Hope Valley School News
December 4, 2015
Calendar of Events
December
12/4 - Report Cards Issued
12/7-12/8 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - NO SCHOOL
12/11 - Holiday Bazaar (see note below)
12/14 - HV PTO 6:30
12/24-1/3 - Winter Break
January
1/11 - Hope Valley Site Council 5 pm
1/11 - PTO 6:30
1/14 - Early Release - PM Pre K attends
1/18 - Martin L King - No School
New School Update Information
Parent-Teacher Conference Reminder
Monday and Tuesday are Parent-Teacher conferences. There is no school for children.
Report Cards are Coming Home Today
Report cards are coming home today. Also, for parents of 4th grade students, last year's individual student PARCC results will be included in the report card envelope. I plan to give an overview of the PARCC results at our December 14 PTO meeting at 6:30. Depending on how many people show up, we may move PTO meeting to the gym and babysitting will be in the library or vice versa.
Holiday Bazaar
The Holiday Bazaar is fast approaching. Next Friday, December 11, your children will get to shop for family members. This will be set up in the Hope Valley School gym this year. The plan is to set it up on Thursday night (December 10). If anyone can help either Thursday night or Friday, please contact Catherine Giusti at catherine.giusti@gmail.com. It takes a lot of volunteers to make that day run well. The students need help shopping and adults are needed to help with the register and wrapping. If any of you can help, please email Catherine.
HOPKINTON RECREATION IS EXCITED TO OFFER
Parent-Teacher Conference Camp! DECEMBER 7TH& 8TH
Spend time with friends at Camp.
Children will play games and make crafts/cards to give as gifts for the Holiday Season.
Call 377-7795 to register today!
Camp is open to children in grades K-6, 8:00am to 4:00pm! The registration fee is $40/day for Hopkinton residents and $45/day for non-residents. We will offer after care (4:00-5:00pm) upon request and for an additional fee of $5/hour. Campers must bring a snack, lunch and water bottle each day.
Spanish Conferences
If any parents/guardians are interested in setting up a conference for Spanish, I am available from 12:30-7 on Tuesday, December 8th. You can email dori.carpenter@chariho.k12.ri.us to select a time, or stop by my office in room 6 on the top floor on the 8th.
I hope to hear from you!
-Sra. Carpenter
School Calendar Fundraiser
The big winner of the $500 jackpot was Anthony Young. Ticket was sold by Enzo Falcone. The PTO and I want to thank you all for your support with our school fundraiser. It was certainly an amazing success and the PTO will be using this money for our students and for family activities.
American History Tid-bit (and some geography too) by Mrs. Foggo
The school level National Geographic Bee competition is fast approaching for our fourth graders. Here are some typical questions asked during the Bee. All three questions must be completely answered correctly for a prize. Spelling and capitalization counts too! Remember to put your name and homeroom on your entry and place it in the History Box outside the office by Wednesday morning, December 9th, at 9:00AM. Good luck!
How many US states have land borders with Mexico? Name them too.
How many US states have a land border with Canada?
Tall grasses cover the prairies. Which continent has the world’s largest prairies?
Other Key Information (oldie but Goodie News)
Assessment Policy
At the October 27th School Committee meeting a new policy dealing with our Comprehensive Assessment System was approved. The policy details the roll of assessment in the instructional cycle. It also speaks to the need to minimize and strategically use assessment results. Finally, the policy communicates the expectation that all students participate in all assessments (including state assessments), unless a medical waiver has been obtained. You will find the policy at http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/sites/default/files/policy/comprehensive_assessment_system.pdf.
Note from the Special Education Dept
The special education department would like to welcome parents and community members to attend our Local Advisory Committee (LAC) Meetings. Meetings will be January 21st, March 17th, and May 19th. Meetings are held in the Chariho Middle School Library starting at 6:00pm. The purpose of our LAC meetings is for parents, teachers, administrators, and community members to meet together to discuss special education related topics and to advocate for students with disabilities. If you have questions about an upcoming LAC meeting, please feel free to contact Michele Laurent, the LAC Chairperson, and the LAC board at: LAC@chariho.k12.ri.us
You can find information related to the Chariho Special Education Department through the Chariho District webpage: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us – just click on the District Information link and then click the Special Education link.
Key Information
Please contact me at ggen@chariho.k12.ri.us if you have any questions or concerns. To receive weekly email updates I encourage you to sign-up for the Hope Valley list- serve. Follow the steps on the district webpage at www.chariho.k12.ri.us. (Click on the newsletters link on the far right and then follow the steps.)
Twitter and Webpage
Please follow me on Twitter for school updates and events @JoeGencarelli1. Please do not forget the number 1. Also, you will be able to find a ton of information on the Hope Valley webpage at www.chariho.k12.ri.us/hv.
Dismissal/Pick-Up Notes
We are going to try a new routine this year. Please use the dismissal/pick-up note that came home with your student this week. Keep the extras around for future use. Fill it out accordingly and return it to school. You can find the dismissal note on the Hope Valley webpage if you need to make additional copies. You can find this at: www.chariho.k12.ri.us/sites/default/files/hv_student_dismissal_note_3_per_page.pdf
School Hours for the 2015-2016 School Year
School hours are from 8:35 until 3:25. Office hours are from 7:30-3:30.
Peanut Free Classrooms
ALL classrooms are designated as nut & peanut-free. We have multiple students at varying grade levels with severe allergies to peanuts. Foods that “contain,” “may contain,” or are “manufactured on shared equipment” will not be permitted as snacks. However, students may bring in a lunch that contains peanuts or nuts.
Background Check
All volunteers in the Chariho School District must have an annual background check prior to volunteering. There is no cost for this. Please go to the Central Office with a picture ID and fill out a volunteer form. It takes a few weeks to return. Or you can go to the Attorney General’s Office in Providence and get it done right there and then.
Lunch
There are 2 options to pay for lunch:
- There is a website where you can pay for and keep track of your child's lunch account. The site is www.myschoolbucks.com. You will need your child's school code, which you can get by contacting Fran Sayer at sayer-frances@aramark.com or (401) 552-7078. Please visit http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/MyNutriKidsInfo for more information. There is also an app for your smartphone or tablet. You can pay for meals, check balances, and view purchases from anywhere. It is safe and secure.
- If the student is paying with cash or check when buying hot lunch, please send lunch money to school in an envelope or Ziploc bag with the student’s name, teachers name (i.e. KA, 1H, 2D, 3F, 4R). This will be placed in a classroom bucket and brought to the office. Checks can be made out to the “Chariho Regional School District.”
If you need further information, please contact Fran Sayer at sayer-frances@aramark.com or (401) 552-7078. Chariho is keeping accounts accurately updated and I wanted to send a courtesy memo to keep you informed.
Attendance Matters!
Our goal this year is to ensure that every student attends school regularly and on-time. I cannot stress this enough. Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and on-time. Attendance is so important for success in school and in life. We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school or are tardy often (regardless of the reason) can cause them to fall behind academically. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she is chronically absent or tardy—which means missing 18 or more days over the course of an entire school year. Chariho policy states that tardies and early dismissals count towards your child’s attendance. Research shows:
- Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school.
- By 9th grade good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th grade test scores.
Absences and tardies can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!!
Child Outreach Screenings
Child Outreach is a FREE Service offered to ALL Children 3 to 5 years old by your local school district in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Education. Rhode Island Department of Education recommends each child be screened annually.
Chariho Child Outreach has the following Screening dates available
Please call to set up your appointment at 401-364-1160
**December 10, 2015
**January 21, 2016
February 3, 2016
February 10, 2016
**February 25, 2016
March 9, 2016
March 16, 2016
** March 24, 2016
April 5, 2016
**April 7, 2016
April 13, 2016
May 26, 2016
June 1, 2016
** Evening Screening
About Hope Valley Elementary School...visit our website below
The mission of the Hope Valley Elementary School is to work in partnership with our colleagues, students and families. We are committed to creating a learning environment where children are expected to achieve their full potential.
Email: ggen@chariho.k12.ri.us
Website: www.chariho.k12.ri.us/hv
Location: 15 Thelma Drive, Hope Valley, RI, United States
Phone: 401-539-2321
Twitter: @JoeGencarelli1