As we quickly approach our holiday break I would like to thank everyone for your continued support. Safety & security is the number one priority and with that being said, I just want to remind everyone that Hunking is an extremely busy place, especially during arrival and dismissal times (8:00am-8:30am & 2:45-3:00pm). With that being said, we ask that if you are driving your students to school that you please use caution, drive slow, and use your directionals to help those that are directing traffic. Please keep an eye out for students at all times and follow our drop off and pick up procedures.

We have been having safety conversations with all of our students around arrival and dismissal times and continue to encourage students to use crosswalks, stay off of their bikes and scooters on school grounds, and stay on the sidewalks.

We will continue to monitor this, but again, we very much appreciate your support in making sure that everyone is safe.

Thank you!

THEME OF THE MONTH: We will be embracing the theme of Generosity throughout the month of December. Generosity is the quality of being KIND and generous. This is a willingness to give help or support especially more than is usual or expected. It is giving beyond one’s means. Some ways to show generosity include, sharing or giving something that has meaning to you. Not expecting something in return. To support a cause that you believe in. To consider the benefits and embrace gratitude. Staff will be on the lookout for students who best personify this theme throughout the month. 

Congratulations to all of our winners of November’s theme of Gratitude!

DECEMBER BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENUS

(If you have trouble with the links above, please go to www.fdmealplanner.com, and enter “Hunking” for the school location.)

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS: 

The Haverhill High Girls’ Basketball team would like to invite the Hunking community to honor one of our Bobcats, Avery Callagy. 

Please join us on Saturday, December 14th at 12pm at the Haverhill High gymnasium where Avery will be the honorary captain of the girls Haverhill High School varsity team! 

Avery is a Second Grade student here at Hunking who has been battling leukemia for the last ten months. All proceeds at the concession stand and raffle will go directly to Avery!  

We hope to see lots of Bobcats in the stands!! 

YMCA program:

PTO NEWS: 

• The next PTO Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 16th at 5:30om in the Hunking Conference Room! We’re always looking for new lower and upper school families to get involved!

NEWS FROM GUIDANCE

School Counselor: Terri Carney terri.carney@haverhill-ps.org

Attention All 8th Graders!!! 

Once a student has applied to the high school program of their choice, the next step is an interview which does not take place until Feb or March 2025. 

You will not hear anything until the interview schedule is posted. Thank you for your patience!

HHS CTE practice interview questions are available on the School Counseling google classroom and CTE posts them on their application page: https://cte.haverhill-ps.org/application-process/.

8th grade School Counseling google classroom code

Students, join the google classroom with: egta65o

WVT does not release their interview questions. 

Classical Academy @HHS

Classical Academy at HHS is accepting applications!!!!

The Classical Academy seeks students who are intellectually curious, who are passionate about learning, and who want to deepen their knowledge of the arts and sciences. Classical Application 2023_2024.docx

Career Technical Education (CTE) @HHS

HHS Career Technical Education (CTE) Program: https://cte.haverhill-ps.org/  

Is accepting applications NOW!!!! Please use a parent/guardian email address. School emails do not work for the application. Deadline Feb 14th. Decisions are made March 29th, 2025.

Whittier Voc Tech: Application and important dates: https://whittiertech.go2cte.com/ 

Whittier field trip for 8th graders is Dec. 5th. Please return the permissions slip no later than Dec. 2nd. Thank you. 

Work Permits: Find all the information needed to obtain a work permit here:

https://www.haverhill-ps.org/work-permit-information

EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS: 

Kindergarten- Students are beginning module 3 in math. We will be comparing length, height, weight and numbers within 10.

We also started our gingerbread unit. We are reading the many different versions of the fairytale and are very excited to culminate by decorating cookies with families next Friday!

7th Grade Math iReady Competition!

Currently 7E – Mrs. Tsolakos’ homeroom is in the lead! Competition ends December 15th with the homeroom with most lessons passed wins extra recess and the top student in each homeroom will also win a prize!

7th Grade Social Studies—The Gold Team students were divided into groups, and each group selected an invention from India. The groups have been tasked with creating a sales pitch to sell their invention. We watched an episode of Shark Tank for inspiration. Next week each group will present their pitch to a group of Shark investors in the classroom. 

8th Grade: Term 2 is underway! 8th Graders took a field trip to Whittier Vo.-Tech. this week and had a great time exploring the grounds and the academic and shop offerings at this high school. 

There is another field trip coming up soon! On December 18th, eighth graders will be attending a pantomimed performance of A Christmas Carol at the Firehouse Center for Arts. We have paid for the cost of tickets and most of the bus, but unfortunately, with the rising costs of buses, we have to charge $10 to help cover the cost of bus transportation.

iReady: The second iReady diagnostic test is coming up in both Math and ELA! Math testing will take place December 11th and 12th. The following week, ELA testing will take place on December 16th and 17th. 

• In ELA, students are practicing a style of discussion called the Literature Circle. This week, students will be discussing a text by Puerto Rican-American writer Judith Ortiz Cofer and in the next two weeks, students will study one of three Dominican-American writers for this discussion.
• In Civics, students just learned about the three branches of the government: legislative, judicial, and executive. Students also learned about the requirements for the presidency. 
• In Science, students are learning about climate change and just watched a documentary about glaciers and how glacial erosion can demonstrate the severity of the climate crisis
• In Math, students began dilations in their geometry unit and will be working on similarity next. Dilations and similarity both pertain to determining how to identify when two figures have identical angle measurements, shapes, or length ratios. 

NEWS FROM OUR NURSES:  If you have received a referral for vision or hearing, please send it back as soon as possible. If your child has a physical, please send a copy to the health office so we may keep track of your child’s health needs at school. 

Cold and flu season has arrived. Please make sure your child is wearing appropriate clothes for the weather and using good hand hygiene to prevent getting sick. Proper cough etiquette is important to keep from spreading germs so please sneeze or cough into your elbow or a tissue.  

CLUB NEWS: 

Drama Club:  The rehearsal schedule for BeetleJuice Jr. has been posted in google classroom and on remind. The next rehearsal is on Tuesday, December 10th from 2:45 to 4:15. Only the students listed on the schedule are required to be there.  

We will be casting the rest of the show after we get back from break in January. Any student interested in working backstage or front of house a schedule will be available by the beginning of February. 

Chorus: The chorus is very excited for our concert on Tuesday December 17th! The concert is at 6:00pm in the Hunking Gymnasium. See attached flyer, and reach out Ms. Avalos with any questions! <Insert flyer here>

NJHS: The NJHS calendar can be found here.  Grade 8 students had an amazing day at MIT in the Edgerton Learning Center learning about lasers, light reflection, and strobe lights.  

GSA: The calendar for the GSA can be found here. 

LEGO Club: The LEGO Club calendar can be found here. 

Student Council:  Council Meeting Calendar can be found here. 

Model UN: Our final meeting will be Tuesday, December 10th from 2:55-3:45. We have our HillieMUN field trip next Thursday and Friday, December 12 and 13th. Students are expected to inform their teachers they will not be in classes those days and are responsible for making up any missing assignments. Permission slips for HillieMUN are due 12/10. 

Art Club: Students who signed up for Art Club must have their packets filled out with parent/guardian and teacher signatures by December 19th in order to be a part of the club. 

STUDENTS IN 4TH GRADE:

January Thursdays  3 – 3:50pm ( 9th, 16th, and 23rd)

STUDENTS IN 5TH GRADE:

February Tuesdays  3 – 3:50pm ( 4th, 11th, 25th)

STUDENTS IN 6TH GRADE:

March Thursdays  3 – 3:50pm (6th, 13th, 20th)

STUDENTS IN 7TH GRADE:

April Tuesdays 3 – 3:50pm     (1st, 8th, 15th)

STUDENTS IN 8TH GRADE:

May Thursdays 3 – 3:50pm    (1st, 8th, 15th)

ODDS & ENDS: 

-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:

-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