The Hyattsville Herald
Hyattsville Elementary School's Newsletter: Vol:2021/Issue:2
More Than Surviving...Striving to THRIVE!
There is no doubt that the start of this school year has not been exactly what everyone thought or hoped. Going into the year, families, students, and teachers hoped that we would begin to get back to some sense of what "normal" had been in previous years. However, as life often does, we were thrown a curveball. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to persist and is stubborn. Stubborn may be putting it mildly. However, we are striving to do more than survive and THRIVE here at Hyattsville Elementary School.
Despite the persistent pandemic our PTA sponsored our most successful Zombie Run fundraiser to date… no small task in a “normal” school year. Additionally, HES has revamped its TAG program, welcomed new staff members, instituted enrichment, acceleration, and remediation programs all within the school day to address the diverse needs of every single learner within our schoolhouse.
Speaking of the schoolhouse, we have overseen a retrofit of all the lighting within the building to new brighter and energy efficient LED lights. Additionally, we have had painting and several other repairs to the school building inclusive of a new elevator.
Our efforts as a community school have seen HES begin the work to place itself at the center of our community and be a safe place where families can go to celebrate but also request assistance when needed. Our students are excited to come to school each and every day and our amazing and dedicated staff work tirelessly to ensure the best possible educational experience for their students. We have made the commitment to do more than just survive…we are striving to thrive.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding as there will be new bumps in the road but, together and with grace will meet these challenges head on while providing the best for our students.
LED Light Retrofit
REMINDER
This is a reminder that school will close 3-hours early on Thursday; December 23, 2021. All students must be picked up no later than 10:50am. Please start making plans now.
Staff Updates
Community Schools Updates
- 30 Chickens were donated for Hyattsville Elementary Families by Council Member Taveras
- 30 thanksgiving baskets donated from the PTA
- The city of Hyattsville Donated 12 Turkeys/Can Goods
- Over 30 coats have been donated to the school along with other clothing essentials
- Our November P.R.I.D.E Mobile Store has opened
- Upcoming event - Chat and Chew with Dr. Moran 5:30 - 6:30 pm Date: December 16th
- Upcoming event - Hyattsville Vaccination Host Site Age 5 -11 - Dec 23th Tentative Time 3:00-8:00 pm
Vaccination Sites
The Prince George’s County Health Department, in partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), will hold after-school vaccination clinics for individuals age five and older at 15 high schools. A list of mobile clinics operating at elementary schools will be announced shortly.
COVID-19 vaccinations at the school mobile clinics will be free and available to any eligible Prince George’s County resident. Clinics will operate at multiple schools each day Monday through Friday through mid-December for first doses and second doses; additional dates and locations may be added. Families are encouraged to take their children to the nearest school providing the vaccine. Each clinic will have Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply available; the two-dose Pfizer vaccine is currently the only vaccine with U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorization for use in children five to 11.
The COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Sports and Learning Complex will also provide vaccines to individuals five and older; walk-ins are accepted.
Please visit the link below for dates, times, and links to appointments to get students vaccinated. We highly recommend that everyone eligible to be vaccinated receive the vaccine for your and everyone's safety. Currently, those who are fully vaccinated are less likely to require full quarantine due to close contacts with positive cases. Additionally, those individuals who are fully vaccinated are less likely to have severe illness or require hospitalization if they do become sick.
I am Nurse McDonald and I would like to welcome everyone back to school. We are looking forward to working with you and your child/ children to keep everyone safe and healthy.
It is that time of year to expect cold and flu symptoms and the Covid-19 virus symptoms. Unfortunately these can cause mild to severe illness and even death.
We have listed some tips to remember:
Flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu.
Please encourage your child/ children to wash their hands, especially before meals and at other times.
Get plenty of rest and sleep. School age children should get 9-11 hours of sleep each night,
Parents must monitor their children each day for any symptoms of infectious illness before sending them to school. If your child /children have symptoms, please keep them home and report the symptoms to the school.
Please keep our staff and the school Nurse informed of any underlying medical conditions or concerns that could affect your child/ children while at school.
Parents should bring medication to school with a signed Physician's order prior to the Nurse administering the medication at school. Medication should never be delivered to the school by the child/children.
Please make sure that your child/ children are up to date with their required vaccines.
Please dress your child/children appropriately for the cold weather with warm comfortable clothing.
Have a safe and happy holiday.
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
As the weather changes, please make sure students are dressed appropriately. If you have a need, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Pavon (Leandro.Pavon@pgcps.org) or Mrs. Peterson (tisha.robinson@pgcps.org) who can assist.
Our staff are outside to promote and ensure student safety. We ask everyone to provide grace and understanding as we work to provide a safe arrival and dismissal for all students.
Arrival:
Students are allowed into the building (on normal arrival time days) beginning at 7:30am. There is no student supervision prior to this time. All students will enter the school through the Main doors of the school by themselves and be guided to their classrooms by staff members. 5th grade students will be able to go directly to their classrooms located in the "TEMPS" on the blacktop. Please remember that families will not be able to enter the building to escort students to classes per new administrative procedures.
Students will be on the blacktop ready for dismissal by 1:50pm on the blacktop each day and must be picked up by 1:55pm. Early dismissal ends promptly at 1:00pm.
All changes to student dismissal must be made in writing. Last minute changes will not be honored as per the policies and procedures of PGCPS and for the safety of all students. Early dismissal ends at
We have a small handful of prekindergarten spaces still available for this school year regardless of income status. If you are interested in a possible prekindergarten spot, please contact Mrs. Quinteros at the Main Office or via email catalina.quinteros@pgcps.org
School Calendar Changes
As we continue dealing with the effects of COVID-19, PGCPS has revised the 2021-22 academic calendar as follows:
- Changing a full day of instruction to a three-hour early dismissal on Thursday, December 23; Dismissal will be at 10:50am.
- Changing Tuesday, February 22 from a two-hour delayed opening to a full-day closure for students, providing a half-day for parent-teacher conferences and a three-hour early dismissal for all employees.
- Offering three-hour early dismissal days for employees on:
- Friday, January 21- Dismissal will be at 10:50am.
- Friday, March 4 - Dismissal will be at 10:50am.
- Friday, May 13 - Dismissal will be at 10:50am.
These changes still enable us to meet state mandates for the number of school days and instructional hours. However, we may need to add time to the end of the school year in the event of excess snow days or delayed openings due to inclement weather.
Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.
Attendance Tip:
Every winter, bad weather — snow, slush, freezing temperatures or even heavy rains in warmer climates — can present challenges to getting children to school. So do the colds, fevers and earaches that often come with the winter months. The Pandemic makes this an even tougher situation.
1. Develop back up plans for getting your children to school in bad weather.
1. Check to see if your child can get a ride with other families who have a reliable car that can manage the snow.
2. Form a “walking school bus” with other families to get students to school safely.
3. Join other families in a snow shovel brigade to clear the sidewalks closest to the school.
2. Keep your children healthy.
1. Dress them warmly for the cold weather.
2. Stress the importance of eating a good breakfast every morning.
3. Stress hand washing, particularly in the winter months. Send your child to school with a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Research shows that something as simple as hand washing can improve attendance.
4. Mask up in and out of school to stay healthy.
Are you interested in sponsoring a child this holiday season?
If you are interested in sponsoring a child this holiday season to help make their wish list come true, please contact our PTA at Hyattsvilleespta@gmail.com
-Ms. Miralia and the reading committee will be tracking iReady use. The class with the most average minutes each month will receive a special prize. Please encourage your child to use iReady at home for reading practice.
-Voyager Passport reading tutoring for 4th and 5th graders will begin after school on December 7th. This tutoring is completely virtual. Please reach out to Ms. Miralia with any questions regarding the program.
-Our next family reading night will take place next month! Stay tuned for more information.
Family Math night is Dec 16 5:30 - 7:00. Students and families will learn strategies to increase math literacy.