WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH IS AN EARLY RELEASE DAY FOR ALL STUDENTS. DISMISSAL WILL BE AT 11:05AM. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
Middle School Parent Information Night (Cell Phone Procedure)
As you are aware, based on previous communications, Hunking has just recently changed its cell phone procedure/plan for grades 5-8.
Based on the first few days of implementation, I am currently collecting data on its effectiveness to determine whether and when any necessary changes are needed.
I know there are strong feelings about this new procedure, and many families have questions and concerns about the plan as it has been rolled out.
With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to invite all Middle School Parents/Guardians to Hunking next Tuesday, January 27th, from 6:00-7:00pm in our cafeteria to make sure that everyone is fully informed and to also hear your concerns and/or answer any questions you may have.
This informational night will be for parents/guardians only. Please do not bring students with you.
I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you and, as always, very much appreciate your support and our continued partnership.
Thank you
Hunking’s Updated Cell Phone Procedure (Gr. 5-8): Please click the link to review the new procedure (shared on 1/12/26 with all families in grades 5-8) and FAQs:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lN-_EXgz4N7B_t9ELizEPkF9tV4sP3PeeCEG2qXB3qQ/edit?usp=sharing
The Student Council and the 5th Grade Team announce:
❄️ THE SNOW BALL Semi-Formal dance!
Friday January 30th
Grades 5&6 Dance runs from 5-6:30 pm
Grades 7&8 Dance runs from 7-8:30 pm
Tickets $5 -buy them through CheddarUp, at lunch next week or at the door on Friday
Pizza, Water, Snacks and Treats for $1-$3 each
Wondering, “What’s ‘semi-formal’?” Think fancy party, not prom night! Collared shirts with pants or khakis work great. Ties, bow ties, and sport jackets are fun but totally optional. Dresses are welcome—just skip the prom or ball-gown vibes. Pick shoes you can dance and have fun in! Most importantly, all of this is optional. Wear what helps you feel comfortable and confident—we want everyone to enjoy the night!
Coming Soon! SOMEONE SPECIAL DANCE
NJHS is hosting a Winter Dance for Grades 3-4 right after school on Friday, February 6, 2026!
Please note, this event is for students only!
Tickets: $5.00/each *
Cash concessions
my.cheddarup.com/c/2026-3-4-winter-dance
NJHS is hosting this year’s “Someone Special” Dance for Grades K-2 on Friday, February 6th in the Hunking cafeteria from 5:30-7:00pm!
This is for Hunking students and the ‘Someone Special’ in their lives.
Students must be accompanied by an adult (18+) and all attendees should have a ticket.
Tickets: $5.00/each *
Cash concessions
my.cheddarup.com/c/2026-someone-special-dance
Theme of the Month: Throughout the month of January, we will be celebrating the theme of commitment. Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. The act of committing, or engaging oneself is a pledge, promise or obligation. Such as we have made a commitment to show up to school each and every day, and to put forward our very best effort. Commitment is being dedicated and responsible for being kind and respectful to everyone. Staff will be on the lookout this month for the students who best personify this theme.
Food Services has changed the menus this year. When you go to FD MealPlanner, 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 justin.hodgkins@haverhill-ps.org.
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
LEAD Hazard Reduction Program:
PTO NEWS:
Someone Special Dance
Feb, 6th, 2026
Grades 3-4 Immediately after school 3:00-4:30pm (No Guest)
Grades K-2 5:30-7:00pm (Must have a Guest over 18 years old)
-Next Meeting Feb. 12th 5:30 with NJHS babysitting and homework help available
-Chocolate sales on Friday’s, $1 per bar.
-Coming Soon! Music Bingo and Online Auction! We are seeking support from local businesses with donations for prizes, raffle and auction items. Contact nicole.kelly@haverhill-ps.org if you’d like to support us.
NEWS FROM GUIDANCE
Terri Carney, School Counselor, grades 5-8
Selecting Electives for HHS
Beginning January 26th, during the 8th graders library special, students will begin selecting electives for 9th grade at HHS. Students will choose a pool of 10 electives. Please be sure to ask your student about their choices or log in to the parent portal to view what your student chose.
HHS CTE and HHS Classical Academy schedule the classes once a student has accepted placement. WVT will schedule their own classes.
Below is the letter that was sent out to families. It also contains the program of studies to view the courses students may choose from. Please be aware that not all courses are offered to 9th graders. Some courses are grade level specific and some require a pre-requisite before taking the course.
If your student has been accepted to a private school or eventually to WVT, please let us know so that we can direct records and transcript to the appropriate place at the end of the year and remove their enrollment to HHS.
HHS
- HHS CTE Admissions Lottery Will Be Held On January 29th 4:00PM
- Lottery numbers will be generated approximately a week prior to the lottery
Middle School Pathway Exploration
WVT
- WVT will assign numbers approximately a week prior to the drawing
- Lottery Drawings for the current admissions cycle will be held at the following date/time.
Class of 2030 Fall Admissions: Tuesday, January 27 4:00 PM - All lotteries will be streamed live on our YouTube Channel.
For additional information: https://www.whittiertech.org/o/wrvtd/page/admissions
Introducing Julia Rossi, Youth Wellness Coach
This year, our district is welcoming an additional community resource – a Youth Wellness Coach Intern to Hunking! Ms. Julia Rossi will be a support to our counseling team to specifically serve the middle school grades. Youth Wellness Coaches are fully trained and vetted from a local organization, C4 Innovates and HPS to serve as non-clinical behavioral health providers with our students. As youth peers, they draw on their own lived experiences to build rapport with students, model resilience, and serve as an extra set of hands to support youth directly using evidence-based practices and interventions. Ms. Rossi will be on site on Mondays and Wednesdays to provide additional non-clinical behavioral health capacity to our existing teams.
We have been contracting with C4 Innovates for the past three years. Youth Wellness Coaches are employed by C4 Innovations and will be serving in our schools at least two days a week for the next five years as part of a statewide initiative to enhance and improve SBIRT screening which is a screening tool used for grades 7 & 10. HHS has had the benefit of having a Youth Wellness Coach to support implementation of programs and students for a variety of needs and services. It’s great having friendly faces who are capable of connecting with students and staff to support initiatives.
If Ms. Rossi will be working directly with your student providing services beyond the basic daily interactions with the counselors, she will reach out to families individually for consent. If you have questions about how Youth Wellness Coaches will serve our community, please feel free to reach out to the C4 Innovations team at oasis@c4innovates.com or Ms. Terri Carney, Hunking School Counselor terri.carney@haverhill-ps.org . You can learn more about C4 Innovations at www.c4innovates.com. Watch this space for more information about how this new team member will support our school!
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/
EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS:
Homework Help: Drop in homework support is being offered Wednesday mornings from 8:00am – 8:30am in the library with Mrs. Corcoran. You must provide transportation. If you have any questions, please email tcorcoran@haverhill-ps.org.
7th Grade: Diana Romero Banda is our long term substitute for Social Studies – diana.romero@haverhill-ps.org if you need to contact. There was an issue with progress reports, but we are working on fixing it!
8th Grade: Parent Conference sign-up links are being sent home through REMIND. Please sign up if you would like to discuss your student’s progress with their teachers or email them if you would like to schedule time for a more thorough discussion..
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES: 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. If your child has an illness or medical issue, please let the health office know so we can make accommodations if needed for your child.
Mandatory Postural/Scoliosis screenings for students’ 5th-8th grade are planned to start Monday, February 2nd during gym class. The Purpose of the screening is to detect possible curvature of the spine in children. If the condition is detected early and appropriately treated, progressive spinal deformity may be prevented. To assure a good view of the spine, we will request the students expose their backs during screening. It is recommended that boys wear a shirt that can be easily removed. Girls should wear a bathing suit top, or sport bra or halter under a shirt or sweater. Please make sure to have your child come dressed as recommended above on the day they are scheduled for gym. If your child is currently under active treatment for a spinal problem, or if you have any objection to having your child participate in the screening program, please inform the school nurse in writing. A report from your healthcare provider is requested.
If you have any questions or concerns, you may reach the health office at 978-420-1913.
ATHLETIC NEWS:
In order to participate in any Hunking sports a current physical exam (done within the last 12 months) needs to be provided to the health office. This is a Haverhill Public School policy.
Girls Basketball: The girls will play their final regular season game at Hunking on Tuesday, January 27th against JG Whittier. The girls will play first.
Please stay tuned for more information about the city playoffs/tournament.
Boys Basketball: The boys will play their final regular season game at Hunking on Tuesday, January 27th against JG Whittier. The girls will play first.
Please stay tuned for more information about the city playoffs/tournament.
Volleyball: We are excited to have what will hopefully be our first of many Skills Clinics tomorrow, Saturday, January 24. If you have signed up, Grades 4-6 will be from 10am-11:30am and the 7-8 graders will be from 11:30am-1pm. We have also already reserved the gym for February 28, so if you missed this clinic you can sign up for the next one when information goes out.
CLUB NEWS:
Guitar Ensemble: We will continue to meet on Friday afternoons from 2:45-3:30 in Rm 143. We are accepting new members through January (grades 5-8). Reach out to Mrs. Fairbrother for more information (kfairbrother@haverhill-ps.org) or join us on Google Classroom or Remind.
Kindergarten, First and Second Grade Families: Save the date! The Hunking Music Dept is proud to present “A K-2 Concert: Music from Around the World!” More information to come.
Chorus: Chorus is excited to announce we are performing at a UML Basketball game on Saturday January 31st! Game starts at 2:00pm, and tickets are $13. Please come out and support your singing Bobcats!
The Hunking Bobcat Chorus proudly presents (1)
Tri-M: Please keep checking in with the Google Classroom for updates on upcoming events!
Student Council: Monthly Meeting and Events Schedule can be found here.
*Reminder to check our Google Classroom for a schedule of 7th and 8th grade lunch time ticket sales next week! And we will be looking for members to sign up to work the dance Friday January 30th from 7-8:30 pm!
Thursday the Student Council visited the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston to roleplay as senators for the day! They learned about the challenges posed by climate change and the need to transition to a more climate and environmentally friendly economy. After discussing the topic in small groups, the group gathered in the mock senate chamber to debate and vote on proposed sections of a bill to provide assistance and environmental justice for three distinct groups of people affected by climate change: frontline and vulnerable communities, fossil fuel workers, and young people.
Students called the experience, “Productive, Inspiring, motivational, fun, eye-opening, and exciting because you don’t get to become a senator everyday!”
- Kallery noted, “I got to understand so much more about the political system, and how it works.”
- Keller realized, “In order to create positive change there must be a lot of thinking to see all sides of the changes. Everyone must be considered and everyone’s opinion must be heard.”
While some found that the process of making change can be hard but amazing to see, others felt it can be frustrating to not get a law passed that you think could make a big change.
For anyone interested in visiting the institute, their programs are free to New England students and they offer transportation grants.
NJHS: The NJHS calendar can be found here. Feb. meeting is being replaced by the Someone Special Dance on Feb. 6th. We need all members present to support this event. Coming next is Bobcat Buddies on Jan. 28th.
GSA: The GSA calendar can be found here.
Lego Club: The LEGO Club calendar can be found here.
Academic Bowl: Academic Bowl tryouts will continue next week on Monday Jan 26th from 2:45-3:20 in room 118 (Mrs Sciuto’s room). The teams will be announced/posted on the half day, Wednesday Jan 28th outside of both Mrs Sciuto’s and Mrs Seed’s room. Practices will start immediately after teams are announced and there will be a google classroom to follow for all information.
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.
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 PROCEDURES: Please click on the link below to review Hunking procedures, including cell phone and pick up & drop off procedures:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u0UOrpoO9vRnMMJuYpeJmaSGKcywt29SX94AQmSHFzQ/edit?usp=sharing