Robert Hunter Report
March 21
Robert Hunter Elementary School
Mrs. Jessica Braynor, Vice Principal
Website: https://www.frsd.k12.nj.us/Domain/381
Location: 8 Dayton Road Flemington, NJ 08822
Phone: (908) 284-7620
Twitter: @RobertHunterES
March 21, 2021
Dear Robert Hunter families,
It has been about one year since our schools shut down and we began this challenging journey. We have made history together and have been through many schedule changes and “pivots.” We are now entering the last trimester of this most challenging year. Whether in-person or virtual, all of our students will be connected again in their class communities starting on Monday. This is another milestone for our community. We are proud of the resilience of students, staff, and families, and together we will continue to make the remainder of this school year a great one!
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Glaab and Mrs. Braynor
This week's calendar:
March 22 -Day 4, All cohorts are combined, Staff appreciation donation drive deadline
March 23 -Day 5, Report Cards are released on Parent Portal
March 24- Day 6, After-school Clubs
March 25- Day 1, After-school Clubs, Material Pick-up begins at 9:00, PTO Meeting, 7:00
March 26- Day 2, Material pick-up ends at 4:00, SEL Day - wear pajamas! (see below for more details!), Meal pick-up at RFIS, 1:30-3:00
Simulcasting
Many of our classes will be simulcasting, which means that both virtual and in-person students are in the same class, learning at the same time together. Unfortunately, due to back-orders and delays in shipments, our simulcasting equipment has just arrived. We anticipate some of our equipment to be set up this weekend. Please keep in mind that this will be new for our teachers. For this week, and as we ease into the transition, we ask for your patience and grace, as our teachers learn how to best utilize new technology.
Related Arts
Related Arts will be rotating on a 6-day schedule. Your child’s teacher will provide you with a specific schedule, so you know which Related Arts your child has each day. Some of our Related Arts classes will be taking place in the homeroom classrooms and some will be in Related Arts classrooms. If your child is virtual, please use the Related Art Zoom link to log into Related Arts. You can find all of those Zoom links here: Related Arts Zoom Links
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Technology Instruction
Technology literacy instruction is being delivered to Grades K-2 by Ms. Diane Cook, asynchronously. Please see her letter here for more information: Technology Literacy Instruction
School lunch
Please note the revised March school lunch calendar here.
There will be no hot lunches served for the next two weeks. Hot lunch options will resume after spring break.
Also, school meal pick-up for virtual students will no longer be held at Robert Hunter. If you are picking up meals, you will need to pick up at RFIS on Fridays.
Arrival/Dismissal
We will be monitoring traffic during arrival and dismissal, but please know that wait times will be longer than usual for parent drop-off and pick-up. We encourage families to take advantage of the bus if possible. Please reach out to us or to the transportation department if you have questions about bus procedure and safety protocols.
After-care
An after-care program through the YMCA will now be offered at RH starting March 22. Please contact the YMCA for more information or to sign up your child.
Requests for Virtual Instruction
Please note that we can not accommodate short-term requests for virtual instruction unless a child is being asked to quarantine. If you request virtual instruction, we would need to make a formal class change to a virtual learning section, which could mean a change of teacher.
SEL Day - March 26th
Our goal at Robert Hunter is to support our students’ social-emotional learning (SEL). Research shows that social emotional learning improves achievement, as students are more able to focus on learning when they are calm, focused, and happy. It also increases prosocial behaviors, such as kindness, sharing, and empathy, which are skills necessary for future success. Social emotional learning also reduces risks of depression and stress, as students build resilience and positive connections.
Next Friday, March 26th, we are recognizing SEL Day and celebrating all the great social emotional learning we have done so far this year! Our spirit day committee has planned a special spirit day that connects to SEL skills. Check out their flyer below!
If you are interested in learning more about social-emotional learning, please check out this link from CASEL (Collaborative or Social Emotional Learning): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2d0da6BZWA
Effective School Solutions- Video Resources
Effective School Solutions has created a student and parent video to support students returning to school in-person. You can view them here:
A Student Video -- Back to School: Take Care of Youand Coping with Stress
Kindness Crew project
Our 4th Grade Kindness Crew has planned a great whole school project for March that celebrates the uniqueness of the individuals in our community. RH students are asked to complete a sentence strip with something about themselves that they are proud of or that makes them feel special. See their flyer below. Virtual families may pick up sentence strips at the school. Hybrid students received sentence strips in school.
PTO Updates and Reminders
Message from the Robert Hunter PTO:
It's hard to believe that we are in the last third of the school year. We as the PTO are already looking ahead to the 2021/2022 school year. Two of our current board members will be moving on to RFIS next year. We need YOU!!! We are looking for parents to become involved with the PTO next year - consider being part of our board and/or chairing/co-chairing an event or committee. The link at the bottom includes a list of PTO Board and Committee Positions.
We will be holding elections at our last PTO meeting in early June. We encourage you to come to our March meeting this Thursday the 25th on zoom at 7pm and hear more about volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in a board or committee position and unable to attend the meeting, please email us at Roberthunterpto@gmail.com. Ask questions and volunteer to make our kids' school experience one they will not soon forget, not because of Covid, but for a positive reason!!
PTO Board & Committee Positions:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-suGaMZX3y-eHtQZufgLGR_hhh5hsEMgQDMVE6otK9I/edit?usp=sharing
March PTO Meeting - Thursday March 25th, 7pm
https://frsd.zoom.us/j/87283665861?pwd=UGhnWnNqd2ZKUjNMakQ2dzJqcm1vdz09
Meeting ID: 872 8366 5861
Passcode: 095981
Contact roberthunterpto@gmail.com with any questions.
4th Grade families - please see this message from the RFIS PTO:
Hey, 4th Grade Parents! We know it's hard to believe, but in just a few months, your 4th Graders will be entering Reading-Fleming Intermediate School as part of the RFIS 5th Grade class. We would like to invite you to become involved in the RFIS PTO. We work to support that community by planning fun events for the students and appreciation events for the teachers. Please consider joining our PTO Board to help shape your children's 5th Grade experience next year. In order to run, you must be a RFIS PTO Member, which you can do here: https://forms.gle/UzUAzkK15vUYhQBLA Details on the election process can be found below. If you have any questions/concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us by emailing: rfispto1@gmail.com
Fourth Grade Baby Pictures Still Needed For Yearbook!
If you would like your child’s BABY photograph to appear in the yearbook…
EMAIL PHOTOS ASAP ~ Please email photo to Allison Pelletier atdpelletier@gmail.com with the subject line stating “Yearbook Baby Photo”. Be sure to include your child’s name and teacher’s name in the email.
Save the date! Robert Hunter Basket Auction - coming on May 14th
See the flyer with more information HERE
Gertrude Hawk Spring Chocolate Fundraiser Now through March 28th!
The PTO will be holding a spring candy virtual online fundraiser. It’s easy to participate! Simply set up an account and share a link so friends and family can shop our Spring Catalog virtually. All online orders are shipped directly to the customer, no need to collect money. Visit the Gertrude Hawk Site HERE to create an account to start Fundraising! Our Organization ID# is 118019Click HERE to view the Gertrude Hawk Flyer with more instructions on how to get started!
Paint Party Farm Fundraiser, April 5th-April 9th - See flyer HERE
Staff Appreciation Drive deadine has been extended through Monday, March 22nd! See the flyer below:
Yearbooks:
Please see this letter from the yearbook committee:
We're reaching out to ask for photos for the yearbook. We are working to ensure that we capture this year's student memories. Homeroom Parents are helping with the collection of photos for the Yearbook Committee. Please share any photos of your child you may have from Halloween, First Day of School, Spirit Day, Pajama Day, Spirit Day or any holidays that you celebrate. Please send any Back-to-School photos or photos of your child in costume. Please include your child’s full name and class with your submission.The Yearbook Committee can be reached by email at roberthunteryb@gmail.com
Also, please see the attached flyer below with information for ordering yearbooks: