HES HEADLINES!
HOPEWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Week of March 24th
Hippity Hop Hooray!
Thank you to Allyson Mooney, Abbi Anker, and the HES Student Council for all of their hard work with making the first HES Talent Show a huge success. It was truly heartwarming to witness our students displaying their talents. We also appreciate the staff members who joined us this evening to show their support for our students.
Thank you to Lea White and the HES PTO for hosting author Roxie Munro at HES last week. Through the stories, pictures, and valuable insights she shared, our students were fortunate to have her presence and guidance. Looking forward to next year's authro visit!
Please do not forget to stop and thank our wonderful paraprofessionals at HES for Paraprofessional Appreciation Week - Renee Ranke, Alicia Winand, Liz Bararavech, Nicole Neggia, Bonnie Brown, Michelle Domboski, Simone Rodriguez, Manjari Choubey, Sujata Gangopadhyay, Richa Zalani, Falon McLaughlin, Stacy Sullivan, Caryl David, Weezie Sked, Joanne Estok, Christine DiPietro-Cuccia, Meg Creegan, and Lauryn Pecht. These fine folks do so much and truly embrace The Hopewell Way!
Hats off to Janet Mills for sharing our HES Advanced Orchestra with the community. Here is the MercerMe article highlighting their great work!
Lastly, please help us give a big HES birthday celebration to the following staff members on their upcoming special day:
- March 26th - Hannah Cohen
- April 5th - Sharon Cohen
- April 11th - Lea White
- April 14th - Caryl David
Author Roxie Munro Visits HES
5th Grade Advanced Orchestra on Tour
HES Talent Show Cast & Crew
From Puppeteering
To Musical Instruments
To Singing & Dancing
Paraprofessional Appreciation Week
Did you know that March 25th kicks off Paraprofessional Appreciation Week? Well, it does and we'd like to celebrate you! Thank you for being the best support system for our students and for all of the big and little things that you do for us throughout the year. You deserve the world, but we hope that a duty free lunch party is an okay start.
When: March 25th, 11:30-12:30
Where: Faculty Lounge
If you have a duty during the 11:30-12:30 block, we have found coverage so that you can attend. Please see the invite attached and reach out to Rachel if you have any dietary restrictions!
Faculty Musicale
Join us at the PAC on Wednesday, March 27th, beginning at 6:30PM for an evening of pure entertainment as the staff of HVRSD take the stage! Teachers from each school in our district will perform in a showcase you won't want to miss. From Hopewell Elementary, you'll get to see Dr. Brettell, along with Ms. Carosi, Ms. Cohen, Ms. Dauer, Freddy the Frog, Ms. Gaestel, Mrs. Heiser, Mrs. Kirk, Mrs. LaRose, Ms. Pfau, Mrs. Pontani, Mrs. Rodriguez, and Mrs. White! We hope you can make it! You can purchase tickets using the following link - Faculty Musicale.
The Hopewell Way Pep Rally
Thursday, March 28th, 2:15PM
We are now only 4 school days away from Spring Break. And what better way to glide into Spring Break than with a Pep Rally...The Hopewell Way! Here are our preliminary details:
- Please view this slide deck that highlights our day's bell schedule, Homeroom #2's expectations, and diagrams of the potential locations (outside AND inside).
- Please review the timeline of events within the Pep Rally schedule that shows the breakdown of activities by groups.
- We will communicate which team your Homeroom's Student Council Representatives will be on for the relay races so stay tuned!
- If you are a club or team that is listed within the slide deck, please come see us for more detailed information. If we missed any club or team, please let us know. We are looking for this to be an inclusive school-wide event. With that being said, we know that some students will prefer not to be around such events due to the extra noise. We will be providing a Quiet Room for them to complete other activities. Please email us these names so we have a list of students for the staff member(s) who will be monitoring this space.
We are excited to spread some school spirit right before we leave for Spring Break. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Outdoor Basketball Court Setup
Gymnasium (Inclement Weather Plan ONLY)
Yearbook Picture Submission Deadline
There is still time to submit pictures of your students from various events throughout this year. Please upload your pictures HERE by Friday, April 12th, so they can be considered for HES's 2023-2024 Yearbook! Please reach out to Mike DeLorenzo with any questions or concerns.
Trimester 3 - Lunch Duty
Please consider signing up for lunch duty for the last trimester as a paid stipend. We could use your help. :)
HES Spirit Wear
LAST CALL!!! The HES PTO is running another Spirit Wear sale. The final day to order is April 1st. Please use this LINK to order.
STRIVE Award
You can now nominate a student for a STRIVE Award! Use the form and follow the directions for who makes an excellent candidate!
STRIVE is the HVRSD Parent Teacher Organization supporting students with physical, cognitive, developmental & medical challenges.
The STRIVE Student Recognition Awards highlight students within our community who have shown exceptional growth or had a shining moment over the past year that aligns with one of Hopewell Valley's Character Strong Attributes (Respect, Empathy, Cooperation, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage, Gratitude, Honesty and Creativity).
The awards night will be held on June 13, 2024 from 6-8PM.
Nominations will be accepted through April 15th, 2024 by submitting the google form linked above. Any questions can be directed to HVRSDStrivePTO@gmail.com.
Nature Harmony Update
To support our efforts, the Nature Harmony Committee, in partnership with the Green Team, will be hosting a Color Run on Saturday, April 27th at 11am. Join us to welcome Spring, spend time with our HES community and raise money! This will be a fun run (approximately 1 mile) around the HES campus.
Please review the letter HERE for additional information. We hope to see you there!
CounSELor Comments
As we ramp up toward Spring break, we engage in our last week of focus on the trait of Cooperation. We can’t wait to see the fruits of each class’s practice at our school-wide pep rally this Thursday. Engage in this activity with your students to encourage positive feelings as we head into a week away from HES.
When we return from break, our focus will be on the trait of Courage: choosing what’s right, helpful or kind even when it is scary. As always, please let me know if you need any support – with CS implementation or other SEL concerns!
"A Total Eclipse of the..."
From our MaST Teacher Leaders:
How do you prepare for a space party during an eclipse?...You planet!
In preparation for the upcoming solar eclipse, we have created slideshows and compiled resources for you to share with your students during Science class. Use the links below to access presentations appropriate for various grade levels. Be sure to check out the activities and printables linked on the InfoGraphic as well!
Please reach out if you need any help or are looking for something specific…OR if you would like a coach to join you for Science!
Fun Fact: The next total solar eclipse that NJ will be able to experience won’t happen again until May 1, 2079! Please consider celebrating this natural phenomenon with your students!
Jocelyn & Katie
HVEF Spring Grant Cycle
The Hopewell Valley Education Foundation (HVEF) encourages HVRSD teachers and staff to submit applications for funding as part of its Spring 2024 grants cycle. Application materials are posted on the HVEF website – please fill out the requested fields on the application form and submit it to HVEF by the May 15, 2024 deadline.
Please note that HVEF offers the optional step of submitting a pre-grant inquiry form, which allows HVEF board members to get a sense for project ideas as they are being developed and provide feedback on their potential fit for funding. It’s meant to be an informal way to vet ideas before committing to complete the full application – we hope it offers a helpful exchange of feedback earlier in the grant cycle process.
We hope you will consider HVEF as a resource for supporting creative and innovative projects that strengthen the teaching, learning, and enrichment that you lead throughout the district. If you have any questions, please contact HVEF at info@hvef.org and we will respond to you quickly. HVEF is proud to be a partner in advancing educational excellence throughout the Hopewell Valley public schools, and we look forward to receiving your proposals.
HVRSD School Improvement Panel (ScIP)
As a follow-up to this month's Faculty Meeting, we wanted to pass along important information:
ScIP Initial Survey Data outlines our district PD goals based upon initial staff survey feedback.
ScIP Staff Survey is to be completed anonymously by April 17th.
Thank you!
PTO Discretionary Fund Allocation
ONLY 1 MONTH REMAINS! The HES PTO has allocated money to teachers, to help offset some of your classroom expenses. You should have received a letter at the end of September/beginning of October. Remember, all forms and receipts must be received by April 30, 2024. Please utilize this great resource!
Odds & Ends - The Help You Need!
Don't forget, we are lucky to have Mithul Murrali from CHS here from 12:15 - 2:00PM every Tuesday. If you have any jobs like cutting, making copies, taking down and putting up bulletin boards, sorting supplies, sharpening pencils, etc., please email Molly or Kimberly. Thank you!
CHEER - News & Updates
Reminder - Don't forget to sign up for Friday morning breakfast. Sign-up sheet is in the Front Office.
Dues - You will find info about CHEER dues in your mailboxes. While we have suggested prices on the form in your mailbox, we would be happy to receive any contributions. Thank you!
If you'd like to join CHEER, please let a representative know!
Important Links
- HES Bell Schedule 2023-2024
- HES Map & Room Assignments
- HES Master Schedule & Other Schedules
- HES New Dismissal Waiver Form for Families (FYI Only)
- HES Staff Listings 2023-2024
- HVRSD District Calendar 2023-2024
- HVRSD Educational Technology Shared Drive
- HVRSD Elementary Curriculum Corner
- HVRSD Grade Level Meetings 2023-2024
- HVRSD Human Resources Newsletter
- Latest Faculty Meeting's Slides
- Latest Principal's Cabinet Meeting Minutes
- School Counselor Lesson Schedule 2023-2024
- Yearbook Photo Dump
Save the Date
- March 25th - Paraprofessional Appreciation Luncheon (11:30AM)
- March 26th - Open Houses for Violins - HR 2SD (2:30PM) & 2HD (3:00PM); Natury Harmony Committee Meeting (3:40PM)
- March 27th - 1st Grade's Mammal Museum (9:00AM); HVRSD Faculty Musicale (6:30PM @ CHS)
- March 28th - Afternoon Activity #2 Bell Schedule; HES Pep Rally (2:15PM)
- March 29th - April 7th - Spring Break (School's Closed)
- April 8th - Total Solar Eclipse (2:09 - glasses will be provided); Grade Level Meetings (3:45PM)
- April 9th - Principal's Cabinet Meeting (3:45PM)
- April 11th - Green Team Meeting (8:00AM)
- April 12th - Staff Breakfast (Sponsored by 1st Grade)