Holland Elementary School Message
October 3, 2019
Hello HES Families,
The arrival of October typically means the start of the quest for Halloween costumes. As a parent, I know that this can be a complex task, as a child's choice of costume can change multiple times before the 31st.
As you begin this quest with your children, I'd like to pass along information about costumes and our Halloween parade and parties. Please remember that costumes incorporating weapons and/or depicting violence (missing body parts, injury, or blood) are not appropriate to bring to school. Additionally, we are strongly discouraging clown costumes.
Below is a link to the information regarding the HES Halloween Parade which is scheduled for Thursday, October 31st at 2:30 pm. In the event that weather requires that the students parade inside, we will inform the community early in the day via email and post any changes on the HES home page. Please note that the parking lot will be blocked off at 2:20 pm that afternoon so we do not have moving traffic with parading students.
Fifth Graders Visited by State Representative Wendi Thomas
Reminder - No School Next Wednesday, October 9th
PTO Soft Pretzel Sale on Fridays. $0.50 each
Please join us for
TRUNK-OR-TREAT & HOLLAND HARVEST
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
We would love to see a full lot of decorated cars! Get creative and have fun! Sign up online prior to the event. Come hungry! There will be food trucks and pizza! Your child's wristband will grant access to trunk or treat, games, the sixth grade spooky hallway, crafts, and a hayride.
Wristbands are Required
Please complete the online form to receive a parking pass if you are decorating a trunk. You will get one free wristband for participating.
Every child* attending - whether decorating a car or not - must wear the wristband during the entire event. Doing this online will save time and money. It also lets us given an approximate headcount of children to decorators so no one runs out of candy!
* Wristbands are required for children ages 3 and up. Under 3 are free.
Evening Timeline
5:00 - 5:30: Cars arrive to set up for Trunk-or-Treat in parking lot
6:00 - 7:00: Trunk-or-Treating/Activities
6:30 - 8:30: Inside games and Spooky Hallway starts (We need volunteers to assist)
8:30: Clean-up Begins
For the safety of the children, all cars participating in Trunk-or-Treat must be in the lot by 5:30 and may not leave until 7:30 or when directed by parking attendant. Please register your vehicle and purchase your wristbands as soon as you can!
Pre-Purchase Wristbands
Save and pre-purchase wristbands here!
$15 each/$45 for 3 or more
$20/$60 at the door!
From the Holland Elementary School PTO President
Hello Holland Families,
The HES PTO Executive Board made a decision last spring to hold off on PTO Board elections with redistricting taking effect in the fall, giving new families an opportunity to join the PTO and consider a board position.
Currently, there are two openings: President and Recording Secretary. These positions will be open to any current PTO member who would be interested in taking on the position. If two people become interested, we will have an election to pick the seats. The term is for two years.
Stated in our bylaws: If there’s no viable replacement, the current seated board member can remain, if they choose to do so.
The role of Recording Secretary, held by Katharine Levin Kelly, is open as this falls under the two-year term which mirrors the term of the President. Katey has served for four years and has done a wonderful job.
I currently hold the role as President and I can honestly say it’s been an honor to serve in the role as President of the HES PTO for the last four plus years. I have enjoyed it, it’s been a lot of work, but in the end, it’s always been about the kids, and for me it’s been rewarding and well worth the time and effort. I’ve and have become friends with some great people and staff at HES.
I’m extremely proud of this PTO team of board members and its event and committee chairs. We have done a tremendous job at raising money for HES and proud to say that we have over $25,000 in our bank account for future needs. The amount is after spending a considerable amount of money on staff requests and Chromebooks in the last four years, which virtually brought us to 1:1 ratio. We do plan to add an additional 30 Chromebooks as requested by the staff this year as well.
If you are interested in any of the open positions or have questions, please email me at ed.salamon@gmail.com or Janet Cole at barclayjanet@aol.com. The deadline for submitting interest in a position is October 11th.
Thank you,
Ed Salamon
Kidstuff Books
Kidstuff Books should be sent home with students on Thursday or Friday. The books or payment are due by October 16th.
Changes for this year:
- Each family will receive one book. The books will be sent home with the oldest or only child at HES. If you would like additional books, you may still order those.
- Use this link to pay for books online:https://www.sapaynow.com/267833
- If purchasing the book online, please list your child's name as the seller's name. It helps to keep track of purchased books.
Unfortunately, the company charges a fee of $.99 to pay online. You can still send in cash or checks with your child to school.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Nicole McCrane, nmccrane@gmail.com
Transporation Information
On Thursday, Dr. Fraser provided information to families regarding a possible change in students' bus pick-up and drop-off times, and the changes would be reflected in the Home Access Center (HAC). In his message, he stated:
This process of updating HAC will be measured in weeks, not days, due to the nature of the process and the fact that we have 619 individual bus runs. Once an individual bus’s times have been updated, parents from that bus will receive an email alerting them to check HAC for that information. Along these lines, I ask that elementary parents please note that a bus is considered late in the afternoon if it arrives after 4:00 PM, as has been the case in the past. At this point, any bus that is arriving after 4:00 PM is due to driver shortage on that day, and not due to additional routing corrections that need to be made.
Eye Glasses Donation Drop Off
Foreign Language Program
A before-school foreign language program (Spanish) is being offered to students at HES that will take place on Monday mornings. Classes will be held once a week for 45 minutes, and the program's goal is to introduce the Spanish in a simple format. Language instructors will teach the children how to speak and understand the new language using games, songs, and activities. The students will learn the new language via verbal repetition. Students will receive a work book and a CD to use for practice at home. It is a 20-week program that runs from from 10/21/19 to 04/20/20, and the program costs $200.
If you would like to sign your children up for the program but they will be in Advanced Band Practice on occasional Monday mornings, the program director is offering a reduced rate of $118 to attend on those Mondays when band practice is not in session. Please use the original registration form and write the word "band" at the bottom of the form.
The registration form can be found at the following LINK.
Follow HES on Twitter
Teacher newsletters allow parents to know more about what goes on at school, as the HES staff and I realize the importance of providing parents with information as it allows them to most effectively support their children.
Using Twitter, the HES staff and I try to capture moments taking place at school each day to help provide glimpses of the great activities and ongoing successes. We encourage parents to follow us on Twitter, and you can do so by clicking the following LINK.
Spirit Wear Store is Now Open!
You can click the following link to access the PTO Spirit Wear Store: Hawks Store
The store will be open through September 27th! If you have not yet created an account, you will need to do that first. You will then have the option to purchase PTO memberships, sign up for volunteer opportunities, or purchase spirit wear.
Fire Safety in the Home Contest
The Fire Safety in the Home contest is open for any interested K-6 grade student. The deadline for the contest is Wednesday, October 16th. Last year, HES had several prize winners, and it would be great if that happened again.
More information can be found here: Fire Safety in the Home Contest
2019-2020 Council Rock Calendar
The School Board recently approved the 2019-2020 district calendar. You can find it at the following LINK.
Announcements
Please visit the Volunteer link regarding information on volunteer clearances.
Click on the following link to access the monthly menu online: http://crsd.nutrislice.com/.
Upcoming Dates
- Wednesday, October 9th - No School
- Wednesday, October 16th - Early Dismissal (AM Kindergarten Attends)
- Friday, October 25th - PTO Holland Harvest
- Thursday, October 31st - Halloween Parade/Parties
- Friday, November 1st - Picture Re-Takes
2020 PSSA Dates
To help families with long-term planning, here are the scheduled dates for the facilitation of PSSA tests:
- English Language Arts - April 20-24, 2020
- Mathematics, Science and Make-ups - April 27-May 1, 2020
E-Friday Folder
Here are the latest flyer on our school's E-Friday Folder:
New Flyers:
Promotional Design Contest Flyer 2019-2020
Previous Flyers:
You Be the Chemist Flyer 2019-2020
CR Elementary Safety Presentation
Northampton Township Miracle League Fundraising Presentation
2019 Miracle League Halloween Bash Invitation
Foreign Language Program at HESThere are a lot of great activities each day at school, and the children seem to truly enjoy their learning. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Joe MacClay
Principal
Holland Elementary School
597 Beverly Road
Holland, PA 18966
Email: jmacclay@crsd.org
Website: http://www.crsd.org/Domain/1212
Phone: 215-944-1500
Twitter: @HollandElem