Friday Update

Hello Foster’s Finest,

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching. I wanted to take a moment to ask that you help us follow the protocols that have been put in place by my predecessors. If your child is bringing in Valentine's for the holiday, we ask that a valentine is brought in for every child in the classroom. We want to continue to foster a sense of belonging for everyone in the classrooms. Additionally, we ask that candy not be sent into the school or attached to the valentines. Classroom celebrations are allowed, however, if food is going to be served, parents need to be notified in advance of what the food is and they will need to provide permission for the students to participate in eating the food. We have students with allergies and want to make sure parents are well aware of what is being served.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who came to the PTO meeting last night. Dr. Adams was here to speak to us about the budget and the challenges ahead. If you have not had the opportunity to attend the most recent school committee meetings there are some very important meetings coming up. On Tuesday, February 7th @7pm Budget Meeting with School Committee and Advisory Committee. If you cannot make it to attend in person, the agendas with Zoom links are posted to the Town of Hingham’s website 48 hours in advance of the meeting at: https://www.hingham-ma.gov/.

I have placed some incredible pictures of some pieces of unfinished art work being completed in Grades 3 and 4. This work caught my eye one day in the last few weeks because we were working with the architect for the new school to make sure that our new building was able to meet the needs of our art program. Mrs. McKeon took a moment to show us some of the work currently taking place in our art classroom. WOW! They are certainly making some wonderful pieces. There are many incredible creative students who do wonderful things here at Foster.

I hope you stay warm this weekend! It is certainly February in New England.

Mr. Scheufele

Artsonia News from Mrs. McKeon

Foster School participates in the student art portfolio site, Artsonia. I chose Artsonia because it is free, I can see student growth over time, it is an excellent home/school/art connection, and it automatically notifies adult account holders (parents/guardians) and account holder approved "fans" (for example, grandparents/aunts/uncles). It also allows parents to purchase items (such as mugs/phone cases) featuring their child's art. While this is not expected at all, this feature has been much appreciated by families. Families also like being able to upload images of artwork created by their children at home. I also want to thank the PTO for managing the Artsonia funds (20% of every purchase is given back to the art program at Foster.)

You can expect two images uploaded a term - more is a bonus! (So far this year I've photographed and uploaded almost 1,500 images.) I'm happy to answer any questions! cmckeon@hinghamschools.org.

To sign your child up for a free account, navigate to:: https://www.artsonia.com/connect/4DMS33D4

(You must follow that link to link up correctly with your child's school account.)

These are the Foster School galleries: https://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=104097

Click on an image to open up the entire class gallery.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

The Hingham Public Schools is convening a team of school staff, school and district leaders, students, and caregivers to serve as members of a screening committee for the position of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. The time commitment will be two to three evenings in late February for review of resumes and interviews of candidates. If you might be interested, please send an email of interest to Susan D'Amato, Director of Human Resources, sd'amato@hinghamschools.org. Include your contact information, some background information on yourself, and reasons for your interest in serving on the screening committee.

Please note if you are not able to join the screening committee or are not chosen, there will be opportunities for families and the community to meet the finalists.

2022-2023 HOMEWORK CLUB SESSION 2 SIGN UP NOTICE

We are excited to bring Session 2 of Homework Club to Foster School for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year. Homework Club sessions are designed to help students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade develop their study skills and build independence when completing homework. Homework Club is being offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm, with Session 2 beginning the week of February 27th. Interested families of grades 3, 4, and 5 students should follow the link below to sign up their children by Friday, February 3rd at 3pm. Payments must be submitted by Monday, February 6th at 3pm. Please contact Jessica Sinanan at jsinanan@hinghamschools.org if you have any questions about this program. Sign Up Form: https://forms.gle/wT5rX3FmCZigFUkN7

UNITY WEEK

Hingham High School Principal Swanson wanted to extend an invitation to all of our families to join in the Unity Week event next Thursday 2/9.

5 PM - 7 PM - Barbecue Dinner from Morrell's Barbecue in the HHS cafeteria; if you're not familiar with Morrell, his food truck is very popular around here in the summer, when it's usually parked down near Hingham Harbor on Rt. 3A.

7 PM - Dance and spoken-word performance from Origination in the HHS auditorium, thanks to grant funding, this event is free and open to the public; it's about an hour long and is suitable for all ages.

Program of Studies Night

Hingham High School will deliver its annual “Program of Studies Night” on Monday 2/13 at 7 PM. After introductory remarks about course selection in the auditorium, parents will have an opportunity to meet with department directors and coordinators in the school cafeteria. Student volunteers will provide building tours for any interested parents.

Pre-School Spanish Immersion Classroom

HPS is excited to announce the opening of the Spanish Immersion PreK pilot program coming this fall. This is a full day program running 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM from September 2023 to June 2024. The program will operate under KIA (Kids in Action).

For more information on the program, visit: https://hinghamschools.org/spanish-immersion-prek/

Registration for the program opens on Monday, January 23, 2023. The enrollment deadline for the program is February 15, 2023.

PTO NEWS

Upcoming School Budget Meetings

On Tuesday, February 7th @7pm Budget Meeting with School Committee and Advisory Committee .

On Monday, February 13 @ 6pm School Committee will hold a public hearing before they vote on the school budget.

On Thursday, February 16 @7pm School Committee will present the budget to both the Select Board and the Advisory Committee.

Can’t make it to Town Hall? Simply Zoom in! Meeting agendas, including Zoom details, are posted to the Town of Hingham’s website 48 hours in advance of the meeting at: https://www.hingham-ma.gov/

Calling All Math Olympians!

It is that time of year. Math Olympics is back! The Math Olympics is a ten-week program designed to be a fun and engaging math challenge which will enhance the development of your child’s problem-solving skills. The program is open to all children in grades K-5. The goal of these Olympic Games is participation and perseverance. Parents are encouraged to help and get involved.

Click here for schedules and additional information on the program.

To register your student(s), click here.

To volunteer as a corrector (we need your help!), click here.

Thank you for your participation and support. If you have any questions about the program, please reach out to Caitlin @fostermatholympics.com

GOT USED BOOKS?

We are bringing back the very popular used book section to our Scholastic Book Fair March 13th - 17th. Please drop any gently used age-appropriate books for K-5 in the Foster Lobby now until March 3rd. If you’re looking to volunteer to help with this great event please reach out to Ally Forrest @ forrae01@yahoo.com

Save the Date: March 29th = 5th Grade Family Bingo Night @ Foster

K-5 Foster Talent Show:

Save The Dates: Dress Rehearsal Fri. May 5th & Talent Show Sat. May 6th Location: @ Hingham High School Auditorium

Please email kellyhoppe@gmail.com if you would like to help be a part of the planning committee.

5th Grade Spring Dance:

Save The Date: Friday May 12th 5-7pm

Location: The Hingham Community Center, 70 South Street.

More details to follow from The 5th Grade Committee.

Community Info:

Spring Registrations are LIVE for 2023 – Softball & Baseball Links Below:

Hingham Girls Softball. Open for all girls from Kindergarten through 8th Grade!

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR REGISTRATION

Sign up before February 10 and get 15% off by using the code EARLYBIRD15 at checkout. The season runs from early April through mid-June, with girls second grade and older playing 2 games during the week. Younger girls (Kindergarten and 1st grade) will play on Saturdays. Divisions are based on the 2022-23 school grade.

Hingham Little League Baseball Registration is OPEN until March 17th.

Open for ages 5 – 12!

REGISTER HERE: https://www.hinghamlittleleague.org