Winter break begins Monday, December 20. As a mother of four I understand how challenging it can be to keep students engaged and occupied during extended breaks like this; because of this your fabulous Hollydale staff have put together a Winter BINGO activity that families can complete together and earn prizes! These BINGO cards will be sent home next week and include a variety of family friendly activities.

I also want to remind families that dogs are not allowed on campus during school hours, this includes during drop off and pickup. I appreciate your support as we work together to keep all of our students safe.

Jessica Ramirez

Principal

Please continue to watch for information to come via email and social media Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter about things that are happening at Hollydale. Be sure to check our website too!

Hello Hollydale Parents!

For the past two weeks I've been visiting classrooms to teach our students about bullying and other hurtful behaviors. I have shared this definition of bullying with our students:

Bullying: Hurtful words or behaviors that are done on purpose, are one-sided, and happen over and over again.

Our older students learned that there are different kinds of bullying: physical, verbal, social, and online (cyberbullying). Students learned that it's important to report all bullying right away to an adult. That not only keeps them safe but allows us to work with the student who is bullying so they can change their behavior.

Your child is also learning that sometimes hurtful words or actions happen that don't fit the definition of bullying. I call these Mean Moments. Sometimes mean moments happen because a person does not stop and think before they say something or someone makes assumptions that aren't true. Mean moments hurt just like bullying hurts. Students are learning that it's important to use kind words all the time to ensure that everyone feels safe and cared for at school.

At the older grades, we also discussed Unwanted Comments. These are negative comments about someone's appearance, skin, hair, body, clothing, etc. We learned that these negative comments can hurt feelings and are always unwelcome. There is wisdom in the old saying, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

The goal of these lessons is to help promote a positive and inclusive environment at Hollydale and also to help students learn important social, emotional, relationship, and life skills. If you have any questions, please let me know.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday break!

Christine Fitch, M.Ed.

Licensed School Counselor

Hollydale Elementary School

503-661-6226

fitch@gresham.k12.or.us

To keep our younger students safe and out of the mud we have closed the field for Kindergarten thru 3rd-grade students until further notice. Children will be able to play on the playground, blacktop, and undercover at recess.

In the event of a weather or emergency-related school closure, the district uses the following methods of communications to relay urgent information to district families and the community:

Auto-Dialer Calls - Please make sure we have the most current phone numbers for you on file. Check your ParentVUE account and contact the office @ 503-661-6226 to make any changes you cannot make on ParentVUE.

Flash Alert Emergency Notification System - This internet-based service is used to provide weather-related school closure information and is important in the event of an emergency. You can sign-up to Flash Alert @ http://flashalert.net/news.html?id=66

District Website - When possible the district website will be updated.

Local Radio & TV Stations - Area media outlets will receive information and updates.

Next week Hollydale's first Annual Winter Break Bingo Card will be sent home with each student.

Students can win prizes for participating!

Watch for more information to be shared in next week's newsletter!

Weather

This time of year Oregon is bringing lots of rain, so please suit your kiddos up for the weather! We are not able to provide a change of clothes if kids get wet during recess activities. We recommend packing an extra pair of clothes in your child's backpack to prepare.

Clothing Donations

Accidents happen, and that's okay! We do our best to provide a change of clothes for injuries and bathroom accidents, but our supply is limited to smaller sizes. Comfy elastic-waisted clothes that can fit multiple sizes would be great! Please no denim material. Hollydale would greatly appreciate any clothing donations that include the following:

• Leggings
• Sweats
• Shorts
• Brand new undergarments (all sizes)
• Brand new socks (small sizes)

Thank you for supporting us at Hollydale!

We do ask that parents wear masks as often as possible when around students outdoors.

Masks remain mandatory indoors.