Herbert Hoover Middle School
Vision: To foster an environment where each student is successful.
Mission: To provide each student a rigorous and engaging program of instruction in an environment where
students are supported academically, socially, and emotionally so they can maximize their academic and
personal potential to become lifelong learners and productive members of their community.
Instructional Focus: In order to increase student achievement for all while reducing the achievement gap,
the staff of Hoover middle school is committed to improving student learning through the effective
implementation of:
 equitable teaching practices
 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Instructional Framework strategies
 instructional strategies and school-wide initiatives that address students’ social and emotional needs as
measured by MPAs, MAP-R and MAP-M, formative/summative assessments, and student/staff/parent
feedback.
August 1, 2016
Dear Hoover Parents,
Summer greetings! I hope that your summer has been relaxing and enjoyable. To those of you who are new
members of our Hoover family, Welcome! To those of you who are returning, Welcome Back! On behalf of
the entire staff, we are looking forward to a wonderful, challenging, educational experience at Herbert Hoover
Middle School for the 2016-2017 school year.
The summer months at Hoover have been very busy. Our building was used most of the summer by camps,
programs, and classes. Nonetheless, our building service team, led by Mr. Pumphrey, has been working
tirelessly to polish floors, clean out lockers, and dust every square inch of the building in preparation for the
first day of school. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to our team. Hoover could not operate on a daily basis
without them.
The building is in the process of getting ready for the arrival of our students on August 29, 2016. All sixth
graders are invited to Mini-Day from 7:50 AM to 12:00 PM on Thursday, August 25, 2016. Mini-Day will
provide sixth graders with an opportunity to walk the building, meet their teachers, and, most importantly,
practice opening their lockers. School buses will operate that morning and at the end of Mini-Day. Students
will find posters in the cafeteria and throughout the building that will guide them where to go. Staff members
will be available to assist students as well. Sixth grade parents will receive additional information prior to
Mini-Day. Seventh and eighth grade students NEW to the Hoover community are invited to attend an
orientation meeting from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Please call (301) 968-3750 to RSVP if your new seventh or
eighth grader plans to attend the New Student Orientation. Returning seventh and eighth graders will receive
schedules on the first day of school and should not attend Mini- Day. Students who are unable to attend will
participate in orientation and team building activities the first two weeks of school.
The first day of school is Monday, August 29, 2016. This will be a regular full-day session with buses running
their regular routes. A complete calendar with all scheduled school holidays and early release days will be
clearly posted on our website. Please keep these pages for reference throughout the school year.
Students are expected to be in their homeroom class ready to learn BEFORE the 8:15 AM bell. Students who
arrive to school before 7:40 AM will remain outside the building. The walkway is covered. Students will be
permitted in the cafeteria from 7:40-7:55 AM and be dismissed to go to their lockers and prepare for the day at
the 7:55 AM bell. A reminder bell will ring at 8:10 AM and all students are expected in first period by the 8:15
AM bell.
8810 Post Oak Road, Rockville, MD 20854
Office: 301-968-3740
Fax: 301-469-1013
Yong-Mi Kim
2
August 1, 2016
Communication:
There are a number of ways you can stay connected with the most up-to-date news and information.
Hoover Notes: Every week, the PTA sends out a correspondence that outlines important dates and events both
inside and outside of school. Many teachers use Hoover Notes as an opportunity to inform parents how they can
be involved and support their class. Please join the PTA and make sure you receive your Hoover Notes.
Website: Our website will provide you with a number of links you will need to access throughout the course of
the year. Additionally, the website will post reminders for upcoming events and other important dates both
parents and students need to know. Be sure to consistently check out the school’s website to stay informed with
what is happening at school.
Twitter: Please follow us on Twitter. Our handle is @HHMSLeadership. Throughout the year, we will tweet
pictures of students, links to articles, weather updates, and other news that pertains to the Montgomery County
Public Schools system.
ConnectEd: Throughout the year, we will use a program that will send out emails and make telephone calls.
Often times many of the calls and emails will be grade-level specific. However, for big events such as Back to
School Night, we will do a whole-school email and phone blast. To ensure you are receiving these important
messages, double check to make sure we have the most up-to-date information on file. Students will bring home
an information card on the first day of school. Follow the directions and make any changes through Edline.
Edline: Edline allows you to view grades, access teacher resources, and receive emails from teachers. In order
to access Edline, you will need to sign up for an account. Directions for setting up an Edline account can be
found on the Parents tab on the MCPS homepage.
School Digital Billboard: The outside digital sign will post important dates, reminders, and other information
parents should know to stay informed. The sign is updated once a week.
New this year: Monthly Newsletter from Dr. Kim
New Courses at Hoover:
I am happy to share with you some of the new courses we will be offering our students:
For the 2016-2017 school year, selected sixth grade students were extended an invitation to take either French
1A or Spanish 1A. In these classes, students will be given an opportunity to learn how to communicate in the
target language both orally and in writing. Culture will be embedded throughout the curriculum. Students who
take this class and pass successfully will move on to full year Spanish 1B or French 1B in the seventh grade.
We are excited to inform you that we will be offering Exploratory Theatre (Drama) as a sixth grade rotation.
Students will have an opportunity to interact with one another as they orient themselves to the world of theatre.
In this class, students will be challenged to engage in performance and self-expression that will build
confidence and a life-long interest in the arts. This course will also offer students the foundation they will need
in order to pursue drama in the future.
Beginning this upcoming year, we will be offering Hoover's first STEM/Science Olympiad course to build upon
the success of our club team as it moves into its second year of competition. The course will include seventh
and eighth grade students. Science Olympiad is a national competition that assesses students’ abilities in STEM
through challenges, tests, and lab activities in a fun, competitive team format. Each year 15 team members
compete in 23 events. The course will focus on all aspects of STEM including the scientific method, formal lab
writing, advancements in technology, engineering principals, and general science content. This will be done in
a variety of ways that mimic the Science Olympiad competition with students participating in labs, completing
STEM and lab challenges, and building projects that could potentially compete in state and national
competitions.
8810 Post Oak Road, Rockville, MD 20854
Office: 301-968-3740
Fax: 301-469-1013
Yong-Mi Kim
3
August 1, 2016
Staffing Update:
We are so fortunate at Hoover to have staff members who are so dedicated to our students and skilled in
delivering a high quality education. As you know, the new school year will bring changes in staffing. Most of
these changes were announced prior to summer vacation.
Please join me in congratulating Ms. Katrina Brown. Ms. Brown will be a learning support specialist at the
highly acclaimed Hong Kong International School. Wielding her years of experience her at Hoover and
international education experience she ascertained in India, she will, undoubtedly make a great addition to their
institution. We wish her the very best. Ms. AnneMarie Smith, a principal intern from John Poole middle school,
will be our new Assistant Principal.
This year, as we say goodbye to a few of our friends, we have the opportunity to welcome others to our Hoover
family.
The Fondest Farewell to:



















Annie Amantea
Gina Blake
Katrina Brown
Katy Caldwell
Charlie Cleveland
Rob Dahlin
Allison Finn
JoAnn Flynn
Deloise Gambrell-Hocker
Kathy Lancaster
Joann Lavay
Andrea Maples
Catherine Malchodi
Kathryn Reger
Mary Shipe
Lina Sturges
Staci Yolles
Pam Zahra
Lauren Zucconi
We will miss them and we wish them all well.
The Happiest Hello to …












Judith Bankhead, PPW
Dina Beatty, English Resource Teacher
Sarah Clifford, Bridge Services Teacher
Brian Contreras, Plant Equipment Operator
Marie Crenwelge Tilkins, Band/Instrumental Teacher
Robert, Giles, Social Studies Teacher
Meghan Grana, Special Education Teacher
Kayla Gross, Math Resource Teacher
Romella Husain, Special Education Teacher
Jennifer Jang, Bridge Services Teacher
Glenda Rosa, Cafeteria Manager
Karen Sachs, Math Teacher
8810 Post Oak Road, Rockville, MD 20854
Office: 301-968-3740
Fax: 301-469-1013
Yong-Mi Kim



4
August 1, 2016
Joshua Smith, Social Studies Teacher
Denice Wepasnick, Administrative Secretary
Maryam Zolecki, School Psychologist
Testing in Middle School
The Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education voted at its business meeting to eliminate final
exams. As such, we will no longer implement an “Exam Schedule” at the end of the first and second semester.
Subjects that have to administer a county assessment will do so in the time-frame of their regular class schedule.
External assessments, such as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam
(PARCC), will continue because they are required by the state. We will be in touch with updated information
regarding testing as we receive them.
For the 2016-2017 school year, we will be administering the MAP-M (Measures of Academic Progress in
Math) in the fall and spring to ALL of our students. By doing so, we will have access to invaluable data that
will allow us to make profound instructional decisions for our students. We will continue to administer the
MAP-R (Measures of Academic Progress in Reading) twice a year as well. Now that the assessment can be
taken on a Chromebook, the impact of administering these assessment on instruction will be minimal.
Getting to School
Please refer to the bus route list on our website for the locations and times of pick-up. Parents should be aware
that road construction, poor weather conditions, and accidents are real traffic stoppers in the Hoover area, so
buses may be legitimately delayed when picking up students in the morning. School buses experience the same
traffic delays as the rest of us, sometimes even more so, and bus drivers tend to be more cautious than the
average commuter. Additionally, buses may run slower the first two weeks of school, as the drivers are still
adjusting themselves to their new routes.
Students are only permitted to ride the bus that is assigned to them. If a student needs to ride another bus, their
parent or guardian will have to make a formal request in writing. The request should be turned in to a secretary
in the main office. The request will be verified and the student will receive a bus pass that they will give the bus
driver.
The MCPS bus schedule (which will also be used for Mini-Day) is posted on the Hoover website. Please note:
you should look for the route number not the bus number. The route number will be displayed in the second
window behind the driver on both sides of the bus.
If you choose to drive your child to school, please use caution and patience as you enter and exit the parking lot.
Please wait patiently and drive your vehicle as far as possible towards the front of the car pool line when
dropping off children. Please refrain from dropping your student off on Postoak Road.
Staff members will be out to guide you. Please follow their direction. All students crossing Tuckerman and/or
Postoak Road should do so only at the crosswalk that is attended by a county crossing guard.
Immunization
All current Grade 6 students, regardless of the date of entry into the school system, are required to have one
tetanus, diphtheria, and attenuated pertussis (Tdap) and one meningococcal (MCV4) vaccination before
beginning Grade 7 in the 2016-17 school year. Students not in compliance with the new requirements will be
excluded from attending school until they are in compliance with the State law.
8810 Post Oak Road, Rockville, MD 20854
Office: 301-968-3740
Fax: 301-469-1013
Yong-Mi Kim
5
August 1, 2016
Student Code of Conduct
In order to ensure a safe, productive, and positive learning environment, Montgomery County Public Schools
(MCPS) publishes two documents that help students, parents, and staff understand school rules and regulations.
The expectations for student conduct and the possible consequences for violating the rules are clearly outlined
in these two documents.
A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities is an overview of the rights and responsibilities students have
in MCPS and a summary of the laws and regulations that affect students.
The MCPS Code of Conduct provides an overview of discipline procedures and protocols and the range of
consequences students could face for violating various policies, regulations, and rules. The guide also discusses
the MCPS philosophy to discipline and defines the various disciplinary responses.
During the first week of school, the administrative team will meet with all of the students to review the Student
Code of Conduct. We would love to have your support. Please review the Student Code of Conduct and the
discipline policy with your child and provide a time for them to ask/answer follow-up questions.
Birthday Celebrations!
As a reminder, Herbert Hoover middle school supports Montgomery County Public Schools’ initiative to
“promote healthy eating, personal well-being, and fitness.” Please do not bring in, or, have your child bring
from home, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, doughnuts, or other sweets to share with students in the lunchroom.
This measure will also help us reduce the risk of any kind of reaction for our food-allergic children.
PE Uniforms
Hoover P.E. uniforms are only sold online. Visit the Hoover Online Store to purchase P.E. uniforms and
optional Hoover apparel. Items purchased prior to 9:00 AM on August 16, 2016 will be distributed to students
at Hoover during the first few days of school. Items ordered by noon on September 1, 2016 will be delivered to
school the week of September 12, 2016. Only handling charges will apply to these orders. All items purchased
online after August 27, 2016 will be shipped home in late September and shipping charges will be applied.
Access to the online store is on the Hoover webpage.
Scheduled Days of Instruction
The Scheduled Days of Instruction calendar for 2016-2017 is available on the MCPS website Calendar
Central page and on our school website. The direct link is:
Scheduled Days of Instruction 2016-2017
Annual Notification of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Protection of Pupil Rights
Amendment and Directory Information- Each year we are required by law to inform parents of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act, P.L. 93-380 (FERPA), as well as their rights under the Protection of Pupil
Rights Amendment, 20 U.S.C. 1232h: 34 CFR Part 98 (PPRA). Please take a moment to click on the link
below for the information regarding you and your child’s right regarding this matter.
Educational Rights and Privacy Act
8810 Post Oak Road, Rockville, MD 20854
Office: 301-968-3740
Fax: 301-469-1013
Yong-Mi Kim
6
August 1, 2016
Student Participation in Patriotic Exercises: Regulation JFA-RA, Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students have a right to:
 Appropriate opening exercises that include the opportunity to salute and pledge to the flag
 The inclusion of patriotic exercises, when appropriate, preceding assemblies and other school
programs
 Be exposed to patriotic exercises as part of positive learning experiences for students
 Be involved in the planning and production of patriotic exercises
 Not be compelled to participate in patriotic exercises, or be penalized or embarrassed for failure to
participate
 Not have other students interfere with their right to participate in patriotic exercises and such
interference constitutes grounds for disciplinary action
Reporting and Investigating Incidents of Bullying

The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Regulation JHF-RA, Bullying, Harassment, or
Intimidation (Attachment A), is available on the MCPS website at:
Bullying Resources
Should your child experience instances of bullying, harassment, and intimidation, please contact his/her grade
level administrator and/or the counselor for support. A blank MCPS Form 230-35 is also available on our
school website for your convenience.
Reminders




The first day of school is Monday, August 29, 2016.
A complete calendar with all the scheduled school holidays and early release days can be found on our
website.
Mini-Day for sixth grade students will be held on Thursday, August 25, 2016, from 7:50 AM to 12:00
noon. Seventh and eighth grade students new to Hoover and RSVP will be able to join us from 11:00
AM to 12:00 noon.
Our instructional program will be explained at our Back-to-School Night, which is scheduled for
Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 7:00 PM.
A hard copy of this letter and all important information will be available in the main office. Feel free to call me
if you have any questions. Enjoy the rest of the summer! I look forward to seeing all of you soon.
Sincerely,
Yong-Mi Kim, Ed.D.
Principal, Herbert Hoover Middle School
8810 Post Oak Road, Rockville, MD 20854
Office: 301-968-3740
Fax: 301-469-1013
Yong-Mi Kim
8810 Post Oak Road, Rockville, MD 20854
7
August 1, 2016
Office: 301-968-3740
Fax: 301-469-1013