Hopkins Elementary Newsletter

Principal's Corner

Greetings Family,

Can you believe it is already November? November always reminds us to be thankful. What are you thankful for?

I am thankful that each of you allows the faculty and staff of Hopkins Elementary to provide a quality education for your child(ren). Recently the report card ratings for all South Carolina schools were issued. I am happy to report that Hopkins Elementary scored "Good," which means that our school performance exceeds the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. We understand that we still have much work to do, but this report indicates that we are headed in the correct direction.

Over the last few weeks, the weather has changed a great deal. We would like you to continue to monitor your child's health. Please follow the recommendations of public health officials, including frequently washing your hands and staying at home if you are sick or exhibiting symptoms such as fever or chills, cough or shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing.

I appreciate the way the families of Hopkins Elementary continue to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19, RSV, and Flu in our school, district, and community. Please keep the lines of communication open as we work as partners in your child's education.

With Hippo Pride,

Audrey White-Garner, M Ed.

Principal

The weather is changing and it gives us so many opportunities to talk math! You can talk about what the meteorologist is saying on the local news. (record it if you won't be home 🙂) What is the temperature? What is the high/low? Which number is greater? What is the difference between the highs and lows? What would be the total if we added Tuesday's high to Wednesday's low? What if it was 43 degrees for 5 days in a row, what would the total be? How many tens/ones? Draw a model of the numbers you see on the news. You can even talk about the wind speed and lake levels. There is measurement and numbers EVERYWHERE!!!!!

The weather is changing and it gives us many opportunities to talk about reading and writing! You can go outside and read in the relaxing fall temperatures. You can talk about the colors of the leaves and think about your five senses--what do you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch....and even write about your reading adventure. Fall into a good book! Remember reading and writing is everywhere.

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. Its mission is to “close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society.” Using AVID Elementary, our students will learn about Note-taking, Organization, and Collaboration Skills and continue to think about their educational path to college/career and beyond. We will share a "strategy of the month" for each of you to implement in your AVID Elementary classrooms.

THE STRATEGY OF THE MONTH- GOAL SETTING

During November and December, students will participate in multiple forms of Winter testing (i.e., STAR Reading, STAR Early Literacy, STAR Math, Benchmark Assessment System (BAS), etc.). Students must understand the importance of setting a goal for themselves—academically and personally. Over the next couple of months, students will work on creating a plan to help them become successful on their grade level’s benchmark testing.

SIC/PTO Corner

The School Improvement Council (SIC) serves as an advisory committee to a school's principal and faculty. Unlike PTOs and other voluntary school organizations, councils are mandated by law to exist in every public school in South Carolina. SICs play a vital role in educating our state's children, bringing together parents, educators, and community stakeholders to work collectively to improve their local schools. Some of the critical functions of the SIC include:

assist in developing and implementing a five-year school improvement plan (school renewal plan);
monitor and evaluate success in reaching the plan's goals and objectives;
write an annual report to parents about the progress of the plan; and
assist the principal in writing the narrative for the School Report Card

The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) allows parents and teachers to collaborate to supplement and enrich the educational experience. Hopkins Elementary has been fortunate to have outstanding PTO Officers and members. If you would like to serve as an officer or member of our school's PTO, please call 803-783-5541 or email audrey.white-garner@richlandone.org to share your interest.

All SIC/PTO meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month. The next PTO/SIC meeting will be held virtually (via ZOOM) on December 7 @ 6:30pm.

Meeting ID- 805 137 7207
Password- 210904

Download the Box Tops App

All you need is your phone! Download the Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase. The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit your school’s earnings online. Hopkins Elementary will receive a check twice this year that we can use for whatever we need for our school.