She may be tiny but she’s mighty! Amelia, a Hunking kindergartener, has been fighting Leukemia for two and a half years. Today she rings the bell at the hospital in Boston to signify the end of treatment and being CANCER FREE! Her favorite color is blue so let’s all wear blue on Monday in honor of the hard fought battle she’s won!
❄️ THE SNOW BALL Semi-Formal Dance Tonight (1/30/26) ❄️
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 or at the door on Friday
Pizza, Water, Snacks and Treats for $1-$3 each
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!
Parent/Teacher Conferences: Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, February 5th. Teachers/Grade level teams should have sent out communications on how to sign up. Please see the schedule below:
Grades K-4: 5:00-6:30pm
Grades 5-8: 4:00-5:30pm
Specialists will be available between 4:30-6:00pm
Coming Feb. 6, 2026 Someone Special Dance!
Grades 3-4 my.cheddarup.com/c/2026-3-4-winter-dance
Grades K-2 my.cheddarup.com/c/2026-someone-special-dance
Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser: See an 8th grader attending Washington DC if you want to purchase popcorn
Theme of the Month: Throughout the month of January, we have celebrated 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. We will hold assemblies next week to recognize the students who have best personified this theme throughout the month.
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.
PTO NEWS:
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
NEWS FROM GUIDANCE
Terri Carney, School Counselor, grades 5-8
Selecting Electives for HHS
Course selection got a bit sidetracked with our snowdays, but we began elective selection on Thursday. Students will choose a pool of 10 electives for their HHS schedules. 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 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. Thank you!
HHS
If you were accepted to HHS CTE, please be sure to follow the instructions in the email to accept or decline the offer based on the deadline they have given.
WVT
If you were accepted to WVT, please be sure to follow the instructions in the email to accept or decline the offer based on the deadline they have given.
Important: If you received an acceptance email, you have 2 weeks to submit residency verification. There are two parts to the verification piece. There is one part that is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Please refer to WVT for guidance on what they require. There is another piece that I will upload. You do not need to make a request, I will automatically upload my part.
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:
7th Grade: A link to sign up for Conferences will be sent via Remind. The time slots are quick and there are many teachers to sign up for so if you have any issues please reach out to your homeroom teacher.
Grade 8: ELA classes are continuing their reading of Alan Grat’s Refugee and are learning about the plight of Syrian refugees during the Syrian civil war in the mid-2010s. Math classes are continuining their study of the different forms of linear relationships. Please remind math students that they are now expected to pass 2 iReady lessons per week.
Double Good virtual fundraiser for students going to Washington DC.
We keep 50% of all sales, and the popcorn ships directly to buyers. Prices start at $11. The popcorn is award-winning and really delicious!
- Start: February 03, 2026, 5:00 PM • End: February 07, 2026, 5:00 PM
What You Need to Do:
- Download the Double Good app
- Enter Event Code: FVOFRN
- Create your Pop-Up Store
8th Grade PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES February 5th 4-5:30 pm SIGN UP LINK
Students in Mrs. Iwatsuki’s ELA class working on Greek and Latin roots and expanding sentences.
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 be facing off against the Nettle Knights in the City Semi-finals on Monday, February 2nd at Haverhill High School. The girls game is scheduled 2nd out of 4 games (It will immediately follow the 1st game that starts at 4pm). The game should start around 5pm.
If the girls win, they will then advance to the finals on Friday, February 6th at 5pm at Haverhill High School.
Boys Basketball: The boys will be facing off against the JG Whittier Poets in the City Semi-finals on Monday, February 2nd at Haverhill High School. The boys game is scheduled 3rd out of 4 games (the first game will begin at 4pm). The game should start around 6pm.
If the boys win, they will then advance to the finals on Friday, February 6th at approximately 6pm at Haverhill High School.
CLUB NEWS:
Guitar Ensemble: We will continue to meet on Friday afternoons from 2:45-3:30 in Rm 143. Reach out to Mrs. Fairbrother for more information (kfairbrother@haverhill-ps.org).
Mentor/Mentee: The Mentor/Mentee Program is holding a quick fundraiser to help raise money for the program. They will be selling fan spirit poms to help support the girls and boys basketball playoffs happening on Feb 2 and Feb 6 at Haverhill High School. Poms will be selling for $2 each. They can be purchased at lunches. Also, if any parents of mentors or mentees would like to donate snacks or drinks to the program for our upcoming Valentine’s party, please contact Ms Curry (lcurry@haverhill-ps.org ) or send them in directly with your child. Any donations would be much appreciated as we have over 70 students involved in the program as either a mentor or mentee.
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.
NJHS: The NJHS calendar can be found here. Our ½ day, Jan. 28th was another great Bobcat Buddy event. Feb. meeting is being replaced by the Someone Special Dance on Feb. 6th. We need all members present to support this event.
GSA: The GSA calendar can be found here.
Lego Club: The LEGO Club calendar can be found here.
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