Hunter Elementary Newsletter
November 2020
Happy November!
I hope all of our families are enjoying the fall weather and are looking forward to our upcoming Thanksgiving Break! I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank our Hunter community Veterans for your dedicated service to the United States Armed Forces. We will forever be grateful for your bravery and sacrifices to protect our country’s freedom.
I want to thank all of the parents who have shown wearing their masks and practicing social distancing when dropping their children off. Our goal is to keep school doors open and everyone safe and healthy. In order to do that we need to follow the CDH guidelines and the West Ada School District Policy. If you are on WASD grounds, you are required to wear a face covering and practice social distancing.
Students cannot be on school grounds before 8:50am on school days .
Our schedule is as follows:
· Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday 9:05am-3:55pm
· Monday (Early Release Starting Monday, November 16th) 2:10pm
As always thank you for supporting Hunter Elementary. Our staff is committed to all of our students’ success and we appreciate your continued assistance during this unprecedented time. I wish all of our students and families a joyous Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy the time off with your family; and I look forward to seeing everyone when we return from the break on November 30th.
Julie Prince
Principal
Learning At Home: Tips For Parents
1. The first rule of caring for your child's emotional or behavior struggles is that there are no rules. Parenthood doesn’t come with a manual and there will be a lot of trial and error as you figure out what works best to help your child.
2. Cover the basics. Before you dismiss your child's outburst as a lack of control, ask yourself if there is a simple explanation for what’s going on. Are they hungry or thirsty? Are they too hot or cold? Are they overstimulated? Did they get enough sleep? Are they feeling under the weather (i.e. – colds, allergies, headaches, upset stomachs)?
3. Pick your battles. Ask yourself if this specific behavior is doing any harm, or if it’s just annoying—annoying probably isn’t worth arguing over. If you do get in an argument with your child, resist the urge to raise your voice. Be matter-of-fact and stand your ground.
4. Environment matters. Do your best to create a home that is low on stress, safe, and supportive. A “Mary Poppins”-type household would be great, but let’s get real. If you and your significant other get in a fight, keep it away from the kids. Give reasonable timelines for getting chores done. Praise your child for the things they do well and let them know that you love them. 5. Encourage communication. Let your child know that they can talk to you about their thoughts, feelings, or difficult situations they’re dealing with. When they do come to you, really listen to what they have to say. You may not agree or understand, but you need to accept that the difficulties they are having are very real to them. Think about things you struggled with when you were their age.
6. Timing is everything. In stressful situations, allow your child some space and address issues later when they have regained control over themselves, otherwise you’re basically pouring gasoline on a fire.
7. Create calm. A child in crisis and out of control cannot rely on reason. Your gut reaction may be to panic or go into mama/papa bear mode, but they rely on you to help them regain a sense of calm and stability. Soften your voice and use short, clear directions: “Come with me.” “Sit down.” “Take a deep breath.” “Tell me what’s going on.” 8. Help them to help themselves. It’s great for your child in the long-term and their teachers will also appreciate strong coping skills. Praise successes and use failures as learning opportunities. Ask questions like, “What can you do the next time you’re in this situation?” or “What made you feel better the last time you felt this way?”
9. Tackle troubling thoughts. Sometimes the brain can play tricks on us. We’ve all had something unsettling cross our minds or have assumed someone was mad at us when they weren’t. Break down problem thoughts and bring your child back to reality.
For instance, if they think that a friend doesn’t like them anymore, ask them why they think that and if their friend did anything to make them think that way. Or if they are worried that you are going to get hurt in a car accident, remind them that you drive safely to and from work and/or school every day and that your car has airbags to help keep you safe. If there seems to be a bigger problem with anxiety or depression, call and discuss your concerns with a mental health professional.
10. Create routines. Routines give a sense of stability to children and teens, especially those who struggle with anxiety. Keep both bedtime and the morning in mind. The Sleep Foundation recommends 9-11 hours of sleep for children ages 6-13, and 8-10 hours of sleep each night for teens ages 14-17. Make sure that your morning routine includes a healthy, low-sugar breakfast, which keeps young people from getting tired in school and helps improve attention span.
11. Check your tone. You may find it tempting to blame problem behaviors on your child hanging out with the “wrong group of friends” - but if you use an accusatory tone, odds are your son or daughter will stop listening. Frame your approach from a place of care and concern, not anger.
12. Learn from other parents. Reach out to your school’s PTO/PTA organization. Check with your school’s counselor to see if there are local parenting classes available.
Adapted from Red Flags, “Coping with Depression at Home.”
School Breakfast - Good for Kids and Good for Parents!
For parents with busy schedules, it can be hard to make sure that kids are eating a healthy breakfast before they go to school in the morning.
Sometimes children aren’t hungry right after waking up, and it’s hard to find food they like to eat that is also healthy. Also, some kids refuse breakfast at home but are hungry when they arrive at school. Fortunately, we have a great breakfast program for all students, and it’s available at school every day.
If morning meals are difficult for your family, let the School Breakfast Program help you out! Please click here for more information about School Nutrition!
Kindergarten thru 5th Grade Return
Student schedules are now more consistent. Elementary grades K-5 will be released from school early on Mondays and attend school every weekday. Teachers are provided Monday afternoons for dedicated instructional prep time and collaboration.
Elementary Grades K-5 School Schedule (Starting November 10):
Daily in-person instruction with early-release Mondays (Starting November 16).
Please remember to call the attendance line at 208-855-4291 to report your child’s absence before 10:30am.
“There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” - Ranulph Fiennes
With the weather changing, we encourage parents to send their children to school with appropriate attire. Students are going outside to play, and jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, sneakers, and other outerwear items are important. Be sure that your child has the necessary items to be outside on cooler days and that you have labeled your child’s belongings with their name.
Hunter Elementary
Website: https://www.westada.org/Domain/19
Location: 2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Phone: 208-855-4285
Election Day - No School
Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020, 08:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
No School for AM & PM Kindergarteners Parent Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020, 09:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Jersey Mike's Fundraising Event
Wednesday, Nov 4, 2020, 11:00 AM
1511 West McMillan Road, Meridian, Idaho, USA
No School for Grades K-8 Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday, Nov 5, 2020, 09:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
No School K-12
Friday, Nov 6, 2020, 08:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Team 2 in building/Team 1 remote learning
Monday, Nov 9, 2020, 09:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Kindergarten thru 5th Grade Return to the Building
Elementary grades K-5 will be released from school early on Mondays and attend school every weekday. Teachers are provided Monday afternoons for dedicated instructional prep time and collaboration.
Elementary Grades K-5 School Schedule (Starting November 10):
Daily in-person instruction with early-release Mondays (Starting November 16).
Tuesday, Nov 10, 2020, 09:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Picture Day
Picture day is Wednesday, November 18, 2020. Due to current events and in an effort to keep our staff and your family safe, we are going exclusively to online orders. Please see the instructions below: All orders must be placed by November 18th, 2020.
Go to www.parkerportraitsonline.com
- Leave STUDENT KEY blank
- Click on Job/Event for the drop down menu
- Select Hunter Fall 2020 & Click Open
- Enter Subject Details (Student)
- Enter Contact Details & Click Submit
- Choose your background for each item
- Choose your package
- Place your order
No Retake or Absentee day will be scheduled at the school. All retakes will need to be scheduled at the studio.
Thanks!
Wednesday, Nov 18, 2020, 09:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Thanksgiving Holiday Break- No School K-12
Monday, Nov 23, 2020, 08:00 AM
2051 West McMillan Road, Meridian, ID, USA
Early Release Mondays
AM Kinder: 9:05AM-11:20AM
PM Kinder: 12:00PM- 2:10PM
TK-5th Grade: 9:05AM-2:10PM
Student schedules are now more consistent. Elementary grades K-5 will be released from school early on Mondays and attend school every weekday. Teachers are provided Monday afternoons for dedicated instructional prep time and collaboration.
- The entire document outlining the "Recommendations for School Operational Decision Making During COVID-19 Pandemic" that Dr. David Pate spoke about is available by clicking here.