We, at Hatch Elementary School, are so excited to welcome students back tomorrow, Monday, July 31st! Thank you for reading on for some important information.

For those of you who may not know me, my name is Amy Marquez. This will be my second year as principal of Hatch Elementary School. I have worked with the district for the past 14 years as an educational assistant, a teacher, and now a principal! Hatch Elementary is my home, and I hope to make it a second home for your little ones as well! My staff and I strive to form lasting relationships with students so that they feel safe, happy, and loved. We are committed to providing an emotionally and physically safe environment for students and staff. We will keep rigor high by expecting staff and students to set challenging, yet attainable goals. Furthermore, our goals is for our students to become confident learners who will set goals for themselves and take ownership of their own learning. We are so excited for your child to begin this new journey with us. Come engage with us! My door is always open.

Everyone is welcome to accompany their child into the building on the first day of school! We want to make sure that students feel safe and happy. We will do our best to ensure a smooth transition from home to school!

• Upon arrival everyday, students will eat breakfast in the cafeteria. After 7:30 am, as they finish, they may go out to recess, weather permitting. We will have staff members on duty to supervise your children everyday.
• On the first day of school, when the bell rings, we would like all students and their parents to make their way back into the cafeteria for staff introductions.
• If you wish to stay with your child to accompany him/her to class, please make sure to hang around until we have introduced all staff.
• Once all staff is introduced, we will begin sorting students by class, beginning with kinder, then 1st grade, and finally 2nd grade.

Change in bell schedule:

The bell for class to begin will now ring at 7:55 am. Class will be dismissed at 2:55 pm.

• You may begin dropping your child off at the cafeteria as early as 7:15 am. If you wish to accompany your child into the school, you must enter through the front office doors.
• Please make sure that your child arrives to school with plenty of time to eat breakfast, or you may feed him/her at home.
• If your child arrives to school after 8:00 am, he/she will be marked tardy and you will need to sign your child in at the front office.
• Lunch for all students is from 11:00-11:40 am.

Student Pick-up Procedures:

• Pickup for 1st and 2nd grade students is on the cafeteria side.
• Pickup for kinder students and their siblings is at the staff parking lot.
• You will be issued 4 blue vehicle tags which will need to be filled out and displayed in the windshield of any person wishing to pick up a student from the pickup line.
• Only adults 21 and over who are on the student's emergency contact list may pick up a student from school.

Requests to Change your Child's Teacher

Please note that I will not be making any changes to classroom rosters during the first two weeks of school. It takes time for teachers to form relationships with students and also for children to form relationships with each other. Rest assured, all of our teachers are highly qualified. If there is a specific incident that you would like to discuss with me, please leave a message with my secretary, Mrs. Garcia, and I will set up a time to listen to your concerns. I appreciate your grace and understanding.

Snack Shack and Awards Assemblies

We will begin Snack Shack and Awards Assemblies on Friday, August 25, 2023. They will take place every Friday thereafter (unless otherwise noted), through the end of April 2024.

ATTENDANCE

We will continue to closely monitoring student attendance. If your child is absent for three consecutive days, you will receive a phone call and will need to provide our office with a doctor's excuse. Our attendance team will also be issuing letters and setting up meetings for further absences.

To avoid accrual of unexcused absences, please ensure that your child arrives to school ON TIME every day, unless he/she is ill. If this is the case, you will need to provide the office with a doctor's note within 3 days. We need students to come to school, on time, in order to learn. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in making this possible!

• The bell to begin class is at 8:00 am. Please make sure that your child arrives to school on time every day.
• Any time your child is absent from school, he/she will need a doctor's excuse to have the absence excused. Kids need to be in school to learn, but if they are not feeling well, we encourage you to have them seen by a doctor. Thank you for your understanding.
• Students are not allowed to bring any devices (cell phones, smart watches, etc.), toys (including balls or games), lip gloss, chap stick, candy, chips or sodas to school. If a staff member does find that a student has one of these items, it will be confiscated and you will be notified to pick it up in the front office at your earliest convenience.
• We appreciate all of our families and everything that you all do for your children! Thank you!

Kindest regards,

Mrs. Amy Marquez