Happy New Year, Hanover Families!
I hope your winter break was filled with rest, relaxation, and special moments with loved ones. We are thrilled to welcome our students back to school and to begin 2025 with energy and positivity. The coming months are a prime time for growth, and we look forward to seeing the incredible learning and progress our students will achieve here at Hanover Elementary.
As we begin this new year, many of us reflect on personal goals and resolutions. At HES, we’re focusing on teaching students how to set, monitor, and adjust academic goals. Goal-setting is an essential life skill that helps pave the way for success. We’re guiding students through key steps:
State the goal and write it down.
Plan how to achieve the goal.
Share the goal with others for support.
Take action, step by step, and adjust as needed.
We encourage you to talk with your child about the goals they’re working on at school and brainstorm ways you can support them in reaching these goals.
As a district, we remain dedicated to ensuring that every student graduates from Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools ready for college, careers, and beyond. Our BHM Portrait of a Graduate outlines the essential skills our students develop, grouped into three focus areas: Rigorous Academic Preparedness, Opportunity Knowledge, and Student Agency. This framework reflects our commitment to equipping all students with the tools and experiences they need for success, no matter their chosen path. You’ll hear more about how this vision is being brought to life in the months and years ahead.
We know it takes a team to achieve these goals, and we deeply appreciate the role you play in supporting your child’s education at home.
Our character theme for January is Perseverance, which aligns perfectly with the process of goal-setting. Perseverance means pushing through challenges and obstacles to achieve success. Throughout the month, students will explore what perseverance means to them and how they can apply it to their learning and goals. To extend these lessons at home, consider reading the family newsletter article on perseverance and having a discussion together.
Important January Dates:
End of Semester: January 17
No School: January 20 (Teacher Workshop)
Conferences: January 30 and February 4 (watch for online scheduling details)
Your continued involvement in conferences and your partnership with us contribute immensely to our students’ success. Thank you for all you do to support Hanover Elementary School.
Here’s to a wonderful year of growth and achievement!
Warmly,
Brad Koltes, Principal
HES Elementary School
763-682-0823
With the colder weather settling in, here are a few helpful reminders to ensure a safe and comfortable season for everyone:
Weather Alerts: Our district’s automated system will notify families of school closings, delays, or early dismissals via call, text, and email. If schools remain open and you feel the conditions warrant you keeping your child(ren) home, it will be marked as an excused absence. Please note, if you did not receive messages regarding our late start last Friday, October 25th, you can contact the main office at 763-682-0800 to ensure your contact information is set-up for school notifications.
Early Dismissal Plans: If we need to close early (typically around 12:30 p.m.), please be sure your child knows where to go if they arrive home to an empty house. Also, let the office and your child’s teacher know of your end-of-day plans in case of an early release.
Winter Gear: Please help your child dress warmly as they’ll be going outside for recess unless the temperature or wind chill is below -5°F. All students should have hats and gloves or mittens. Boots and snow pants are needed to play in the snow covered areas and are encouraged for students in grades 3-5 and are required in grades K-2. If your child needs to stay indoors due to a medical condition, please send a note to their teacher. Thank you for helping us ensure every Hanover student is safe, warm, and ready to enjoy winter activities! Thank you for helping us ensure every Hanover student is safe, warm, and ready to enjoy winter activities!
If you have a child eligible for kindergarten this fall, you should be receiving information in the mail later this month. Kindergarten Registration Night is Thursday, February 13th at 6 p.m. in the Media Center. Please plan to bring with you:
· Early Childhood Screening Records (if they were not screened in our district): All children in the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose School District are required to complete Early Childhood Screening before entering kindergarten. Please click on this link for more information and to schedule online Early Childhood Screening . You can also call 763-682-8408 or email jgreenhagen@bhmschools.org.
· Child’s Immunization Information: Please bring immunization status information to registration even if your child is still in need of vaccinations prior to kindergarten. The Minnesota School Immunization Law requires that parents of children entering kindergarten submit updated information regarding your child’s immunization status prior to the start of school. This could include the actual immunizations with full dates, a notarized conscientious objection form or a signed medical exemption. If you have any questions regarding your child’s immunization status/compliance, feel free to contact the district nurse, Heidi Gallart, at (763) 682-8818 or hgallart@bhmschools.org
· Child’s Legal Birth Certificate (or copy of)
For questions or concerns about Kindergarten Registration Night, contact Jill Mischke at jmischke@bhmschools.org or (763) 682-0824.
This December in grades 3-5 we focused on volleyball skills in PE. We practiced the dig, set, underhand serve, and played some games that incorporated these skills. The volleyball unit was a success! In grades K-2 we focused on volleyball skills and spatial awareness activities. We played a few rounds of snowmobile and grinch tag.
Looking forward to the new year, we will be doing a variety of activities. One will be cup stacking for K-5th grades. We will also focus on hockey skills such as stick handling, passing, shooting, collaboration, and team involvement. To finish out the month, we will be starting our jump rope unit. This year we will once again be working towards different belt colors with our Jump Rope Ninja’s challenge.
As we are now officially in winter, there may be a point where we get a good amount of snow. If that is the case, we will drop what we are doing and go snowshoeing (grades 2-5). I am hopeful that we will have this opportunity this year as last winter we didn’t have enough snow. It would be so great to use our wonderful outdoor space and trail! Also, as we are in winter, please help your child remember to have tennis shoes for PE class. This is a safety concern if they don’t have the proper shoes to run in. We are looking forward to a great January in Hanover PE!
Actively yours,
Mr. Turner
(763)-682-0865
Happy New Year From The Art Room! I hope your 2025 is off to a great start!
Before winter break ideally your K-2 student came home with a large folder stuffed with their art projects they have created in the art room. Some classes did take home their projects as they finished them, but most were kept stored in the art room. Hopefully these folders made it home safely and you got to see what they have been working on. Here’s what we’re working on in the art room for January:
3rd grade : At the end of December, 3rd grade students started learning about artist Jen Aranyi. Jen works by day as a Graphic Designer but also creates beautiful watercolor landscape paintings. We continue learning about her and start our own Jen Aranyi inspired art to start off the new year. Students are given the option to experiment with liquid watercolor with this project, which is an option many students like to explore.
2nd grade : We continue our study of Vincent Van Gogh by studying Starry Night in January. Students are in the process of making their own version of this well known masterpiece. 2nd grade students will also begin making portraits and are going to create a silly self portrait version of themselves.
1st grade : As we make an attempt to embrace Minnesota snow, 1st graders are learning all about winter landscapes. Students use a combination of tempera paint and oil pastel to make a snowy winter landscape. We also learn about value and mixing paint to make a winter sky. These are going to turn out amazing!
Kindergarten : Kindergarten students will also be embracing the magic of winter and will be studying snowflakes. Students will make snowflakes using watercolors and the resist process using oil pastels. Pastels are a bit messy for our youngest learners to use, but also a lot of fun.
Take care,
Mrs. Rausch
Art Integration
(763)-682-0867
Happy January!
All music students at Hanover will be exploring the
Treble clef and staff this month. K- 5 students will start winter
center activities that will include keyboard and xylophone
playing, composing melodies on boomwhackers and music
games.
Thank you to our PTO who donated roll-up keyboards for K-5
students!
Our 2nd grade students will also be practicing for their
upcoming musical this spring. Students will perform “Kitty Cat
Capers” on Thursday, April 17th, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the
Hanover Cafeteria. This is a change from the district calendar.
All music students have been working through the Quaver
music curriculum composing rhythmic and melody
compositions and will
continue this throughout the winter.
Greetings from the health office!
Parents of Preschoolers and soon-to-be Kindergartners
If you have a child who is 3 ½ to four years old or one who is entering kindergarten in
September and have not been contacted for Early Childhood Screening, please visit
https://www.bhmschools.org/early-childhood-screening and click the green Registration button
to choose a screening date/time. If you have any questions, please call Cheri at 763-682-8408.
Early Childhood Screening is a mandated early intervention program for all children entering
kindergarten in the public schools, but is targeted for all children ages 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years old.
Parents of Kindergarten Students Starting ’25-’26 school year: If you have a child
beginning kindergarten in September, please consider taking care of their immunization needs
now. It is the law that all students must submit an updated immunization status before starting
kindergarten. Please submit one of the following: immunization record, notarized non-medical
exemption form or physician signed medical exemption form.
Required shots for vaccinated students include:
5 DTP
4 Polio (IPV or OVP)
3 Hepatitis B (HBV - not to be confused with Hib, which is the Haemophilus Influenza)
2 MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella)
2 Varicella (Chicken Pox) – If your child has had the chicken pox illness, the school will need a
statement from your health care provider indicating one of the following:
o The signature of a provider along with the date of the child’s varicella illness
O The signature of a provider along with a statement that the parent’s or legal
guardian’s description of the child’s varicella disease history is indicative of past
varicella infection.
If you have questions, please contact Heidi Gallart, RN, at hgallart@bhmschools.org or 763-
682-8818.
Save the Date: Give Kids a Smile February 7th and 8th
Each year, dental professionals from across the state participate in Give Kids a Smile, providing
free dental care to low-income children in need. The event takes place on the first Friday and
Saturday of February and is made possible by the collaborative effort of the Minnesota Dental
Association, volunteer dentists, and other generous sponsors. Registration begins January 1,
2024. Parents can find local participating clinics by visiting mndental.org or by calling United
Way 2-1-1 or 1-800-543-7709. Please note: Every child must be accompanied by a parent or
legal guardian and must have an appointment in advance. Walk-in care is not available.
The best ideas come when we work together. We would love to have you at our next PTO meeting to share your ideas with us. Our next meeting is on Monday, January 6th, 2025, starting at 6:00 P.M. in the staff lounge at HES. E-mail us at hespto2020@gmail.com with any questions or comments!
Winter Conferences will take place on January 30th and February 4th. More information will be coming on how to sign up at www.myconferencetime.com/hanover.
Hi Everyone!
HES School Forest Report from December 9th-13th.
It was a very cold week, which meant three days of indoor recess, but students found time to venture into our Outdoor Learning Spaces bookending the frigid days--Ms. Annette's Preschool Nature class goes out every day that the temperatures are above zero--so they were out Monday and Tuesday, and even though Friday was an indoor recess day, my class was able to walk among the trees of Our School Forest on Friday afternoon when the temperatures warmed to a balmy 12 degrees (wind chill of +5 degrees!) Everyone dressed for the cold, so there were no complaints as they filled the feeders for our forest friends.
While the 4th graders spent their time taking care of filling the feeders outside and learning a bit more about squirrels of Our School Forest as well as squirrel species around the globe, Ms. Annette's Nature Preschool Class learned about concepts outside usually learned in much higher grades! They made window blocks with found nature objects from the School Forest for an art project, made a lean-to with gathered sticks and limbs and learned about engineering along the way, exercised their muscles in an obstacle course featuring belly crawls and hurdles for physical education, smooshed some pumpkins they saved for our deer friends and the first snow, making it easier to eat--and that's not even the science lessons yet! For science (and math) they experimented with the trajectory of rocks into water puddles and while they were at it, discussed water displacement, noting the rise of the puddle water when rocks were added to the tiny ponds.
Eureka! That reminds me of the story of the Greek mathematician Archimedes who was tasked with investigating a goldsmith who had made a crown for a king. The king suspected that the goldsmith had cheated him by using some silver to make the crown instead of an all-gold crown. Archimedes supposedly figured out a solution to the dilemma while at the local bath-house, taking a bath. He made note that when he immersed himself into a full tub of water that it overflowed. He came up with a principle (called Archimedes' Principle now) that any object totally or partially submerged in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the mass of the fluid displaced by the object. He supposedly said, "Eureka! Eureka!" as he sped down the street naked to his home to test out his theory. Eureka, in Greek, is translated as "I found it!" As a bonus, he didn't "reka" anymore because he had just taken a bath! (Sorry about that--a Dad joke entered my head as I was typing. . .) He tested his theory with silver and gold and found that gold had much more mass than the same amount of silver.
We had another Nature Badge recipient this week! A preschooler named Weston learned all about Wooly Bear caterpillars. Nice one, Weston!
Over and Out(side),
Jenny Boldt
4th grade teacher
763-682-0858
Hanover School Forest @facebook.com
· If your child will be absent, please call the attendance line at 763-682-0822. Leave a message with why you’re child is absent and if ill, what their symptoms are. You can also enter it in the parent portal or send an email to our attendance address at hesattendance@bhmschools.org with the information.
· Any correspondence about attendance to your child’s teacher - sickness, vacation, coming in late, leaving early, end of day plans, etc. - should also be copied to the
attendance email hesattendance@bhmschools.org so the office knows the plans or where a child is going if there are any questions.
· If there are any changes to your child’s end of day transportation, please call the office at 763-682-0800 by 1:00 pm. We will make sure your child and their teacher know where they are to go. If you email the teacher, be aware they may not get the message because they do not always check their messages in the afternoon, so also copy hesattendance@bhmschools.org
· Any correspondence about attendance - sickness, vacation, coming in late, leaving early - can be communicated by using the attendance email hesattendance@bhmschools.org so the office knows the plans as well.
Pop tabs may be small in size, but they have a big impact. Your aluminum can tab donations help light the way for families at Ronald McDonald House. Ronald McDonald house helped our family so very much when Gracie was hospitalized. Please help our family give back to other families in need of help. Please collect your pop tabs in honor of Gracie Heinz. Our collection will take place the rest of the school year and through the summer. We will be turning all the pop tabs collected in at The Back to the 50s event. There they will be weighed and taken to the recycling center. Those funds will go straight to the Ronald McDonald house in Gracie's honor.
What exactly is a pop tab?
A pop tab is the flip top on aluminum cans. You can collect them from soda cans, sparkling water cans and various other beverage cans. We also take tabs from soup, fruit, vegetable and pet food cans that have tabs.
***There is a dropbox located in the front office for donations. Thank you!***
Interested in being a substitute teacher or ESP? The district is looking to hire substitute teachers and ESPs (health office, special ed or instructional/supervision) for the school year. If you are interested, go to the BHM Website to see the qualification requirements and to fill out an application. Feel free to contact the HES office at 763-682-0800 if you have any questions.
Make sure you have your kids check out the “lost and found” boxes located in the hallway across from the health office. There’s lots of good stuff in there. They might find the matching mitten or boot to the single one that’s at home... or find that piece of clothing that they have no idea where it is!
