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Good afternoon!

I hope everyone is managing the hustle and bustle of the holiday season as well as the weather! As far as the latter, our area has been quite lucky so far in that the snow accumulation has been very little. Our holiday recess is now only two weeks away, but we have a few upcoming events worth noting before we send our students off.  

Our Winter Concert and Dessert Auction will be held this Tuesday – tomorrow – at 6:30 p.m. The Winter Concert is one of those must-attend events of our school. Each year we marvel at the musical talents of our students. We hope you will join us to celebrate the sounds of the season with our wonderful collection of young musicians and vocalists. Prior to the concert, the Hackett PTA will host their Winter Dessert raffle. Please take a moment to stop by and view all the great desserts on display and take a chance to win some holiday goodness! All proceeds will support our PTA.  

Our first-quarter Honor Roll Ceremony will be held this Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in the auditorium. Approximately 283 students are being celebrated for outstanding and exemplary academic achievement, with our bronze students totaling 82, silver totaling 100 and gold totaling 101. We are proud to recognize these students and extend our sincere congratulations to them. Also on Wednesday, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú High School will hold a lottery drawing for eighth-graders to determine which academy they will be assigned to in September. 

Second-quarter interim grades close this Friday. Please be sure your child is handing in their assignments along with any missed work due to absences.

Holiday Recess will be from Monday, Dec. 23-Wednesday, Jan. 1, with classes resuming on Thursday, January 2.  

Congratulations to our very own science 7 teacher Kerry Welcome, who recently was accepted in the prestigious New York State Master Teacher Program! .

Last week we celebrated Friday Fun Day with a "Team Grinch vs. Team Holly Jolly" theme!  Students and staff really enjoyed showing their holiday spirit with creative red and green attire. This week, we carry on the festivities with an ugly sweater theme and look forward to seeing some very expressive holiday cheer. We will continue to celebrate each Friday in a different way in order to add a little fun to our day and show our school spirit. This is a great way to build healthy relationships and look forward to the weekend.  

We continue to accept applications for our Extended Day Program, and we hope to encourage more students to enrich their afternoons by signing up! Applications are available at the attendance desk in the main foyer. Programs include swimming, cooking, judo, cosmetology, dance, arts and crafts, yearbook and more! The after-school program takes place Monday through Thursday from 3-5:15 p.m. and includes a free snack and free door-to-door transportation home. Completed forms should be returned to the guidance office, and any specific questions should be directed to Ms. Lewis at dlewis2@albany.k12.ny.us. The program will run through Friday, June 13.

Hackett Middle School continues its fire drill emergency response procedures. Holding practice drills is crucial to our overall emerngecy planning, and we will continue to conduct planned drills.

Speed cameras are in operation on Delaware Avenue near Hackett and Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST). The city has switched from warning letters to $50 fines, so please observe the 20-mph school zone speed limit and help keep our students safe. You can visit our website to read more.

... and that was the week that was!  

Now for our 'Don't Snooze and Lose News' 

• Our January PTA meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in room 112. If you can't attend in person, you can .
• We will dismiss early – at 12:30 p.m. – on Wednesday, Jan. 15 so that staff can take part in professional development sessions.
• There will be no school on Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• There will be no school on Wednesday, Jan. 29 in observance of Lunar New Year.
• The second quarter ends on Friday, Jan. 31. Please be sure your child is handling all assignments along with any missed work due to absences.
• The second round of parent-teacher conferences will take place Thursday, Feb. 6 in the evening and Friday, Feb. 7 during the day. Please note that there is no school for students on Feb. 7.
•  We wil dismiss early – at 12:30 p.m. – on Wednesday, Feb. 26 so that staff can take part in professional development sessions.

Hackett corner quotes

"When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed." – Maya Angelou