Hemenway Happenings
Welcome to the 2022-23 School Year, August 8th, 2022
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A Message from the Principal
March 6th, 2023
Good Evening Families and Caregivers,
Thank you to the PTO and all the families that participated in the Hemenway World Fair. It was such an amazing event where over 200 people joined. Thank you for sharing your interests, culture, and family stories with us. It is inspiring to learn and celebrate the members of our community!
Thank you to Mrs. Baer and Ms. Durrance for the gorgeous exhibit honoring the work of Faith Ringgold, a renowned artist and recipient of over 75 awards. Her work serves as a contribution towards a more equitable world. Her art captures the visual images of American History of significant individuals, cultures, communities and time periods. In addition to her story quilts, she is also well known for her children's books Tar Beach, My Dream of Martin Luther King, Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky, Harlem Renaissance Party, and We Came to America. She is the illustrator of 17 picture books as well.
We are looking forward to celebrating the musical talents of our school community on Thursday March 16th. Please take a look at the details for our Spring Choral Concert! Thank you to Mr. Smock and Ms. Killoran for their artistic design and producing of our event.
Wednesday, March 8th is our monthly scheduled PTO meeting. The time has been changed to 6:30 pm. We hope to see you there.
Thursday, March 9th, there is No School for a district-wide Professional Development Day. Please plan accordingly.
The Masked Reader: Thanks to Ms. Lordan, our Reading Specialist, for helping us celebrate National Reading Month. Each week, our scholars will watch a video reading of one of the texts aligned to the theme of Confidence. The "masked reader" will be a member of the Hemenway Community. Classes will use the voice in the reading along with three clues to try and guess who the reader is. Be sure to ask them about the text, how it connects to the theme of Confidence, and if they guessed correctly. You may even learn a few interesting, fun, or surprising facts about these "masked readers!" Enjoy the fun!
Hemenway Variety Show: The Hemenway has a long-standing tradition of hosting a Variety Show! Do you have a talent, interest, or something you want to share! March 31st marks the day of your debut. If you are interested, please check out this link on behalf of the PTO to register (by March 1), and learn more: https://www.smore.com/fet1b.
Quick Reminder: Please remind your children that toys, slime, electronic devices, and other items that may present a distraction from learning are not permitted at school. Items that are used in a way that become toys vs. tools will be held by an adult and children will be able to retrieve them at the end of the day with the understanding that they are not to return to school.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Marybeth O'Brien
Principal
Let's sing our way into Spring!
Welcome to this year's Hemenway Choral Concert! The students are looking forward to putting on a wonderful show for you all! This year we will be holding two separate concerts in the same morning to allow parents to easily transition in and out of the building and cafeteria. The schedule of events are as follows:
9:30am - Doors open
9:45am - Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade will perform their half of the concert
10:45am - 3rd grade, 4th Grade, and 5th Grade General Music* students will perform their half of the concert
*5th Grade Band will perform during the instrumental concert in June.
Thank you so much for supporting the music program at Hemenway and Framingham Public Schools! We look forward to seeing you all there!
-The Hemenway Music Team
Mr. Smock bsmock@framingham.k12.ma.us
Ms. Killoran nkilloran@framingham.k12.ma.us
March is National Reading Month
Hey Hemenway, did you know that March is National Reading Month? To kick things off, we are going to have a reading themed spirit week when we return from February vacation. Get your outfits ready! It’s going to be a fun month.
Monday, February 27: Let's celebrate that reading is for everyone. Activity for kids: hats off to a week of reading! Dress up in your favorite hat.
Tuesday, February 28: Let's celebrate our favorite books. Activity for kids: dress in favorite shirt and bring a favorite book to share.
Wednesday, March 1: Let's celebrate that reading is fun to do as a team. Activity for kids: dress up to show off your favorite team or sport. You can even bring a book to share.
Thursday, March 2: Let's celebrate being a community of readers. Activity for kids: dress in our school colors (orange, black, white, navy blue) and get ready to cheer on all readers.
Friday, March 3: Let's celebrate that reading is relaxing. Activity for kids: dress in your jammies to get cozy when you read today.
Quick Tips
Hemenway AM VALET - Drop Off Procedures
In order to ensure the safety of all members of Hemenway Elementary community, please follow these guidelines for a drop off upon pulling into the straight lanes in front of the school. Please remain in your vehicle so we may allow for speedy drop off. Please have your children ready to exit the vehicle before entering the school valet drop off.
Parking is only permitted for staff. All student drop off is Valet Drop Office.
Parking lot is closed for parking between 8:45-9:20
Two Lanes for drop off.
Left Lane (school side), Right lane (flag pole)
Vehicles in the left lane, should plan on exiting parking lot and turning left on Water St.
Vehicles in the right lane, should plan on exiting parking lot and turning right on Water St.
Do not cross lanes.
All vehicles must remain in the two-lane track to allow for the flow of traffic.
Please remain in your vehicles at all times
Do not allow children to exit the vehicle until the vehicle is in the drop off lanes.
Students should exit the vehicle on the side where the staff is
Left lane vehicles - students should exit on the school sidewalk.
Right Lane vehicles - student should exit on the grassy side, flag pole - then WAIT until the staff crosses using the cross walk. Students should walk up to the crosswalk area.
Drop Off Lanes are designated as the straight lanes along the front driveway of the school.
Please pull all the way to the front and wait for staff to signal for cars to exit.
All cars must follow the vehicle in front of them. Do not exit before the car in front of you.
We ask that the parking area remain unused as crossing through the parking lot presents a danger.
Our goal is to have a smooth, orderly drop off procedure and we ask for your cooperation and patience in order for this to happen.
Cold Weather & Recess
We will be going out for recess as often as possible! Students must be properly dressed in winter coats, hats and gloves. On days that there is snow on the ground (and in instances where it has not completely melted) students must have on snow pants and boots in order to go in the snow. You may send your student into school with these items on a daily basis, or you may keep a set in school if you have spare pairs.
Students who are not properly dressed will still be going outside, but they will have to stand in areas that are not covered in snow or puddles.
Please ensure that each morning when your student leaves the house they are dressed properly for the day’s weather. If you need any assistance with winter clothing please contact your student’s classroom teacher.
Attendance and Reporting your child absent:
Absence line: 508-626-9149
Call between 4:00 P. M. and 8:30 A.M. if your child is to be absent OR tardy.
Late students must report directly to the office upon arrival.
Dismissing a Student Early
A written request from a parent is necessary for ANY dismissal changes. Requests should be emailed to the classroom teacher and tlambert@framingham.k12.ma.us or brought into the school office before the start of the school day. No requests will be taken after 2:30pm unless it is an emergency. No student will be dismissed based on a telephone request.
Stay Hydrated
It is very important to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated throughout the day. All of our classrooms have water bottle fill stations. Please send your child to school with a water bottle, so they are able to fill their bottles and stay hydrated. If you are unable to provide a water bottle, please contact your child's teacher, and the office will provide a water bottle for your child.
The character education theme of the month for March is “Confidence”. We have defined Confidence as feeling sure of yourself and your abilities. When children are confident, they believe in who they are and what they can achieve. Students have been taught the importance of accepting others for their differences and unique qualities; this month students will learn to acknowledge their own individual strengths and abilities and develop the belief that they can accomplish even the most difficult of tasks. Through morning meetings, focused read-alouds, and social emotional learning blocks in their classrooms, students will learn about the importance of accepting themselves, acknowledging their individual strengths, and developing a positive mindset to help them work on areas of their lives that present challenges. All of these actions will help instill a feeling of confidence and pride in their hard work and achievements. Students will develop a growth mindset and an understanding that they can accomplish anything that they set their minds to. Students will learn the importance of positive self talk and perseverance in achieving their goals both large and small. We welcome families to join the conversation with their children to strengthen our students' understanding of and the importance of Confidence!
Character Trait of the Month: CONFIDENCE
Learning and Life Competency Skill Sets
Self Awareness:
- I know myself.
- I am aware of skills, behaviors, and attitudes that help me.
Self Management:
- I identify, express, and manage emotions.
- I exhibit self-regulation.
- I demonstrate perseverance and resilience.
Social Efficacy:
- I communicate and problem solve effectively.
- I demonstrate empathy and respect.
- I foster healthy relationships.
- I am assertive and I self-advocate.
- I cooperate and participate.
- I demonstrate civic responsibility.
Academic Efficacy:
- I invest in quality work.
- I organize to learn and study.
- I set goals and self-assess.
Here are some conversation starters that we are working on in class around CONFIDENCE
- Discuss a time you felt super confident. Discuss a time you did not feel confident.
- What does confidence look and sound like? In a classroom? At home? In the community?
- What does a classroom feel like when everyone feels confident?
- How can others help increase your confidence?
- How can you help others feel more confident?
- What actions cause others to lose their confidence?
- Is it okay to not be confident in everything you do?
- How does persistence help build confidence?
- What steps can we take to make our school a confidence building place?
Hemenway Morning Drop Off Map
Thank you to Mrs. Stroschein for creating this for us!
Hemenway Dismissal Map
Thank you to Mrs. Stroschein for creating this for us!
Upcoming Events
Parent Teacher Organization:
The mission of the PTO is to enhance and support the educational experience at Hemenway for all students, to develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging caregiver involvement, and to improve the community environment at Hemenway through volunteer and financial support. Sign up for the PTO newsletter to learn more about the happenings, volunteer opportunities and more: https://hemenwaypto.membershiptoolkit.com/create_account
The PTO meets monthly to plan events, discuss PTO business, and work to achieve its mission. Join a meeting. Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 7:00-8:00 pm at the Hemenway Cafe.
- Wednesday, September 14th: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Wednesday, October 12th: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Wednesday, November 9th: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Wednesday, December 14th: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Wednesday, January 11th: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Wednesday, February 8th: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
- Wednesday, March 8th: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
- Wednesday, April 12th: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
- Wednesday, May 10th: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
- Wednesday, June 14th: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm