NHES NEWS
LEARN · LEAD · LOVE
Message from our Principal
We're looking forward to our first day with students, Wednesday, August 4, 2021. Although doors will open at 7:15, students have until 7:45 to be in classrooms. As of right now, masks are optional for students and staff. Should this change, new information will be passed along.
In order to prevent overcrowding, unless your child is new, we ask that parents of returning students not come into the building on the first day of school. This is one of the reasons for Orientation & Meet the Teacher Night (see info below). This is the best way to find your child's classroom, meet the teacher, drop off supplies, and take pictures. For those that do not already have a school supply list, you can access supply lists by clicking on this NHES School Supply Link.
Our car-rider line is in the rear of the building. Although the line is long on the first week or two of each school year, for safety purposes, please do not drop your child off or attempt to pick your child up in the front of the school. The front of our building is reserved for our buses and those that need to park and come into the building. We also have walkers that enter and exit the building through the front entrance.
School ends each day at 2:45. Please make sure your child and/or your child's teacher knows how they will be going home each day.
Orientation & Meet the Teacher Night
This past week, our faculty came together or the start of the 2021-2022 school year. As a school family, we know that our relationships with one another and with our students and families are the key to our success. Teachers also participated in professional development and worked in classrooms in preparation for Orientation & Meet the Teacher.
Our back-to-school NHES Orientation & Meet the Teacher event is scheduled for Monday, August 2, 2021. Meet the Teacher is a come-and-go event...a time to meet the teacher, see the classroom, and drop off supplies. Times are staggered, allowing for more parking and less crowded conditions. Meet and greet times are as follows:
3PM to 4PM - Pre-K & 3rd Grade
4PM to 5PM - Kindergarten & 4th Grade
5PM to 6PM - 1st Grade & 5th Grade
6PM to 7PM - 2nd Grade & 6th Grade
Families are also invited to visit our lunchroom where tables will be set up with information about PTO, after-school clubs, after-school daycare, car tags, bus transportation, etc. I will be in the library to meet with families and share more about our school. Parents and guardians that sign-in at the library will have their name entered into a back-to-school gift card drawing.
New Staff & New Student Information System
This year is unique with the addition of so many new teaching units and extra staff at our school. The additional units and staff are in place in hopes of keeping our class sizes smaller and allowing us to better meet the needs of all students. Speaking of smaller class sizes, we are very close to having the numbers needed to add an additional kindergarten unit. Should we be able to add a unit, we have a classroom ready and will seek out the best teacher possible. Please know that it is never our desire to move students to a new homeroom after the start of the year. Unfortunately, in kindergarten, funds for additional units are not released until enough families register to justify the additional unit. If we have a few more late registrations, we may be able to add another kindergarten unit. Additional units and smaller class sizes are always a good thing.
Along with new teachers, the front office team has been working around the clock to assist families with registration and enrollment in PowerSchool SIS, a new student information system for public schools across Alabama. Although waiting for roll over from the old system to the new system has made communication with our new families difficult this summer, we do like PowerSchool SIS and believe it will be a great tool moving forward. This new system will allow schools to have a single place for attendance, grades, student plans, and health information. It will also allow us to more easily push out information to our families.
Our school is excited to share some exciting news: (1) Mrs. Mollie Kirsopp was selected as our NHES Teacher of the Year, (2) Mr. Michael Byram was selected as our NHES Support Professional of the Year, and (3) Mrs. Erin Lee was hired to serve as our new school nurse.
Celebrating Excellence!
Welcoming New Teachers!
PTO Treats our Faculty!
First Semester Dates
Prior to the start of the school year, our pre-K & kindergarten teachers will be reaching out to families to let you know how students in these grades will phase in on the first days of school.
- August 2 - Meet the Teacher (see times in previous section of newsletter)
- August 4 - First Day for Students
- September 6 - Labor Day (schools closed)
- October 4 - 8 - Fall Break (schools closed)
- November 11 - Veterans Day (schools closed)
- November 22-26 - Thanksgiving Break (schools closed)
- December 20-January 4 - Winter Break (schools closed)
For additional dates, you can access this link for the 2021-2022 district calendar.
August Menu
Just as in previous years, families can choose to sign their child up for after school Clubs Program or Extended Day. Information will be shared in the next few weeks via social media and at our Orientation Night/Meet the Teacher event on August 2.
This past summer, Steve Trash visited students who participated in our Summer Learning Program. His program was both educational and entertaining. The students had a blast!