Thank you to the Hunking families and staff members who donated items for the elderly in our local nursing homes. The gifts were delivered to the Council on Aging earlier this week. Your support for members of our community is appreciated!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22ND IS AN EARLY RELEASE DAY FOR ALL STUDENTS. DISMISSAL WILL BE AT 11:05AM
WINTER BREAK: December 25th-January 1st
Students return to school on Tuesday, January 2nd
SPIRIT WEEK:
Holiday Spirit Week – Google Docs (1)
ATTENDANCE MATTERS CAMPAIGN: Haverhill Public schools has partnered with an organization called Haverhill Promise and is running an Attendance Matters Campaign for the rest of this calendar year. What this means is that each week for the rest of 2023, if your student is in school every day on time, they will be entered into a raffle to win a prize. If they miss a day one week, that is okay, because they can be entered into the next week’s raffle. Hunking will have 4 winners school wide each week. This contest will run every week until Christmas break. The importance of this contest is that being in school daily is the first step to all students being successful in school.
HUNKING THEME OF THE MONTH: We are embracing the theme of Generosity throughout the month of December. Generosity is the quality of being kind and generous. Generosity is the willingness to give help & kindness, especially more than is usual or expected. Staff will be on the lookout throughout this month for the students that they feel most personify the theme of generosity.
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
WINTER CONCERT SERIES:
8th Grade Fundraisers (last ones for 2023!)
- G’s Restaurant, Don’t make plans the day after Christmas! Keep the festivities going and dine at G’s or take out on December 26th from 4-9pm.
- Ski Bradford Signs (with every purchase of a handmade wooden 4″x18″ wooden sign, $10 will be deducted from your child’s trip balance. Email: Rebecca@rebeccagilbertdesign.com to order.
WASHINGTON, DC GRADE 8:
- Update: 101 students are registered! 5 staff chaperones and 6 parent/guardian chaperones have been assigned and notified (please contact Meg Arivella for Cori paperwork and fingerprinting instructions). Once you have registered, your student will be added. However, just registering with no payment does not hold your spot. Please make the $125 non refundable payment today. Check the DC google classroom for updates!
Dates/Info to remember:
- January 24th- 6pm at Hunking /Held to answer questions and allow for any last minute signups. Nurse leader will be here to discuss medication.
- Feb. 9th-2nd payment $225 (deadline to sign up)
- All registered students must have a signed District Permission Slip AND Student Participation Contract. Hard copies have been provided to homerooms. Return signed forms to the homeroom teacher. Questions????- Megan.arivella@haverhill-ps.org
PTO NEWS:
- The next PTO meeting is scheduled for January 18th at 6:30pm! If you’re interested in getting involved in fundraising, event planning and/or communication before then, please follow us on Facebook (C.D. Hunking School PTO) or reach out to HunkingPTO28@gmail.com. If you can’t give your time, please consider making a small donation: my.cheddarup.com/c/general-donation-to-the-hunking-pto.
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
NEED A WORK PERMIT?
https://www.haverhill-ps.org/work-permit-information/
Haverhill High School
HHS Programs:
Classical Academy: https://hhs.haverhill-ps.org/classical-academy-3/
Apply: CA One-Pager (updated fall 2020)
Career Technical Education (CTE): https://cte.haverhill-ps.org/
Apply: https://haverhill.go2cte.com/
Early College Information: https://hhs.haverhill-ps.org/early-college/
Students can begin taking Early College Classes in 10th grade!
Whittier Tech
Apply: https://whittiertech.go2cte.com/
Information on Private Schools
EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS:
SPELLING BEE (Grades 5 – 8): Our middle school spelling bee will be held on Thursday, January 18 at 9 am. This is a participants-only event with our competitors and hosting teachers from the reading team in attendance. Classroom spelling bees are being held the week of December 18 or when we return from break between January 2 and 4. A list of all classroom winners will be announced in the January 5th edition of the Bobcat Bulletin!
Grade 5: Last Friday, students who achieved High Honor Roll and Honor Roll were recognized for their hard work during Trimester 1 in an assembly with their peers. Well done, fifth-graders!
Grade 7 Science: Students continue to practice analyzing and interpreting data on population growth for endangered species with limiting factors
Grade 7 Social Studies: Students participated in a simulation where they made decisions to construct an Ancient City. They selected the layout, building materials, adapted their plans for the environment and planned amenities for citizens.
Grade 8:
In ELA 8th graders participated in their first Socratic seminar in ELA this week discussing essential questions around the benefits and drawbacks of technology in our lives. They did a great job!
Students will receive a presentation by the NAN Project in February.
The NAN project promotes mental health awareness and suicide prevention using a peer-to-peer model.This coincides with the mental health unit grade 8 students cover. Any questions, please contact the District Coach of Health & Wellness, Megan Arivella.
Health:
Grade 5: Additions to the health curriculum now include financial literacy to assist students in setting goals, learning how to save and future planning. Students will have a lesson through the Money Smart Program by the Bank of New England in December and into the new year on Careers and Income.
Grade 7: Be the Change You Want to See in the World: promoting advocacy, dignity and respect for all individuals
Grade 8: Students will receive a new lesson from the 3 R’s curriculum: Rights, Respect, Responsibility on Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships: adopting healthy behaviors when choosing relationships and deciding whether it is healthy or not.
News from the ML team: Las Posadas is a Christmas festival celebrated in Latin America, especially Mexico, and in Hispanic communities in the United States. The name is Spanish for “the Inns.” The festival is celebrated for nine nights, beginning on December 16 and ending on Christmas Eve. Las Posadas recalls the journey Joseph and Mary made to Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus Christ.
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES: The Health office will be finishing up vision and hearing screenings for those who were absent and or needed to be rescreened. If your child was given a referral, please make sure it is sent back in after seeing an eye or hearing specialist. Stay healthy and enjoy the holiday season.
ATHLETIC NEWS:
Basketball: Both teams will be in action on Thursday, December 21st at home vs. JGW.
Girls will practice on Monday, December 18th.
The Hunking Basketball team store is now open! Support your Hunking Bobcats basketball teams with swag for the entire family. Product available in men’s, women’s and youth sizes. Please note that this is a flash store and will close on December 21, so please make sure to get your orders in before then!
https://edgegear.chipply.com/hunkingschoolbasketball/
CLUB NEWS:
GSA (Gender-Sexuality Alliance): The GSA calendar can be found here.
LEGO Club: The LEGO club calendar can be found here. Next week’s previously scheduled build for 6-8 helpers on December 21st has been moved to Wednesday, December 20th.
NJHS: The NJHS calendar can be found here. The NJHS field trip to MIT is on Thursday, December 21st. Please review the post in GC for logistics and ensure your permission slip is returned in a timely fashion.
Our First Bobcat Buddies activity held on December 13th was great! We look forward to our next on December 22nd!
Student Council: Student Council has been working hard to prepare for their K-2 Winter Fun Afternoon scheduled for Thursday December 21st from dismissal to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $10 which includes allergy friendly snacks, drinks, a craft and a movie (Choice of Happy Feet or Polar Express). There will be at least one adult in each room and several student council members as well as responsible 8th grade volunteers to run activities. Registration form
CHORUS: Chorus rehearsals will continue to meet every Tuesday and Friday morning in December at 7:45am. We may not have rehearsal on Friday Dec 22nd, stay tuned for info. The chorus is preparing to sing some carols for the office staff next Friday, we are all so excited! There is still space for any more students who wish to join! Please reach out to Ms. Avalos with any questions or concerns.
Guitar Ensemble: A huge thank you to everyone for the fantastic performance at our winter concert. You were amazing! We won’t have rehearsal on 12/21. Enjoy your winter break and I’ll see you in the new year! Please spread the word that new members are welcome.
Drama Club: Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 19th from 2:45 to 4:45 for all cast members. On Thursday, December 21 it will be select cast members from 2:45 to 4:00. A new schedule will be posted when we get back from break. Have a wonderful break and holiday and a Happy New Year.
GRIT: Next meeting is on Mon. Dec 18. We had a great start last week with 17 students involved in the new round of GRIT. To ensure maximum participation and minimal distractions, students are not allowed to have phones on them during the meeting time. If your child is in the program and you need to get an urgent message to them, please phone the office. Otherwise, they will check their phones at the end of the meeting at 4:30.
Mentor/Mentee: Mentors will be celebrating the holidays and upcoming vacation with group meetings this month. Grade 7 mentors have their celebration with their mentees on Friday, Dec. 15 and 8th grade mentors will celebrate in 2 groups – one on Wed., Dec 20 and one on Thur. Dec. 21. All meetings are from 1:55 – 2:30.
ODDS & ENDS:
-All students have been issued school IDs. It is required that they bring and wear their ID badges each day. These badges are also used for breakfast and lunches as well as to “swipe” on & off the bus.
-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/
-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: Please click on the link below to review Hunking policies including cell phone, dress code, and pick up & drop off procedures:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OOOIPyskLX9WyYSuAWqfyQCB0ZJZ8JFsTTgB_sNW8d4/edit?usp=sharing