Hopewell's Happenings

We asked and you came through. Thank you for a well-attended first day of school. Your support and energy from our Clap-in allowed our students to easily transition from their summer schedules to our school day. We captured a few images from this day so please see below.

Also, time flies when you are having fun. We are already one month into the school year and could not be more proud of how our students are performing. Our instructional and support staff are hard at work ensuring the overall success of our students. We are excited to see what October and the rest of our fall season has in store.

Lastly, at our first whole school meeting, we unveiled to our students this year's school theme, The Hopewell Way. Freddy recorded a few videos to demonstrate to our students how to be kind, The Hopewell Way, but also challenged our students to do the same. As a result, our homerooms spent the rest of September collaborating and working together to come up with what they believe to be The Hopewell Way. We look forward to hear what they have come up with!

Hopewell Elementary School and the HES PTO is excited to provide one school shirt per student enrolled at HES for the 2023-2024 school year. This is a FREE shirt covered by the school and PTO! Thank you PTO! Students will wear these t-shirts throughout the year for school meetings, Spirit Days, and other special events. Please complete this FORM ASAP!!

Forms must be filled out by Monday, October 16, 2023

-This is only for active students currently at HES (no alum, no siblings)

-One form PER student so if you have multiple students currently at HES, they each need their own form.

One of our three Nature Harmony Projects on HES's campus, the Hammock Garden, is almost complete. Jack Elliott, Class of '24, is putting the finishing touches on it for his Eagle Scout project so it can be ready for our classes to use during this beautiful fall weather. Please see a photo below.

In addition, our fifth graders took time out of their recess to help spruce up our Infinity Garden. This is another wonderful outdoor learning space that our students and staff utilize during classroom instruction.

We are excited to invite you to our annual Back to School Night on October 5th, from 6-8pm. This evening is an opportunity for you to get to know your child's teachers, explore your child's classroom and learn more about the exciting year ahead. Below are a few reminders for our HES Families:

• Back to School Night is an opportunity to learn about your child’s teacher and program. If you have specific questions about your child, individual conferences can be scheduled with the teacher at another time.
• This is an informative evening event and we respectfully request young children and students not attend.

The event schedule can be found here. We encourage you to review the schedule in advance to make the most of your time with us. We look forward to seeing you on October 5th!

During September, students participated in our Kindness Kickoff and focused on the character trait of Responsibility. As we move into October, our focus will shift to Respect.

Week of Respect - October 2-6

During the Week of Respect, our students will engage in Character Strong lessons, participate in Spirit Days, and enjoy school-wide activities that promote respect and kindness. It's an opportunity for them to learn the importance of treating others with dignity and consideration. View our spirit day calendar below.

Peace Week - October 16-20

Later in the month, from October 16th to 20th, we will be observing Peace Week. This is the week aimed at fostering a sense of peace and unity within our school community. Please wear Tie-Dye or peace apparel on Friday, October 20th.

In addition, we have teamed up with the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association to encourage our students to bike, roll, or walk to school on Tuesday, October 17th. GMTMA partners with schools and communities throughout Mercer and Ocean Counties to implement a variety of safe walking and bicycling programs. Students will be able to visit GMTMA's table on their way in to school in the morning. They will have a prize wheel and bike safety questions to quiz the students. Prizes will be awarded too! Start mapping out your route to school now.

Lifetouch will be here on October 27th for our school photos. Login to the Lifetouch website and use our unique HES code (EVT9HHBSZ) for ordering information. Get ready to smile for the camera!

Our annual Halloween Parade will take place on Tuesday, October 31st, from 9:15am to 9:55am. We encourage all HES Families to join us for the festivities! Please note that safety is our top priority. We kindly request that costumes are age-appropriate and do not include weapons or scary elements. Additionally, comfortable footwear is recommended for students to ensure their safety while walking during the parade. More information will follow in a separate communication as we near this date.

Back to School (BTS) Picnic Thank You

A HUGE heartfelt thank you to all of our incredible families! The BTS Picnic was an enormous success. Thank you to everyone who attended and made it such a wonderful welcome back for HES Families!

HES PTO Fundraising

The HES PTO is the volunteer organization behind many fun events and special things for our kids during the school year. Please view our link to the Frog Flash: Fall Fundraising.

Are you in the directory yet?

Did you know HES has a free, secure directory for families to find contact information to schedule playdates, send out birthday party invites or contact a parent in a pinch? Sign up for the school directory to manage the information you want to share and choose whether to receive important PTO announcements about upcoming events such as the school T-shirt giveaway and the book fair. The Membership Toolkit portal is secure, so your information will never be shared outside of our school community, and it gives you control over what you want to share. If you have any questions about the directory, reach out at hesdirectory@gmail.com.

PTO Meeting Dates

It's that time of year again when we come together as a community to discuss exciting plans and initiatives for our school. Your envolvement is crucial, and we invite you to mark your calendars for our upcoming PTO meetings. Please see the picture below for these important dates.

• October 2nd - 6th - HES Celebrates the Week of Respect
• October 5th - Back to School Night, 6:00-8:00pm, Use Visitor's Entrance
• October 6th - First PTO Meeting, 8:45 am, Use Visitor's Entrance
• October 9th - School's Closed for Indigenous People's Day; Staff Professional Development Day
• October 10th - 13th - HES Celebrates Fire Prevention Week with HV Bureau of Fire Safety
• October 16th - 20th - HES Celebrates Peace Week
• October 17th - Bike/Roll/Walk-to-School Event at HES (sponsored by GMTMA)
• October 21st - Rescheduled Hopewell Harvest Fair, HES Campus
• October 27th - Lifetouch Picture Day
• October 31st - Halloween Parade, 9:15-9:55am, HES Campus

HES Dismissal Waiver Form

HES School Calendar

HVRSD District Calendar

HES School Times

HES Lunch Info

This section of our monthly correspondence is dedicated to posting our older community newsletters so that you can refer back to previous HES communication. We also recommend that you regularly visit our school's website to stay informed with the latest events and happenings at HES.

Previous Newsletters:

• September Edition
• Back to School Edition