As we prepare to start a new school year here at Hunking, I want to reach out and remind everyone in our community that the number one priority here at Hunking is the safety and security of all our students, staff, and community members.
As I begin my 4th year as the Principal here at Hunking, this is a mission that I have and continue to make the priority, and with that said am asking that all families and community members help support us in ensuring that we are all cooperating and following school rules and procedures.
Hunking is a unique school in Haverhill, as we are the only K-8 school in the district, which also means that outside of Haverhill High School, we are by far the largest school in our district. We have over 1,100 students enrolled here at Hunking for the 2025-2026 school year, and that makes our arrival and dismissal procedure very complicated in order to ensure everyone’s safety. It is critical that all community members follow and respect our arrival and dismissal procedures.
I have outlined our arrival and dismissal procedures below, including some changes for the start of this school year. I appreciate everyone’s support in reviewing and following these procedures on a daily basis:
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 off 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.
LOWER SCHOOL DROP OFF: Parents and Guardians, please be aware that we will have a security guard out along Hunking’s main road directing traffic into the lower school parking lot, where cars will make there way around the perimeter of the parking lot and drop students off along the curb, where we will have staff there to greet and assist students as they get out of their cars.
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. Mr. Gage will be stationed out on the upper school side of the building to help direct traffic and ensure safety.
-Please do not cut across the parking lot.
-We ask that you drive slowly while on school grounds, and we appreciate your patience, as we are aware that many people have places to be after dropping off.
OTHER ARRIVAL NOTES:
-Bus students will be dropped off behind the school in the bus lane and will enter the school through the back doors (grades 5-8 at the upper school back door/stairwell & grades K-4 at the lower school back door/stairwell)
-All parent drop-off students will enter the school through the far ends of each building (grades 5-8 through the main upper school entrance on the far end of the building & grades K-4 through the main lower school entrance)
-All walkers will enter the building through the designated walker doors at the front of the school (grades 5-8 front entrance at the far end of the building near the bike rack & grades K-4 front entrance on the lower school end of the school)
-We will have a crossing guard stationed in the crosswalk at the end of Revere St. assisting students and families safely onto school property.
**Please note that students can begin arriving and getting dropped off at school at 8am. We are not properly staffed prior to this time, and cannot adequately ensure their safety prior to 8am. Thank you for your support with this.
**Please note that school starts promptly at 8:30am each day. We have shortened homeroom time from 8:30-8:35am. If a student arrives at school any time after 8:30am, they will be considered tardy.
CAR PICK UP & DROP OFF:
-We ask that those families who utilize car pick up and drop off be cognizant of our security guards, crossing guards, and administration directing traffic.
-It is imperative that we 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.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURE:
-We are changing our dismissal procedure slightly this year in order to streamline the process and enhance our safety.
-During dismissal, students will be categorized in 3 ways:
-Bus students
-Parent pick-up students
-Walkers
-It is important that all students wait and leave during their appropriate dismissal time.
-All walkers will be dismissed at 2:41pm.
-Grades 1-4 walkers will be dismissed out of the front entrance of the school on the lower school side of the building. If you are walking to pick up your grade 1-4 student, please wait at the lower school walker pick-up door.
-Grades 6-8 walkers will be dismissed out of the front entrance of the school on the upper school side of the building.
-Grade 5 walkers will be dismissed out of the main front entrance of the school.
–If you are walking to pick up your Kindergarten student, please wait near the kindergarten classroom doors.
–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.
–All bus students will be dismissed at 2:43pm.
-All K-4 bus students will be escorted by staff members to the gym to sit in their identified bus line. They will then be escorted onto their bus by staff in an orderly fashion.
-All 5-8 bus students will report to the cafeteria to sit at their identified table for their bus number. They will then be dismissed by staff on duty to board their bus in an orderly fashion.
**PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL BUS STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE IDS THAT THEY MUST USE TO SWIPE WHEN GETTING ON AND OFF THE BUS. THIS IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE DISTRICT THIS SCHOOL YEAR, AND WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. WE APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING WITH YOUR STUDENT ABOUT THIS AND SUPPORTING THIS SAFETY MEASURE.
-All parent pick up students will be dismissed at 2:45pm.
-All K-4 parent pick-up students will be escorted by staff to the lower school playground, where they will wait in lines to be called to their cars.
-All 5-8 parent pick up students will be dismissed through the upper school entrance to report to their parents’ cars.
**Please note that grades 5-8 parent pick up students are only those students who get into their parents’ cars who are waiting in the appropriate upper school parent pick up line. Any student who meets their parent or “ride” off of school grounds or in the surrounding neighborhood is considered a walker and should be dismissed with walkers.
**Please note that no parent or family member should arrive at Hunking to wait for parent pick up prior to 2:30pm. We appreciate your support and cooperation with this.
**Please note that we are not able to process any student dismissals or release any students after 2:30pm due to our dismissal procedures. If you need to dismiss your child from school for any reason, please make sure that you have dismissed them prior to 2:30pm.
**Please note that there will be no parent pick ups at the main entrance of our school between 2:30pm-3:15pm.
**Finally, please note that we ask that all community members drive slowly on school grounds and in our surrounding neighborhoods, and be conscious of students who are walking. It is imperative that everyone pay attention and drive carefully.
I recognize that this is a significant amount of information, but it is all crucial to ensuring student safety and maximizing a smooth arrival and dismissal at Hunking daily. I appreciate every family reviewing this information and cooperating and supporting our procedures. We appreciate your partnership in making our community safe for everyone in it!
Thank you,
Tim Betty
Principal