The Compass Rose: 12/9
Principal's Message
To the East Elementary School community:
We are entering the time of year where students are surrounded by many holiday celebrations and symbols. I wanted you to be aware of some messaging I've provided the team here at East regarding holiday celebrations & activities. It is important to me that the holiday activities (crafts, songs, books/articles/readings, etc.) that classrooms may choose to introduce represent and recognize the many cultural celebrations that take place throughout the month of December and reflect the varied cultures of our student body. We also owe our students instruction throughout the month, and if we're easing up on expectations too early, they will meet the tone and the rigor we set and be in vacation-mode early. Please let me know if follow up related to these expectations is required.
- Mr. Hawes
Strep Throat
Families, please be advised that we are seeing an uptick in cases of strep throat, the flu and other illnesses at school. One of the most important things to do, along with frequent handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes, is to please keep your child home when they are sick. Also, the Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children have a flu shot and COVID 19 vaccine.
When reporting an absence due to illness, please inform us about the nature of the illness or if your child has been diagnosed with a communicable illness such as the flu, strep or COVID 19.
Thank you for your help and cooperation in keeping our students and our school healthy!
Pick-Up Patrol
East Elementary is excited about implementing a new late arrival/early dismissal & communication tool called Pick Up Patrol! You may have heard about this initiative through PTO meetings or communication, but for those unfamiliar, Pick Up Patrol is a tool used by many surrounding districts and/or schools to help manage arrival and dismissal procedures. Participation in this rollout is voluntary, however, we imagine you'll find it helpful.
If you want to learn more about how PickUp Patrol works, here are a few videos available on their website: PickUp Patrol: Safe, Affordable School Dismissal System — Videos
Please see the PDF below for additional information, and as always, let us know if you have questions and concerns.
SEL & Wellness
We have added two new sections to our East Elementary website, providing in formation and resources related to Social Emotional Wellness and School Counseling. Please reach out if you are in need of support in these areas, our team will be more than happy to support.
We'll also be utilizing a new resource, Care Solace. We are committed to the well-being of our students, staff, and families to create a safe and healthy learning environment. In support of our ongoing commitment, we partnered with Care Solace to provide an additional layer of care for our community. Care Solace helps individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in your community.
Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:
- Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
- For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at www.caresolace.com/hinghamschools.
Care Solace is now available for use at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. All information entered on the Care Solace tool is completely confidential and securely stored.
Please note, this service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory to use. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider. In the event of a life threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Hotline 9-8-8.
If you are interested in counseling-related services for your child, yourself, or another family member, please contact Care Solace for valuable assistance. This is a resource provided by Hingham Public Schools.
East Harvest Feast
A huge thank you goes out to all of our parent volunteers, student volunteers, and Holly Hill farm connections for providing a wonderful Harvest Feast. Our students enjoyed kale, potatoes, and garlic - fruits of our own harvest here at the East gardens and Holly Hill Farm gardens! We even had students here after school Tuesday prepping and washing kale and potatoes and peeling garlic!
Thank you to Lindsay Newell (Green Team), Meg Estoff, and Rory Early for their work in coordinating this exciting opportunity!
Holiday Gift Card Collection
In the spirit of the holidays, the East PTO is partnering with East School to collect gift cards to be distributed to families in our East School community who are in need of a little extra support this holiday season.
True to that spirit, both the givers and the receivers will remain entirely anonymous.
If you would like to participate, you may purchase a gift card in any denomination by Wednesday, December 14th. Suggested locations include Target, Wal-Mart, grocery stores like Stop & Shop or Shaws, Amazon, and Visa/American Express.
Gift cards should be sent to Lauren McClain (lmcclain@hinghamschools.org) at East School (please make sure to put Lauren McClain's name on the envelope or drop the gift cards in the office to Elisa and/or Karen).
Grade 5 Winter Concert *Update*
This year's Winter Concert will be held on Tuesday December 13th (9:15-10:00 AM) in the East Elementary gymnasium. Parents of Grade 5 students are welcome to attend.
Save The Date! 📅☑️
Holiday Concert (Grade 5 students & parents)
Tue, Dec 13, 2022, 09:15 AM
PTO Meeting
Wed, Dec 14, 2022, 09:30 AM
Contact Us:
Have questions or need assistance? Reach out to us!
Jonathan Hawes, Principal: jhawes@hinghamschools.org
Dr. Amanda Donovan, Assistant Principal: adonovan@hinghamschools.org
Karen Mariani, Administrative Assistant: kmariani@hinghamschools.org
Elisa Nelson, Administrative Assistant: enelson@hinghamschools.org
Tel: (781) 741-1570