HVMS Newsletter, October 2026
Dear Panther Families,
It is hard to believe we are already moving into October. The first several weeks of school have been busy, but they have also given us so many opportunities to see what makes our Panther community special Thank you to the 760+ students, families, staff, and community members who joined us for our Community Fair and Back to School Night! Families connected with community resources, enjoyed activities and giveaways, received donated food, and visited classrooms. We also loved seeing former Panthers return to volunteer and reconnect with our school. Our community showed up, and it was an incredible night!
FROM GOALS TO GROWTH
Every Panther has now created a SMART goal for the year. This month, students will begin looking at their classwork, assessments, and other evidence to see if they are making progress. Ask your Panther: What is your SMART goal? How do you know if you are making progress?
EXPLORE. GROW. LEAD.
Through Wellness, students are using RIASEC to discover their interests, strengths, and possible future pathways. Below are the focus areas for each grade level.
- 6th Grade: Explore | Discover who you are.
- 7th Grade: Grow | Build your skills and opportunities.
- 8th Grade: Lead | Prepare for what comes next and leave a legacy.
LEARNING AT HVMS
Across every content area, our Panthers are learning to make meaning from informational text and apply academic vocabulary. On October 2, Hidden Valley will host educators from across EUSD for a Learning Walk focused on this work. This gives us an opportunity to learn from what is happening in our classrooms and continue strengthening instruction for every Panther.
PANTHER STORE IS OPEN!
Our Panther Store is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! Students can use what they earn through our school recognition systems for prizes and incentives. Positive choices matter, and we love recognizing our Panthers!
FAMILY CONNECTION
This month, take a few minutes to ask your student: What are you learning right now? • What are you proud of? • What is your goal? • How can I help?
Thank you for being an important part of our Panther community.
Dr. Norton
HVMS Newsletter, October 2026
4th Annual Community Fair/BTSN
Thank You for an Amazing Community Fair!
Thank you to the 750+ community members who joined us at the Community Fair! Your presence and energy made the day an absolute success. We are so grateful for our families, staff, vendors, and volunteers who made it all possible!
Student Support Request
Does your child need academic, social-emotional, or attendance support? We're here to help! Submit a support request, and our team will connect with you to get your student the resources they need to thrive.
HVMS counseling request form (opens in a new tab)
HVMS Counseling Student Support Team:
- School Social Worker - Ms. Fortuna
- 6th Grade Counselor - Ms. Patton
- 7th Grade Counselor - Mr. Frodente
- 8th Grade Counselor (Last Names A-L) - Mr. Frodente
- 8th Grade Counselor (Last Names M-Z) - Ms. Patton
PBIS Platinum Status
Huge congratulations to our students, staff, and families! Our hard work paid off as our PBIS score surged from 79% last year to a phenomenal 97% this year!
We aren't stopping there, our plan to hold onto Platinum status includes fun attendance contests, student wellness check-ins, improved intervention tracking for Tiers 2 & 3, and more opportunities for families to connect (like parent lunches and newsletters).
Thank you for helping us make our school a positive place where every student shines!
Attendance Reminders
Shout-out to all our Level Up advisory challenge winners, Mr. Chung, Ms. Miller, and Mrs. Kehoe! Your great attendance proves that showing up is the first step to success. Keep it up!
Tardy Policy Reminder
Arriving on time matters! 2 or more tardies in a week will result in lunch detention on Friday. Let's be on time and ready to learn.
Important Events
- Oct. 6th - Coffee with the Principal
- Oct. 8th 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Parent Conferences
- Oct. 9th 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Parent Conferences
- Oct. 19th-23rd - Scholastic Book Fair
- Oct. 30th - Appropriate costumes allowed
- Oct. 1st-30th - Spelling Bee Sign Ups
Every Panther has a path. Learn. Lead. Belong.