Hello Hunking Community! We have successfully completed our first week of the school year and I want to thank our entire community including students, staff, and families for their energy, enthusiasm and support! I am very much looking forward to welcoming our kindergarten students next week, and am even more confident after this first week, that this will be an incredibly successful school year!!
Please see the information below for the most recent news and updates going on in and around Hunking:
1st ANNUAL HUNKING BLOCK PARTY: We welcome all Hunking community members to this event on Thursday, September 8th from 5-7:30pm here outside of Hunking!
We will be having a BBQ and will also have the Kona Ice truck available which is sponsored by the PTO.
We will have plenty of games and prizes to include a basketball shoot-out, hockey shoot-out, soccer activity, kickball, tug-of-war, cornhole, can-jam, and much more for all ages.
We will also have other activities to include face painting, sidewalk chalk, and a community arts & crafts project.
Some final highlights will include a dunk tank, photo booth, and appearances from our Haverhill Police Department and Haverhill Fire Department.
The event is mostly free, but you can consider bringing some cash for the opportunity to try to dunk a staff member in the dunk tank, and also for a chance to win one of several raffle baskets. We will also have a 50/50 raffle.
Please consider bringing a blanket or your own lawn chair. Please note that parking is going to be extremely limited. We highly encourage families to walk or carpool. Please check out our flier below.
We are also looking for parent volunteers to help our amazing Hunking staff facilitate some of the activities throughout the night. Please click on the link to be able to sign up to volunteer for an activity! Thank you!!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4EA5A823A5FD0-volunteers
PTO: The Hunking PTO had a great 1st meeting this week on Thursday, 9/1 at 6pm! We are always looking for more families to become involved! Please see more information below:
- Mums Fundraiser (8/29-9/19) – Order your mums from Cottage Gardens and 50% of all profits go back to Hunking! Pick-up is on Sept. 17th and 18th (935 Amesbury Road)!
my.cheddarup.com/c/mum-fundraiser-for-hunking-school
- Meadow Farms Fundraiser (9/7-9/28) – Next week, all students will be bringing home a catalogue and instructions on how to register, share and shop! (Image attached)
- The next PTO Meeting is scheduled for 10/13 @ 6:30 p.m.
Drop Off/ Pick Up Guidance: Our drop off and pick up process has been going relatively smoothly as we have started the year, but we want to remind all families that unfortunately there will be some traffic delays at times. We have staff outside to assist in making this procedure as quickly as possible.
Please remember that Safety & Security is our number one priority. We appreciate your continued support in keeping all of our students safe!
Also, please note that at no time can anyone block the entrance of the Haverhill Fire Department in front of the school on S. Main St. The Haverhill Police are paying close attention to this and will issue citations for anyone in violation.
Below is a link to our drop off/pick up guidance as well as a link to the drop off/pick up map.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12xVmnKOqI6cYCRhoOpm75ZXhLV5Y_TglpNK8wuZOaVk/edit?usp=sharing
Drop Off/ Pick Up map: Pick Up_Drop Off Map (1)
Attendance:
For Middle School Parents:
Showing up matters for R.E.A.L because it is an opportunity to:
- Build Routines
- Increase Engagement
- Provide Access to resources
- Support Learning
Routines: Establishing a routine of daily attendance helps reduce stress at home and supports a habit of attendance that will help your teenager get and keep a job.
Engagement: Being in school helps students to get to know each other and school staff and builds relationships that can motivate participation in learning.
Access to Resources: Schools provide access to valuable resources such as meals, health, mental health supports and fun enrichment activities such as sports, clubs, music, and other afterschool and summer programs.
Learning: Students who attend school regularly do better academically in middle school and are more likely to graduate from high school.
For Elementary/PreK/K School Parents:
Showing up matters for R.E.A.L because it is an opportunity to:
- Build Routines
- Increase Engagement
- Provide Access to resources
- Support Learning
Routines: Daily attendance routines can reduce stress, increase your child’s self-confidence, and lay a foundation for good attendance in later grades.
Engagement: Participation in school helps your child connect with other children and adults and get excited about learning.
Access to Resources: Schools can give you access to meals, physical and mental health care and other supports, and fun enrichment activities (sports, clubs, music, afterschool, and summer programs, etc.).
Learning: Children learn best from hand-on activities and through meaningful interactions with their teacher and other students.
WIN Block: Something that all students and families can look forward to this year is the full implementation of a WIN block throughout the day in both ELA & Math. Please see the district guidelines below:
All elementary and middle schools in the Haverhill Public Schools system will utilize a W.I.N. block as part of their MTSS plan for all students. While these blocks may vary in duration and frequency due to individual school schedules, staffing, and other courses, there are common elements that should be evident across the district:
- “W.I.N.” stands for “What I Need”
- A time when teachers personalize instruction to further meet the unique needs of each learner in every classroom
- It is a period of intervention, acceleration, and/or enrichment
- W.I.N. block is essential time for ALL students, regardless of grade level or ability
- Is an ideal time for students to be pulled for supplemental services or intervention by specialists (EL teachers, Special Education staff, Interventionists, Tutors, etc.)
- The activities in the classroom and the groupings of students will shift and change throughout the year to stay aligned with students’ needs and skills
ATHLETICS:
Soccer tryouts: Girls tryout for grades 6-8 will be Wednesday September 14th
Boys tryouts for grades 6-8 will be Thursday September 15th
Tryouts are from 3:00-4:15 at the Hunking Field. Bring water, sneakers and athletic clothing.
Student Dress Code: We have had several questions this week about the dress code policy at Hunking. I have attached the dress code policy that can be found on page 23 of the HPS student handbook for all families to review:
“The responsibility for the dress and appearance of the students will rest with individual students and parents.
They have the right to determine how the student will dress providing that attire is not destructive to school property, complies with requirements for health and safety, and does not cause disorder or disruption. The administration is authorized to take action in instances where individual dress does not meet the stated requirements.
This does not mean that student, faculty, or parent groups may not recommend appropriate dress for school or special occasions. It means that students will not be prevented from attending school or a school function, or otherwise be discriminated against, so long as their dress and appearance meet the requirements set forth above.
Students are not permitted to dress in any manner that is distracting to teaching or learning, to other students or disrupting to the educational process or environment of the school. Clothing that is considered to be distracting includes but may not be limited to the following:
- Extremely short skirts or shorts rising more than 7″ above the knee.
- Shirts or blouses baring midriffs.
- See-through clothing.
- Halters or tank tops with less than 1″ straps, tube-tops, or blouses with excessively low cut tops.
- Low rider pants and pants that do not cover underwear.
- Clothing or jewelry that advertises or promotes products or activities that are illegal.
- Clothing containing inappropriate or suggestive language or pictures.
- Clothing that identifies students as members of a gang or an imitation of gang paraphernalia will not be permitted. This includes but is not limited to bandanas, pins, insignias, colors, jewelry, emblems, wave caps, etc.
- Studded accessories such as belt buckles, bracelets, chains, etc. are not permitted.
- Any other dress that distracts, disrupts, intimidates or provokes can be deemed inappropriate by the Principal or Assistant Principal.
The Principal and Assistant Principal have the final decision in making the determination that there has been a violation of the dress code policy. In the event that the Principal is unavailable, the Assistant Principal has the full authority to make the final determination on whether a student’s clothing is in violation of the dress code policy.”
CELL PHONE POLICY:
It seems we are off to a positive start with cell phones. We would like to remind all students and families of our cell phone policy.
-Cell phones are not allowed to be used throughout the school day. The expectation is that the phone is turned off and put away.
-If students are found to be using their cell phone for any purpose the following policy will be followed:
-1st offense: Cell phone will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where the student can get the phone back at the end of the day with a warning.
-2nd offense: Cell phone will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where a parent/guardian will need to pick up the phone.
-3rd offense: Cell phone will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where a parent/guardian will need to pick up the phone and the student will be issued an office detention.
-4th offense: Cell phone will be confiscated and submitted to the main office where a parent/guardian will need to pick up the phone and a meeting will need to take place in order to establish a contract where phone can either be dropped off at arrival time and picked up at dismissal, or the phone is not allowed in school.
-Students will not be allowed to have cell phones in the bathroom. Students will need to leave their phones face down on their desk when leaving for the bathroom.
-We recognize the importance for students to have cell phones, but we respectfully ask for your support in reinforcing the cell phone rules. If there is ever a reason for a student to call home, I am happy to allow them to utilize my office phone. Also, if you have to get in touch with your student, we would ask that you please contact the main office during school hours.