Family Buzz
September 22, 2023
Dear South School Community,
The second five day week was a great success and boy did we get proof once again that we are "Up, Up and Away" in the news that we have been named a School of Recognition by the DESE and the state of Massachusetts!!! We received a score of 100% towards our identified targets and did better than 99% of schools in the Commonwealth!!! Congratulations goes out to ALL in the village as we all know that that is what it takes to educate and bring up our wonderful children who are shining examples of this!!!
Thank you to those of you who were able to attend Back to School Night on Wednesday for grades 2,3 and 4. The students behaved beautifully, and our staff did an amazing job with their presentations!!!
Quote of the week: I remember my quiet safe place…This is the Quiet, Safe Place Tool Quote…we are in week two for this tool …thank you for integrating it into everything…AND continuing to use the Breathing Tool daily…(This is all part of the Twelve Tools Social/Emotional Curriculum that we use at SES)
Staff News:
PTO NEWS/Thank You :
· Dismissal Notes: The Change of Dismissal Note Pads are BACK!!! We have them for sale in the Main Office. $5.00 each. The Main Office loves these types of dismissal notes. Easy & Clear. PTO will be selling them on the Back to School Night, but also want them to be available in the Main Office. Families may also send in $5.00 in an envelope addressed to the Main Office, we will make sure a dismissal pad is placed in your child’s mailbox.
South School PTO Social: Here at South, there are no strangers, only friends you have not yet met! Parents/Caregivers and Staff are invited to come meet new and old friends at the PTO Social on THIS COMING Friday, September 29, (NOTE DATE CHANGE) from 6-10 at The Range at 306 Whiting Street in Hingham. Watch for details to come from the PTO…Mark your calendars!!!
PTO Gratitude: A huge thank you to ALL of you as members of the PTO for all of the assistance in getting the year up and running!!! We are grateful for so many things: The Family Walk-Through; the upcoming PTO Social (9/29); the planning of the Check Writing Campaign (thank you for giving!), the Harvest Party, South School Fun Run, Winterfest, Gardening, beautification of flower pots in front of the school, the tee shirts to welcome the new kindergarten class, the snacks in the staff lounge, and so MANY other things!!!
Other News/Reminders:
Some Tips About Pick-Up and Drop-Off:
· If you are the first car, please pull up to the red sign across from the fire station as this gets more cars off of Main St.
· If you are walking to pick up your child, please stand on the larger/grassy area at the end of the school by the OT Room as this will help to clear the small sidewalk.
· Please do not stand in the driveway!
· If you are also riding a bike to/from school; please do not ride it on school property during arrival/dismissal for safety reasons and also to be an example to students who are trained to walk their bikes on school property at these times.
· We also do not allow scooter riding on school property during arrival/dismissal for safety reasons; thank you for walking them as well.
Biking Tips (Thank you for reinforcing these tips with your child!):
· Only students in grades 3-5 (since bike rodeo) are allowed to ride to school without an adult with parent/caregiver decision of course. They need a note with this change of dismissal.
· Bikers need to wait in their classrooms until they are called by Laurie Barry.
· Upper Main St. Bikers meet at the Computer Lab at the end of the day after they are called on the loudspeaker.
· Lower Main St. Bikers go to the Lower Lot with the Special Dismissal Students as they should leave their bikes down there. This is to eliminate many crossings in traffic.
· Bikers should obey the rules of the road:
o Walk their bikes on ALL school property (this goes for scooters as well and for adults).
o Wear helmets at all times.
o Yield to the bike in front of them
o Stay right except to pass after saying “passing on your left”
o Ride on sidewalks or on side of the rode single file on right where there are no sidewalks.
Wait for the crossing guard in the AM ( please do not arrive there until 8:40!)
Calling all CORIs: We love to have you all volunteer either at school or on a field trip. Don’t forget that ALL need to be CORIed for these activities. This has to be newly done each school year. Please drop in with you driver’s license and fill out a form should you wish to be CORIed. The turn-around takes about two weeks. Kudos to those of you who already came in!
Early Release: There will be a noon release for Professional Development on Wednesday, October 4. No lunch will be served. See Fast Facts for a complete list of Early Release Dates.
Walk and Roll to School: Join us on October 4 for Walk and Roll to School Day!!!
ASPEN/ Family Portal: IMPORTANT: Families, please take a moment as soon as possible to complete important beginning of year documents via the Aspen Family Portal if you have not already done the paper copies. These documents include the following:
· Review of Contact Information
· School Handbook Acknowledgement
· Technology Acceptable Use
· Student Photo Release Opt Out
· Release of Student Data Notice
Find instructions for the "Parent Permission Workflow" HERE. If you need help with AspenFamily login, please email aspenhelp@hinghamschools.org
Cub Scouts: If your child is interested in joining Cub Scouts, please reach out to Meghan Horrigan (meghanhorrigan@gmail.com) for more information. South School's very own Pack 4 has active dens for Grades K-5 and would welcome any new scouts!
Most current DESE COVID guidance is as follows:
Naming of New Elementary School Building
The new elementary school that will replace the current Foster School is set to open next fall. We are excited to see the building continue to take shape as construction is well underwar. At this time, we are welcoming the community to share their suggestions for names of the new building.
We will complete two rounds of surveys. The first survey collects suggested names. The results will be shared with the school committee later this fall. After narrowing the names, we will provide the community with an additional opportunity to provide feedback on a narrowed list of names.
Once a name has been identified, the school committee submits a warrant article to the Selectboard to be considered for a vote at the Spring Town Meeting. Town bylaw states that naming a municipal building requires approval by Town Meeting.
The survey will be open through the end of October. See link: hinghamschools.org/survey
Thank you for your participation in this exciting process!
A note from the Unity Council We want to hear from you!
Join us for our Community Night Out!
Thursday, October 5, 7:30-9:30 at the Hingham Community Center
Free and open to ALL who live, work, study, worship or otherwise have a connection to Hingham but please register so we can plan accordingly: https://hinghamunity.org/event/community-check-in/
Care Solace: As we start the new school year, we want to remind you of the invaluable resources available to our community:
· Aspire Health Alliance To Make an appointment 617.847.1914 In a Crisis 800.528.4890
· Quincy Family Resource Center 617.481.7227
· Plymouth Family Resource Center 774.283.6531 aarcuri@baystatecs.org
· South Shore Coalition of Independent Therapists Find a licensed mental health provider near you
· The Baker Center for Children and Families 617.232.8390
· Boston Child Study Center 617.800.9610
In addition, Care Solace offers mental health care coordination services and can help connect you and your child with appropriate community-based providers. Whether it's counseling, therapy, or other mental health services, Care Solace can assist you in finding the support your family may need.
To access Care Solace's coordination services, simply reach out using the following options:
Call 888-515-0595: Their multilingual helpline is staffed 24/7/365.
Visit www.caresolace.com/hinghamschools: On their website, you can explore mental health providers independently or click "Book Appointment" for personalized assistance through video chat, email, or phone.
By joining hands and working together as a community, we can provide a nurturing and inclusive environment that supports the mental health and well-being of our youth. Let's continue to prioritize their emotional growth, and together, we can create a brighter future for our children.
Thank you for being caring and involved parents and guardians in the Hingham Public Schools. Your dedication to supporting our youth is truly commendable.
Some Important Links and Still Relevant Reprints from Past Newsletters:
Fast Facts: The Fast Facts would be a wonderful thing to keep on your refrigerator or someplace handy in your home as it answers many of the often asked questions about school life/year. Here is the link to Fast Facts (a summary of the SES Handbook)
Important Dates
IMPORTANT DATES:
Kindergarten- As a reminder, Kindergarten Open House will be Thursday, October 5; Time is 5-6 PM. It is Open House style; so come whenever you can in that time period
Friday, September 29: PTO Social @ The Range from 6-10 PM
Wednesday, October 4: Noon Release for Professional Development; no lunch served
Monday, October 9: October Monday Holiday
Friday, October 20: Harvest Party; 4-6 PM; Not a drop-off event
Friday, October 27: Harvest Party Raindate
Wednesday, November 15: Early Release for Parent/Caregiver Conferences
Saturday, November 18- PTO Fun Run, Bare Cove Park @ 9 AM
Wednesday, November 22: Early release for Thanksgiving Recess
Thursday/Friday, November 23/24: No school for Thanksgiving Recess
Saturday, December 2: Winterfest
Winter Dates Grade 5 ALL TOWN PERFORMANCES:
All-Town Chorus - Thursday, 2/1, 7pm in the HMS Auditorium
All-Town Band - Tuesday, 3/5, 7pm in the HHS Gym
All-Town Orchestra - Thursday, 3/7, 7pm in the HMS Auditorium
More Dates to Follow in the weekly “Buzz”
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions. We look forward to seeing you all soon! Enjoy the Labor Day Weekend ! It promises to be nice!!!
Sincerely,
Mary M. Eastwood (: and Lori A. Jacobs (: