MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL: I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone from students, staff, families, and community members for attending last night’s 2nd Annual Block Party. It was certainly a hot one, but we still had approximately 1000 people brave the heat and come out for a fun night of food & games! A special thank you to our planning committee (especially Ms. Law & Mr. K), our PTO, all of the staff who helped during the event, our food service workers, and to all of the family members who volunteered. We could not have pulled this event off without any of you. I am very proud to be a part of this wonderful community!

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE DROPPED OFF AT SCHOOL PRIOR TO 8AM. WE DO NOT HAVE STAFF SUPERVISION PRIOR TO THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COOPERATION. 

HUNKING THEME OF THE MONTH: The theme of the month is back! We will continue to carry on this new tradition throughout this school year. We will embrace a different theme together as a school community each month, and each month teachers will be asked to nominate one student from their class that has personified the theme for the month. Each nominated student will be recognized in a small grade level assembly. Out of each of the grade level nominees each month, one lucky student will win a Hunking Heroes t-shirt!

The theme we will begin with this school year, is one that is the Pillar to everything else that we do here at Hunking, and that is….Kindness! Being kind means being selfless, caring, compassionate, and treating others the way that you would like to be treated. Kind acts include a smile, a nice word or compliment, an unexpected deed, or selfless act. Hunking staff will be on the lookout this month for the students who are personifying this theme of kindness!

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS: 

LUNCH MONITORS: We are still in need of lunch/recess monitors. If you are interested, please reach out to the school and we will direct you on the appropriate steps. Thank you!

Fall Caregiver Series:

PTO NEWS:  A HUGE Thank you to everyone who braved the heat and came to last night’s Block Party! We couldn’t have done it without our amazing staff and volunteers, food services, the Hunking custodians, and the first responders who took time out of their busy days to join us!

• The Read-a-thon kicks off on Monday, September 11th and will run through September 29th! To add your student(s) to the 99pledges portal, please click ‘Add Participant’ here (on the bottom left and pair him/her to their homeroom classroom). Research shows that reading 20 minutes a day expands vocabulary, general knowledge, critical thinking skills, and writing. It can also boost mental health by decreasing stress and improving sleep! The goal is to read (or be read to) for at least 20 minutes each day for at least 400 minutes during the 3-week timeframe.
  
  Register your child (https://app.99pledges.com/fund/Bobcats23) and help them track and enter their minutes during the Read-A-Thon. Help raise funds for Hunking by sharing your child’s Read-A-Thon page with friends and family to collect donations and/or per-minute pledges. Registration is completely free and we hope ALL STUDENTS will participate. Even if you don’t collect pledges (this part is optional), encourage your child to READ, READ, READ!  All of the minutes that they read will count toward their classroom’s total minutes and help them win a special prize!
  
  100% of donations will go to the Hunking PTO and will be used to pay for field trips, buses and enrichment activities for students in grades K-8. Please know that no amount is too small! Thank you for your generosity… and happy reading! Please send questions to HunkingPTO28@gmail.com!
• The first PTO meeting of the year will be on Thurs., September 21st at 6:30 p.m. in the Hunking Conference Room! We have a lot of great things planned this year…and we need your help! We’re looking for volunteers who will largely help with (1) fundraising; (2) event planning; and (3) community outreach/communications. These meetings typically last an hour and we will have babysitters available. Please note that all school volunteers must have an up-to-date CORI Form on file!
• Gear up for the school year with Hunking spirit wear! Enjoy a 30% discount across our entire website with hundreds of designs and garment styles waiting for you! Orders ship direct to your home! Shop Now: https://1stplace.sale/40727!

NEWS FROM GUIDANCE:

Meet your school counselors!

Grades 5 and 6

Sarah Petrick  sarah.petrick@haverhill-ps.org    

Grades 7 and 8

Terri Carney terri.carney@haverhill-ps-org

Grade 8: Are you thinking about High School? Where would you like to apply? If a school other than HHS, begin your research!! Check the school of your choice’s website so you know when deadlines are, if there is an open house or to have your questions answered!!!

EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS: 

8th Grade Washington D.C. Meeting: We will be holding an informational meeting here at Hunking for any 8th grade student & family who is interested in attending this year’s Grade 8 trip to Washington D.C. The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 28th at 6pm in the Hunking cafeteria. Representatives from Capitol Tours will also be present at the meeting. 

Welcome Parents to the 2023 – 2024 School Year!

For the Math department, we are excited to sayEureka Math²® is your student’s revolutionary new math resource. Its learning design allows your student to build a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics that will better prepare them for college, career, and beyond. Learn more about the Great Minds® approach to mathematics instruction. 

Great Minds honors and celebrates the role caregivers play in each student achieving greatness. Thank you for your partnership. You can go to the following website to explore available resources https://greatminds.org/math/eurekamathsquared/family-engagement. We hope these resources support you on your Eureka Math² journey.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me!  Tiffany Corcoran – tcorcoran@haverhill-ps.org.

Kindergarten: Kindergarten students had a great first week of school! We spent our time learning rules and routines and getting to know each other. We’re looking forward to a great year! 

Grade 4: Last week we celebrated the 4th day of 4th grade! Additionally, all grade 4 students have been working hard to complete their iReady diagnostics in both reading and math! We are looking forward to getting into the full swing of things next week!

Grade 5: All classrooms are starting the Iready diagnostic assessments, if your child has headphones please bring them to school on Monday. Not all classrooms have enough for every student. Thanks in advance.

Grade 7: We look forward to our first full week of the school year. Friendly reminder to please have students charge their chromebook overnight. All students should also bring a charger with them to school. Any student that currently does not have a charger should be in contact with their homeroom teacher to find the best solution. 

Grade 8:  The new Math curriculum Eureka Squared is under way and we are working with place value and exponents.  Each student has their own workbook that will remain at school. In ELA students are dabbling with poetry during Tier 1 and completing an interview to get to know our new team and build a sense of community! ELA iReady will take place next week.  In Science, students are learning about Astronomy-Seasons, Tides and Moon phases.  What do we do in the morning in grade 8?  Roof deck hockey is already a hit! Our CARE Closet is open and still accepting donations!  Send to Room 309.

Check out the 8th grade deck hockey group below!

NEWS FROM OUR NURSES:  If your child has any medications that are needed at school such as Epipens and inhalers, please drop off the medication and forms in the health office. The Health Office needs an order from the student’s provider and parental consent for medication administration and the medication should be in the original bottle/box with a pharmacy label. If you have not yet completed the Health forms, please complete and send back to school as soon as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Health Office (978-420-1913).

ATHLETIC NEWS: 

Soccer: The Hunking soccer players showed up big this week! There were about 25 boys and 15 girls who battled the heat and attended our 1st tryout on Thursday. Unfortunately, because of the half day, the 2nd tryout had to be postponed until TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH. The final rosters for both boys & girls will be posted in the gym by the end of next week.

Hunking Cross Country: The cross country season is here! Coaches Law, Gibbs and Molina will have sign ups out in front of the library starting Thursday 9/8/23 until Tuesday 9/12/23! Grades 4-8 are welcome! Health forms, Remind Class codes and practice schedules will be available at sign up tables! Please note: Health forms need to be returned before students are allowed to practice. For updates, schedule and rain dates info please join our XC Remind Class, for daily updates directly from your coaches! (https://www.remind.com/join/e68a8k8) 

*Please see below for an exciting opportunity for our 8th grade student-athletes!*

HHS Cross Country: Due to the low participation numbers at HHS, they received a waiver this fall to allow 8th graders in the school district to participate on the girls’ cross country team. 

Anyone interested can contact the Athletic Director, Tom O’Brien or email athletics@haverhill-ps.org for more information.

—

CLUB NEWS:

BAND: 5th grade students will have a Beginning Band presentation on Wednesday, 9/13. Signup paperwork and program information will be distributed at that time. Beginning Band will start at the end of September. 

Drama Club:  Welcome back bobcats! Our first drama club meeting will be September 12th from 2:45 to 4:45 in room 216. Students interested in Drama Club should see Mr. K or Mrs. Fairbrother for a permission slip before September 12.  Drama club is open to grades 5 through 8. 

GRIT: The first meeting of GRIT will take place on Monday, Sept.18. All interested 7th and 8th grade students should fill out an application that has been posted into their health Google classroom. GRIT meetings take place on Mondays from 2:45 – 4:30 in room 306.

Guitar Ensemble:  Guitar Ensemble is open to all students in grades 5-8 regardless of experience.  We perform in both the Winter and Spring concerts.  We will have our first meeting on Thursday, September 21st in Mrs. Fairbrother’s room from 8-8:30.  

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. 

HPS has chosen School Device Coverage (SDC) to insure the Chromebooks that students have been issued. The cost of coverage for the year is $20 and includes accidental damage, loss, fire, and theft. As of right now, families have the option to sign up during the month of September (we will let you know if it extends). After sign up closes, only new students will be given a special code to sign up at registration. Our website explains SDC and has instructions on how to signing up online:

https://www.haverhill-ps.org/technology/device-insurance/

Qustodio: a FREE student safety, digital wellbeing platform that helps parents/guardians control their child’s access to the internet on their school issued devices. Qustodio is FREE for HPS Students/Families. More information and how to sign up for Qustodio can be found on our website at:

https://www.haverhill-ps.org/technology/athome/student-safety-and-digital-wellbeing-platform/

I have also attached two flyers for you to share this information with your families.

-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. 

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. 

Student Dress Code: The student dress code is always a “hot button” topic. We recognize that this is a sensitive topic and one that includes a lot of “gray area”, so 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.”