The Compass Rose: 1/24

Many thanks to our amazing PTO for their efforts in brining BINGO night to life...Ice Ice BINGO was a great success, it was wonderful to see so many families here enjoying that!

We recently presented information to our incoming Kindergarten families, be sure to spread the word to those you may know with children entering Kindergarten this Fall. Registration is open and we're able to help you out with anything you may need!

- Mr. Hawes

Kindergarten Registration Packets Now Available!

🔗 Click here to download the packet.

Are you looking for ways to help your young person manage stress and anxiety?

Join best-selling author and clinical expert Lynn Lyons, LICSW, on March 4, 2025, at 6:30 PM at Hingham Middle School for a community talk and Q&A.

Lynn will share practical strategies to help young people navigate stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges. A Q&A session will follow, giving you the chance to engage directly with Lynn.

Parents, caregivers, educators, and community members are encouraged to attend.

This talk is sponsored by the Hingham Health Department, Hingham Public Schools, and Hingham CARES, as part of the HPS Wellness Committee’s ongoing efforts.

🔗 RSVP to reserve your spot!

Following please find the upcoming schedule of public presentations regarding the FY26 school budget. All meetings will be hybrid, accessible to the public in person and via Zoom. You can find applicable Zoom Links and room locations at hinghamschools.org/page/meetings. Presentation slides will be posted to the HPS website budget page after each meeting.

Every year, each public school and school district in Massachusetts receives a report card. Just as your child’s report card shows how they are doing in different subjects, the school’s report card is designed to show families how our school is doing in different areas. A link to our school’s report card is available here: https://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/2023/01310005. The Hingham Public School District's report card can be found here: https://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/2023/DistrictReportcard/01310000

The report card includes multiple measures of a school’s performance – more than just MCAS scores. It represents a new way of looking at school performance by providing information on student achievement, teacher qualifications, student learning opportunities, and more.

Report cards are designed to be useful tools for everyone connected to our school. Families can use the information to have meaningful conversations with us about what the school is doing well and where there is room for improvement. Community and education leaders can use the information to better understand how to support students and our school.

You will notice on our report card that we our students, overall, continue to perform well on MCAS exams, with opportunities for improvement within some sub-groups. To improve student performance in our school, we are working to reduce the absenteeism among all learners and continue to refine our tiered systems of support in both the academic and social-emotional domains. We encourage you to become involved in helping us improve our school. We see parents as critical partners in the success of our students and school, and we are grateful for your continued support.

Finally, if your child attends a school that receives federal Title I funds, you also have the right to request the following information about the qualifications of your child’s classroom teachers:

• Whether your child’s teacher is licensed in the grade levels and subject areas they teach,

• Whether your child’s teacher is teaching under an emergency license or waiver,

• The college degree and major of your child’s teacher, and

• Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you have questions about our school’s report card, would like to become involved in school improvement activities, or would like to request information about the qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher, please feel free to reach out to me via email (jhawes@hinghamschools.org) To see our district’s report card or to search for other schools’ report cards, visit http://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/

Our school district is committed to providing all students with a safe learning environment that is free from bullying. This commitment is an integral part of our comprehensive efforts to promote learning and to prevent and eliminate all forms of bullying and other harmful and disruptive behavior that can impede the learning process. Attached you will find links to our Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan as well as an Anonymous Bullying Reporting Form.

Please note, within the elementary handbook is language regarding the use of electronic devices during the school day. Many of our students bring phones and AppleWatches to school with them each day, however, they're prompted to put them into their backpacks or lockers. We recognize that students may be able to use these devices appropriately and without incident, but the temptation and opportunity for distraction and/or misuse drives the intentions behind this policy.

Handbook section 1.M.: "The use of electronic equipment that can include devices that can make or receive phone calls or text messages, such as cell phones, smart watches, etc. in school is not permitted as it can interrupt instruction or interaction with peers. Devices that are used solely for reading are allowed. All other devices should be off and in the backpacks."

The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline is available 24/7 via phone, text, or chat with translation capabilities in over 200 languages. Call takers provide clinical triage for every caller. They have a conversation with the caller and assess for formal and informal supports. Staff at the BHHL will do their best to connect callers to resources in their community that meet their needs. They will warm transfer the caller and follow up within 14 days. You can learn more at www.masshelpline.com, or call or text today: 833-773-2445.

There are also 26 physical locations across the Commonwealth where folks can receive help for behavioral health or substance use needs. Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) are hubs for timely, flexible, and individualized care both in crisis and routine situations. The expectation of the CBHC is to provide outpatients appointments within 14 days but many have open access same day appointments.

Have questions or need assistance? Reach out to us!
Jonathan Hawes, Principal: jhawes@hinghamschools.org
Dr. Amanda Donovan, Assistant Principal: adonovan@hinghamschools.org
Karen Mariani, Administrative Assistant: kmariani@hinghamschools.org

Elisa Nelson, Administrative Assistant: enelson@hinghamschools.org
Tel: (781) 741-1570