APRIL VACATION: There will be NO SCHOOL from Monday, April 17th through Friday, April 21st.
MCAS Grade 3-8 Schedule: We are now in the midst of MCAS testing which began this week with all Grades 3-8 testing in ELA at some point this past week. We will be continuing testing in the upcoming weeks as well. Please see the MCAS schedule link below for specific details. With testing going on, please note that it is imperative that ALL students be respectful of the students testing each day, and what that means is that we will be utilizing all spaces throughout the building for testing, so please be mindful of moving throughout the building quietly and respectfully and do not disrupt or disturb students who are testing. Please be aware that on testing days, all cell phones AND apple watches will be collected while testing is going on in your particular grade. Thank you everyone. It should also be noted that attendance on testing days is of utmost importance. Please make sure your students get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and are at school on time. We appreciate your support.
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.
Throughout the month of April, our theme will be Patience & Peace. Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. Peace is freedom from disturbance; tranquility. Staff will be on the lookout this month as we are everyday for the students who personify patience and peace.
Please stay tuned to find out who the students were to personify our theme of Kindness & Respect throughout the month of March…
Future themes will include:
May –Honesty:
June – Pride:
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION NEWS:
WELLNESS EVENTS:
MAKE IT HAVERHILL ELL CLASSES:
APRIL VACATION ACADEMY: April 2023 Vacation Academy
Spanish – April 2023 Vacation Academy.docx
PTO NEWS:
For our hybrid PTO meeting with the Owl, I scheduled a Zoom (link below). Will this work for HPS?
- The next PTO meeting is scheduled for April 12th at 6:00! We’re trying a hybrid meeting to see if we can get more people engaged. Feel free to come in person (babysitters will be available) or join virtually using this link: https://sentinelgroup.zoom.us/j/93634756258.
- The Read-A-Thon was extended to Sunday, April 9th (Happy Easter!). Please reach out to HunkingPTO28@gmail.com with any questions!
Mr. Malloy is starting an after-school LEGO club for the 7th and 8th grade and is looking for some donations. If you happen to have some old LEGOs at home that you have been meaning to do some spring cleaning for, please consider donating them. Or, if you’re feeling generous, you could donate funds to the cause or grab a small LEGO set or a box of pieces on your next Target run to drop off to the office.- Mark your calendars…we’re planning to do a Spring Cleanup on Sat. April 22nd at Hunking in honor of Earth Day!
- The PTO is looking for some new Board Members for the 2023-2024 school year. If you’re interested in learning more about our open positions, please reach out to HunkingPTO28@gmail.com.
NEWS FROM GUIDANCE:
Your School Counselors:
Sarah Petrick k-4 School Counselor sarah.petrick@haverhill-ps.org
Terri Carney 5-8 School Counselor terri.carney@haverhill-ps.org
FYI: The LOOP Program will not be taking place on May 16 and 17 because of MCAS testing.
Work Permits
Students are applying for their first jobs! Work permit information can be found here:
https://www.haverhill-ps.org/work-permit-information/
Guidance Information
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:
Hunking’s ST Math Puzzle Clubs!
i-Ready March Madness
i-Ready March Madness is down to the championship round! It’s a battle between two 5th grade classes in the Upper School – Mrs. Hatch and Mr. Santoro and two 1st grade classes in the Lower School – Mrs. Masello and Mrs. Pike! Who will win the class pinata?!
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES: If you have received a referral from the Health Office for vision, hearing or scoliosis, kindly return any documentation from the doctor when evaluated. If you opted your child out of postural screening, please provide a current physical (within the last 12 months) or a doctor’s note stating they are screened for postural assessment.
Warmer weather is coming so please send your child in with a water bottle to avoid dehydration.
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:
Volleyball: BIG WEEK FOR VOLLEYBALL…
Monday 4-10-23: coed practice 3 to 4:30
Tuesday 4-11-23: semi finals @ hhs girls play first, players are to be there at 4:30 game starts at five. Boys are to report to hhs for 530, they have second game.
Wednesday 4-12-22: coed practice 3:00-4:30
Thursday 4-13-22: ( if we advance from semi finals) Finals!!! girls play first @hhs. Girls should be at hhs at 4:30 game starts at 5:00. Boys are to be there at 5:30.
Track Updates
- FRIENDLY REMINDER: Track Signups will be closed at the end of this week (Thursday April 6, 2023) 👟
- Student’s that needed a permission packet and forgot to take one; they are available on the Haverhill Public Schools website to print out and return.
- Students may not practice unless a coach has a permission slip in hand and physicals are attached if needed!
- Practice Schedules to be announced on Thursday April 6th via our Remind App (www.remind.com/join/hunkingt )and will be posted in the GYM.
Please feel free to reach out via Remind if you have any questions!
CLUB NEWS:
LEGO Club: Thank you for the overwhelming community support for the LEGO Club and for everyone’s patience as we’ve ironed out the details/logistics. Many parents donated to the club, in some cases anonymously — please know that your donations were so appreciated! Because of the broad student interest, meeting dates are grouped by grade.
There have been some adjustments to the calendar:
- an additional date for 4th
- an additional date for 5th
- Some Wednesday dates moved
- All 8th grade cohorts have been combined and 8th graders are no longer confined to a specific day of the week.
Please consult the calendar linked here. The club runs from 2:45 until 4:00 and only students with signed permission slips are eligible to attend and only on their assigned dates, so please read the permission slip carefully.
There is a Google Classroom for this club and the join code for your students is: tkbmiy6 Within the Google Classroom, you can find the current rosters if you need to confirm which dates your student is scheduled to attend. Any questions about the club or schedule can be emailed to Mr. Molloy at brendan.molloy@haverhill-ps.org
LEAD Program (Formerly VIP): Next meetings are Thursday, April 13 & April 27 -. 2:45 – 4:00
GRIT: GRIT will continue to meet every Monday 2:45 -4:30 until April 10. New round of GRIT starts on Monday, May 1 for any 7th or 8th grader who has not previously been a part of GRIT this school year. Students interested may reach out to Ms Curry or Mr Schaefer.
GSA: The final meetings of the GSA this year will be April 28, May 19, and June 9. All meetings will take place in room 300 until 4:00. Please see Mr. Molloy with any questions.
CHORUS: Junior Chorus will NOT meet next Tuesday, April 11th. See you after vacation! Senior chorus will still meet on Thursday, April 13th. See you then!
STUDENT COUNCIL: The next meeting will be April 11th in room 110 from 3:00 p.m.-
4:00 p.m.
NJHS: We will be having an all member meeting afterschool on Tues.Apr 11, 2023 in room 118 from 2:45-3:30.
GUITAR ENSEMBLE: We will continue to meet Thursdays at 8am to prepare for our May 9th concert (Call time and concert time TBD).
YEARBOOK: LAST CALL FOR YEARBOOK COVERS! The Yearbook Cover contest is still open! If you would like to submit a cover, please bring a 8.5×11 colored drawing to Room 213 (or email a high resolution image to matthew.thornton@haverhill-ps.org) before April 14th. Hunking Staff will vote on both a front and back cover. In addition to being featured on the Yearbook, winners will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card. Click here for a sample of last year’s submissions.
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 more 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:
MORNING DROP OFF: To all families that drop their students off in the morning, please remember to drop your students off at the proper end of the building. All K-4 students should be dropped on the lower school side of the building. All 5-8 students should be dropped off on the upper school side of the building. Please be aware that there should be NO DROP OFFS AT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING BETWEEN 8:00AM-8:30AM. This is for safety reasons. We appreciate everyone’s support and cooperation with this procedure. Thank you!
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. 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 phones 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.