FEBRUARY VACATION: There will be NO school from 2/16/26-2/20/26.
HUNKING’S 4TH ANNUAL MULTICULTURAL NIGHT:
SAVE THE DATE
We are excited to invite our Hunking families to one of our favorite community events of the year: MULTICULTURAL NIGHT! This special evening is a celebration of the many cultures, traditions, and backgrounds that make up our school community.
Families are invited to take part by hosting a cultural table, participating in the fashion show, volunteering, or simply attending to enjoy the celebration.
🗓️ Event Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
🕔 5:00-7:00 p.m.
📍C.D. Hunking School
🗒️Family Sign Up Deadline: Thursday, March 5, 2026
Family sign-ups are available via the QR code or link below:
MULTICULTURAL NIGHT FAMILY SIGN UP LINK
More details will be shared as the event approaches. We look forward to celebrating together!
Theme of the Month: We will be embracing the theme of Friendship & Acceptance throughout the month of February. Acceptance is the action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group. It is the act of accepting something or someone. Acceptance involves acknowledging the unvarnished facts of ourselves and our situation…the good and the not so good, without judging ourselves or others. Acceptance is the foundation for growth and change. While friendship is a close, voluntary relationship between people that is built on trust, respect, and mutual care.
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:
Family Event: Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health & Wellness
Families are often the first to notice when something feels different for their child, but it can be difficult to know where to turn. Cartwheel is a trusted partner that supports the mental health and wellness needs of middle and high school students, and this event is designed to help parents and caregivers learn what support is available and how to access it.
Event Details:
- Event: Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health & Wellness
- Date: Thursday, February 19th
- Time: 6:00 – 7:00 PM
- Location: Haverhill YMCA, 81 Winter Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
- Audience: Open to all families with school-aged children
- Cost: Free and open to the community
Families will have the opportunity to learn more about Cartwheel and meet their Program Manager, Stacy Swasey. Cartwheel offers access to licensed therapists and psychiatrists with no waitlist, telehealth sessions, multilingual care, and free services for families with Medicaid.
Flyer Cartwheel x PASS Family Night (3)
Tech safety parent information: Online Safety and Parent Info Sheet
PTO NEWS:
Hunking PTO is proud to partner with the Haverhill YMCA for an egg hunt! Please follow the QR code or this link to sign up as it is limited to the first 300!
NEWS FROM GUIDANCE
Terri Carney, School Counselor, grades 5-8
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. Email address above. Thank you!
8th Graders assignment over break:
Finish elective selection! Select 7-10 electives from the Program of Studies listed in the 8th grade google classroom. Show your grownups the courses you are interested in!
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.
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: Welcome back to Mr. Kellerman after welcoming his first son!
We will be sending home an expectation letter and having a grade wide Google Meet on Monday after break. This letter is just to clarify what we expect from students and what consequences will follow for students who continue to break expectations. We hope to have a great rest of the year.
8th Grade: Students participated in a pancake breakfast on Friday morning, followed by the Teacher vs. Student basketball game and ended with a Fun Friday afternoon with choices including a movie, outdoor play, Legos, and other activities. We hope everyone has a fun and relaxing vacation!
Congratulations to our January “Commitment” Students! Ellie Clark, Gavin Wakefield, Kendall DiStefano, Alex Demers, Miaanjelize Padilla-Runkis, Emmett George and Grace Leate.
Multilingual News:
All multilingual learners have completed their 2026 ACCESS test. They worked incredibly hard, and we are so proud of each and every one of them. We look forward to receiving their ACCESS scores in June and celebrating their continued growth and achievement.
February 13th to 18th : Brazilian Carnaval
The Carnival of Brazil, known locally as Carnaval, is a four day festival. Carnaval is huge, drawing millions of people each year. Celebrations vary from region to region, but usually include parades.
February 17th: Chinese New Year
Fireworks, dragons, lions, and Nian gao all signify the start of the Chinese New Year. This is one of the most important holidays in China. It’s observed all over the world. Similar celebrations occur in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.
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.
If you have any questions or concerns, you may reach the health office at 978-420-1913.
Enjoy your winter break and stay safe and healthy.
CLUB NEWS:
Academic Bowl: Meets will start the week after vacation during the school day. Meets will be at Nettle on Tuesday Feb 24th and at Hunking on Friday Feb 27th. Please see the Remind group for more information. The meet schedule can be found here:Hunking Academic Bowl Schedule 2026
The junior team has practice on Monday and Thursday. Please make every effort to make Mondays practice as it is the day before our first meet.
Guitar Ensemble: Everyone, enjoy your vacation week and I will see you again on the 27th. Any questions please reach out to Mrs. Fairbrother for more information (kfairbrother@haverhill-ps.org).
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. K-2 Concert 2026 MATW (1)
Chorus: I hope everyone has a wonderful vacation! I’ll see everyone again starting on Monday February 23rd.
Tri-M: Tri-M is hard at work getting ready for our presentation at the Multicultural Night in March! Our next meeting will be Wednesday February 25th from 2:45-3:30 in the music room.
Talent Show: Auditions will be on Tuesday, February 2,4, starting at 3 for K-4, and on Thursday, February 26, starting at 3 for grades 5-8. Acts must be stage-ready. The talent show will be on March 19, time is to be announced. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Mr. K or Mrs. Fairbrother.
Student Council: There is a full member meeting on Friday February 27th-the first friday after vacation. Monthly Meeting and Events Schedule can be found here.
NJHS: The NJHS calendar can be found here. Thank you for participating in our Someone Special Dance!
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