Dear Hathaway Families
Look at that photo - getting off the bus at #HappyHathaway 40 years ago and today! Still the best school on earth!
We had a most wonderful first week in our Hathaway community! There were lots of smiles, lots of learning, and lots of love! Thank you for being our partners in education!
Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and wonderful three day weekend!
 |  |  |
Happy the Apple and Mr. Mel! | Rolling out the Red Carpet! | Welcoming our Families on Day 1! |
Happy the Apple and Mr. Mel!
Rolling out the Red Carpet!
Welcoming our Families on Day 1!
Hathaway Home-School Compact (Requires Action!)
As a school, the staff at Hathaway Elementary will --
convene an annual meeting to explain the Title 1 program to parents and inform them of their right to be involved in the program.
involve parents in an organized, ongoing and timely way in planning, review and improvement of Hathaway’s Title 1 program.
provide timely information about our Title 1 program to parents, describe the curricula, the student assessments and proficiency levels students are expected to meet, provide opportunities for regular meetings, respond promptly to parent suggestions.
participate in professional development opportunities that improve teaching and learning and support the formation of partnerships with families and the community.
provide assistance to parents in understanding the RI Common Core Standards.
make school an accessible and welcoming place for students and their families.
provide a positive environment in which all students are capable of success... no exceptions!
As a student, I will do my best to be
Respectful
Responsible
Safe
Ready to Learn
As a parent/guardian, I will --
ensure my child's regular attendance and prompt arrival.
check my child's backpack and folders for important information every day.
make time for reading at home.
follow and support school policies, including dress code and behavior guidelines.
support Hathaway’s expectations for behavior and language.
communicate regularly with my child and with the school.
follow procedures for student drop off and pick up.
respect the school staff, students, and other families.
sign in and out at the office prior to any visit at school.
be mindful of the American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendations for Children’s Media Use .
On-going opportunities for meaningful communications are provided through --
e-mail
phone calls
conferences and meetings
website
We will work together to follow the tenets of our School Compact.
Please take a moment to complete the compact form with your child. The class with the highest percentage of completed forms will earn a golden necklace and an extra recess! All forms should be completed by September 9th.
HPTA News
On behalf of the HPTA we hope you all had a wonderful
summer and great start to the school year. It was great to see
so many new faces at the movie night and orientation.
The HPTA needs your help to run the many events we arrange
throughout the year. All volunteers DO need to be VIS
approved. The VIS application form can be found on the
Hathaway website.
COME AND EAT SOME ICE CREAM!!!
Thursday September 8th at 5:00pm the HPTA is holding our annual Ice Cream Social which
is followed by Open House.
Please join us on September 21 at 6:00pm for our first HPTA
meeting of the year which will be held in the school library.
Our guest speaker will be Joan Kelley, founder and CEO of
Abound Parenting. Abound Parenting empowers parents and
other care providers to build the reading skills children need for
school success.
The HPTA is once again collecting Clement’s Market receipts.
The receipts can be placed in your child’s folder.
HPTA Board
HPTA - Hathaway School Volunteering
Welcome to a new year at Hathaway School! Volunteers in Schools (VIS) is the volunteer program in the Portsmouth schools. We hope that the VIS program will provide you an opportunity to become involved in our schools’ activities. In order to participate in any school activity with children including being a room parent, attending class parties, field trips, volunteering at HPTA events, and in the classroom, the following two steps must be completed and completed EVERY year:
Online Application - Step One:
Found here or online at www.portsmouthschoolsri.org under the ‘For Parents’ tab. Then select ‘Volunteers’ and ‘Volunteers Home Page’ from the drop down menu. On the left, click the link for ‘Google Form.’ This must be completed at the start of each new school year. It will put your name on Hathaway’s Volunteer Master List, alerting the VIS Coordinator that you plan to become a volunteer.
* EVERYONE who wants to volunteer must complete this step, even if you received a Volunteer Authorization Form at orientation or have submitted it already
Volunteer Authorization Form - Step Two:
A background check must be completed annually, by law in Rhode Island. You must fill out the authorization form for the background check and have it notarized. It also needs to include a copy of the front and back of your driver’s license, and a $5 check made out to ‘BCI’. Please use a paper clip to secure all documents together, no staples, and return to any Portsmouth School Department Office. The form can be found here as well as in the school office and online at www.portsmouthschoolsri.org under the ‘For Parents’ tab. Then select ‘Volunteers’ and ‘Volunteers Home Page’ from the drop down menu. On the left, click the link for ‘VIS Authorization Form’. It can take up to 2-3 weeks to process once you submit the form.
THESE TWO STEPS MUST BE COMPLETED AND APPROVED BEFORE YOU ARE ABLE TO VOLUNTEER IN THE SCHOOL.
Your school VIS & Room Parent coordinator, Marie Stefanowicz, is your liaison with the school. If you have any questions, or any problems as a volunteer, the coordinator is your first point of contact and can be reached at hathawayvis@gmail.com. 
A Room Parent is a liaison between the teacher and the parents/caregivers of students in a particular classroom. Each teacher’s classroom is assigned two Room Parents, if possible, that are chosen by the Room Parent Coordinator. Room Parents are a great asset to the teachers and their fellow parents. They help to organize and coordinate donations and parental help for any classroom activities a teacher may plan. This includes class celebrations and field trips as well as organizing the class project for Springabaloo.
Parents/Caregivers interested in becoming a Room Parent for their child’s classroom MUST fill out and return this form by Monday, September 12, 2022 AND must be VIS approved no later than October 1, 2022 to be considered. VIS approval can take up to 2-3 weeks to process. VIS Application and Authorization forms can be found online at www.portsmouthschoolsri.org under the ‘For Parents’ tab. Then select ‘Volunteers’ and ‘Volunteers Home Page’ from the drop down menu. On the left, click the links for ‘VIS Authorization’ AND ‘Google Form’.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the VIS & Room Parent Coordinator, Marie Stefanowicz, at hathawayvis@gmail.com.
To sign-up as a room parent, please fill out this form online.
Nut Free Facility
Thank you for your support in keeping all of our students safe in our Hathaway community.
Interested in Serving on A Committee?
***If we have a high number of volunteers for a committee, then we will randomly select parent representation.
Securly Home
Securly Home is an app that allows parents to monitor their child’s Chromebook activity at home and add rules for home use. Please take some time to review the slideshow and recording of the parent meeting that took place on 9/16.
We encourage you to sign up now for Securly Home!
Hathaway Notification Form
Please complete the Hathaway Notification Form.
Thank you in advance for helping us to keep things organized and safe in our Hathaway community.
Where Can I Find Past Parent Newsletters?
Important Dates
Important Dates
2022-2023
September 5th - Labor Day
September 8th - HPTA Ice Cream Social, 6:00 PM
September 8th - Open House, 5:30 - 7:00 PM
September 13th - Staff PD Day, No School for Students
September 21st - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
October 5th - Yom Kippur - No School
October 10th - Columbus Day - No School
October 12th - School Picture Day
October 19th - Early Release for Students/PD for Staff
October 19th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
November 1st - Fun Walk
November 8th - Staff PD Day/No School
November 11th - Veterans' Day/No School
November 16th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
November 21st - School Picture Make Up Day
November 23rd-November 25th - Thanksgiving Recess/No School
December 14th - Early Release for Students/PD for Staff
December 15th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
December 23rd - December 31st - Holiday Recess/No School
January 18th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
February 15th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
March 15th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
April 19th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
May 17th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
June 14th - HPTA Meeting, 6:00 PM, Library
Howard Hathaway Elementary School
