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Homework Help
Homework Help is an after school program where the student remains, with parental/guardian consent, after students leave the building for the day to catch up on assignments or get extra help on their work. The students are supervised by teachers and provided academic assistance and education to help them in completion of their work that is assigned by their teachers. Homework Help meets only on Tuesdays and Thursday from 2:15 pm until 2:50 pm. Students that require transportation home, there is a late bus that leaves from school at 2:50. If you have interest in this program for your student(s), please contact their homeroom teacher by email or phone.
Parents and guardians of HAMS students should be aware of the ability to access the Sapphire Community Portal 24/7. Once registered for an account, parents and guardians may monitor their students weekly grades, access their class schedule, change contact information, and update health records all through the portal. The portal is available via the HASD website (www.hasdhawks.org) on the right column of the webpage.
Website: Sapphire Community Portal
For information pertaining to but not limited to academic procedures, athletics, attendance, code of conduct, discipline, electronic devices policy, grading policy, health services/medications, transportation and others please see the Hamburg Area Middle School Student Handbook. The handbook can also be found on the Middle School website under the “Our School” drop-down menu.
Link: Hamburg Area Middle School Student Handbook
PSSA & Keystone Testing
The annual Pennsylvania System School Assessment is a standards-based, criterion-referenced assessment which provides students, parents, educators and citizens with an understanding of student and school performance related to the attainment of proficiency of the academic standards. These standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science and Technology identify what a student should know and be able to do at varying grade levels. School districts possess the freedom to design curriculum and instruction to ensure that students meet or exceed the standards' expectations. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 is assessed in English Language Arts and Math. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 4 and 8 is assessed in science. Individual student scores, provided only to their respective schools, can be used to assist teachers in identifying students who may be in need of additional educational opportunities, and school scores provide information to schools and districts for curriculum and instruction improvement discussions and planning.
Website: Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
The Keystone Exams meet the federal accountability criteria of ESSA for the high school level. Students must take the Keystone Exams for purposes of federal accountability. Failure to do so will affect a Local Education Agency (LEA) and school's participation rate. The Keystone exams were created to replace the Grade 11 PSSA and serve as one component of Pennsylvania's statewide high school graduation requirement. Keystone Exams will help school districts guide students toward meeting state standards. The exams are end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in the subject areas of Algebra I, Literature, and Biology.
