On the Horizon
Thanksgiving Week
Message from the Principal
2020 continues to be a season of flexible changes based on the most up to date information. We continue to be thankful for Orca families - Our dedication to your kids, and your partnership in learning, are at an all-time high!
In chess, the goal is to be several moves ahead of your opponent...right now we are hoping to be caught up with current news as best as possible. Good news - there is no breaking news in this message, simply drawing attention to the most important information from before Thanksgiving. Here is the latest from PSD https://www.psd401.net/schoolreopening
For our In-Person learners, K/1, etc, on 11/30
Good afternoon families of in-person Kindergarten and 1st-grade learners,
We are excited to participate in the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department's School Testing Pilot Program. The program will start for Harbor Heights on Monday, Nov 30. In order for your child to receive the test, a permission slip needs to be on file.
You can access the permission slip here.
Please return the slip with your child on Monday or fill out as a PDF, save, and attach via email. If your child was at school on 11/24, they brought home a hard copy.
You can learn a little more about the program here.
All testing is optional and a parental decision. If you do not return the permission slip, we will assume that you do not want your child tested. Thank you for those who joined the Dr. Chen discussion with PSD on Tuesday, 11/24, where he emphasized the hope to achieve 100% participation in this free testing opportunity on 3 consecutive Mondays, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14.
If the link is not working for you, please see the Testing Consent Form PDF attached below - these can be sent into Maria Forelli at forellim@psd401.net or a hard copy sent in with your child on Monday 11/30.
Doc U Sign
A DocuSign Rights and Responsibilities: Handbook email went out Friday, Nov 13, at about 4pm. Please check your inbox for this Docusign survey, it replaces the former handbook papers that used to be signed in hard copy forms by parents and student.
YRU - Year Round Updates to ensure your contact information is up to date
Parents have the ability to log into their Parent Portal account and click the Year Round Update link to review and make changes to their contact information. If you don’t already have a ParentPortal account you will have to create one. For information on creating an account go to psd401.net/parent-portal. We ask that all families review the information at least once a year as well as any time they have changes.
Since accurate information for PSD is especially critical in this remote setting, below are the instructions to ensure your contact information is up to date via the Year Round Update in PowerSchool (Parent Portal).
SHARING AND CARING 2020
Dear Harbor Heights Community,
It is that wonderful time of year where we are typically kicking off our “Sharing and Caring” drive. This has been a year like no other. The need in our community is greater than it has ever been. In years past, we have typically collected non-perishable food, toys and gifts for families in need during the holiday season and donated all items to the Children’s Home Society out on the Key Peninsula and the FISH Food Bank.
We would like to continue this wonderful Harbor Heights tradition, starting Monday, November 23rd - December 11th. The Children’s Home Society and the FISH Food Bank have specific needs this year. The food bank has had a steady supply of food donations during this pandemic. Therefore, both organizations would like us to focus on specific items for kids of all ages, especially those aged 9-17. In order to support their needs we have created an Amazon Wishlist. This list can be found at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3I9X8XV9LGSR?ref_=wl_share. In addition to the items on the list, both organizations could use grocery cards and gas cards that may be dropped off or mailed directly to the school.
If you have any questions, please contact Jane Nelson at nelsonja@psd401.net. Thank you in advance for your generosity and continued support of our Gig Harbor community.
Message from Mrs. Watson and SKOOB
Thank you to those that participated in this year's Maple Leaf Stem contest! You did an excellent job leaf hunting this year. Here are the winning entries for Grand Prize and Grade Level. I will get the certificates to the teachers so they can get those delivered to our leaf hunters.
Great job and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Watson and SKOOB
Inclement Weather PSD
As the fall and winter storm season is upon us, we’re sending this to explain Peninsula School District's procedures and expectations during inclement weather and school closures. Below you will find guidelines to make this process easier, plus explain how weather decisions are made.
Delay or Closure Decisions:
• Weather information is reviewed the day and night prior to the decision. A review with our Transportation Department and neighboring districts is also done.
• Starting at 3:00 a.m. or sooner, district officials and the Transportation Department drive emergency bus routes throughout the district's current operating routes.
• The district may choose to operate on a normal schedule, start late, or close entirely.
• A decision to alter the school day in any way due to inclement weather, will apply to both in-person students/staff and remote students/staff.
• Late starts allow us:
o Time to monitor and adjust decisions to changing weather and road conditions;
o Safety of daylight for students and Transportation personnel;
o Additional time for Peninsula School District staff to arrive to work; and
o Time for the Transportation Department to further critique snow routes and make necessary adjustments or modifications.
Types of Communication:
• The SchoolMessenger System© notifies all staff and parents of a decision within 30 minutes by phone, text, and/or email.
• Emergency weather procedures can be found on the Peninsula School District website at psd401.net.
• The Peninsula School District emergency information line can be reached at 253-530-1088.
• Local TV and radio stations will provide timely updates.
• For questions regarding your child's emergency bus route, contact the Transportation Department at 253-530-3900.
Please remember the district has a large geographical size and weather conditions may vary greatly from area to area. This may warrant a closure or late start for the entire district due to conditions impacting only limited areas. Student and employee safety is our highest priority.
Harbor Heights Elementary
We are a passionate community dedicated to the success of the whole child
Email: bentlerd@psd401.net
Website: https://hhe.psd401.net/
Location: 4002 36th Street Northwest, Gig Harbor, WA, USA
Phone: (253) 530-1800
Facebook: facebook.com/hhorcas