1st Annual Hunking Block Party: Thank you to all who attended our 1st Annual Hunking Block Party on Thursday evening! It was a HUGE success!! A special thank you to all who volunteered their time to make the event amazing! This includes our Hunking staff, food service workers, PTO, and other parent volunteers. Thank you so much!!
If you purchased a raffle ticket to win one of the amazing raffle baskets, please stay tuned for the morning announcements on Monday to hear whether or not you have won!
Also, please stay tuned for a slideshow of pictures from the event that will be shared with all families.
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
Youth game design night: Family Game Design Day Flyer 2022 Middle School
(Spanish) Family Game Design Day Flyer 2022 Middle School
Walk for Peace:
PTO NEWS: 2022-23 PTO Welcome Packet (2)
EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS:
Exciting math news! This year we are offering a Drop-in Math Center from 8:00am – 8:30am Monday – Friday in the library. Kim Surette, our Grade 5/6 Math Interventionist, will be running this center. We will begin with students in grades 5 and 6 and, based on attendance, may be able to open up to additional grade levels. If your child would like to participate, please have them join the Drop-in Math Center Google Classroom, code vhur2o4. Please note that students must provide their own transportation.
If you have any questions about this program, please email Tiffany Corcoran tcorcoran@haverhill-ps.org or Kim Surette ksurette@haverhill-ps.org.
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
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES:
The Hunking nursing staff is requesting if your child needs an Epipen, inhaler or medication at school, please send it in to the health office with parental consent, doctor’s order and the medication in a pharmacy labeled box. Please contact the health office at 978-420-1913.
ATHLETIC NEWS:
*Attention All Fall Athletes*
-If your student plans on participating in a sport this Fall, a health packet will need to be filled out. Once this form is filled out it is good for the entire school year no matter the sport! These packets are available to your students at school or online for your conveinience. (https://hunking.haverhill-ps.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2016/09/sport-permission-slip.pdf) Please fill them out and return them as soon as possible to either the main office, a coach or homeroom teacher.
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.
Cross Country tryouts:
- It’s that wonderful time of year again, for Cross Country!! We are excited to announce that grades 4-8 are welcome to participate this year!
- Coaches Law, Mazza and Gibbs are excited for another amazing season!
- Try-out dates are as follows:
–Grades 4 &5 are right after school on Tuesday 9/13 from 3:00-4:15. We will meet at the hightops for sign-in before going outside. As always, Students trying out should bring water, appropriate sneakers and athletic clothing and a ride ready to pick them up promptly at 4:15. There is no after school busing for these students.
– Grade 6-8 are right after school on Wednesday 9/14 from 3:00-4:15. We will meet at the hightops for sign-in before going outside. As always, Students trying out should bring water, appropriate sneakers, athletic clothing and a ride ready to pick them up promptly at 4:15. There is no after school busing for these students.
SCHOOL POLICIES:
Chromebook Insurance Policy: Haverhill Public Schools has chosen School Device Coverage (SDC) to insure the devices that will be given to your student as part of this year’s 1:1 device program. For only $20 per student, this insurance program will protect you and your student(s) in the event that your device is lost, stolen, or damaged accidentally over the course of the school year. Please follow this link for more information and to sign up. Haverhill Student Device Insurance
This information is also posted on the Parent and Student Resources page, Our Technology page, and the HPS Student Technology Device Policy (Spanish Version) document.
https://www.haverhill-ps.org/technology/device-insurance/
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.
Tardy Policy: All students should report to school daily and on time. Students should be in school and in class by 8:30am. If a student in grade 5-8 receives 5 unexcused tardies, this will lead to an after school detention. Further tardies will require a parent meeting and formal attendance contract.
Families of students in K-4 with 5 unexcused tardies will be contacted by our attendance team to initiate a meeting.
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.