HES HEADLINES!
HOPEWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Week of March 17th
Hippity Hop Hooray!
Let's give a big round of applause to the Student Council and Allyson Mooney for organizing an interactive Whole School Meeting last Monday to kick off our week the right way, The Hopewell Way!
The SEL Day of Play held last Wednesday was a resounding success. The beautiful weather and the innovative ideas from the SEL Committee made it a standout event. A special thanks goes out to our SEL Committee and all of the teachers and staff whose contributions were instrumental in making the day such a memorable one!
Let's also extend our gratitude to Brittany Buechner, Alyssa Carosi, Jennifer Devereaux, Michelle Hamilton, and Lauren Macinsky for their dedication to making the Biography Bonanza a rewarding experience for our students and families again this year. We learned a lot!
Great job, Janet Mills and the Advanced Orchestra, as they spread the joy of music last Friday with performances at Pennington Montessori School and Brandywine Assisted Living Center. HES is so proud of your efforts!
A warm welcome back to Joanne Estok and Brynne Zachow. Your presence is valued and you were missed!
Looking forward to the week ahead, let's not forget about the upcoming HES Student Talent Show! Allyson Mooney and our Student Council has been hard at work for what promises to be a night that showcases our students' incredible talents. The special event begins at 6:30PM in the Cafeteria and staff admission is FREE! We hope to see you there!
Lastly, please help us give a big HES birthday celebration to the following staff members on their upcoming special day:
- March 24th - Bob Dispoto
- March 26th - Hannah Cohen
Student Council's Whole School Meeting
SEL Day of Play
3rd Grade Biography Bonanza
Roxie Munro Author Visit - Tuesday!
Author Roxie Munro will be visiting HES on Tuesday, March 19th. Below is a tentative schedule for the day.
- 8:50-9:50AM: Grades 3-5, "How to Make a Nonfiction Book", Media Center
- 9:50-10:00AM: Break
- 10:00-11:00AM: Grades PreK-2, "Nature Books", Media Center
- 11:00-11:30AM: Author luncheon with select 4th Grade Students, Conference Room
- 11:30-12:00PM: Author book signing in Media Center
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.
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.
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
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
The Nature Harmony Committee has been hard at work planning new outdoor learning spaces and events for students and staff at HES. The committee, composed of both staff and parent volunteers, has met monthly throughout the year to identify additional opportunities to promote outdoor education each day.
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. Please review the letter HERE for additional information. We hope to see you there!
2024 AIR T-Shirt Contest
Every year, AIR (Attitudes in Reverse) runs a t-shirt contest for students in elementary through high school. The AIR plan is to start one-on-one conversations to raise awareness, increase empathy, encourage early intervention and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. Designs must include the words “AIR Attitudes in Reverse” (not necessarily together) and may also include “Are you AIR Aware?” or “Take a Breath” or “Kin is the new cool!” or “Remember to Breathe.” Entry/Release form must be received no later than Friday, March 22, 2024. The release and contest information can be found HERE.
CounSELor Comments
Thank you to everyone who embodied the trait of Cooperation and celebrated our 1st HES SEL Day of Play! We hope you had fun laughing and learning with your students while practicing the 5 SEL Core Competencies. If you have any pictures from the day, please add them to this file so I can create a video recap!
We continue our focus on Cooperation for the next 2 weeks until Spring Break. With the weather warming up and more opportunities for outdoor activities, consider using these playground games to deepen your students’ practice:
PreK & K Playground Activities
1st & 2nd Playground Activities
3rd, 4th and 5th Playground Activities
As always, please let me know if you need any support – with CS implementation or other SEL concerns.
HVEF Spring Fling Luncheon
Join the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation for their Spring Fling Luncheon on Sunday, March 24th, from 11-3:00PM. View the flyer for registration information.
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.
PTO Discretionary Fund Allocation
The HES PTO has allocated money to teachers, to help offset some of your classroom expenses. So far only 16 staff members have taken advantage of this opportunity. 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 18th - HES Talent Show Dress Rehearsal (3:00PM), Faculty Meeting (3:45PM), BOE Regular Meeting (6:30PM)
- March 19th - Gr. 3-5 Roxie Munro Author Visit (8:50AM), Gr. PreK-2 Roxie Munro Author Visit (10:00AM); Author Visit Luncheon with 4th Gr. Students (11:00AM); Fire Drill (2:40PMish)
- March 20th - Student Council Officers & Reps Meeting (8:00AM); HES Talent Show Dress Rehearsal (2:30PM); TMS 5th Grade Parent Night (Zoom 6:30PM)
- March 21st - HES Talent Show (6:30PM)
- March 22nd - Open House for Violins - HR 2MD (3:00PM)
- March 24th - HVEF Spring Fling Luncheon
- March 25th - Paraprofessional Appreciation Luncheon (11:30AM)
- March 26th - Open Houses for Violins - HR 2SD (2:30PM) & 2HD (3:00PM)
- 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)