Friday Update
Weekly Update
Hello Foster’s Finest,
We are almost ready for the first phase of the building project. In the next week we will begin the temporary parking lot in front of the school as well as the construction of the playground. It is hard to believe that the project is ready to go. We will continue to have outdoor recess when the weather allows for it. There were a few days where the wind chill was bringing us to a temperature that was too low to have recess this week. Additionally, there were many students coming to school without proper clothing for the temperatures. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately so that we can safely conduct outdoor recess.
My favorite moment of the last week was our 5th Grade Band, Strings, and Chorus performance held this past Tuesday. Word on the street was that it was the best performance by our your musicians. There is so much research about the positive effects for students who participate in musical programs on their academic achievement. Thank you to our fantastic music teachers Ms. Crook, Ms. Gorczyca, and Mr. Lewis for their work with the students and for being willing to host this after school hours. It truly made my day to see our students perform with such success.
Our Student Council is hosting our spirit week next week:
Student Council Happy Holidays Spirit Week
December 19th-23rd
Holiday Music
Bulletin Board Decorating Contest
Themed dress up days
Monday 12/19: Spirit Week Kick-Off.
Students may wear a holiday themed hat or headband. You can also Wear the colors of a holiday you celebrate!!
Tuesday 12/20: Tacky Sweater Tuesday
Students may wear a tacky holiday sweater, dress or shirt to school.
Wednesday 12/21:
Wacky Wednesday
Crazy socks and mismatched clothes!
Thursday 12/22:
Thoughtful Thursday
Bring a canned or non perishable food item to donate to the food pantry
Friday 12/23:
Warm and Cozy Pajama Day
Students may wear pajamas to school!
The Student Council is also working on researching Hingham ecosystems. They will be helping the architect for the new school decide what grade will be decorated to match which ecosystem. While they may not be students in the new school, they will be forever remembered for helping us choose an important feature for the school for years to come.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Mr. Scheufele
From our Art Teacher
Hello! I'm Mrs. McKeon, the art teacher at Foster School. I wanted to invite all parents and guardians who have not already done so to give their permission for their children to have their Artsonia Art Portfolios viewable online. This is free, and 81% of Foster School students currently have their art publicly viewable. I am hoping that we will soon get back to the pre-covid level of participation, which was closer to 90%.
Why Artsonia? I began with Artsonia so that, without cost to the District, I could see student growth over time. There are many reasons why families like it. Once you join/give your approval for your free account, you can also invite others, such as grandparents, to receive notifications when new art is uploaded. Extended families from all over the globe have left comments for the children (parents/guardians approve those prior to posting.) You can even get the free app to upload images from home through your parent portal. Last, some families like the ability to purchase items such as mugs that feature the images that their child creates. I want to thank the PTO for managing the 20% that is donated back to the art program at Foster. You can read more about that on our Artsonia page.
Here is the main school page, so you can see the art - click on an image to open a class gallery.
https://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=104097
To give your permission, navigate here: https://www.artsonia.com/connect/4DMS33D4.
Kindergarten Registration
Families who have incoming kindergarten students next September should mark their calendars: on January 11, 2023 at 6:30 PM at Town Hall, there will be a forum about the kindergarten registration process. This will be a great event designed to inform you about the events coming from registration through screening and orientation.
From the Nurse’s Office: We are seeing an increased number of cases of influenza (the flu) and strep throat at Foster School in the past several weeks. This is a reminder to please keep your children home if they are sick. It is recommended that they see their healthcare providers if they have a fever, sore throat, or a persistent cough. If strep throat is diagnosed, your child must be on antibiotics for 24 hours, and be fever free without fever reducing medication for 24 hours, before they can return to school. Those with the flu are most contagious for 3-4 days from when they begin to feel sick and should stay home for this period of time, even if their fever has subsided. In addition, Covid is still around, so please test your children if they are sick—it is the best tool we have for stopping the spread of Covid. Please reach out with any questions or concerns. Hvigneau@ hinghamschools.org
Care Solace
We are committed to the well-being of our students, staff, and families to create a safe and healthy learning environment. In support of our ongoing commitment, we partnered with Care Solace to provide an additional layer of care for our community.
Care Solace helps individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in your community.
Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:
- Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
- For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at www.caresolace.com/hinghamschools.
Care Solace is now available for use at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. All information entered on the Care Solace tool is completely confidential and securely stored.
Please note, this service is an optional resource available by choice and is not mandatory to use. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider. In the event of a life threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Hotline 9-8-8.
If you are interested in counseling-related services for your child, yourself, or another family member, please contact Care Solace for valuable assistance. This is a resource provided by Hingham Public Schools. Additionally, the district has added two new pages on the website, social-emotional wellness (resources) and school counseling (contact info). Please take some time to look at these resources.
From our PTO
Only a few days left to buy raffle tickets to win two front-of-stage tickets at Taylor Swift's concert on 5/21!
Enter NOW for your chance to win!! The Raffle is open until 12/19, winner announced on 12/20. Enter as many times as you’d like!
All proceeds will support our Foster’s Finest Curriculum Enrichment Programs & The Foster PTO. Feel free to share with friends and family to enter too! Buy Raffle Tickets Here
Yearbook Committee Needs Your Help:
Are you looking for a way to volunteer for the Foster community at a time & place that’s convenient for you? Join the yearbook committee! The 2022/2023 yearbook development is kicking into high gear and we are looking for help from parents in ALL grades. There are many ways to be involved. Please check out the sign up genius Yearbook Sign Up
& contact Denise Dockrey for more information at dsdock@gmail.com.
Scholastic Book Fair Save the Dates: March 13th – 17th
We are planning to bring back Family Night as well as the Used Book Store…Stay tuned for more info. If you’re looking to volunteer to help with this great event please reach out to Ally Forrest @ forrae01@yahoo.com
Boosterthon Glow Run Save The Dates: March 22nd – 31st
For our spring fundraiser the PTO is partnering with Boosterthon to transform Fosters gym into a glowing, neon racetrack with rope lights, disco balls, tents, flags, cones, and tunnels. During the week leading up to the run students will learn & focus on a different theme each day (Gratitude, Stewardship, Bravery, Perseverance & Wonder). Students who wish to participate can work to get pledges for how many laps they can run and receive awards/prizes for achieving milestones. At the end of the week students who want to participate will run up to 35 glowing laps to fun, high-energy music. Special accommodations will be made for any student that may require them. Check out: Glow Run Video
We are bringing back the K-5 Foster Talent Show:
Save The Dates: Dress Rehearsal Fri. May 5th & Talent Show Sat. May 6th Location: @ Hingham High School Auditorium
Please email kellyhoppe@gmail.com if you would like to help be a part of the planning committee.
Upcoming Community Events:
January 17th, 7pm – Hingham Highschool Auditorium: How to handle anxiety, depression & your kids – Parents & Caregivers please join us for a discussion with Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nadja Reilly who will cover general topics about anxiety/depression/self harm - What to look for, coping mechanisms. Discuss grief and suicide - how to talk to children about this and answer questions from the audience. Heather Rodriguez, Director of HPS School Counseling, will cover Care Solace & discuss services offered in Hingham Public Schools. This presentation is being Sponsored by SEPAC & HPS PTO’s
Spring Softball Clinics
Sign up for Spring Training Clinics to get ready for the 2023 Spring HGS Softball Season! Open to girls grades 2-8. These clinics focus on hitting, fielding, throwing, and getting ready for the spring season! $180/4 sessions in February and March at the Dome at Union Point Sports Complex @ 170 Memorial Grove Ave., South Weymouth.