Each Even Day, our students will begin the day in Unity Time. The focus during this time is around our P2 (Positivity Project) lessons and literacy. The Positivity Project is a pyramid wide initiative which focuses on helping our students and staff identify strengths in character and develop traits that encourage positive relationships. You can learn more here. (Spanish Link)This year, during Unity Time, our schoolwide literacy focus will involve book discussions. There are six books that will be read aloud by teachers during Unity Time. The read aloud time will also allow students to discuss themes in the books that are related to the positive character traits they learn about in the P2 lessons. A brief description of this years books can be found below. For any parent or guardian who would like to opt out their student to not participate in a particular book reading and discussion, contact your child’s counselor or their Unity Time teacher (listed as period 8 on the schedule). General questions can be directed to any of our administrators at Herndon Middle School.
Justine Klena, Principal @email
Karyn Niles, Director of Student Services @email
Tracy Bromberg, 7th Grade Assistant Principal @email
Tim Hoffman, 8th Grade Assistant Principal, @email
Becky Kohm, Special Education Assistant Principal, @email
John Bordenketcher, Dean of Students, [email protected]
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The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor Mason Buttle is the largest kid in the 7th grade, and he's also the sweetest. Mason's best friend Benny died under mysterious circumstances 15 months before this story takes place, and Mason is learning how to move on without him while balancing bullies, frequent visitors from the town’s sheriff, his broken family, and new friendships. |
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Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan Over the course of one week, John, a special needs student, and Ravi, the new boy who just moved to the United States from India, take on the class bully Dillon. Ravi assumes that because Dillon is also Indian that they will become fast friends. Ravi and John forge through cultural differences and stand up for themselves in tough circumstances. |
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Jack Strong Takes a Stand by Tommy Greenwald Have you ever wanted to go on strike from your parents? Jack is fed up with the extracurricular overload his parents have heaped on him, so he goes on strike and refuses to leave the couch until his parents give in. |
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Dream On, Amber by Emma Shevah Hilarious narrator Amber is a half-Japanese and half-Italian girl who is starting middle school. Amber and her younger sister have been raised by their single mother. When her sister starts asking questions about their dad, Amber devises a plan to find him and make him a part of their lives. |
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Refugee by Alan Gratz Three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end. |
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Patina by Jason Reynolds Patina, or Patty, runs for many reasons—to escape the taunts from the kids at the fancy-schmancy new school she’s been sent to since she and her little sister had to stop living with their mom. She runs from the reason WHY she’s not able to live with her “real” mom any more: Patty is terrified the disease that took her mom’s legs and will one day take her away forever. So Patty’s also running for her mom, who can’t. But can you ever really run away from any of this? As the stress builds up, it’s building up a pretty bad attitude as well. Coach won’t tolerate bad attitude. No day, no way. And now he wants Patty to run relay…where you have to depend on other people? How’s she going to do THAT? |