Friday Update

Hello Foster’s Finest,

What an exciting week! When we return, the new parking lot will be completed in the front. The access road for the construction vehicles will be created and we should be very close to having a playground back for our students to enjoy.

It has been a great week of fun with the Student Council's Spirit Week. Additionally, we had an incredible bulletin board competition this week. Lot's of excitement.

I wish you all a relaxing break. Enjoy the time with family and friends.

Mr. Scheufele

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.

Vaccine Update from DPH and DESE

Pleas see the attached information about vaccinations for children.

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.

On behalf of the PTO Board thank you for your continued generosity & support in 2022. The Foster community is truly remarkable. We hope everyone has a wonderful break.

See you in 2023!

This week The Foster PTO sponsored a Holiday Luncheon for the entire Foster Staff catered by local favorite Comella’s. We are grateful for everything they do for our Foster’s Finest. A special thank you to Jamie Amaral and Kate Dewey for organizing. We also wanted to give a shout out to Caitlin Dockendorff and Katie Hurley for always making such creative & festive bulletin boards at the school.

Save The Date: Our next PTO Meeting is Thursday February 2nd 6pm-7pm @ Foster School Library. Join us for a HPS budget update & discussion from our Superintendent Dr. Margaret Adams. RSVP via text to Missy Sadler @508-380-1536 or email sadler.melissa@icloud.com.

**Taylor Swift Raffle Update**

The moment we have all been waiting for! The Foster PTO Taylor Swift ticket raffle winner was drawn on Tuesday December 20th. Everyone who did not win was notified via email. Our winner would like to remain anonymous as they do not want to ruin the Christmas present surprise for their daughter. They are huge supporters of the Hingham Public Schools and of Foster. Be sure to tune into our social media accounts this weekend to see the video of the lucky winner opening her tickets. Thank you to everyone who participated in this unprecedented raffle and fundraiser. A HUGE special thank you to the Flaherty Family for the beyond generous donation of these tickets. Through this raffle fundraiser Foster PTO has raised $17,420 for our Fosters Finest Curriculum Enrichment & Spirit Programs! 488 people purchased over 35,215 raffle tickets! Just Incredible! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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! 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. We are looking for volunteers. Please contact Meg Tomasello for more info: mgrier77@yahoo.com

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..