From the Hawk's Nest
August 16, 2021
I pledge, to live this day, with hope in my heart, energy in my mind, and gentleness in my spirit.
STRONG MINDS GENTLE HEARTS
Greetings
Our August newsletter finds us well into the month, but I believe perfectly timed. As stated last year, I will limit newsletters to monthly editions and send out Friday "blasts" with bits of information and need-to-know items.
I am guessing that many of you find yourselves reading this with many feelings: trepidation, excitement, wonder, and anticipation. Just know that the Hawthorne staff is excited and we look forward to welcoming your students back to school, 5 days a week, in just a few short weeks. I look forward to year two at Hawthorne, getting to know our students and families on a deeper level and growing with our amazing staff.
I will be mailing postcards Monday afternoon and will post class lists on Wednesday August 18th. Teachers will be reaching out and Kindergarten families should be receiving a call soon to schedule their Kindergarten Visit with their teacher!
I have a great amount of information in this update. Take it in chunks and please do not hesitate to reach out!
See you soon,
Mrs. Alberts
PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION ON THE UPCOMING OPEN HOUSE
As we near the date I will send a map of where the teachers will be located. Feel free to bring any items you have from the list (labeled) or come just to talk and see/meet classmates. Additionally, our Hawthorne Parent Council will be providing freeze pops, some Hawthorne gear, and information to welcome families to the new school year.
Open House
Thursday, Aug 26, 2021, 03:00 PM
430 Madison Avenue, Helena, MT, USA
COVID UPDATES
PreK-8MaskingPolicyChange_1905_8_13_21.pdf
V11_Adult_Close Contact Flowchart__08_10_21.pdf
DISTRICT INFORMATION
- Monday is early release- Students are released at 2:30 for teacher PLCs.
- Contact Information- please ensure your contact information is up-to-date. You will receive an email from our Tech Department regarding reenrollment for PowerSchool, but please let Ms. Stout know if you have a change in address, phone numbers, or emergency contacts. Also, give us a call to report your child's absence- cstout@helenaschools.org or 324-1370
- Inclement Weather and Air Quality- during the fall, we monitor the air quality for unhealthy conditions. When "unhealthy for all groups" or "red" status is reached, we refrain from spending our recesses outdoors.
- School begins promptly at 8:30 AM! If you are arriving after 8:30, please walk your child to the front office to check them in. Please help get your student set for success by arriving on time each day. Additionally, if a student arrives after 8:30 until 9:00am they will be marked tardy; between 9am-noon they will be absent for the morning; and if they check out before 2:45pm they will be marked absent for the afternoon. If your child will be absent for a full day or any portion of the day, please call the main office. If we cannot verify a child’s absence, then you will receive an automated phone call letting you know your child has an unverified absence. There is a sign in/out sheet if you bring your child late or take them out early.
- Transportation- First Student provides transportation services for the Helena Public Schools. Please register via their link or visit them to discuss transportation needs for the upcoming year. https://helenaschools.org/departments/transportation/parent-portal/
HAWTHORNE INFORMATION
- Playground supervision begins at 8:00 AM as does breakfast- we have limited adult supervision prior to that time.
- Dismissal- Students will be dismissed to the playground. Supervision will last from 2:30-3:00 on Monday and from 3:15-3:40 Monday-Friday. After that time, students will be pulled into the office and families called for pickup.
- Pick up locations- will return to "normal", but I do encourage families to utilize the north, east, and west sides of the facility for pick-up and drop-off. Harrison gets quite congested and leads to many blind spots. As a reminder, please avoid parking in the marked bus/yellow zones. Thank you for your consideration with this. I have indicated gated entries on the map below.
- Hawthorne Entry Points- All entries at Hawthorne are locked throughout the course of the day. To get to the main office, please enter the ramp near Entry 2 and walk down the ramp to the office when dropping items off for your student, to check them in/or out, or when volunteering. All visitors will need to sign in.
- Furry family members- During pick up and drop off times, please ensure pets stay behind the fence.
From Robert Worthy- Food Service
Attention all Parents! We are proud to announce that we will be able to offer FREE Breakfast and FREE Lunch again to all students during the 2021-2022 school year. During this next school year, we will be able to also offer a weeks' worth of meals to siblings 1-18 years old on Wednesdays from the base kitchen.
There may be no charge for any student during this school year, but this is a perfect time to start paying off any negative balances that students may have accumulated pre-pandemic. We are also recommending that all parents go to the district website and fill out the free and reduced application. These applications are not just for meals, they also help with other funds for school programs.
https://helenaschools.org/departments/food-services/
If you have any questions about student accounts or balances, you can contact your students' school office or contact the Sodexo Food Service Office at 324-2570 at any time.
Dates of Note
8/26- Open House from 3-4
8/30- First day of School for students grades 1-5
September
9/2- First day of school Kindergarten
9/6- Labor Day- NO SCHOOL
9/8- Hawthorne Parent Council at 12:00
9/12-HEF Carnival Classic @ Memorial Park 11:00-3:00
9/20- Picture Day
9/24- Fabulous Firsts 2:30
October
10/2- Sun Run - Run with the Principal
10/6- Walk to School Day
10/13- Parent Council at 12:00
10/21-22 Educator Conference- NO SCHOOL
10/25 Picture Re-Takes
10/25-10/30- Missoula Children's Theater
Parent Council Updates
- Cookie Dough sales will happen this fall. Virtual or delivery has not been determined yet, but I will send out information soon. Thank you to Sarah Elliot and Sara Berg for teaming up to organize.
- Hawthorne Clean-Up Day - Date TBD.
- 9/12-Hawthorne will have a booth for the HEF Carnival Classic and would love volunteers to help. If you are interested, please let me know and we hope to see you there. Thanks to Em Thiessen and her creative planning.
- Spirit Wear will be available later this fall- please keep an eye out for that. Thank you to Rachel for spearheading this effort.
I will continue to send out monthly invitations prior to the meetings and I will also include updates in our monthly newsletters.
Hawthorne Elementary
Email: jalberts@helenaschools.org
Website: https://hawthorne.helenaschools.org/
Location: 430 Madison Avenue, Helena, MT, USA
Phone: 406-324-1370
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawthorneelementaryparentcouncil