FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY: It is our hope that you are all aware that it has been a goal and priority of ours here at Hunking to build and foster partnerships with our entire community. The success of our students benefits most when families feel a sense of involvement and that their voices are heard.
In an attempt to see how Hunking has been doing with this goal, we would really appreciate if all families took the time (5-10 minutes) to complete this survey.
WE ARE THRILLED THAT WE HAVE HAD 102 RESPONSES IN THE FIRST 24 HOURS!! Please keep the responses coming!!
We will analyze and use this data to make necessary improvements moving into next year and share them all with you. It is crucial for us to get and provide accurate information and data to our community, therefore that is why it is so important that all families participate.
This survey is entirely anonymous and we will keep it open until Friday May 12th.
Thank you in advance for your support with this.
English Version: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczVcW4usefl3sxZxhPWbueg3ABmKfw182N_ujDj9CF7Fcfnw/viewform?usp=sf_link
Spanish Version: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJbvXHJY8mHYs10YNDM2sqK3pBBJ3h-9FNoAVPz7eyoieSyQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Portuguese Version: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVP-X-iMhbRGmDMh_dgI90i9T93-Y8DeMUEWoqakmvbO8OmQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Washington DC Trip (8th Grade):
IN PERSON PARENT MEETING May 10th from 5-6pm in Cafe
2 Forms went home this week
1st Form is for any medication the students need to take this form needs to be turned in by May 12th. This form also needs to be returned to the nurses office.
2nd Form: This form needs to be returned to me and every student needs to fill it out to attend. This form is for their Health Insurance and any pre-existing conditions we need to know about. I would like this form returned to me by May 5th.
MCAS Grade 3-8 Schedule: We are now in the midst of MCAS testing. Grades 3-8 have wrapped up ELA testing. We will be continuing testing in the upcoming weeks with Math (Grades 3-8) and Science (Grades 5 & 8). 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 has been 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 have been on the lookout this month as we are everyday for the students who personify patience and peace. Students who are nominated will be rewarded with “Hunking Hero” t-shirts next week, and we will introduce our next theme.
Future themes will include:
May –Honesty:
June – Pride:
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION NEWS:
WELLNESS EVENTS:
The Wellness Department would like to kick off the Chris Herren event on Tuesday, May 2nd (6-8pm at Hunking) dedicating the month of May to educate, raise awareness and reduce stigma of mental, behavioral and substance abuse issues. We have provided you two calendars with links, resources, tips and activities. Wellness Wednesdays in May will include promoting wearing purple and/or green for prevention and awareness.
MAKE IT HAVERHILL ELL CLASSES:
PTO NEWS:
- Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12 and we need your help! Sign up to donate breakfast items or snacks here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4EA5A823A5FD0-teacher1
or if you’d rather buy a teacher an ice cream, you can do so here: my.cheddarup.com/c/here-s-the-scoop-we-think-the-hunking-staff-is-awesome
- Drama’s next performance is Xanadu, Jr.!
May 19 @7:00/ May 21 @ 12:00 / May 21 @ 3:00/
Xanadu J. is a moving, electrifying tale of endless fun that will keep audiences in stitches while the original, legendary chart-topping tunes lift them out of their seats. Buy your tickets early at: https://hunking-drama-xanadu-jr.cheddarup.com (pre-sale prices are $5.00/ticket until May 5th)!
- The next PTO meeting is Thursday, May 25th at 6:15. Only 2 meetings to go! We do need some new Board Members for the 2023-2024 school year…if you’re interested in learning more about our open positions, please plan to come to our next meeting or 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:
2nd Grade
The second grade team would like to thank all the families that attended our Ties and Tiaras Writing Celebration! It was a huge success and our students were so happy and proud to show off their work. We couldn’t have done it without the support of our little scholars and their families.
Hunking’s ST Math Puzzle Clubs!
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES: With the warmer weather upon us, please make sure to send your child to school with a water bottle. 8th grade parents whose children are going to Washington DC: If your child takes any daily medications including over the counter medications (Tylenol or Ibuprofen), allergy medications, herbal supplements or prescribed medications, you will need to provide an order from the doctor for those medications, You may fax the order to 978-274-1944. It must be received by the health office by 5/12/23 The medications should be dropped off at the nurse’s office by May 12, 2023. Please call 978-420-1913 if you have any questions or concerns.
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:
Track: Attention Track Families and Athletes!
We have received our two meet dates for this track season!
Grades 5&6 will have our district-wide meet at Haverhill High School Track on June 7th and Grades 7&8 will be at the same location on June 8th.
Both begin as close to 3:30 as possible at HHS Track. Transportation will be provided. The closer we get to these dates we will have additional information regarding potential rain dates and bus pick up times.
CLUB NEWS:
LEGO Club: The calendar containing all dates through the end of the year can be found here. Just a reminder that parent pick-up is at the middle school entrance on the far end of the building (not the main or elementary entrances).
LEAD Program (Formerly VIP): Next meeting is Thursday, May 4
GRIT: 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 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 and Senior chorus will meet next week. We are looking forward to our performance at the Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 9th!
DRAMA CLUB: Xanadu rehearsals will continue on Monday, May 1 and till next Thursday May 4 from 2:45 till 4:45 for ALL CAST MEMBERS. Cast members will need their script, a pencil, a snack and water. Please remember to pick up your students no later than 4:50.
GUITAR ENSEMBLE: We will continue to meet Thursdays at 8am to prepare for The Hunking/Tilton upper concert on May 9th (Call time and concert time TBD).
YEARBOOK: The deadline to design custom pages for the yearbook is May 26th. Please 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.