Hathaway Happenings - Home
September 9, 2022
Dear Hathaway Families
Thank you to everyone who attended our Open House and Ice Cream Social on Thursday evening. It was wonderful to see all of our Hathaway families enjoying time together! We even had visitors from PMS and PHS...we loved seeing you all!
Check out our Open House Video!
In case you missed it, the following is from Dr. Kenworthy's message to the Portsmouth community -
Current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has shifted to an endemic response for COVID-19. You will notice that most of the restrictions we had in place for the past few school years have been lifted and we are returning to as normal a school environment as we have seen in several years. That being said, we know that the COVID-19 virus is still very much with us and will be part of our daily lives and routines. We urge all members of the PSD community to continue to self-monitor for symptoms, test when necessary, and follow the CDC guidance on isolation and return to school/work if one tests positive. Our school nurses remain our first and best resource for questions or concerns related to COVID-19 or any health-related issue. Here is a link to our 2022-23 Back to School Plan which contains key contact information on the last page.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Clements Receipts
Triplets!
Fun in PE!
Garden Tending
Our garden has been thriving. Thank you to those that volunteered to come and water, weed, and harvest. We wanted to see if we could still have some support to continue helping with the garden. If you would like to help, please sign up here. Thank you very much!
Planet Aid Bins
Doing some fall cleaning? Swing on by the bins with your items....we earn 5 cents per pound for our Hathaway community! Spread the word and let your friends and family know, too!
Spanish Enrichment
Portsmouth Enrichment will be offering Spanish classes for students at Hathaway Elementary in grades 1-4. Please see the letter for information on the program and how to sign up. Registration begins Friday, September 9th and will close at 5pm on Friday, September 30th.
Thank you!
Portsmouth Enrichment
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.
School Meals Program
School meals are no longer free to all students for the 2022-2023 school year. Breakfast, lunch, and milk are available to purchase for all Hathaway School students. Students order lunch each morning through their teacher that day. Breakfast can be picked up by students in the cafeteria as they arrive at school.
Full price Breakfast is $1.00 and Lunch is $2.60. If your family qualifies for reduced prices, breakfast is $ 0.30 and lunch is $0.40. Milk is offered for $0.55 as a stand alone item.
Please apply for free or reduced lunch online by visiting this site: https://www.myschoolapps.com. Or, paper applications will be sent home the first week of school.
Payment for breakfast, lunch and/or milk can be made online at www.myschoolbucks.com. A student LASID number will be needed to create and make payments online using your “My School Bucks” account. Here is how you can access your student’s LASID number in ASPEN:
Payment can also be made by sending cash or a check in an envelope to school labeled with your student’s name, teacher’s name, LASID number and amount included. If paying by check, please make it payable to Portsmouth School Department with your child’s LASID number noted on the memo line. Send a separate check for each child in your family as payments cannot be split between accounts. KEEPING YOUR BALANCE PAID IN FULL IS VERY IMPORTANT.
Please refer to the family portal navigation below to access your child's LASID number.
HPTA News
On behalf of the HPTA we thank everyone who volunteered at the Ice Cream Social. It was great to see so many new families enjoying time with each other!
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.
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. We will also be highlighting our Title I program at this meeting.
The HPTA is once again collecting Clement’s Market receipts.
The receipts can be placed in your child’s folder. We recently received a check for nearly $1,300.00! Thank you to all who turned in their receipts!
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.HPTA - Room Parent Information
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.
Abound Parenting
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.
Interested in Scouting?
Do you like hiking, camping, learning new skills and knowledge, or doing fun activities with kids your own age? If you answered YES, then scouting may be for you!
Portsmouth’s Cub Scout Pack 1 and Scouts BSA Troop 1 are always looking for new boys and girls that are interested in Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. Students entering grades K thru 5th in the fall are eligible to join cub scouting, while those who are 11 years or older are eligible to join boy scouting. Currently Cub Scouts meet at the church hall at St. Barnabas on Thursday evenings at 6 pm, while the boy scouts meet at The Portuguese American Citizens Club on Power St, on Tuesdays at 6:30pm. You do not need to live in Portsmouth to join, but you are welcome. There may be a pack or troop closer to you that is more convenient.
Questions on cub scouting please contact Amy Nicodemus at beachgirl627@hotmail.com or for boy scouting Steve Benner at bennersm@cox.net .
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.
Accessing Aspen
If you are having issues accessing Aspen, you will have to email familyportal@portsmouthschoolsri.org with your child's name, date of birth, grade level, and your name. The system administrators will be able to restore access to your account and make sure that you can login.
Where Can I Find Past Parent Newsletters?
Important Dates
Important Dates
2022-2023
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
Email: littlel@portsmouthschoolsri.org
Website: https://www.portsmouthschoolsri.org/Domain/10
Location: 53 Tallman Avenue, Portsmouth, RI, USA
Phone: (401)683-0500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hathaway.principal/
Twitter: @HathawaySchool