Wednesday, September 24th, is an early release day for all students. Dismissal will be at 11:05am. Please plan accordingly.
**DISMISSAL: Just a reminder, any dismissal from school must be made before 2:30. Any change of dismissal should be called into the main office no later than 1:30. The office staff does not see the Remind app, and teachers do not always have time to let the office know. When dismissing your student, please make sure you have a photo ID with you. This is a safety issue. You will not be able to take a student without showing a form of picture ID. If you are not on the emergency contacts, the parent of the student you are taking should send in a note with the child that morning giving permission, OR they can email the Main office. We appreciate your support and cooperation as we continue to prioritize student safety.
4th Annual Block Party: I want to give a huge shout-out for another amazing Hunking block party yesterday evening! I am so very appreciative of all of our community who showed up and made this an incredible event. I am so grateful to be a part of this amazing community! One thing that I want to ask of our student body…is to remember to please take pride in our school. Unfortunately, there was far too much trash that did not find its way into barrels, so I ask that moving forward, our students are conscious of this and remember to be kind and respectful, and throw their trash away, and not on the ground. With that being said, I have some special acknowledgements that I’d like to make quickly. There are so many people to thank in order to run a successful event like the one last night including our staff who showed up to set up and were here throughout the event, our amazing PTO, and all of our vendors, however, the very special thanks I want to give are to our very own Mr. K & Ms. Law for their organization and leadership in planning and helping pull this event off, our amazing custodian George who was a superhero last night, and finally, to a few of our NJHS students who stayed and helped clean up after the event. So thank you to Charlie and Joey Munroe, Fiona Ayles, Ellie Clark, and Olivia Carpenter! And last but not least, a special thanks to our very own Mrs. DiCicco, who was outside in the dark picking up trash, collecting, and putting away belongings. As I said, I am very proud to be a part of this amazing community!
Theme of the Month: We celebrate and focus on a theme each month here at Hunking. Our first theme of the school year captures our number one rule: KINDNESS. Kindness is the quality of being generous, considerate, and compassionate toward others, often involving acts of help or service without expecting anything in return. Kindness can be practiced through actions like sharing, listening, or offering support. Practicing kindness can improve one’s own mood and well-being, strengthen relationships, and create a positive chain reaction here at Hunking and in the world in general! It is treating others the way that you want to be treated. Staff will be on the lookout throughout this first month for the students who best personify this theme.
At the end of the month, we celebrate by conducting brief grade-level assemblies to recognize those students who have best personified the theme of the month.
Food Services has changed the menus this year. When you go to https://www.fdmealplanner.com/, and type in “Hunking” for the school location, you will see a WEEKLY menu. You will see the main lunch and other options available for the day. You will still be able to filter according to food allergens. Any questions, please contact Food Services at anna.perracchio@haverhill-ps.org.
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
Haverhill SEPAC:
CELEBRATING HISPANIC & LATINX HERITAGE MONTH: From September 15th through October 15th, Massachusetts celebrates the contributions and history made by those of Hispanic & Latinx heritage. Be sure to check out some local events at the Haverhill Public Library (Friday Movies), Northern Essex Community College, and other Merrimack Valley cities and towns.
For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month’s origins, check out the Library of Congress’ website.
PTO NEWS:
- The next PTO meeting held at Hunking is October 2 at 5:30pm. Free babysitting is available by NJHS.
- Last Call! Spirit Wear is on Sale! Order now and save 25%: https://1stplace.sale/40727
- Coming up: Boosterthon Fun Run 10/27-11/6. Our yearly goal is to raise $45,000 with your support. We CAN accomplish this!
- Our contact is HunkingPTO28@gmail.com
- Thank you for coming to the 4th Annual Block Party. Let us know what you thought.
NEWS FROM GUIDANCE
Terri Carney, School Counselor, grades 5-8
For all parents and caregivers!
Massachusetts Partners for Youth has a wonderful resource! Check out the Parenting Solutions Library! https://peaceathomeparenting.com/mpy-solution-libraries/
Grades 5-8 will attend a High School and Career Fair here at Hunking on September 26th.
Grades 6-8 December 4th is family night at HHS from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Parents of 8th Graders: Planning Ahead, High School Options:
HHS
- The 8th-grade tour will be on October 24th during school hours! Look for the permission slip closer to that date!
- HHS Career Technical Education (CTE) will begin accepting applications on November 1st.
- HHS Classical Academy is accepting applications soon. The deadline to apply is January 17th, 2026. Classical Academy Application
WVT
- The application window opens on November 1st
- Open house for 8th graders and families is on November 2nd from 1-4
Essex North Shore
- Students from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are eligible to apply
- Application dates have not been posted. Please check their website
Other high school info:
- Private school application windows open early
- If you are planning to attend a private school for 9th grade, be sure to look at their websites for important information about applying and deadlines
Technology Resources
DESE Learning Standards for Families: learning benchmarks for math and ELA per grade level.
Technology Webpage: How to Access Parent Portal (PDF), Google Classroom, Parent controls (Qustodio), and basic iPad and Chromebook usage tips.
Remind app: How to download and use Remind to communicate with teachers.
EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS:
4th Grade:
In math, students have been practicing working with numbers up to one million. On Thursday, they took their very first math quiz—everyone worked hard, and we are proud of their effort!
In reading, we’re hoping to bring our learning to life by hearing from someone in our community who works with the heart. This could be a cardiologist, cardiac nurse, nutritionist, or athletic trainer. If you or someone you know would enjoy sharing their knowledge and experiences with our students, please reach out to Mrs. Augusta at Arielle.Augusta@haverhill-ps.org.
In social studies, students are learning about European explorers—who they were, where they traveled, and why they set out to explore the Americas.
In science, we’re studying weathering, erosion, and deposition, and discovering how these natural processes shape and change the Earth’s surface over time.
7th Grade:
SS: This week in Social Studies, students became global explorers. Each student selected a country from around the world to research. They used the 5 themes of geography we learned last week to investigate key aspects of their country. Students then created an informative Google Slide presentation to showcase their findings. Ask your student which country they researched.
ELA: Students are already wrapping up their second text of Unit 1 of StudySync. We focused on characterization in the text “Rikki Tikki Tavi” and are preparing students to do their first formal writing assignment on the story. In Mrs. Seed’s room, students are reading their choice book three times a week and their hard work is paying off—many students have already finished their first book of the school year! Ask your student what they are reading during their choice reading time.
8th Grade:
ELA: Students wrote poems about their identity and have begun working on their first class presentation together. In WIN, students are reading “The Outsiders” until mid-October, when our walk-to-WIN will begin.
We welcomed some trusted adults into our ELA classroom this week to spotlight some of the descriptive and personal lines students have been writing about “Where [they’re] From.”
Math: Students are in their first cycle of WIN groups and had their first assessments on exponents!
ML team: Our ML students are taking a SUMMIT assessment this week. Summit K12 is an online program that helps English learners improve reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It uses interactive lessons, practice activities, and assessments aligned with state standards to support students’ language growth and academic success.
We are also celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate people whose families come from Spanish-speaking countries. From September 15 to October 15, we learn about their culture, music, food, and traditions. It is a way to honor their history and the many ways they help make our country special.
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES: We are starting vision and hearing screenings next week with the kindergarten class. Please make sure your child wears glasses to school (if they need them).
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. Please reach out to the Health Office if you did not receive an allergy/asthma packet.
You should have received an Annual Health Update and Permission form. Please complete and send back to school as soon as possible, if not already done. Please list the medications you do not want your child to have in school (This is a change from last year’s form) and sign the bottom of the form. If your child will be participating in any sports this year, they will need a current physical in order to play. Our fax number is 978-274-1944 if you would like the doctor to fax it to our office.
Please remember to send your child in with a water bottle. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Health Office (978-420-1913).
ATHLETIC NEWS:
Soccer: Huge shout-out to both the Boys and Girls soccer teams for winning their respective opening games. The girls had a comfortable 6-0 victory, with a pair of goals for Maddie Davidson, and one each for 8th graders Laila, Kendall, Violet, and Claire. The boys put on a strong defensive performance, and Joey Cornacchio scored the game’s only goal. Both teams will be in action again next Tuesday.
2025 Hunking Soccer Practice & Game Schedule
Cross Country: What a great week of practices for your athletes! We were able to implement great foundational and functional work; all while seeing some great tempos and form across the board.
As we did last week, I have created a weekend workout for your athlete to utilize; these will be posted in our XC Remind class.
Lastly, for those that have not yet, please join our XC Remind Class (link below) as this is the best way to receive daily updates, practice plans, adjustments to the schedule, meet information, and all things XC! As always, thank you for your incredible support in allowing us to coach your amazing athletes.
Your kiddos’ biggest fans,
Coach Law & Coach Melyssa
Meets Date for this season:
10/1 Wednesday meet for Gr. 6-8 vs. Haverhill District Schools
10/8 Wednesday meet for Gr.4 & 5 vs. Haverhill District Schools
10/20 Monday meet for Gr. 6-8 vs. Haverhill District School
10/28 Tuesday meet for Gr. 6-8 vs Methuen &North Andover
All meets are held at Winnekenni Park in Haverhill. Start times are as close to 3:30pm as possible; historically, times have been pushed to almost 4, as we are at the mercy of traffic and limited buses for all middle schools in our district to arrive. Parking at Winnekenni can be challenging at times as well, so I would also recommend either parking on the main road or backing into a spot inside the park to make exiting easier.
Bussing is provided to and from (back to Hunking)
Please note*Considering traffic during the end time of meets, we do encourage parent pick up/car pool when possible from Winnekenni at the conclusion of the meet.
Unified Bocce Ball: Are you interested in learning a new, low-impact level sport? Are you looking for opportunities to socialize with people? Are you open to getting some light exercise while having a lot of fun? If you answered yes to any of these questions and are in middle school, then we have just the thing for you! Become a member of Hunking’s Special Olympics Unified Bocce Ball Team! Open to all middle (5th to 8th grade) school students with and without disabilities. All abilities are welcome!
The team will practice on Monday and Wednesday afternoons throughout the month of October from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Hunking School gym. Sign-ups and permission slips are required and can be turned in to Mr. Langlais or Ms. Carella. Both will be available on the tall tables outside the cafeteria. Registration must be completed by Wednesday, September 24, 2025, with the first practice scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, 2025. Transportation following the Monday and Wednesday practices will not be provided.
For more information or questions, contact Mr. Langlais (Room 115) or Ms. Carella (Room 103D).
BASKETBALL: Any grade 6-8 student who plans on trying out for basketball this year WILL NOT be able to try out without an updated physical. Physicals are due no later than Monday, October 13th. They can be turned into Mrs. Mansour in room 301 or the nurse’s office.
CLUB NEWS:
Guitar Ensemble: We will continue to meet in Mrs. Fairbrother’s room on Friday afternoons from 2:45-3:30. A reminder that anyone in grades 5-8 are welcome.
Chorus: Chorus students are working on several pieces right now, including two combined pieces for our winter concert. We are working on “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters, a challenge since we all want to sing the melody! And our closer for the winter concert, “Christmas…In about 3 minutes”! I apologize in advance for hearing your students sing Christmas songs in September! We will follow our usual schedule this week, M-Tu Upper school, Tu-F Lower school. Please note: any student who wants to be in Chorus MUST have a permission slip, which we had due this past Friday. Please reach out to Ms. Avalos with any questions!
Tri-M: A great big THANK YOU to all the parents and Tri-M students for helping to make our Block Party Bake Sale a HUGE success! We will have our first official meeting in mid-October, and permission slips will be available soon for new members.
Drama Club: Elf Jr. auditions will take place on Monday, September 22, from 2:55 to 5:30, and on Tuesday, September 23, from 3:15 to 5:30. Auditions are open to all students in grades 5-8. Any students in grades 5-8 who want to audition for Elf Jr, please see Mr. K or Mrs. Fairbrother.
Student Council: See the monthly meeting schedule here.
All students who turned in an application form for Student Council must attend one of our election meetings offered on Monday and Tuesday after school in room 301 from 2:45-3:15 pm. At this time, we will explain the campaigning and election process. Please contact Mrs. Mansour or Mrs Corkum with any questions.
Great job, Student Council members, welcoming the community to our block party with our special guest, the Hunking Bobcat! Thank you to folks who donated to our “Upgrade our Bobcat” costume fund!
NJHS: The NJHS calendar can be found here. Coming Sept. 24th is our first Bobcat Buddies activity.
GSA: GSA will begin in October
Lego Club: Lego Club will begin in November
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 ensure 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. The HPS website (under technology) explains SDC and has instructions on how to sign 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 and pick up & drop off procedures:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u0UOrpoO9vRnMMJuYpeJmaSGKcywt29SX94AQmSHFzQ/edit?usp=sharing