Alward Action
We welcome parents and spectators to the district 4th and 5th Grade Field Day on June 3 at Eagle Stadium! However, due to safety reasons and the logistics of over 1200 students navigating through their events, we ask that you watch from the bleachers.
Please remind your child to bring a water bottle, wear tennis shoes, the correct colored shirt, and wear sunscreen. Please label everything with your student’s name and school so lost or forgotten items can be returned. We're looking forward to another amazing event full of friends, fun and smiles!
PTC News............
Meet our 2023/2024 Alward PTC Board!
They can always be reached with any questions via email at alwardptc.hps@gmail.com
Co-President: Audra Kotman
Co-President: Stacey VanderBent
Co-Vice President: Allie Gonzalez
Co-Vice President: Ali Westhuis
Treasurer: Marissa Zylstra
Assistant Treasurer: Tom Holmes
Secretary: Heather Kleinjans
Teacher Representative: Rachel VanKoevering, 1st Grade
A super simple way to raise funds for Alward PTC is by buying gift cards from RaiseRight to pay for your everyday shopping and spending year-round!
Create a free fundraising account on the RaiseRight mobile app or at RaiseRight.com.
Enroll Code: WWJZU5516X2B
https://www.raiseright.com/enroll?enrollCode=WWJZU5516X2B
Our hope with Raise Right is to utilize the funds directly to enrich and impact our children’s classrooms. Raise Right will help fund Class Cash, a program that enables teachers to request financial support to purchase various classroom items, like flexible seating, books and manipulatives to improve hands on learning!
BREAKFAST
Breakfast will be served starting at 8:35.
Breakfast consists of cereal, milk, juice, fresh fruit, and a cookie/cracker bar.
Students that eat breakfast at school will eat breakfast in the cafeteria. Once students are done eating, they will be sent back to class.
If your child will be eating breakfast at school, please contact your classroom teacher so that we know to send them down to the cafeteria the first week of school.
Summer EBT Money for Approved Free/Reduced Eligible Students
Hello HPS Families!
In 2022, federal legislation created a new program to fill hunger gaps during summer break, called Summer EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer). The program is being administered by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Michigan Department of Education (MDE). A household can receive $40 per month per child in June, July, and August 2024 (for a total of $120 per child). Benefits will come in the form of preloaded cards that families can use to purchase groceries.
Summer EBT benefits will be issued to students who have a completed and approved Application for Meal Benefits on file as of February 14, 2024.
If you already have an approved application, automatically receive Free or Reduced Meal Benefits, or already receive EBT Benefits, you do NOT need to re-apply.
Completion of the form does not automatically qualify your student for the summer benefits. These benefits will be based on annual incomes and household size as noted by you on the form.
If your address has changed this year, be sure to update it with your school to ensure your benefit card is sent to the right address.
This WILL NOT impact your student receiving free breakfast and lunch at school.
Click HERE for Income Guidelines to see if you might qualify.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR BENEFITS!
If you have any questions, please contact Food Service at foodservice@hpseagles.net or 616-457-2400.
HUDSONVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HEALTH PROGRAM
Please check out our website for important information on Health Services.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND MEDICATION TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD! MEDICATION CAN BE DROPPED OFF BY PARENTS FOR AN OFFICE STAFF MEMBER TO ADMINISTER.
NEW email address aesattendance@hpseagles.net to report your student absent or late.
If your student will not be attending school due to illness or other reasons, please call or email the office before 9:15 am. Students who are not called in by a parent/guardian will be marked with an unexcused absence.
If your student will be late, arriving after 8:50 am, please call or email the office in the morning. Any students arriving after 8:50 am must be signed in by a parent/guardian.
If your student will be late and needs a hot lunch, please let us know when you call. Hot lunch needs to be ordered by 10 am.
Planned absences of more than 3 days require a vacation request form to be filled out. Forms can be picked up in the office or emailed to you. Please turn in vacation request forms at least 5 days prior to the planned absence.
VISITOR POLICY
All volunteers and visitors are required to have a background check on file. Background Checks must be completed every school year. Please complete the background check now so you are all set for the school year!
TRANSPORTATION HOME
Change in Transportation Home At the End of the School Day
If your child is going to have a change in transportation home at the end of the school day, please contact the main office to let them know of the change prior to 3:00 p.m. We want to ensure that the classroom teachers are notified in a timely fashion prior to end of day dismissal procedures.
STUDENT DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCEDURES
Student drop-off and pick-up are very busy times during a normal school year in the school driveway and hallways. If you are dropping your child off in the carline, please remain in your vehicle and follow the procedures below.
Car Line Drop-off Procedures:
1. Please place the placard sign, pictured below, in your passenger side window of your car with your child/ren's names and teacher's name listed. You will receive two car signs at open house. Additional signs can be picked up in the office if needed. If you can, please put a name tag on your child along with his/her classroom teacher's name to help us get students to their correct classroom.
2. Use the car loop on the west side (office side) of the building.
3. Stay in the right lane and drop off your child in the drop-off zone. Zone will be marked with cones. Please pull all the way to either the stop sign for the unloading zone or to the car in front of you.
4. Students will exit the cars on the passenger side of the car in the unloading zone. (Do not allow students to exit the car on the driver’s side for safety reasons!) Staff will help child/children get out of the car and direct them to the door that they will go in.
5. Parents remain in their vehicles.
6. Do not pass cars in the car line. Stay in a single file line until the cars move in front of you.
7. If you want to walk your PK/K child to their line up spot, you must park in the parking lot and cross at the crosswalk. Parents will need to say their goodbyes at the line up spot.
To Keep Our Line Moving Tips:
Follow the procedures noted above.
Say your goodbyes and give kisses prior to dropping off in the car line. :)
Have backpacks/supplies ready to exit car with students.
Parents need to remain in their vehicles.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding with our system and procedures. Safety is our number one concern for our students and their families.
Car Line Pick-up Procedures
PK-4th Grade Students
3:45 p.m.
1. Please put the placard sign, pictured below in your passenger side window of your car with your child/ren's names and teacher's names listed. You will receive two car signs at open house. Additional signs can be picked up in the office if needed.
2. Use the car loop on the west-side (office side) of the building.
3. Stay in the right lane and pull up to the orange cone on the far west side of the parking lot or behind the cars in front of you.
4. Students will be walked out in groups to the car line and must enter cars on the passenger side of the vehicle.
5. If you need to help your child buckle his/her car seat, please pull forward with the flow of traffic, park in a parking spot, and help your child buckle his/her car seat.
To Keep Our Line Moving Tips:
Follow the procedures noted above.
Parents need to remain in their vehicles.
Please be patient with this system for the first few weeks of school. Once students, staff, and families get used to the process, the line moves efficiently and is safe for all of our students!
Based on last year’s car line data, the car line takes 4-5 minutes to load 60 cars!
AM DROP OFF MAP
PM PICK UP MAP
Communication
- Visit Our Website: Our school website will be updated on a regular basis as it will be the main source of information for our parents and community members. Past newsletters will be linked under NEWS.
School Messenger: Regular communication (Alward Action) from school messenger will be sent out via email, phone calls, or text messages to keep you in the loop on what is taking place at Alward!
Social Media: Follow our story by liking us Facebook
Google Classrooms: Teacher google sites are linked under staff members. Teachers will be updating their Google Classroom Sites on a weekly basis.
Website: https://www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org/alward/index
Location: 3811 Port Sheldon Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Phone: 616-669-6700
Facebook: facebook.com/AESEaglePride
Elementary students entering 2nd Grade to 5th Grade are invited to join Evergreen Ministries on July 29th – August 1st to explore Under the Sea: the Jonah experience”! Arts Camp is designed to explore our creative God through a variety of artistic opportunities, including visual, performing and culinary arts. Camp will run from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm (please pack a lunch) from Monday, July 29th through Thursday, August 1st, and is offered free of charge. Registration opens June 1st – see egm.org for registration and class information. Contact chris@egm.org for more details or to get involved in this great community event – volunteers are welcome!
