The Compass Rose: 9/23
Principal's Message
To the East Elementary School community:
A HUGE thank you goes out to Amy Moore, Tara Killory, and those who volunteered their time to plan our Back-to-School Bash! Our students are so excited and they benefit directly from the collective efforts of our PTO and parents.
Throughout this week and parts of the week before, students have been administered beginning of the year assessments in both Mathematics and ELA. These assessments (ex. iReady online assessments, DIBELS, writing prompts, etc.) enable us to capture where students are at the outset of the year and plan for targeted interventions to help them progress. We will be holding data meetings in the coming weeks and our team of Reading or Math specialists and interventionists will begin designing interventions to support our students needs.
Lastly, we'll see many of you soon at Curriculum Night this coming Wednesday. We'd like to offer a structure that will allow families opportunities to visit classrooms in multiple grades and to alleviate traffic congestion. We'll suggest parents/guardians of K-2 students visit during the 6:00-6:45 timeframe and parents/guardians of Gr 3-5 students visit during the 6:45-7:30 timeframe. Educators will be available throughout the duration and you are free to visit when you can. Please be conscious of our Eastgate Lane neighbors when parking.
- Mr. Hawes
East Explorers After-School Enrichment
Reminder! East Explorers After-School Enrichment begins this coming Monday (9/26)
Transportation is not provided. Participants will need to ensure they can be picked up when the program ends (4PM).
No-School Procedures (Inclement Weather)
When school is cancelled due to inclement weather, various streams of communication will be in place. Please see the link below for updated procedures:
https://hinghamschools.org/students-and-families/no-school-procedures/
Family Assistance
We are here for all of our families. Here is a special note to let ALL know that we may be able to give specific help to those in need:
We know that making ends meet can sometimes get difficult for some of the families in our HPS community. Therefore, we want to let you know that there are individuals in each of our schools who are ready to provide information and assistance. With that in mind, please be aware that access to government programs and other resources that are donated by a very generous Hingham Community may be available to help families in times of financial or other need. Some examples of such outreach include the federal free and reduced breakfast/ lunch program (Free for all currently) and assistance with costs such as with athletic, bus/field trip, school pictures, and tuition fees. As well, because of the generosity and caring of parents and others in our community, we are able to support families during the holiday seasons. Please donโt hesitate to contact an administrator, the school nurse, or counseling personnel in your child's school if you need any kind of assistance. Please be assured that your request will be managed in a way that respects your rights for confidentiality.
Cell Phones, iPads, Smartwatches
Parents, please partner with us in upholding the expectations for the use of electronic devices throughout the school day. Over the first few weeks of school, we have been aware of instances in which students are using cell phones or smartwatches to speak directly with parents about the status of their day or how they're feeling.
While understandably comforting for some, it is not an opportunity that all students have and is not in line with our expectations outlined in our Student Handbook (Pg 24: https://hinghamschools.org/east-elementary-school/files/2022/09/Elementary-Handbook-2022-2023.pdf)
If student concerns require immediate adult attention, students should utilize the staff available to them and we'll ensure they get the help/support they need.
COVID-19 Guidance *Updated
Isolation and Exposure Guidance and Protocols
On August 15th, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Department of Public Health released their COVID-19 guidance for the opening of schools. In addition to following this guidance, the district will actively monitor local and state COVID-19 numbers and respond appropriately to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Please see below a summary of the important guidance.
Isolation and Exposure Precautions - All students and staff should follow the updated isolation and exposure guidance issued by DPH, in alignment with recently issued guidance from CDC.
Contact tracing is no longer recommended statewide in K-12 schools.
Masking - There is no statewide requirement or recommendation for universal masking in schools, apart from in school health offices. As always, any individual who wishes to continue to mask, including those who face a higher risk from COVID-19, will be supported in that choice.
COVID-19 Testing - In line with recent CDC guidance, pool (screening) testing and test to stay will not be implemented.
Vaccinations - All individuals are encouraged to stay up-to-date with vaccination as vaccines remain the best way to help protect yourself and others.
COVID-19 Symptoms
Parents and caregivers are asked to remain vigilant for the following COVID-19 symptoms. Caregivers are asked to report any positive cases of their children to their school nurse immediately. The information shared with nurses will remain confidential. The reporting will allow the schools to monitor any outbreaks and respond appropriately.
Fever (100.0ยฐ Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle aches or body aches
Cough (not due to other known cause, such as a chronic cough)
Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, when in combination with other symptoms
Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies), when in combination with other symptoms
Foster Elementary School Building Project
Please see the link below for information & resources related to the Foster School building project:
https://hinghamschools.org/about/foster-school-building-project/
Save The Date! ๐ โ๏ธ
Back To School Bash
Fri, Sep 23, 2022, 04:30 PM
East Elementary School
Explorers After-School Enrichment begins
Mon, Sep 26, 2022, 03:00 PM
East Elementary School
Curriculum Night
Wed, Sep 28, 2022, 06:00 PM
East Elementary School
Picture Day (classroom teachers will have exact times)
Thu, Sep 29, 2022, 09:00 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