The Hiawatha Buzz!

Dear Hiawatha Community,

What a fantastic start to the school year! The first few weeks of school are dedicated to building community, connection, expectations and routines. Your kids are doing fabulous! We are working as a whole school community to be kind, safe and curious.

A gentle reminder that no cars should be left in the drop off and pick up lane. This lane is only for folks who are staying in or with their car while dropping off a student or picking them up. We really appreciate your support with this.

I hope you all have a great week and look forward to week 2!

Happy Labor Day!

Katherine

* September 2nd - Labor Day weekend - NO SCHOOL - Please plan accordingly

* September 10th - PTO Meeting from 6:00- 7:00 PM in Joe Caforia's classroom

* September 26th - Open House from 6:00 - 7:00 PM

*** IMPORTANT ***

Please make sure to include Ms. Michelle, our Office Manager, in all communications regarding attendance or change in after school plan for the day, she is who does attendance for the school, not the teachers. Teachers may be absent, or may not get to email to pass your message on to her. Please remember to include the reason why your student is going to be absent.

Please be sure to let Michelle know before 7:30 AM if your child is going to miss school.

There are many ways to contact her regarding your student's attendance or change in after-school plan.

1. Call the Attendance line at 802-857-7007 (for Attendance only)

2. Call Michelle at 802-878-1384

3. Email Michelle at hiawathaoffice@ewsd.org

4. Go to our website and click on the Report an Absence button.

*** If you need to make a change to your student's after-school plan, please contact Michelle directly before 2:00 PM (1PM on Wednesdays) on any given day. ***

We’ve got many high quality children’s books available for the taking! We have some tables with available books in our main hallway and we’re adding books to our Little Free Library in front of our school each day. Please feel free to take as many as your children can read!

We’re looking for enthusiastic classroom volunteers to help bring nature and science to life through the Four Winds program! No prior experience is needed—just a love of learning and a passion for making a difference. Your time and effort will enrich the students’ experience and help create memorable learning moments.

Interested in joining us? Sign Up today to get involved and be part of this exciting adventure!

Summer EBT is a new permanent summer food program for children created by Congress. The goal of the program is to help feed children when they don’t have access to school meals. Many families have already received these benefits automatically. Earlier this summer, information was mailed to many families who automatically qualified. A few more groups of children who automatically qualify will be getting benefits soon. Some families may need to complete an application to receive this benefit.

If you have not already received this benefit for all the children in your household, visit https://summerebt.vermont.gov/ to apply. The application deadline is September 4, 2024. You should apply if your child attends a school that offers the National School Lunch Program and your family income is under 185% of the federal poverty level. In Vermont, all public schools and some independent schools and pre-K programs offer the National School Lunch Program. You should also apply if you have children who attend school, but you are not sure if your family income qualifies you for the benefit. If your application is approved, you will receive $120 per eligible child to spend on groceries.

If you have questions about this program, visit https://summerebt.vermont.gov/ or call 1-888-354-0012 (Option 7).

On behalf of our Hiawatha PTO community, welcome back!

Who are we? We are all PTO, every Hiawatha parent or guardian is a valuable member of the PTO. No membership or commitment required.

Looking to contribute in a consistent, easy way? WE NEED CLASS PTO REPRESENTATIVES. Each class will have one or two parent volunteers who will act as a liaison for their class. If your classroom teacher or a fellow parent has a question or concern to bring to the PTO, but they can’t make a meeting, you can speak on their behalf. If there is important, class specific information gleaned from the PTO meeting, you can pass that information on to the teacher or your fellow parents. THIS IS A VERY LOW KEY POSITION.

Requirements:

1. Respond to emails/facebook group communications with PTO related concerns.This is unlikely to happen often.

2. Do the occasional check in with the teacher

3. Ideally, attend all of our monthly PTO meetings on the second Tuesday of the month from 6-7 PM.

To sign up as a PTO Classroom Representative, add your name and contact information to this document: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MajOHwraLNg1XDvwvXD28t4mpxeZOVX4LwJ4cbk1zc8/edit?usp=sharing

Attending PTO meetings is an easy way to make connections with fellow parents, be the first to know about upcoming happenings, and make a difference in our community.

Can’t make a meeting? Watch for small but impactful volunteer opportunities in future newsletters or on the Hiawatha School PTO facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/HiawathaSchoolPTO/

OUR FIRST PTO MEETING is at Hiawatha on Tuesday September 10th, 6-7 PM.

Question, comment or concerns? Feel free to email Ashley Arcovitch, PTO President: HiawathaPTO@ewsd.org

Please click the link below to see the hot lunch menu, be sure to select the correct month you need and select lunch in the drop down in the top of the page. If needed, there is a print option. The menu can also be found on our website :-)

Menu

Email: hiawathaoffice@ewsd.org