The purpose of this email is to share information regarding Harding Middle School. It is a monthly newsletter featuring HMS news and current events.

In This Issue:

A Message From Mills

What's Happening In March

Dear Harding Middle School Families,

Welcome to March! We are excited to announce that this Monday marks the official start of the 4th quarter of the school year. As we enter this final stretch, we are looking forward to the arrival of warmer weather and the energetic start of our spring sports season, which includes track and field, baseball, and softball.

Focusing on Excellence: State Testing

During this final quarter, our primary academic focus for all students in grades 5–8 will be the Ohio State Tests (OST). These assessments are a vital opportunity for our scholars to demonstrate the hard work they have put in throughout the year. The statewide testing windows for Spring 2026 are scheduled as follows:

• English Language Arts: March 23 – April 2, & April 13 - 20, 2026
• Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies: April 13 – May 1, 2026

Supporting Our Students

To ensure our students can perform at their absolute best, we ask for your partnership in reinforcing three essential "success habits" at home:

• Consistent Attendance: Every day of instruction and review is critical. Please ensure your child is at school on time, especially during their designated testing windows.
• Healthy Nutrition: A balanced, healthy breakfast provides the necessary fuel for concentration and stamina during long testing sessions.
• Restful Sleep: A good night’s rest is one of the most effective ways to improve cognitive function and reduce testing anxiety.



We are incredibly proud of our 5th through 8th graders and look forward to a strong finish to the school year. Thank you for your continued support of our students and the Harding Middle School community.

Sincerely,

Principal Bryan Mills

Bryan Mills – bmills@rollred.org

Harding Middle School – (740) 282-3481

Mornings:

Breakfast is free and served to all HMS students from 7:00 to 7:50 am daily.

All students must be seated in class by 7:57 or they are considered tardy.

Lunch Time:

*Parents may drop off lunches ONLY and must be on time. Otherwise, the student will be given the meal after school. NO delivery services will be allowed to drop off lunches!

Lunch 1 (5th & 6th) 10:44 - 11:14

Lunch 2 (7th & 8th) 11:18 - 11:48

*Please ensure their lunches arrive in the main office at least 10 minutes before their lunch starts.

School Lunches:



*All students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch at SCS

Please see the photo for our am drop-off and pick-up patterns. This must be strictly followed in order to avoid congestion and dangerous situations for our students.

In the am...(Follow the green arrows)

• All Students must enter through the cafeteria doors.
• Cars will be signaled to pull all the way down to the personnel on duty.
• Do not stop and drop off students in the middle of the traffic flow. Keep driving until traffic stops.
• When the vehicle stops, students should exit their vehicle curbside and get onto the sidewalk.
• Do not allow your student to wait in the car to be dropped off at the door (Even if it's cold, raining or snowing). These extra stops at the doors cause unnecessary & hazardous congestion on Sunset Blvd.

In the pm...

HMS will dismiss in the following manner...

1. 2:30-35 - Bus students will exit the building
2. 2:35-40 - Walkers will exit the building
3. 2:40-45 - Car riders will exit. Students will walk to your car. No front door pick up until after 2:50

• The cars must pull into parking spots while waiting on their student after school. If you are parked in the way while waiting for your child to come out, you will be asked to pull around.
• Skip the first row that faces Sunset (Buses start lining up in that row).
• Please observe directives from staff on duty.

Your compliance is necessary for the safety of our students. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.