Hamilton Avenue Headlines
October 26, 2020
From the Front Office
Dear Parents,
Thank you for your ongoing support. We have heard many positive comments about the start to our school year. Thank you for your kind words. Please feel free to share your gratitude emails with the teachers and other staff in the building. Although Ms. Durrell and I forward them to the staff members, it is nice when they hear directly from you. To show our appreciation for the tremendous parent support that we receive from our Hamilton Avenue School community, we will include a section in each weekly Headlines newsletter called “Spotlight on the Home-School Partnership”. We believe in building a strong home-school partnership and we want to make sure that we are shining a light on what is right about our school and community. Staff will present virtual leaves to parents who partner with us and consistently demonstrate our school norms. I look forward to seeing all of the accolades that will come in. We appreciate you. Please do not forget to collaborate with us and join the PTA. In addition, please remember to complete the COVID 19 daily checklist with your child each day. Although students are not allowed to wear costumes to school or bring them to school on October 30th, we are having our first spirit day. We will be celebrating Fall and encouraging students to wear Fall colors on Friday, October 30th. Unfortunately, due to COVID 19 and our field project, we will not have our annual parade, but we can continue to show our collective Ham Ave Spirit. We appreciate your support. Working together we will always be Ham Ave Strong.
Sincerely,
Shanta M. Smith
Principal
Calendar
Picture Make-Up Day is November 5
Virtual Book Fair starting on November 9!
For more upcoming events see our extended calendar
IMPORTANT PARKING LOT REMINDERS FOR ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
Parents we need your support to maintain safe social distancing measures and a safe and orderly dismissal. Preschool parents are reminded to stay in your cars until 8:15 am to avoid crowding the front entrance. Arriving too early and getting out of your car prior to this time presents unnecessary challenges for our school staff who are working diligently to adhere to the social distancing measures that we have established.
Please ensure that you do not get out of your car when you are in the drop off or pick up line during arrival and dismissal. Do not leave your car idling and get out of your car to walk your child up to the main entrance. Staff are available to assist. Please ensure that your child is on the passenger side of the car. Do not park your car in the center of the parking lot or make your own parking space in the parking lot. These types of violations are considered to be illegal parking. In addition, your placard should be in the front windshield of your car during dismissal so that we can expedite dismissal. Greenwich Public School security and the police department have taken notice of our arrival and dismissal and they will be visiting us periodically to support the enforcement of these measures. Please help us to ensure a safe and orderly arrival and dismissal process for our Hamilton Avenue School community.
Parent Support Live
During these challenging times, please join us for a virtual “Parent Video Chat” facilitated by one of our GPS psychologists.
The final chance to join the Elementary School session takes place October 30th. Download the Fliers Below for more information.
From the HAS PTA
From the HAS PTA…..
Please JOIN our PTA NOW and don’t forget to update or add your information to our new online directory tool at: Hamilton Avenue PTA Membership Toolkit
HAM Ave PTA is also now on social media!!! Please look for us on Facebook under Hamilton Avenue School – PTA, and now Instagram under hamavepta, and request us as a friend! You don’t want to miss out! We will be publishing a lot of events and quick and easy communications through our new sites!
UPCOMING EVENTS
· Now through October 28: Join us for a virtual pumpkin carving contest! Learn how to submit your entry here!
· November 10: Don’t miss our second PTA meeting for the 2020-2021 school year. This will again be virtual and zoom details are to follow!
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Join the Ham Ave PTA here! We have four positions that currently need to be filled, VP of Volunteers and Co-President, co-chair of the Yearbook Committee and translator for our PTA meetings. If you can help out in any capacity, or to find out more, please reach out to HamAvePTA@gmail.com. And don’t forget – the easiest way to support our PTA and our students is to join!
HAM AVE FUNDRAISERS
· October 30 – November 29: Please help us to support Hamilton Avenue through our annual fall fundraiser with Meadow Farms. This year Meadow Farms has made it so simple for our Ham Ave Community and provided an entirely virtual option of us, details on how to purchase and advertise can be found here. Additional information on the prizes to our sellers can be found here. Simply go to meadowfarms.com and enter our school code MF1001042 to register!
· HAM AVE MASKS ARE HERE!!! Pre-Order your HAM AVE STRONG masks now which will be arriving on November 3! Sign-up and pay virtually through the Ham Ave Membership toolkit site.
QUESTIONS about the PTA?
Contact us at HamAvePTA@gmail.com and visit the HAS PTA web pages.
Please review and fill out the following forms if you have not already done so
IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF SUPPORT OR HELP PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW:
Our school social worker and the interim district social worker may be available to answer questions regarding resources for families through email during school hours. You may contact them by emailing:
School social worker: Emily Khoshaboo emily_khoshaboo@greenwich.k12.ct.us
District social worker: Kristen Mulhearn kristen_mulhearn@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Resources/Hotlines in our community: Residents, who need assistance with basic needs, including food, can call the Department of Human Services at: 203-622-3800.
In case of an emergency please call 911.
Dial 211 or call 1-800-203-1234 if you or someone you care about is experiencing a crisis.
Adult Mobile Crisis: 1-800-586-9903
DCF Careline: 1-800-842-2288
Domestic Abuse Services Hotline (YWCA): 203-622 0003
Kids in Crisis: 203-661-1911
Department of Human Services: 203-622-3800
Greenwich Police Department: 203-622-8000
Connecticut Legal Services Immigrant Legal Advice Hotline: 800-798-0671
COVID Hotline: Call 2-1-1 or text “CTCOVID” to 898211.
- The Department of Health has five phone lines specifically dedicated to the public for questions and answers about COVID-19. They are: 203-622 -7865; 203-622-7703; 203-622-7614; 203-622-7842 and 203-622-7836.
- If you are concerned about an activity or a group not following guidelines issued through COVID-19 related Executive Orders and emergency declarations, please call the Greenwich Police Department’s non-emergency phone number at 203-622-8004.
- Many people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, meaning they can transmit the virus without knowing they have it. Easy to follow instructions to make cloth facial masks can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
Unemployment
File for unemployment benefits through the Connecticut Department of Labor. Eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The Department released a quick sheet related to the virus that can answer your FAQs about COVID-19’s impact on workers and employers.
Mortgage Relief
Governor Ned Lamont reached an agreement with over 50 credit unions and banks to offer mortgage relief to Connecticut’s residents and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about participating financial institutions and answers to frequently asked questions here.
Renter Protection
On April 10, 2020, Governor Lamont signed an Executive Order that provides immediate protections for residential renters.
Utilities
Attorney General William Tong announced that the Connecticut Public Utilities Authority has granted an emergency moratorium on electric, natural gas, and water utility shut-offs.
Price Gouging
Report your concerns about price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General by calling 860-808-5318 or online here. During an emergency disaster, sellers cannot charge prices that would be unjustifiable during normal business operations.
Travel
The Connecticut Insurance Department instructed insurers to accommodate travel cancellation requests under certain terms and conditions. Consumers who have questions on travel insurance can contact the Insurance Department by email at insurance@ct.gov or by calling 860-297-3900.You may also review the State of Connecticut’s answers to Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how the state is responding.
Click the Image for Everything You Need to Know About Google Classroom K-5
Introduction to SeeSaw for Parents (Grades K-2 Only)
If you need help with any resources please contact your classroom teacher
About Us
Email: shatna_smith@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: https://www.greenwichschools.org/hamilton-avenue-school/calendars
Location: 184 Hamilton Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830, USA
Phone: (203) 869-1685
Twitter: @HamAvePrincipal