December News
πͺ’π¨ Family Engagement Day! π§΅π§Ά
π December Challenge βοΈ
ποΈ Student Spotlight π―ποΈ
Homelink teachers like to recognize students for working hard each month!
*Mrs. Sarich would like to recognize:
Lincoln Antonson is new to Homelink this year. Lincoln has jumped right in and worked diligently on his study skills and continues to improve everyday. Way to work hard Lincoln!
Delilah Swaney is new to Homelink this year. Delilah has worked hard to remain on top of her assignments and consistently made her check-ins to help her success here at Homelink. Way to go Delilah!
*Mrs. Dayton would like to recognize:
Caitlyn Watkins has been with Homelink for several years. She has been working very hard on her study skills and advocating for herself and her education as well as persevering through tough problems. This is such an important life skill to learn, way to go Caitlyn!
β° Dates to Remember β°
December 1st - Early out Friday (School out at 1:05pm)
December 8th -Early out Friday (School out at 1:05pm)
December 11th - Holiday Family Day! 11:00am - 1:00pm
December 15th - Early out Friday (school out at 1:05pm)
December 18th - January 1st - NO School (Winter Break)
January 2nd - First Day back to school! Welcome back!
** On Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12pm - 12:30pm Homelink students are welcome to come and join us for some movement time. This could be shooting hoops, playing kickball, a nature walk or anything else we can think up. Come join us for a half hour of fun.
π Family Resources π
Every month this section will have helpful links, tips and information for families
* Need a more visual way to work out math problems? This site has chrome extensions that allow you to use things like number lines, geo boards, fraction bars, and white boards. All great tools to help understand math problems better.
https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps
* Want stories your children can listen to? This site has many audio books for children to listen to. The written pages of these books can be in English, Spanish or Ukrainian. The audio portion of the books can be read in many different languages.
π History π
December - Awareness and History
December Celebrations Around the World
There are many different celebrations that go on throughout the month of December. Here is a small sampling of the many celebrations.
Chanukah (December 7 β 15) - These dates differ year to year.
Chanukah is a Jewish festival that celebrates two miracles. It begins on the eve of Kislev 25 and continues for eight days. The first miracle is when a small group of poorly armed Jews defeated a great army to reclaim the Holy Temple and the Holy land of Jerusalem. The second miracle happened when they went to rededicate the Holy Temple and discovered that only one dayβs worth of oil was not ruined. That one dayβs oil lasted eight days until more oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
(Information from chabad. org)
Las Posadas (December 16 β 24)
Las Posadas is a reenactment of Mary and Josephβs journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter. It is celebrated in several Latin countries, including Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Spain and Mexico. It is typically celebrated between December 16th and the 24th. Group members portraying Mary and Joseph go to a designated home and request shelter. The group members in the home deny their request and then join them on the journey. This continues each night until they reach the final designated location where they are granted shelter and a celebration begins with food, music and piΓ±atas that pay homage to the journey.
(Information from holycrossusa. org and cutluraldiversityresources. org)
Kwanzaa (December 26 β January 1)
Kwanzaa is an annual African American celebration. It is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st with a community feast on the sixth day. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. He wanted African Americans to have a way to celebrate their specific families, community and culture. He derived the name from a Swahili phrase that means βfirst fruit.β During the seven-day celebration activities are organized that exemplify the Seven Principles. These principles include: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. The holiday ends with a day of reflection on these seven principles.
(information from officialkwanzaawebsite. org)
Εmisoka and Oshogatsu (December 31 β January 3)
Japan has two traditional holidays starting the last day of the year. Εmisoka is celebrated on new years eve. During the day every member of the family helps to ensure that all of the chores of the ending year are done. Then a traditional dinner of toshi-koshi, which includes buckwheat noodles, is served. These noodles are consumed in the hope that they will have a long life. Finally, about an hour before midnight Buddhist temples ring out the old year by striking the temple bell 108 times.
Oshogatsu begins before dawn on the first day of the new year and traditionally goes three days. People go to temples and shrines in droves to pray for health and prosperity in the new year, regardless of their religious affiliation.
(Information from web-japan. org)
π«Άβ€οΈBe the change you want to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi β€οΈπ«Ά
Attention Families and Students
Please make sure you are checking your emails. Some emails end up in the "junk" folder. There is a list below of staff emails. You may want to mark these addresses as safe to keep them from going to the junk folder.
Thank you!
ππ¨ Want to see your passion in print? πΈπ
If you would like to see something you love to do published here, please contact Mrs. Dayton!
Submissions could be drawings, paintings, poetry, essays, short stories, anything you love to do! ndayton@hoquiam.net
Our very own Chance Burtenshaw takes the mat against the Elma Eagles! Go Chance!
Our Staff
Bonnie Jump, Principal
360-538-8213 bjump@hoquiam.net
Teresa Gladsjo, Registrar/Administrative Assistant
360-310-0451 tgladsjo@hoquiam.net
Jennifer Winkleman, Counselor
360-538-8318 jwinkelman@hoquiam.net
Katie Ihde, Special Education
Nanci Dayton, Intervention Specialist
David Jump, Certificated Teacher
Sarah Sarich, Cerificated Teacher
Susette Huett, Para Educator
Hoquiam School District Non-discrimination Policy
Hoquiam School District #28 does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination.
Director of Special Services and Title IX Coordinator and Section 504/ADA Coordinator
Jason Ihde, 325 W. Chenault Ave., 360-538-8291, jihde@hoquiam.net
Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator
Mike Villarreal, Superintendent, 325 W. Chenault Ave., 360-538-8200, mvillarreal@hoquiam.net