Hoover Notes will be sent out weekly to help you keep track of important school community news and events.  New items will be bolded. Links are blue.

We look forward to a fantastic 2025-2026 school year!

Dear Hoover Families, 

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, and fun.  

Many thanks to all of the students and families who baked or donated a pie for our Thanksgiving Staff Pie Raffle. We gave away 50 pies to the well-deserving teachers and staff at Hoover! 

We also want to thank everyone who supported our Scholastic Book Fair this year. A special shout-out to the amazing volunteers who coordinated the event, signed up to sell, managed set-up and clean-up, and so much more! We are grateful to you for your time, effort, and support of Hoover 💛 

We have three and a half packed weeks before winter break. Please see below for information on the Winter Concerts being held this week, the upcoming Spirit Night on December 10th, and the deadline for the Reflections Art Contest on December 12th. 

Thank you,

Your Hoover PTA

Important Dates: 

• December 3rd - Chorus & Orchestra Winter Concert
• December 4th - Band Winter Concert  

Tips for Parents:

• Teacher Conferences - It was nice to see so many parents attending the Hoover Meet & Greet.  A special thanks to the teachers for making the time, forgoing breaks, or staying late to speak with parents! If you were unable to attend the Meet & Greet and have questions about your child's performance, please email the teacher directly. Their contact information is available on the school website under "Staff Directory." 

Community Notes: 

• Board of Education - In the November 20th meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2027 FY capital budget and a 6-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), investing in facilities, overcrowding relief, and systemwide upgrades.  The Board also shared FY budget priorities focused on equity, student achievement, and school safety. 
• Boundary Study - There are several upcoming engagement sessions, including the release of additional options, for the opening of Crown High School and the expansion of the Damascus High School boundary study.  Click here for additional details.

Calling All Artists! 

This year’s Reflections theme is “I Belong!”  

Hoover Middle School students may submit original works of art in response to this year’s theme in categories including dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. There is also an accessible arts division for students who identify as having a disability. 

Each person will have a unique way of creatively portraying “I Belong!” channeling their own unique experiences. With so much to capture, this year’s Reflections theme is a great opportunity to use symbolism, metaphor, and new styles to portray the feelings and emotions that come along with a sense of belonging–or feeling excluded.

Alternatively, artists can use their craft to describe a persona experience where they felt they understood what it means to belong. Make sure you use your artist statement to help explain your creative decisions and how your artwork connects to the theme.  

Entry Form can be found here: Doc or PDF  

Please email entries tosmashhadishafie@gmail.com.

2025-2026 Reflections General Guidelines

2025-2026 Rules Sheets for the Six Arts Areas

2025-2026 Accessible Arts Division Rules

2025-2026 Judging Information

Deadline for submissions is December 12, 2025!

• MCCPTA has partnered with Montgomery County Public Libraries to present special film screenings of "Can't Look Away", a documentary on the dark side of social media and its sometimes fatal impact on teens. The film also touches on legal efforts to hold social media companies responsible for the addictive design of their platforms, a topic that has recently been in the news. 
  • Participants can earn 3 SSL hours for attending and providing feedback. Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to attend. 

  • December 13, Saturday, 2-5 pm - Potomac Library (Register)

• “Speak Up, Save A Life” PSA Contest (Deadline - December 7, 2025) - MCPS and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office are hosting a Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest for middle school and high school students that challenges teens to create an original video to promote awareness of the dangers of opioid abuse or overdose and fentanyl among teens. 

  • Participants who submit a PSA that meets the contest requirements will earn 10 SSL hours and have a chance to win prizes. 

  • To learn more, please visit this link: https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1152395
    
    

• The Keeping It Safe Video Contest (Deadline: March 31, 2026) is now open! Students may earn 5 SSL hours for quality video submissions about the risks and dangers of under 21 alcohol use. Interested students may view the contest rules and additional information at this website.

The PTA is here to advocate for you. You can find more information on the PTA, including a list of board members, roles, and contact information on the Hoover PTA website: http://www.hoovermspta.org/

• The PTA board meets in-person on the second Friday of the month at 7:45am 
• The General PTA Meetings (open to the Hoover community) are held three times a year: 
  • January 13th or February 10th at 7pm
  • May 12th at 7pm 

PTA connection

Connect on Hoovers Official instagram page 

@herberthooverpta

Herbert Hoover Middle School PTA

8810 Postoak Road

Potomac, MD 20854

hoovermspta.org