Today is the final day of the Pod of Gold fundraiser. Homeroom teachers, please send your envelope around the room for final donations and write the total on your envelope. The envelopes can be placed in Mr. Heck's or Ms. Pane's mailbox.
The HMS American Heart Challenge is on March 19th. Remember to collect donations online or grab an envelope in the main gym. Sign up for the Pay by Play contests! There will be a 3v3 tournament, foul shooting and 3 point shooting contest. We are also having a volleyball tournament!! Forms are in the main gym or ask your Health/PE teacher for more information.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
HMS will be dismissing at 12:30 today. All classes will meet for shortened periods and there will be no lunch service. All Hillsborough schools are dismissing students early today so teachers will have time this afternoon for special planning meetings. As you know the global spread of this novel coronavirus has made its way to the United States and New Jersey.
The good news is that for the vast majority of individuals, the coronavirus acts like most other viruses of its type producing symptoms of a cold or mild flu such as - cough, low fever, fatigue - and then recovery. This is especially true among young, otherwise healthy individuals such as yourself. In some cases, particularly among the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, the virus can cause complications and if it spreads too quickly in any one area can overwhelm health care facilities. As with any virus, the best defense is a good offense - washing your hands often and thoroughly for 20 seconds using soap and plenty of water can significantly reduce the chance of catching the virus by getting it off your hands and away from your mouth or eyes or others through touch.
The second step is to help prevent spread to others. Wearing masks is not helpful unless you are already infected and trying to prevent spread to others. Masks are not permitted to be worn in school and they will be confiscated from you if you have them out. Sneezing or coughing into elbows, using tissues to cover a cough, and reducing our natural tendency to gather together in large groups can help slow or even stop the spread of a virus.
You are no doubt seeing the closing of many activities where people gather for events or for social interaction like sporting events, concerts, colleges and even public schools. This is a preventative measure that may come to Hillsborough as well and we need to plan for that possibility. School will go on, though we may need to rely more heavily - or exclusively - on online communications with your teachers to share school assignments, lessons, and your work. Your teachers will have more information to share with you tomorrow and in the days ahead, after their initial planning this afternoon, so you will know what will be expected of you should it be necessary for us to shift school from meeting here in this building to meeting online for a period of time.
HMS is more than a school building, we are learning community whether here physically or virtually. And we are stronger together. Always.
With something to think about, this is Dr. Trybulski, have a great day.