Barrington School Building Project. This phase is expected to last 18 months, with schematic design happening through the fall and early winter. Want to learn more about the project's schematic design phase? You're invited to join a Community Conversation with the School Building Committee and Tecton Architects next Tuesday, October 8, for a discussion on visioning the project and initial project concepts. ❓Community Conversation #1: Visioning & Project Concepts 📆Tuesday, October 8, 2024 ⏰6:00-7:00 PM 📍John R. Gray Auditorium, Barrington High School Have a question? Send an email to construction@barringtonschools.org.

🎃🧡🖤BHS STUDENTS VOLUNTEER IN TOWN: You may have seen some familiar faces volunteering at the St. John's Episcopal Church pumpkin patch on Saturday! Barrington High School student leaders who are active in clubs like National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, and Interact spent their weekend morning unloading thousands of pumpkins from pallets in preparation for the annual pumpkin sale. Great work giving back to the community, Eagles!

⚓️🦋🧠BHS STUDENT CLUBS ATTEND P2P CONFERENCE: Barrington High School students are helping to create a school environment their peers feel seen, supported, and empowered. Student organizations like the Hope Club and Morgan's Message are eliminating the stigma around mental health and expanding access to mental health resources at BHS. Today, members of the BHS Hope Club and Morgan's Message attended the 2024 Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Conference at University of Rhode Island to bring the P2P mental health awareness program to Barrington! Sponsored by the Chris Collins Foundation and the University of Michigan Depression Center, P2P is an evidence-based, student-led program that uses innovative stigma reduction messages to help students connect with one another and make a positive impact on mental health. Learn more about P2P here: https://depressioncenter.org/outreach-education/youth-mental-health/peer-peer-depression-awareness-program

💙💛🏆SOWAMS SCHOOL IS A NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL: Today, the U.S. Department of Education recognized Sowams School as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School for academic rigor and excellence! The National Blue Ribbon Schools award is the highest honor an American school can achieve. Sowams's recognition as a Blue Ribbon School is a testament to the hard work of our students and educators and to the unwavering support of our Barrington community. Rhode Island Department of Education - RIDE Commissioner Infante-Green visited Sowams this afternoon to help us celebrate! 🥳🙌 Congratulations, Sowams School!

🚴🚦🚴‍♀️RHODE TO BICYCLE SAFETY AT HMS: Students at Hampden Meadows School are learning how to be safe cyclists thanks to the Rhode to Bicycle Safety program! Rhode to Bicycle Safety (R2BS), is a 180-minute course that teaches fifth grade students across Rhode Island how to safely ride their bikes for transportation, physical activity, and fun. At Hampden Meadows, R2BS is part of the Grade 5 health and physical education curriculum. Over the course of two weeks, students learn the rules of vehicular cycling, proper helmet safety, and bike safety checks, and practice navigating intersections and safely scanning their surroundings. Each student receives a helmet to take home at the end of the R2BS course to ensure safe bike practices! R2BS is made possible by a partnership between Rhode Island Department of Transportation and Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. Learn more about Rhode to Bicycle Safety: https://wrwc.org/wp/what-we-do/red-shed-bike-programs/

💡📒🎓SPECIAL EDUCATION RESEARCHER VISITS BHS: Dr. Vickie Mitchell, Professor of Special Education at Sam Houston State University, visited the Transition Academy at Barrington High School this afternoon! Dr. Mitchell is a leading researcher on adult transition programs and special education practitioner. It was a pleasure to meet with and learn from her today. 🦅

⭐️🏫✏️PRIMROSE HILL PRESCHOOL PROGRAM RECEIVES 5-STAR RATING: The Primrose Hill Elementary School preschool program has received a 5-star rating from BrightStars, the highest recognition possible under Rhode Island’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). BrightStars assesses early childhood education programs across five levels, focusing on continuous quality improvement in health, safety, nutrition, enrollment, staffing, staff qualifications, professional development, administration, early learning and development, and family engagement. The 5-star rating recognizes programs that exceed Rhode Island's regulatory requirements and demonstrate best educational practices. Primrose Hill School stands out as one of only six schools in the BrightStars database to achieve this honor and is also distinguished as the only school among the top-rated that does not operate under the direct oversight of the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). This recognition is the result of our dedicated educators and staff, our supportive community, and our District’s unwavering commitment to providing a nurturing and enriching environment for all of our students to learn and grow.

SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT UPDATES: The Barrington School Building Committee and Tecton Architects have planned a series of community conversations, open to all members of the Barrington public, as the project enters the design and development phase of Stage III. Community Conversation #1: Visioning and Initial Concepts Tuesday, October 8, 2024 from 6-7:00 PM Barrington High School Auditorium Community Conversation #2: Refining the Preferred Option Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 6-7:00 PM Barrington High School Auditorium Community Conversation #3: A More Detailed Look at Space Tuesday, February 25, 2024 from 6-7:00 PM Barrington High School Auditorium Community Conversation #4: Final Design and What to Expect in Construction Tuesday, August 12, 2024 from 6-7:00 PM Barrington High School Auditorium

🚒🚓🚑BPS CELEBRATES HIGH-FIVES FOR HEROES: You may have seen a procession of first responder vehicles driving around town this morning. That is because students and staff at Nayatt School, Primrose Hill Elementary School, Sowams School, and Hampden Meadows Elementary School lined their school's hallways to participate in High-Fives for Heroes, a showing of thanks and support for Barrington's first responders in observance of the twenty-third anniversary of September 11, 2001. Elementary school students prepared for "High-Fives for Heroes" by learning about the roles and responsibilities of first responders. They also made signs, drawings, and cards for members of the Barrington Police Department and Barrington Fire Department who walked through our schools. Barrington Middle School and Barrington High School also showed support of first responders by writing messages of thanks. Thank you to all of our first responders for keeping our community safe and healthy!

🎨🎺🎭NATIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK: This week, September 9-13, is National Arts in Education Week, a celebration of the transformative power of music, theater, dance, media arts, and visual arts instruction in education. Arts education contributes to overall student success, social-emotional development, and school engagement. Thank you to our BPS arts educators who encourage our students to explore the world and their place within it and provide a consistent, positive outlet for students to express themselves! 🎹🎤🖍

💡🧑‍🎨📘BHS STUDENTS EXPLORE AT THE ACTIVITIES FAIR: The Barrington High School Activities Fair gives BHS students an opportunity to learn about the dozens of student clubs and organizations at BHS and express their interest in participation. From Chinese Club to Sailing Club to Naturalist Notebook Club to Allied Medical Professionals Club - and many more in between - there is a club for everyone at BHS! 💙💛

🌅 🎓🤍 BHS SENIOR SUNRISE: Barrington High School’s Class of 2025 began their senior year with Senior Sunrise, a cherished Victory Field tradition! Seniors also gathered before the first day of school to decorate their vehicles with school spirit. We’re so excited for our Class of 2025!

🏫✏️💛 FIRST DAY OF THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR: School is back in session! Today, August 28, is the first day of the 2024-2025 school year for Barrington Public Schools students. 🦅 We are thrilled to welcome new learners and just as excited to see familiar faces returning to our schools! Our hallways and classrooms are buzzing with anticipation for what is sure to be a fantastic school year. BPS is proud to serve the children and families of our Barrington community. Every day, our schools are filled with enthusiastic and hard-working students, educators, and staff who continually put forth their best effort. Here's to a great school year ahead! 🍏

🌈🫶🎉BARRINGTON TEACHER OF THE YEAR 2024-2025: Barrington Public Schools is proud to recognize Mrs. Heidi Brousseau, special educator at Nayatt School and K-3 emotional regulation specialist, as our 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year. We look forward to the continued positive influence she will have on our students, staff, and the entire Barrington community this year. Congratulations, Mrs. Brousseau, on this well-deserved honor!

💙💛🍎 BPS EDUCATORS START THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR: Today, August 26, is opening day of the 2024-2025 school year for Barrington Public Schools! Superintendent Wargo kicked off the District's new school year with a welcome address to a full auditorium at Barrington Middle School. Motivational speaker and nationally recognized educator, Dr. Dorina Sackman-Ebuwa, delivered an inspiring and engaging keynote. Educators also heard from Patrick McCrann, Chair of the School Committee, and the Barrington High School Chain Reaction Club this morning. Our schools are buzzing with excitement as we prepare for the first day of school on Wednesday, August 28. This is sure to be an incredible school year!

♟🎉BPS STUDENTS COMPETE AT NATIONAL CHESS COMPETITIONS: Two members of our Barrington Public Schools community, Levon and Nina, recently represented Rhode Island in national chess competitions held in Norfolk, Virginia! Levon, a student at Barrington High School, placed 20th nationally in the GM Arnold Denker National Tournament of High School State Champions. He is ranked as the third-best chess player in Rhode Island and recently earned the title of Candidate Master. Nina, a rising 6th grader at Barrington Middle School, competed in the WIM Ruth Haring National Tournament of Girls State Champions. She tied for 43rd place nationally against middle school and high school students. Way to go, Levon and Nina! 👏🎉

🤸‍♀️🏊🥇HAMPDEN MEADOWS SCHOOL OLYMPIC GAMES: In honor of the #ParisOlympics2024, we're throwing it back to the last week of the 2023-2024 school year when Hampden Meadows School hosted the HMS Olympic Games! Fourth and fifth grade classes representing countries from around the world kicked off the HMS Olympics with an opening ceremony on the basketball court with a parade of athletes. Students took an athlete's oath to commit to fair play and lit the tough tiger torch symbolizing peace, friendship, and unity amongst all participants. Classes competed in athletic events that demonstrated their sportsmanship and teamwork. At the end of the day, one class from each grade was recognized as a gold medalist for their sportsmanship, kindness, and inclusivity throughout the games! Thank you to the entire HMS community, including our parent volunteers, for empowering our tough tigers to go for the gold! 🐯

🐝🐞🐛BHS STUDENT ORGANIZATION RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD: Four Barrington High School students recently received the President's Environmental Youth Award from President Joe Biden and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their climate action project, The Barrington Environmental Establishment (The BEE)! 🎉🌎 The President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects created by students in kindergarten through 12th grade. As part of their climate action project, BHS students Abigail, Siddharth, Mia, and Emma partnered with local organizations like the Barrington Farm School, the Barrington Land Conservation Trust, and Save The Bay - Narragansett Bay to promote sustainable practices and youth environmental stewardship. Last year, they worked to construct a public composting drop-off site in Barrington that produces more than 50 pounds of compost each week. The BEE also publishes a bi-weekly newsletter and hosts a tree sapling sale every year to offset paper use. Congratulations Abigail, Siddharth, Mia, and Emma! They will attend a special presentation of the PEYA Award in Washington, DC, on August 1. Read more about this award and The BEE: https://www.eastbayri.com/barrington/stories/barrington-students-earn-prestigious-environmental-award,123974