Amy Stino - Assistant Principal

Tammy Nye - Administrative Assistant

Joanne Solecki - Administrative Assistant

Email: Klevenduski@hwporter.org

Astino@hwporter.org

Website: hwporter.org

Location: 3 Schoolhouse Road, Columbia, CT 06237
Phone: (860)228-9493

12/07 - 8th Grade Pancake Breakfast

12/11 - 1/2 Day of School for students

12/13 - CCMC PJ Day

12/13 - Lil shoppers (PTO)

12/16-12/22 Spirt Week (more to come)

12/17 - Sing-a-Long (2 pm - 2:30 pm)

12/20- 1/2 Day of School

12/22-1/2- Holiday Recess

1/8 - 1/2 Day of School for Students

01/15 - 8th Grade High School Expo Night (5 pm - 6:30 pm)

Dear Porter Families,

Thank you to all of our families who attended conferences this week. We hope you found your student's conference(s) to be productive and meaningful. It was nice seeing everyone in the building. We are so proud of all the progress our learners have made this year!

As we reflect on the many things we are thankful for this season, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to our Porter students, staff, and families. You are at the very top of our list.

Our dedicated staff goes above and beyond each and every day, delivering a rigorous curriculum in ways that are both engaging and inviting. Our students bring us so much joy as we watch them learn and grow. And to our families—thank you for entrusting us with your incredible children and for allowing us the privilege of supporting their academic, social, and behavioral development.

We are truly fortunate to be a part of such an amazing community. Thank you for making Porter such a special place. We hope everyone enjoys the holiday break. Take time with your family and loved ones to relax and enjoy time together.

Sincerely,

Kara & Amy

The Porter Brickmasters had an impressive performance at the Lego League competition on Saturday, November 23rd, at Tolland High School, where they competed against 24 other schools. After 9 weeks of hard work and dedication, the team earned a spot in the state competition by placing 6th overall. Out of the 24 teams, only 9 advanced, and the Porter Brickmasters stood out with their exceptional problem-solving skills and perseverance. They were also honored with the Motivate Award, recognizing their strong teamwork and determination through obstacles.

Thanks to their efforts, the team will move on to the state competition, which will be held on Saturday, December 14th, at Glastonbury High School. Let's congratulate the Porter Brickmasters for their sportsmanship, perseverance, and determination, which earned them a well-deserved place in the state competition!

Today we hosted Games of Gratitude! Thank you to our many volunteers and helpers who made this possible. Aside from having a BLAST, we were able to donate a lot of food and gloves! Enjoy the photos below. Every grade level was able to participate!

As a friendly reminder, please DO NOT allow your child to bring in glass water bottles of any type. We are trying to avoid a dangerous breakage. Thank you

Dear Parents,

As a token of appreciation, Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!

• 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code USNOV50
• 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code USNOV40
• 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code USNOV30

Valid through 12/1/24

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an online account. Don't forget to order your FREE Digital SmileSafe card!

More about the Smilesafe program here.

Thank you!

ParentSquare is our new platform for communication. We are encouraging all families to join ParentSquare. This is the platform we will be switching over to instead of using School Messenger. We are hoping to fully transition by November this year. If you are having difficulty, please click the link below for more information so you do not miss out on notices, alerts, or messages from your child's teachers.

Student Council Flour Girl Fundraiser Thursday, November 21, 2024, to Sunday, December 1, 2024.

Order pick-up will take place on Thursday, December 5, 2024 at the Flour Girl Bakery in Hebron, CT

Fundraiser information and website to COMING SOON!

Student Council and Mentors Toys for Tots Fundraiser:

Collections will occur from November 18- December 5, 2024

Student representatives will join classrooms to read the story "One Snowy Night", by Nick Butterwork. Follow up discussion with each classroom about the act of giving and sharing to promote the Toys for Tots program.

• Drop off is 7:50am. Some mornings students get dropped off early because they are in clubs; however, if your child is not in a club they can not get dropped off before 7:50am.
• Please bring an ID for entering the building and parent pick up. We understand it is not convenient, but it is for your child's safety. We appreciate your help with this!
• If you plan to pick up your child from school or need to make any changes to their transportation please complete the Transportation & Notes Form.
• All cellphones must remain in student's lockers.

• Registration for After School Clubs is open. You can register your child through Family ID. Please read the After School Clubs Flyer to view the clubs offered for this session. Please feel free to contact Jessica Doubleday at jdoubleday@hwporter.org if you have any questions. Session 2 is open to sign up.

• Don't forget to check out our PTO page for many fundraisers and events that are happening this month!

• We have many things happening in our community! Be sure to click the "Events Around The Community" down below to check them all out!

Substitute Paras and Teachers needed. Please contact Klevenduski@hwporter.org

Everyone can help take action to prevent suicide. Click on the link for more information. https://www.preventsuicidect.org/

• Connecticut Public Act 22-47 - legislation regarding suicide. Connecticut Public Act 22-47, Section 28, requires that the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number be included on identification (ID) badges of students in Grades 6 through 12. Due to the timing of the implementation of 988, the requirement becomes effective for the 2024-25 school year. The United Way of Connecticut has provided the 988 QR code for access to the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board website that may be posted to the back of student IDs with a brief statement such as “Call or text 988 for crisis support,” or an equivalent. The 988 Contact Center services include rapid 24/7 access to trained staff who can help students (and adults) experiencing suicidal, substance use, and other mental health crises, provide referrals to resources, and perform warm transfers to Mobile Crisis or emergency services as needed/desired.

AHM is OPEN to the public and excited to offer our services to Porter students and Columbia residents!

AHM Youth and Family Services offers mental health clinical services to youth and their families! These

services are designed to support families in transition, crisis, or normal developmental processes.

Individual and/or family therapy is available for children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 26 to

address social, emotional and/or behavioral issues. Family and parent sessions are often utilized in

conjunction with individual sessions to support a child’s progress in therapy.

In addition, many fun programs are offered throughout the year for all ages, including theater, health & wellness, and craft programs. For more information and registration links, please visit ahmyouth.org or call the office at (860) 228-9488.