HYMAN FINE NEWS FLASH
August 22, 2022
Welcome Back
Dear Hyman Fine School Families,
It is with great enthusiasm that I would like to welcome everyone to the 2022-2023 school year! In a little over a week, we will be welcoming students through our doors. The staff at HFES are excited for a positive and productive school year.
For the first time in over ten years, Hyman Fine transitioned to a new building administration team. Noah Collins, who many of you are familiar with as the assistant principal, has stepped into the role of building Principal. Filling the role of Assistant Principal, is Mrs. Amy Traficante. Mrs. Traficant brings 20 plus years of educational experience with her to our Hyman Fine Community, including time spent teaching at Thacher Elementary school.
All students in Grades 1-4 begin on Monday, August 29, 2022 and all Kindergarteners begin on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Kindergarten orientation will be September 6th at 9:00 A-L
and 10:30 M-Z.
Below you will find the newsletter, which contains a great deal of important information regarding the start of the school year. Please read the newsletter in its entirety.
Enjoy the rest of summer break. We look forward to seeing your students next week.
Information Packets and ASPEN
COVID Update/Health Office
Our response to COVID this year is changing to reflect the new normal. Consequently, the district will no longer engage in any testing or maintain previous restrictions, except a continued mask requirement in Health Offices. Moving forward, we are only managing positive cases. We continue to ask families to keep symptomatic students at home and encourage direct communication with school nurses about any health issues.
Health Office
If your child(ren) will need medication in school this year, please see your doctor for medication orders. These need to be renewed at the beginning of each school year.
I will be back in my office on August 25th, for medication drop-offs/meetings. Please contact me first before coming to the school.
Please make sure we have the most up-to-date vaccination records for your child. If your child has any allergies (e.g., food, bees, etc.), please reach out to me to make sure we have that in our records to help us keep your child safe.
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!
Karen Mages, BSN, RN
School Nurse
Hyman Fine Elementary School
Phone: 508-223-1560 ext. 305
Fax: 508-226-0255
Email: kmages@attleboroschools.com
How We Will Communicate
In the upcoming weeks, we will be transitioning away from email as a primary communication platform. We will be using our new website and its communication features to share messaging with students and families. If you haven’t already done so, please download the app designed for mobile devices.
Download for Android - Android
Download for iPhone - Apple/Iphone
We will also continue with our S’more newsletter.
BREAKFAST, LUNCH, and SNACK
BREAKFAST & LUNCH
Massachusetts has extended free school meals for another year. This means that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all students. Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it remains essential for families to complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2022-2023 school year. We strongly encourage ALL families to submit this form as it allows us to determine eligibility for P-EBT benefits and waive or reduce transportation, athletics, and other fees. Documenting qualifying families also significantly impacts state funding for our district, so completing the form is a direct way to support our schools.
The breakfast and lunch menu will be on the district’s website
We ask that lunches from home are nut free when possible.
SNACKS
While sending your child to school with a snack please keep in mind our classrooms are nut safe and no student will be allowed to eat a snack if it is not nut free.
Important Dates & Upcoming Events:
August 29: First Day of School for Gr. 1-4.
September 3: No School
September 6: No School (Labor Day)
September 7: Kindergarten Orientation
September 8: First Day of School for Kindergarten
September 16: Picture DaySchool Technology Devices
Students entering K - 1 - Each classroom has a dedicated set of devices for student use.
Students entering Grades 2-4- Students are assigned individual devices that on occasion may be sent home for school work purposes. Device charging stations are in each classroom. When devices are sent home please return to school fully charged.
Grade 2 students and students new to Hyman Fine will be assigned devices at the beginning of the school year.
Arrival & Dismissal
Doors open for arrival at 8:30 each day. School begins promptly at 8:45 and dismissal is at 3:25. On the early dismissal days, the school day will end at 12:25 p.m.
We will be asking you to confirm how your child will be getting home on most days or if they will be attending ABACUS. It is important if you make any changes to your child’s typical dismissal procedure to notify the school in writing. Without a note, children will continue with their regularly established dismissal. In the case of an emergency a phone request may be honored.
Dismissing a student
If you need to change your child's dismissal routine (e.g. change from taking the bus to getting picked up, dismiss early for doctor's appointment, etc.), please send in a note.
While we prefer a note for change of dismissal plans we do understand there are times when life happens. If you need to change dismissal plans please follow the guidelines below.
If you are not able to send in a note you may email our office staff and your child’s teacher prior to 10:30.
Office staff email: dmorgan@attleboroschools.com or pcooper@attleboroschools.com
If you do not receive a confirmation email please call the school to confirm receipt of transportation change. 508-223-1560
Transported via vehicle by Family/Other and walkers
Walking or by car – please plan for your child to enter the school between 8:30 & 8:40
Option 1
CAR LINE DROP OFF - Take a left turn when you reach the driveway before the parking lot. Your child will enter through the side gym door. If there is a line, pull as far to the right as possible behind the car directly in front of you and wait. Please do not block the driveway openings, do not pass another car in the queue or stop and leave your vehicle. Drivers should remain in the vehicle, staff will be waiting there to signal the start of drop-off time and to direct traffic. Students can be let out when you have come to the drop off area only. Students should get out of the car on the passenger’s side of the vehicle when signaled by staff. Three cars can let off students simultaneously making for a quick and easy drop off. Children should be ready to exit their vehicle with all their belongings in their bags and shoes tied for a safe arrival. Drivers should be cautious of walking/biking students and those in crosswalks.
After dropping off your child pull ahead to turn-around and then continue down the driveway back to Oak Hill Ave.
Option 2
PARK AND WALK: There are places to park in the lower circle if you want to park, and walk your child to the front door. Cars should proceed past the front of the building to the lower circle. Please – Do not pull into or park in the staff parking lot.
If there is a line, pull up behind the car directly in front of you and wait. Please do not pass another car in the queue or stop and leave your vehicle until you are in a parking space. Drivers should be cautious of walking/biking students and those in crosswalks.
If you arrive with your child after 8:45, please pull in front of the school, park along the curb and enter the school through the front door to sign your child in as tardy.
Walkers:
Students who walk to school from Handy Street will enter through the front door. Students walking to school from Oak Hill Avenue will enter through the side gym door. Students are expected to follow crossing guard and parking lot staff directions. There is NO supervision before 8:30am.
Dismissal:
Option 1
CAR LINE PICK UP: If you are picking your child up at dismissal time you will take a left turn when you reach the driveway before the parking lot. Your child will be dismissed through the side gym door. If there is a line, pull as far to the right as possible behind the car directly in front of you and wait. Please do not block the driveway openings, do not pass another car in the queue or stop and leave your vehicle. Drivers should remain in the vehicle. Please place a sign with your child’s last name written in large, bold, capital letters on your passenger side visor and flip it down when you approach. Staff will call children using the name on the sign. If you pick up infrequently and do not have a sign please roll down your passenger window and tell the staff member the last name of the child/children being picked up.
Option 2
PARK AND WALK: There are places to park in the lower circle if you want to park, and walk up to meet your child. Children being picked up by parents on foot and children walking home will be dismissed through the door at the kindergarten playground on the right side of the school.
For safety reasons, cars are not permitted in the driveway in front of the school during regular arrival and dismissal times; this area is reserved for buses. Please NO cell phone use while dropping off or picking up your children.
Bus Students
Arrival and dismissal-
Bus students will be met by staff at the front of the building at arrival and supervised during arrival unloading and reloading at dismissal.
Bus routes-
When the bus routes are ready, they may be viewed on the district’s website http://www.attleboroschools.com (Central office/ transportation/ school bus routes). Questions about bus stops, the fee for service program, or routes should be directed to the transportation office at 508-222-0012 ext. 4.
A reminder that the first 2 – 3 weeks of the bus route, times may be off by 5-15 minutes or more as everyone adjusts to more traffic on the roads. It will be beneficial for students to be at their bus stop at least 10 minutes prior to the estimated time of pick up/drop. Once three full weeks have gone by, you will have a more realistic idea of the regular time that the bus arrives/drops off at each stop.
Early Dismissal Pick up:
If you are picking up your child early for an appointment, please notify the classroom teacher in writing. Please pull in front of the school, park along the curb and ring the bell. Your child will be directed to meet you at the door once you arrive. We ask that all early dismissals are planned for before 3:00.
LINK To APS New School Year Updates 2022-2023
HYMAN FINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Email: ncollins@attleboroschools.com
Website: hfes.attleboroschools.com
Location: 790 Oak Hill Ave, Attleboro, MA, USA
Twitter: @Attleboro_HFES