Hopkins Principal Newsletters
October 2022
10/28/2022
November is the National American Indian/Alaskan Native Heritage Month. We recognize that Hopkins sits on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone people past and present, and honor with gratitude the land and the people who have stewarded it throughout generations. To learn more about the Muwekma Ohlone tribe, visit the official website - http://www.muwekma.org/.
Halloween Costume Guidelines: we want students to have a safe and fun Halloween if they choose to celebrate. Please follow these guidelines:
No masks that cover the whole face. Staff members must be able to identify students.
Weapons, real or fake, are not allowed.
Costumes that could be offensive or perpetuate a stereotype of someone’s culture, gender, heritage, or religion are not permitted.
Costumes should not hinder your ability to participate in your classes; costumes may not present safety issues in the hallway.
District dress code still apply.
Halloween Concert: Thanks to music teacher Mr. Sarten and our Advanced Orchestra students, our students and staff will have an opportunity to enjoy some spooktacular music in the beginning of lunch on Monday right by the Music Building.
Dia de Los Muertos Activities: We are grateful for our Spanish Immersion Program teacher Ms. Manjabosco, parent volunteers, and students who will be hosting learning activities for students and staff during lunch on Tuesday, 11/1.
Minimum Day and Parent-Teacher Zoom Conferences: Wednesday, 11/2, is a Minimum Day when school ends at 12:23 PM. Please note that AC Transit Buses will run at their usual schedule. Students who typically take the bus home will need to make other arrangements on 11/2. Parent-Teacher Zoom Conferences begin at 1 pm. Please reach out to your child's teacher(s) directly to schedule the Zoom meetings if you were not able to attend the in-person conferences on 10/19. We deeply appreciate our PFA's arrangement of a dinner service for our teachers on this day.
After-school Art Workshops: San Jose Art Museum educators will be coming to Hopkins to teach art workshops to our Hopkins students. Because we need to limit each workshop to 25 students, we are allowing each family to sign up their child for one workshop for now. If students' interest exceeds the available spots, we will select students through a random drawing process. This is the first time we partner with the museum. If the workshop series is successful, we will look forward to extending the partnership and providing more offerings later this year. To register for an art workshop, please complete this form. https://forms.gle/aC8T9Bkqr5CJ93uQA
Parent and Faculty Association (PFA) Meeting on Thursday, 11/3, @ 6 PM: Agenda and Zoom link will be sent out next week.
As the weather changes, we are noticing more morning lateness this week. Thank you for continuing to work with students on an evening and/or morning routine that would help with being on time.
Below are some fun activities from today's FriYay lunchtime fun, thanks to Madame Chabot, leadership, and TUPE peer leaders' organized activities for Hawks to Cha-Cha slide and Macarena, and learn about the dangers of vaping and drugs.
10/21/2022
This week ended with our fun-filled first Social of the year! Students enjoyed dancing, music, board games brought from home, face painting, pizza, photo booth, and creating more junior high memories with friends. Thank you to the 20+ family volunteers who helped with this event. See some of our Social photos below.
Boys Basketball Season Starts
8th grade tryout is next Monday, 10/24, 2:45-5:15 pm in our gym. Team practices begin on Tuesday, 10/25. Coach Victor and I will have a team meeting with families on Zoom on Friday, 10/28, 6:30-7:30 PM. Zoom link will be sent to families of students on the 7th and 8th grade teams next week.
Girls Basketball Tryout Information
Coach Julia Shih is looking for students interested in joining the team as players as well as students who are interested in helping out the team as volunteers. Please see more information and the link to sign up in her tryout notice. Remember to fill out the tryout permission form that can be found on our website. Students can also pick up a copy from our Main Office.
ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) Zoom meeting on Thursday, 10/27, 6:30-7:30 PM
ELAC is a committee for families of our English Learner students to review school resources, student data, and advocate for our English Learners' needs. Mandarin and Spanish interpreters will be at our meeting. Zoom link will be sent out next week. Our first meeting will cover topics including:
- ELD program overview
- District ELAC representative election
- Enrichment and intervention program opportunities
- ELAC family survey and phone tree
Diwali, the festival of lights, is on Monday, 10/24. Happy Diwali to all of our families who celebrate.
10/14/2022
We had a successful International Walk & Roll to School Day on Wednesday, 10/12. Our records showed that 1 in 3 students participated by walking, biking/skateboarding, or carpooling to school that day, and most of these students do so every day. Bravo, Hopkins Hawks! The 5th period classes that had the most participation were: Mr. Miller's, Ms. Marquez's, and Ms. Mohla's. They will enjoy a popsicle party during Read on Monday, 10/17, courtesy of our PFA.
Minimum Day on Wednesday, 10/19
Due to Parent-Teacher Conferences, school ends at 12:23 PM on 10/19. You can find the specific bell schedule on our website.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: In-Person on Wednesday, 10/19
By now you should have received communication from your child's teachers to sign up for an in-person conference on 10/19 or a Zoom conference on 11/2. Especially if your child is earning a C or below, this is an important opportunity to work with the teacher for support. To minimize car and foot traffic, we ask that you come on campus for the slotted appoinment time.
Social: Friday, 10/21, 4-6 PM
Please see Assistant Principal Mrs. Moore's communications regarding expectations. Students have also received a survey to indicate their interest in attending. All school rules and dress code apply at the dance. Last day to buy an ASB card is Wednesday, 10/19.
National Coming Out Day and LGBTQ+ History Month
Monday, 10/11 was the National Coming Out Day. October is the LGBTQ+ History Month. Affirming, safe, welcoming, and inclusive school and community environments play a big role in the success of our students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender questioning, intersex, asexual, or gender non-binary. Family resources can be found here. I welcome students and families to share other helpful resources they have found with me in support of our LGBTQ+ students.
10/7/2022
Dear Hopkins Families,
Fall colors are popping up and the weather is turning colder. I'm enjoying the milder temperatures and shades of yellow, orange, and purple. There are also many fun events on the horizon for all Hawks. Please see below:
Library Soft Opening: Starting Monday, 10/10, our library will be open during limited hours each day: 7:30-8 AM and an hour after school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the library will be open during Flex Period for students who wish to have quiet study time. Students must pick up Library Flex Passes in the Main Office during lunch if they wish to go to the library for Tuesday or Thursday Flex. Our No Cell Phone policy applies in the library before and after school, and during school hours. Once we have a full-time librarian, the library will resume its regular hours.
International Walk & Roll Day: Students who walk, bike, or carpool to school on Wednesday, 10/12, will receive a mood pencil at one of the 2 check-in stations by the Main Office and our bike parking lot. The 5th period with most student participation will receive a popsicle party sponsored by the PFA! I'll be biking to school that day and hope to see many students participate in this effort to reduce our carbon footprints whenever possible.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Next week our teachers will be sending out information to sign up for In-Person Only conferences on 10/19 and Zoom Only conferences on 11/2. Conferences will be 1-7 pm each day. If your student has earned a C or below in a class so far, we strongly encourage parents/guardians to sign up for a conference with the teacher to discuss ways to improve skills or class performance. Thank you for your continued partnership to support our students together.
October Social: Our first Social of the year will be on Friday, 10/21. Assistant Principal Mrs. Moore has sent out a student survey to help gauge interest. Students - make sure you complete the survey sent to your school email to help our family volunteers plan for the event. Tickets are $10 per student at the door. Students who have donated $20 towards ASB will be receiving an ASB ID Card, which gets them in our 3 socials throughout the year at no cost.
HAWK ON Student Behavior Remidners:
- Hate Speech: Our girls restroom has been vandalized by students a few times in recent weeks. Hate speech such as using the N word is absolutely not tolerated and students engaging in these behaviors will be disciplined.
- Tardiness: With colder mornings, we're noticing that more students were arriving late to the first period this past week. Please make sure students are going to sleep and/or leaving the house earlier to be on time for school. Tardiness results in lunch paper pickups and detentions plus parent conferences if the behavior persists.
- Respecting Each Other's Space and Belongings: We continue to see incidents when students take other people's items without permission as a joke. This inevitably causes stress and frustration because it's a violation of personal space. In addition, due to some students' choice to waste condiments packets, we have stopped making them available during lunch. Please have conversations with students about making wise choices, part of our HAWK ON values.
Anonymous Online Report: Students or families who have information about bullying, hate speech, harassment, or other harms done to our students, staff, and/or campus can make a report online through this form. Please note that this form is only actively monitored during school hours. Please call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger.
My family will be visiting a pumpkin patch this weekend. One of my favorite family traditions. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.
In community,
Nancy Kuei
Principal