MLK DAY: There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 16th in order to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
HUNKING’S 1ST ANNUAL MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION: Hunking’s 1st annual multicultural night is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8th! This event is meant to celebrate our diverse community by having students & families volunteer to share pieces of their culture with others.
Please sign up to let us know if you’d like to participate:
https://hunking-s-multicultural-night.cheddarup.com.
Please note that a separate registration for families that want to attend the event will follow in a couple of weeks, but right now we’re looking for volunteers to help bring this event to life.
Help us bring our community together and celebrate the diversity and what makes Hunking so great!!
JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH: James and the Giant Peach has been moved from this Friday and Saturday to Next Friday and Saturday. January 20, @ 7 PM and January 21, @ 12 PM and 4 PM. Tickets are still available and are still $5.00. Tickets will also be available at the door.
https://james-and-the-giant-peach-jr.cheddarup.com
HUNKING THEME OF THE MONTH: Hunking will be embracing a theme of the month which will be focused on in and around our School building throughout each month. Hunking staff will promote and nominate students each month who they feel have personified the monthly theme on a consistent basis. Based on those nominations, one boy and one girl in each grade will be recognized as a “Hunking Hero” and receive a t-shirt.
This month’s theme is Commitment which is the quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. It is an agreement or pledge to do something….in this case it is a new year and it is our hope that all students can show commitment to school. We are looking for students who are committed to showing what it means to be a Hunking Bobcat. We are looking for students who commit to following school rules & expectations, students who commit to getting their school work done, and students who take pride in Hunking. Staff will be on the lookout for all of the students who personify commitment throughout the month of January.
Future themes will include:
February – Kindness and Respect:
March – Patience:
April – Peace:
May –Honesty:
June – Pride:
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
MAKE IT HAVERHILL ELL CLASSES: In-Person English Classes Schedule
VACATION ACADEMIES:
For the 3rd year, along with our partners at the YMCA, YMCA and the BGC, Haverhill Public Schools will be offering February and April Vacation Academies. Academies are open to all students in grades K-8. If you are interested in registering your student for either one or both of these academies, please contact the YMCA, YWCA or the BGC directly at the numbers provided below.
Boys & Girls Club – 55 Emerson Street – Jessi Feiner – 978-374-6171
YMCA – 81 Winter Street and Pentucket Lake School – Cathay Wolf – 978-374-0506
YWCA – 107 Winter Street – Amy Desimone – 978-374-6121
Please see the attached flyer here: February 2023 Vacation Academy.docx
Spanish – February 2023 Vacation Academy.docx
Portuguese_February 2023 Vacation Academy.docx
Arabic February 2023 Vacation Academy.docx
PTO NEWS:
- Thanks to all who came to last night’s PTO Meeting! It was a great turnout, but we have a lot of big things coming up that we’ll need more help with! Our 2023 school calendar is here: https://infograph.venngage.com/pl/sy3wGQfTCtU.
- The next PTO meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thurs, Feb 9th at 6:00 p.m. in the school library. The meeting will last about an hour and we will have babysitters available.
- The PTO is looking for parent volunteers who are interested in transitioning to Board Members for the 2023-2024 school year. Specifically, we’ll need a new Vice President and Communications Secretary/social media guru. If you want to learn more, please reach out to HunkingPTO28@gmail.com.
NEWS FROM GUIDANCE:
We are introducing a new avenue for you to access all information regarding applications and the transition to high school. We recommend you utilize this resource as often as possible, as we will consistently update this site throughout the week. We at Hunking believe that working together to support student success is paramount.
https://sites.google.com/haverhill-ps.org/roadmaptohighschool/hunking-home-hnk
EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS:
Scripps National Spelling Bee — Our school-wide spelling bee is happening on Thursday, 1/19. This is a “participants only” event to allow our students to compete without the added stress of an audience. Please congratulate our classroom finalists, listed below by grade and homeroom.
Grade 5: Ashton K., Omair Q. & Cole F. (5A)*; Elizabeth C. and Jeffery Q. (5B); Addyson M. and Jordan B. (5C); Suzie B. and Lexy V. (5D); Ezekiel J. and Annabelle M. (5E); Gavin W. and Cash E. (5F); Rosalie C. and Amar’e D. (5G) * A dramatic final round “spell off” gave us three finalists in 5A.
Grade 6: Kiptyn Z. and Jameson B. (6A); Yelianny G. and Destiny R. (6B); Emily L. and Justin C. (6C); Hadley R. and Mia B. (6D); Knox M. and Jade C. (6E); Anthony T. and Brayden P. (6F)
Grade 7: Michael V. and Alejandro D. (7A); Myles K. and Derek T. (7B); Bhavya B. and James H. (7C); Francesca M. and Angelina A. (7D); TJ D. and Julia P. (7E); Caleb D. and Arianna C. (7F); Cadence A. and Kathryn P. (7G)
Grade 8: Gabriel B. and Madi M. (8A); Eric B. and Julien P. (8B); Val T. and Joey D. (8C); Kellen M. and Cadence T. (8D); Aaron K. and Cadia G. (8E); Miles S. and Emma P. (8F); Julie H. and Brady G. (8G); Matt B. and Sonny M. (8H)
Thank you to all students who participated, and best of luck to our finalists!
Hunking’s ST Math Puzzle Clubs!
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES: The Health office will be starting mandatory screening for Scoliosis for 5th through 8th grade in February. We will send a letter home with your child next week with more information.. If you would like to opt your child out of the screening, the health office will require written notification. If your child has an issue with Scoliosis, please provide information from the doctor so we may update your child’s health record.
LOST AND FOUND: Our lost and found for any clothing items is located in the locker room area in the main hallway of the school. Any lost lunch boxes or water bottles can be found on the shelves in our cafeteria. We encourage you to have your students check frequently, as all unclaimed clothing at the end of each month is then donated by the school.
ATHLETIC NEWS:
HOME GAMES: Please be advised that Hunking is changing its home game protocols. Moving forward, for all home games, it is our expectation that students who plan to attend games go home or leave school grounds at dismissal time. They will be allowed to return to school for the games at 3:30pm. We are acting in a proactive manner to ensure the safety of all of our students and families. We appreciate your cooperation and support with this.
Boys Basketball: Practice- Tuesday from 3:15-5:15. Game will be on Thursday against Sacred Hearts at Hunking. Girls play first.
Girls Basketball: Practice will be Monday 3-4:15pm. Game will be on Thursday against Sacred Hearts at Hunking. Girls play first.
Cheerleading: Practice Tuesday and Wednesday from 3-5. Next game will be on Tuesday, January 24th at Hunking.
CLUB NEWS:
ACADEMIC BOWL: Grade 7 and 8 Senior team will meet on Wednesday, January 18th in Mrs. Seed’s classroom (Room 211). We are still looking for participants to join both the Grade 5 and 6 Junior team and the Grade 7 and 8 Senior team. See Mr. I (Room 206) or Mrs. Seed for more information or a permission slip. Our first competition will be the first week in February—stay tuned for more details!
LEAD Program (Formerly VIP): Next meeting will be Thursday, Jan 26 until 4 pm
GRIT: Next meeting is Tuesday, Jan 17 since Monday is a holiday. Final meeting of this round of GRIT will be Monday, Jan 23. The third round of GRIT will be focused more on 7th graders since both rounds 1 & 2 have been only for 8th grade.
GSA: The next meeting of the GSA will be held Friday, February 3rd in room 300 from 3:00 to 4:00.
CHORUS: Chorus rehearsals will resume on Tuesday, January 24th for JUNIOR chorus and Thursday, January 26th for SENIOR chorus. Fifth graders will now be part of senior chorus. Can’t wait to get started!!
NJHS: Acceptance letters were handed out last week for new members and we wish a huge congratulations to the students who have been selected to join the NJHS. We are very proud of your accomplishments. There will be an induction ceremony on Thursday, January 19th at 6pm in the Hunking gym for all new members and their families. Members will get more specific details in the NJHS google classroom. See acceptance letter for details on how to join the google classroom.
STUDENT COUNCIL: Please take one last look this weekend to see if you have any gently worn coats to donate. The coat drive ends Tuesday, January, 17, 2023. Thank you for your support!
ART CLUB: A friendly reminder that there is no art club on Monday, January 16th, due to Martin Luther King Day. The next art club day will be on January 23rd. The final art club day will be February 13th.
DRAMA CLUB: James and the Giant Peach has been moved from this Friday and Saturday to Next Friday and Saturday. January 20, @ 7 PM and January 21, @ 12 PM and 4 PM. Tickets are still available and are still $5.00. Tickets will also be available at the door.
https://james-and-the-giant-peach-jr.cheddarup.com
The Drama club will be announcing the 8th grade class play and the Spring Musical in the next bulletin.
GUITAR ENSEMBLE: Guitar Ensemble will restart on Thursday, January 26th. Please note our start time is changing to 8 am. We are welcoming new members (grades 5-8) so come and check it out!
YEARBOOK: The Yearbook Committee will meet every Monday at 2:45 in Room 213.
Additionally, the Yearbook Committee needs your help gathering photos! Any and all throwbacks, candids, group shots or selfies of the graduating 8th grade class will be considered. There are two ways to upload:
- Students can use this Google drive folder – Instructions
- Anyone without an HPS email account can use this link to TreeRing
- Note: This method requires creating a username/password
- SCHOOL PASSCODE: 101663874693208
Lastly, if you would like to pre-order your yearbook, click this link to create an account and purchase a yearbook. Here’s an informational flyer with all the same information.
ODDS & ENDS:
-All students in grades 5-8 have been issued school IDs. It is required that they bring and wear their ID badges each day.
-Please make sure that your student(s) are coming to school daily with a fully charged chromebook.
-Please make sure that you are sending your student(s) with a water bottle. We have a limited supply of cups and we do not have access to water fountains, only water bottle filling stations.
SCHOOL POLICIES:
UPPER SCHOOL DROP OFF: Parents and Guardians, please be aware that the safety and security of our students is the number one priority. We kindly ask that all parents/guardians who drop students off in the morning on the upper school side of the building, please follow the proper traffic pattern to ensure everyone’s safety. Please do not cut across the parking lot. We ask that you drive slow while on school grounds, and we appreciate your patience as we are aware that many people have places to be after dropping off. Again, we appreciate you prioritizing the safety of our students. Thank you!
CAR PICK UP & DROP OFF: Safety and Security of our students, staff, and families is our number one priority, so we would like to ask that those families who utilize car pick up and drop off be cognizant of our security guards directing traffic. Security would like to emphasize the use of turn signals when picking-up or dropping-off your student. If you are not turning, please flash your headlights so that they are aware that you are continuing straight. We want to make sure everyone remains safe and unfortunately, we have had a couple of close calls very recently. We greatly appreciate your attention and support with this matter.
Lower school pick up: If you are walking to pick up your K student please wait near the kindergarten doors and if you are walking to pick up your grade 1-4 student please wait at the lower school walker pick up door. DO NOT come to the lower school playground to pick up your child. The students in the playground area are waiting for car pick up only.
Student Dress Code: 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 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 bearing 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:
-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.