Husky Family Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

The Rhode Island Department of Education statewide survey, known as SurveyWorks, is open until the end of March and we encourage your participation. I emailed the directions last week and will send them again, as well as adding them right below:

• Families will visit the website below and choose Hopkins Hill School from a searchable dropdown menu.
• Here is the link that will take you to the survey site: bit.ly/ridefamily

We appreciate your participation.

Also, a note about Valentine's Day. We get lots of questions about Valentine's day and school. Students in younger grades often like to hand out cards. If your child's teacher chooses to do that as an activity, and you choose to participate, please make sure a greeting is available for each child in the class so no one is left out. Due to the district health and wellness policy, please don't send in candy of any kind for students either separately or attached to cards. For older students, please have conversations with them about the difference between having boys and girls as friends and boyfriends and girlfriends. Believe it or not, this does come up in elementary school and can be exacerbated by Valentine's Day. The last thing anyone wants is for someone to be embarrassed or upset. Same guidelines applies as with younger students if a student chooses to hand out cards. Some children choose not to and that's fine, too. Please let us know if you have questions.

If you are a West Bay Smiles Family, they will be at Hopkins Hill on February 5. Please let Nurse Deb know if you have questions.

Please Mrs. Marran's section for an update related to the Kids Heart Challenge. February menus are under the EB information.

The Grade 5 Boat for Kids weekly schedule below. This is a program for our fifth graders in conjunction with CHS Career and tech and electric boat. The first week went very well.

January 9 - Cartesian Diver -- Students explore Ship Fitting

January 16 - Welding with Cheese -- Students explore Welding

January 23 - PVC Periscope - Students explore Pipe Fitting

January 30 - Fruit Batteries - Students explore maritime electrical

February 6 - Aluminum Foil Submarine - Students explore Sheetmetal

February 13 - Measurement and Fractions --Students explorer Machining

The children and teachers had very positive reviews about this experience.

February Breakfast

February Lunch

Best,

Mrs. Tancrelle

CPD Canine Comfort Dog, Jovie:

As many of you know, Coventry SRO, Officer Jadine Ferri, comes to visit all of our elementary schools, with Jovie, a CPD companion comfort dog. The k9.hometownfoundation.org has grants available that help officers and their dogs win money for the k9 companion program. How do Jovie and Officer Ferri get a chance to win? It's as simple as voting for them. Voting continues until February 28. You can vote by clicking on the k9 link. There are lots of great dogs pictured but Jovie is the best! Click on the pictures and you will see a bio of the dog and officer.

SurveyWorks: The SurveyWorks code for families is above.

Attendance Updates:

Looking at the RIDE Attendance Tracking tool today, we are holding our percentage of chronic absences to 15%. RIDE would like that percentage to be below 10%. When children are absent 10% or more of the school year, they are considered chronically absent. So, for example. on the 90th day of school, there should be no more than 9 absences. As we have mentioned before, RIDE does not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, but the reality is that elementary children get sick and often those illnesses go right through the house, which is why we encourage doctor's notes so we can excuse absences related to illnesses or appointments. No one wants you to send a sick child to school. All we are asking is that you carefully consider those "just because" absences.

RIDE ATTENDANCE TOOL STATS: The most recent states are mentioned just above..

Please review Coventry's Attendance Policy approved by the Coventry School Committee on June 27, 2024 and modeled after changes in RI State Law about attendance and addressing attendance.

Coventry Food Service Program: The Coventry Food Service Program - Breakfast and Lunch - is managed by Sodexo. Click on the link, which is the food service page from the Coventry Public Schools web page, in order to get pricing information.

Please note that the lunch menu seems to be only for next week. I have a menu in a different format that I will send in a separate email.

Free and Reduced Lunch: If you have been or think you might be eligible for free/reduced school lunch, you need to fill out the forms yearly before mid October. Once mid October comes and there isn't a new form on file, charges will accrue. You can find the on line application at the food service link above. This is now active, and I've linked it here - Free/Reduced Lunch Application. If you need a paper form, please let me know. The only exception to this process is if you are a direct cert from the state. You would have a letter and would just have to send us a copy.

Hopkins Hill Food Pantry: Hopkins Hill operates a food pantry throughout the school year. As part of this operation, we provide biweekly grocery deliveries from our food pantry supplies to any family that might be having a difficult time. All food pantry inquiries are confidential. You can call me or Nurse Deb if you are interested. We also have access to new coats, shoes, things like that, if needed. Reach out should any emergency arise and we are prepared to assist or help you find assistance.

WEST BAY SMILES: If you are a West Bay Smiles family, they will be at Hopkins Hill on February 5.

Laws change all the time with respect to a school nurse being able to administer medications in school. Here is a guide from Nurse Deb that will be helpful:

Medication Policy: Medication is not allowed in school without prior approval. There are times when medications are necessary to assure a student’s attendance at school. All medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, are to be brought in the original container which is properly labeled with the name of the student, the name and dosage of the medication, instructions for administration, and physician’s name. The medication is to be brought to the nurse/teacher at the beginning of the school day with the current parent/physician authorization form. Medication forms are available through the school nurse.

No medication will be given without a physician’s order. This includes Tylenol/Ibuprofen products, allergy medication, and cough drops/pops.

Cough drops are allowed for students in grades 3 and up with a note from the parent granting permission rather than an order but note the age requirement.

Students in K-2 must have an order on file from the pediatrician to allow cough drops in school.

Orders may be faxed to the nurse from the doctor at 401-305-0104.

Physical Education and Health, Mrs. Marran; Mrs. March:

Please click on the link to Mrs. Marran's Website. She updates it weekly. Here's the website address, too: https://marranjulie.wixsite.com/hhpehealth

Kids Heart Challenge Update

In our second week Hopkins Hill as registered 31 students online and raised over $1,500 for the America Heart Association! Mrs. O’Connell’s class is still in the lead to silly string Mrs. Marran!

We are still working towards our big goal of registering 150 students so we can earn a Glow Party in the gym! Remember it’s free to

register.

-If we register 75 students online, the American Heart Association will gift Hopkins Hill 2 bags of recess equipment!

-If we register 175 students online the whole school will get a Glow Party in the gym during their PE class!

-And of course, the class that raises the most money gets to silly string Mrs. Marran!

Remember it's free to register. Here is the link: http://www2.heart.org/goto/HopkinsHill

Notes From Music, Mr. Johnson; Mrs. Masse:

• Save the date: Hopkins Hill Chorus Winter Concert - Tuesday, February 4th, 2025 - 6:15 pm.

• Be sure to visit Mr. Johnson's website and check out the NEW Quarter 1 Music Class Podcast! Hear all about the songs and music skills studied in music class during the first quarter of the school year.

www.tinyurl.com/mrjcoventry

Library News, Mrs. Peters:

Check out this new website that Mrs. Peters created for Library! HH Library Website

Library Reading Challenge: Read a recipe to help make a meal or treat with someone special to you! Have an adult take your picture and send it to Mrs. Peters so it can be displayed. Check the website for details. https://sites.google.com/view/mrspeterslibrary/home

Art News, Mrs. McKay; Mrs. Gauthier:

2024-2025 SCHOOL CALENDAR

Weather Watch Recess Guide

This is where you will find a calendar of school events and other important dates. Here's the first fall dates to mark on your calendar:

February 4 - Chorus Winter Concert

February 11 - School Store

*Please note that the heart health fundraiser is ongoing until the week before February break.

February 17-21 - No School, Winter Break

March 14 - Save the Date - Cardboard Challenge, 6-7:30 PM - You don't want to miss this!

June 10 - Save the Date - Grade 5 Evening Celebration - more info coming in a few weeks.

PTO Meeting Schedule - All meetings are at 6 PM at Hopkins Hill. All are Welcome!

2/3, 3/3, 4/7, 5/5, 6/2

SCHOOL STORE DATES

2/11; 3/11; 4/8; 5/20

PTO Officers for the 2024-2025 school year.

President - Kristina Fragose

Vice President - Shana Cinquemani

Secretary - Meghan Broz

Treasure - Kayla Mauldin

Social Media Coordinator - Christine Falk

HH PTO:hopkinshillpto@gmail.com

Families, if you haven't done so already, please sign up for our email. Below is the link to do so or you can email us directly at hopkinshillpto@gmail.com

Thank you for all your support and we are looking forward to a great year!

Facebook: Hopkins Hill Elementary PTO

Instagram: @HopkinsHillPTO

Website: Access Hopkins Hill from the district page: https://www.coventryschools.net/

or go to: Hopkins Hill Elementary School

Location: 95 Johnson Blvd, Coventry, RI, USA

Phone: 401-822-9477

E-Fax: 401-823-1801

• Kathryn Tancrelle, Principal tancrellekathryn@coventryschools.net
• Kathleen Mealey, Secretary, mealeykathleen@coventryschools.net
• Deborah Oliver "Nurse Deb", School Nurse, oliverdeborah@coventryschools.net