PTO Meeting - February 14th from 6:00 to 7:00pm

**********

Community Dinner - February 21st from 5:30 - 7:00pm - In our cafeteria

The learning center has been bustling with readers and researchers this week. After reading an entertaining and informative book about unique bugs, students in grades 1-3 chose a bug to research using PebbleGo, an online database available to all Hiawatha families. Ask your child what bug they chose to research!

The kindergarten students were introduced to Epic, an online digital reading platform, listening to and viewing books about kindness and empathy. We will revisit this resource in the future.

Jason Chin’s visit was incredible! Students at Hiawatha are still talking about it. Here are some pictures from the visit.

Save the Date:

2023 Hiawatha Cardboard Challenge

Saturday, March 11

1:00-3:00 pm

Design, problem-solve, and learn!

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!

Susie Snow

Librarian

ssnow@ewsd.org

During the Winter months, please remember to send your student to school every day with the items listed below.

We go outside every day when the wind chill temperature has our "Feels like" temperature higher than zero degrees.

• hat
• pair of gloves or mittens
• coat
• snow pants
• boots
• change of clothes
• indoor shoes

If students do not have boots and snow pants, they will still go outside but need to stay on paved areas of the playground during recess. This is done to keep them dry.

Please pack indoor shoes for your student to wear inside the school building. Wearing wet snow boots is not only uncomfortable but makes for wet floors, which can lead to injury.

Need Winter Clothing Items?

If you need assistance with obtaining winter gear, please contact Nurse Reyna or Mrs. Grykien. Health Office: (802) 857-7740.

Great news! The Heavenly Pantry construction is complete for the time being! Food pantry operations are returning to normal!

The Heavenly Food Pantry, located at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Essex

Junction, will be open to families residing in Essex, Essex Junction and Westford on Monday,

February 13th, from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Families will be given a number when they arrive and asked to wait in the sanctuary. When their number is called, they will be registered beginning at 5:30pm. A volunteer will greet and escort them around the pantry, allowing them to make selections of their choosing. After food is gathered, it will be weighed (information for pantry use only) and another volunteer will bring the food to the family’s vehicle. Shopping carts will be made available for those within walking distance of the pantry.

The pantry asks for proof of residence for each household in the form of a current utility bill

with physical address listed. In lieu of this, families may provide a current correspondence

from a government agency or other official mail. Identification for each household member

may consist of a driver’s license, hospital card, insurance card, school issued id, social security id or birth certificate.

The Food Pantry requests that those visiting the pantry (as well as the volunteers) remain

masked when the pantry is open for food distribution.

As usual, there are no income requirements to visit the food pantry and a variety of food is

available to everyone; however, eligible families who fall below federally mandated guidelines

may access additional food provided by the USDA once each month.

Families not able to attend the pantry may call the Church office at 802-878-5745 between 9:00 am. and noon today and Monday to leave contact information (name, address, phone

number) so arrangements for delivery can be made. A follow-up call to complete registration

will take place on Monday morning.

Families are currently able to visit the pantry each time it is open-on the 2nd Monday of the

month from 5:30-7:30 pm and the 4th Thursday of the month from 2:00-6:00 pm (except for

November and December when it is the 3rd Thursday).

The next food pantry distribution will occur on Thursday, February 23rd, from 2:00-6:00 pm.