Family Buzz
October 7, 2022
Dear South School Community,
Dear South School Community,
It’s incredible to believe that we are entering our sixth week of school! It will be nice to celebrate the many accomplishments that the SES Community has made this far in the school year during the three day weekend that is here! This is an important milestone in the school year as we are all getting quite accustomed to the new normal, and therefore, the days will start to fly now . We are so appreciative of the entire community (Staff and Families) as we know it was a team effort getting us to this point! Teamwork makes the dream work! Dream on, SES Village!!!
We hope you enjoy some relaxing time with family and friends. The weather is promising to be gorgeous!
Quote of the Week for 10/11: I listen with my ears, eyes and heart. This is related to the third of our Twelve Tools (Social Emotional Learning Program) that we will teach and review school-wide for two weeks, the Listening Tool. This is week two for tool three!
· Toolbox: When you get a chance ask your child what The Breathing/Quiet, Safe Place and Listening Tools are??? The quote of the week always reflects the tool of the week. There are 12 tools total. We will be covering two a month as a school, and many classrooms have gone ahead to others. See old news (below) for an explanation of Toolbox…
· Walk and Roll Day: This is coming up this coming to school Wednesday, October 12! We thank all of the adults in the village in advance for helping to make this happen. Just a reminder that children in K-2 who ride their bike always need to be accompanied by an adult.
· Some Helpful Important SAFETY Reminders/WE NEED YOUR HELP/THANK YOU:
o Please remember that children should not arrive at school prior to 8:40 am as we want to make sure they have proper supervision.
o Thank you for making signs for your car windows at dismissal
o Thank you for pulling up to the Red Sign across from the fire station in the driveway and staying in your car during arrival and dismissal.
o Thank you from refraining from cell phone use in dismissal car lines
o Thank you for waiting on the grass on the right side of the rainbow if you are walking. Please DO NOT stand in the driveway or block the sidewalk heading into Liberty Pole!!!
Staff News:
· Mrs. Martinez: I know that you will all welcome Mrs. Melissa Martinez who joined us last week as a paraeducator in RISE I.
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.
· Buy a Brick: All done! Thank you to those of you who bought a brick!!!
· Teacher Appreciation: We are so grateful to all who donated and to Erin Esposito and Carrie George, the deliverers, who have made sure that the Staff Room and are meetings are complete with treats for all!
· October 3-14: PTO is collecting gently used Halloween Costumes to donate to children who do not have costumes. There will be a collection container in the vestibule of the school during that time period.
Other News/Reminders:
Buzz Assembly: We had our first Buzz Assembly celebrating a rainbow of good behavior and kindness today. Its theme was to welcome all of our new staff and students. We thank Mr. Aitchinson, our Music Teacher and the whole student body for serenading the new members of the SES Village with a special welcome song called You’ve Got a Friend in Me. We also thank Mr. Bailey, Mr. Aitchinson, and many staff members who performed a beautiful welcome song called, We’re Going to be Friends! The students were thrilled. We are also so impressed with how many Buzz Awards students have already earned this year!
Electrical Safety: Electrical Safety Classes (Thank you Electric Company) took place last week. Each grade level learned age-appropriate electrical safety tips from Mr. Ray Gouley who is an expert on the subject. Stay tuned for other safety programs like: Bus, Halloween, Winter, and Pedestrian!
Harvest Party: The PTO will sponsor the Harvest Party on Friday, October 21 from 4:00-6:00 on our playground (Rain date=10/28).This party is extremely well organized and run by the PTO volunteers. Please be aware that all children must be accompanied by an adult as this is not a “drop-off” event. This includes a trip into school to use the restrooms. We also do not allow masks and props like plastic swords etc…Please make sure to follow all parking restrictions on Independence Lane and Loring Hill Rd. and follow safety rules when crossing Main St. on that evening as it can be quite dark and many drivers do not stop at the crosswalk when they see pedestrians even though it is a state law. It might be a great idea to bring a flashlight along...
Noon Release/Professional Development: On this Wednesday, November 2, we will have another noon dismissal for Professional Development on MTSS/HTSS (Multi Tiered Systems of Support). ALL early dismissals will be at noon, and lunch will not be served. This particular one is set aside for Professional Development for staff. Other early release dates: 11/16; 11/23; 12/7; 1/ 4; 2/1; 3/1; 4/5; 5/3; 6/7 also listed in Fast Facts 22-23.
BOKS: We are so grateful to Sarah MacAvery, one of our parents, who is continuing to offer this free before school exercise program that she brought back to us last year, here is a summary from her:
Register TODAY for BOKS…Make physical activity and play a part of your child's day! BOKS (Build Our Kids Success) is a FREE 1-hour physical fitness program featuring a mix of games and activities designed to get your child moving and motivated for their school day. The program runs for 6 weeks, before-school, beginning the second week in November. Register today at https://boksfallsession2022.splashthat.com/
(Password: South). Space is limited. Registration closes on November First.
· No School: Here is a link to No School Procedures as they have been updated by Central Office. I know it seems early to mention, but you might recall that we had two storm days in October last year.
· Chain of Communication FYI: Here is a link to the also recently updated by Central Office Chain of Communication and is is now up on the HPS website.
· Preschool Screenings: Under federal and state special education regulations, Hingham Public Schools (HPS) has a responsibility to locate, identify, refer, evaluate, and if eligible, provide a free, appropriate, public education to students with disabilities who reside in the town of Hingham. For this purpose, we offer screenings twice per year, in November and February. Our first screening of the 2022-2023 school year will take place on Thursday, November 3rd at East Elementary School. If you would like your child screened, please call Darcy Greene, Administrative Assistant at 781-741-1570, x4967 or email dgreene@hinghamschools.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Early Childhood Coordinator Elizabeth Costanza, at ecostanza@hinghamschools.org. Will be posted until 10/28. Please feel free to forward this item to people with preschool aged children.
· Foster School News: I am sure that many of you are interested in what is happening with the Foster School Project. Here are some links with interesting information:
Flyer on some quick information
Flyer for Upcoming Meetings
Learn more about the Foster Building Project.
· Coming Events / Attractions:
o Friday, October 21 – Harvest Party, 4-6, SES Playground (see above)
o Wednesday, November 2 – Noon Release for Professional Development
Some Important Links and Still Relevant Reprints from Past Newsletters:
· Special Note: We are here for all of our families. Here is a special note to let ALL know that we may be able to give specific help to those in need:
o We know that making ends meet can sometimes get difficult for some of the families in our HPS community. Therefore, we want to let you know that there are individuals in each of our schools who are ready to provide information and assistance. With that in mind, please be aware that access to government programs and other resources that are donated by a very generous Hingham Community may be available to help families in times of financial or other need. Some examples of such outreach include the federal free and reduced breakfast/ lunch program (Free for all currently) and assistance with costs such as with athletic, bus/field trip, school pictures, and tuition fees. As well, because of the generosity and caring of parents and others in our community, we are able to support families during the holiday seasons. Please don’t hesitate to contact an administrator, the school nurse, or counseling personnel in your child's school if you need any kind of assistance. Please be assured that your request will be managed in a way that respects your rights for confidentiality.
More about Toolbox: As a result of the HTSS Task Force which has met years agoto explore how we can further support the Social/Emotional well-being of our students, all of the teaching staff was trained in Essential Toolbox. It is a wonderful program that can be easily integrated into daily instruction. Children will be taught the twelve tools for learning and life: Breathing Tool (hence the quote of the week), Quiet/Safe Place Tool, Listening Tool, Empathy Tool, Personal Space Tool, Using our Words Tool, Garbage Can Tool, Taking Time Tool, Please and Thank You Tool, Apology and Forgiveness Tool, Patience Tool, and Courage Tool. We know that you all already reinforce these life skills at home, but we wanted you to be aware that we will be talking about 2-3 tools a month as a school as the year progresses. We will also integrate this with our “Bee Kinder than Necessary” theme…
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):
https://hinghamschools.org/south-elementary-school/files/2022/08/Copy-of-Fast-Facts-22-23-SES.pdf
HPS Elementary Marking and Conference Schedule Link
https://hinghamschools.org/south-elementary-school/files/2022/08/Elementary-Term-Dates-2022-2023.pdf
Complete COVID UPDATE: Below you will find the link to a communication that was sent out from the HPS Central Office earlier this week. Part of it states that masks will not be required as was true in the Spring, but we also want you to know that we will support personal choice on this matter…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QxrZpXYsOmvfhcWz1wGq3EnRDJH0rPXst37yMpjMY6o/edit
Important Dates
Important Dates to Remember:
Monday, October 10- School Closed for Holiday
Friday, October 21 – SES (PTO sponsored) Harvest Party from 4-6 on the SES Playground. Details to follow from PTO
Wednesday, November 2- Noon Release for Staff Professional Development; lunch will not be served.
Saturday, November 5- PTO Social for parents/caregivers. It will be held from 7-10 PM at the Hingham Community Center. Come and meet some new friends!
Wednesday, November 16- Noon Release for Parent/Teacher Conferences; lunch will not be served. Should you wish to schedule a conference, contact Ms. Laurie Barry at lbarry@hinghamschools.org
Saturday, November 19 – South School Fun Run
If your child’s teacher’s appointments are all filled up, feel free to contact the teacher directly to find a mutually convenient time to meet on another day.
Wednesday, November 23 - Noon Release for Thanksgiving Holiday; lunch will not be served.
Thursday, November 24; Friday, November 25 – School Closed for Thanksgiving Recess
Wednesday, December 7- Noon Release for Staff Professional Development; lunch will not be served.
Saturday, November 19- PTO Fun Run, Bare Cove Park @ 9 AM
Monday, December 26, 2022-Monday, January 2, 2023- School closed for Holiday/Winter Break
Monday, January 16- School Closed in recognition of MLK Day
Monday, February 20- Friday, February 24 – School Closed for Winter Break
Friday, April 7- School Closed for Good Friday
Monday, April 17- Friday, April 21 – School Closed for Spring Break
Monday, May 29 – School Closed in recognition of Memorial Day
Monday, June 19- School Closed in recognition of Juneteenth
More Dates to Follow in the weekly “Buzz”
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions…
Sincerely,
Mary M. Eastwood (: and Lori A. Jacobs (: