Harding Elementary Newsletter
January 2024
January News from the Office
We would like to officially welcome everyone back from holiday break as we begin 2024 in a positive way! The staff at Harding Elementary hopes you all had an enjoyable time with friends and family over the holidays. Judging by all the smiles on students' faces, it seems as though they were eager and excited to come back to school.
As the winter weather approaches, please be sure you are connected for school delays and closures. When these events happen, we post on our Facebook page (button link is above) and we send out emails, texts, and voicemails to the contact information we have on file at Harding. During a two-hour delay, our school day will begin at 11:00 with no breakfast being served.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Harding office. We wish you a healthy and joyous month of January!
Thank you,
Harding Elementary Administration
NO SCHOOL
School Closing Notifications
Stay Connected
School closings can occur with bad winter weather. Please stay connected to remain updated on delays, early dismissals, or closings. The Lebanon School District and Harding Elementary will use the following methods to communicate changes in schedule:
- District and Harding Facebook Pages (please follow our Facebook page using the "Like us on Facebook" button)
- SchoolMessenger system: phone call/text/email will be sent out. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IS UP-TO-DATE WITH OUR BUILDING OFFICE (717-675-2138)
- Messages through a Seesaw announcement
Morning Entry
Breakfast doors open at 8:05 daily (for K5 through 5th grades). If students arrive prior to additional doors opening at 8:50, students are highly encouraged to enter for breakfast. Even if students eat breakfast at home, they can enter through the cafeteria doors and wait in our auditorium until the start of school. In an effort to maintain a safe environment, we ask for your support and assistance. Students who do not have a parent/guardian present upon arrival will be taken inside the building to breakfast. If a problem arises, parents will be contacted and specific arrangements will be made for arrival. Thank you for your understanding in keeping our students and families safe each morning. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to our office.
Cell Phones
If your child has a cell phone, please remind them of proper care during school hours and digital citizenship responsibilities. Phones are to be put in backpacks upon entering the building. Additionally, speaking to your child about the use of social media and messaging apps could prevent future incidents from occurring. By being proactive, you can help to ensure a safe learning environment in both the classroom and digital world.
Read, Read, Read and Love It
Nightly At-Home Reading
ATTEND, ACHIEVE, SUCCEED
At Harding, we continue to work with families when attendance becomes difficult. Please click the file below to read a "Quick Guide" of information regarding our attendance policy (file has English and Spanish). Also, feel free to download Excuse Notes you can use when your child is absent.
SWPBIS
Harding's School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) program is committed to establishing a social culture within our school in which students expect and support appropriate behavior from one another. At Harding, we strive to...
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe
Students who show these traits are rewarded with blue tickets from teachers as recognition of their positive character traits. Each week, winners from each class are selected from the collected blue tickets to earn special prizes (see picture).
ELD NEWS
Test Dates
English Language Learners will be completing the Access tests beginning this month. Testing runs from January 2nd to February 16th for students in K5 through 5th grade. The test assesses a students abilities in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Mrs. Emerich's Counseling Website
Feel free to use the counseling website with students. The webpage also includes contact information for outside services to further support the students in our school. Our hope is that this webpage will become a useful tool for students and families in our school during times of stress and anxiety. Let’s make the future a bright one!
Important Reminders
Breakfast
* K4 breakfast time and entry is 8:55 along the ramp on 6th Street.
Attendance
Arrival & Dismissal
Powerschool
Menus
PBIS
Harding teachers and staff continue to look for positive behavior in the classroom, cafeteria, hallways, and other areas in the school. Students can earn blue Standing Tall tickets by showing respectful, responsible, and safe behaviors. The tickets earn the student a chance to receive special recognition and prizes throughout the school year.
Harding's Shining Star
Congratulations to Harding's November Shining Star: School Nurse - Mrs. Hagemeyer
To nominate a Shining Star, please use the form below.
PTO
The Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) will meet on Wednesday, January 24th at 3:45, right after school. If you'd like to learn about ways to support the school, please come and attend. The meeting usually lasts about 30 minutes. If you have questions, please contact the office.
Box Tops
Thank you to all who have contributed to Box Tops. We recently received a check of $93.30 for our efforts. This covers all box tops scanned from July through December.
Keep scanning. We will get another check for the rest of the school year in June.
Reminder that you need to download the box tops apps and then scan your receipt for our school to receive credit.
We did so well during this half partly because there were some very good bonuses to start the school year. Check the bonus tab on the app regularly for bonuses.
Join Our Team
Are you looking to start a profession with the Lebanon School District. Click here to find out how to apply for open positions within the district.
Resources for Families
Power Packs
We’re excited to announce that our 2023-24 Power Packs school year program registration is NOW OPEN for enrollments! We’ve notified via email families that have participated in our most recent programs (last school year and this past summer), but enrollment is open to ANY and all Lebanon County families with at least 1 or more children in grades K-12 who have a self-declared need for food assistance.
To sign up, use this LINK.
CHIP
Health Insurance for children:
Student Accident Insurance
The 2023-2024 Student Accident Insurance form will be available on our website under the parent section if you want to purchase insurance. Injuries caused by accidents at school are only covered if the student accident insurance is purchased. Otherwise the parent, through your personal insurance, is responsible. A direct link can be found here.
Harding Elementary
Email: jalbright@lebanon.k12.pa.us
Website: https://harding.lebanonsd.org/
Location: 622 Chestnut Street, Lebanon, PA, USA
Phone: (717) 675-2138
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardingCedars