Dear Hope Families,

Wow, I can't believe that we have already completed our first month of school! It's hard to believe that October is already here...I'm not sure that I'm ready for cooler weather and to put away my sandals just yet!

I want to take a moment to thank you for all of your support during the first few weeks of school. I have loved seeing everyone's smiling faces back in the hallways and enjoyed continuing to get to know the students and their families! Open House/Back to School Night was so much fun and I enjoyed all of the conversations that I was able to have with many of you (and the delicious pancakes were a huge plus)!

In addition to reviewing school routines and expectations, during the month of September, we also practiced safety drills, including a fire drill and lock down drill. I was very proud of the students and staff as they handled each drill very responsibly and did a great job following our procedures!

Hope teachers and interventionists have spent the last few weeks assessing students' academic levels to determine each child's strengths and instructional needs. Our grade level teams have just completed our Beginning of the Year Data Days and will continue to participate in Data Days throughout the year. These meetings serve as a time for your child's team to come together to analyze student achievement data, in order to plan instructional groupings to meet the needs of all students and ensure student success at school. The results of these assessments will be communicated to parents. Please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

Please reach out with any questions, concerns, or great stories that you'd like to share throughout the year!

Rebecca Toomey, Principal

rebecca.toomey@scituateschoolsri.net

• As a reminder, if your child is going to be absent or dismissed early, please send a note, call the Front Office or email Mrs. Kenney at mary.kenney@scituateschoolsri.net.
  

• If you have a change in dismissal for your child, please alert the Front Office before 2:00pm. This allows us time to inform the teacher and student of the change.
  

• Please date notes that are sent to school with students. If you are writing a note about dismissal, please write the full name of the person picking up your child.
• Clearly mark water bottles, lunch boxes, etc. with student's name.

As we enter fall and winter, it is important that your child is dressed appropriately for school. Students will be going outside for recess with temperatures at 28 degrees or above. Please ensure your children are dressed for these conditions, and have a sweatshirt or jacket in their backpacks.

At dismissal, all those picking up students MUST park in the front recess lot. Parking in the back staff lot is forbidden, as only staff have special permission to use the small access road. Any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Toomey and we can come up with a plan for a special arrangement together.

Scituate has been awarded grant funding for the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) again this year! This initiative is meant to expose children to new and different varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, and to increase overall acceptance and consumption of fresh, unprocessed produce among children. The program will start on October 7th.

The School Improvement Team at Hope is a group of teachers, support professionals, parents, and community members who work collaboratively to assess the needs of our school. We will work together to look at data and implement initiatives, in order to improve student outcomes and our school community.

The committee meets on the third Thursday of each month from 3:20-4:20. Our next meeting is Thursday, October 17th!

If interested in joining this very important team, please email Mrs. Toomey at rebecca.toomey@scituateschoolsri.net. Thank you!

Beginning October 1, 2024, All schools in Scituate will utilize the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more.* Our current system will no longer be used and you MUST register as instructed below to continue receiving SMS Text messages. Phone and email should transition seamlessly but SMS Text messages will require you to register. We will not be able to text to any um-registered phones. Also keep in mind that ONLY phones that are currently listed in PowerSchool will be able to process the registration.

You can participate in this free service* just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587.

You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”.

SchoolMessenger is compliant with the Student Privacy PledgeTM so you can rest assured that your information is safe and will never be given or sold to anyone.

*Terms and Conditions: Message frequency varies. Standard message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel. Mobile carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. See schoolmessenger.com/tm for more info.

Each public school is required by the State of RI to hold 15 specific drills, including fire, evacuation, shelter-in-place and lockdown drills.

During a fire drill, the alarm will sound and teachers will escort their children out of the building to a safe, predetermined location. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may re-enter the building.

During an evacuation drill, the principal will announce the drill over the intercom and direct the teachers to escort their children to a safe, specified location. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may re-enter the Building.

A shelter-in-place may occur in the event of an environmental hazard; students would be moved to a safe interior location in order to limit their exposure to the hazard. During a shelter-in-place drill, the principal will announce the drill over the intercom and direct the teachers to escort their children to a safe, specified location within the building. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may return to their classrooms.

A lockdown may occur for a variety of reasons in order to limit staff and student movement within the building. During a lockdown drill, the principal will announce the drill over the intercom and give specific directions at that time. When complete, a signal is given by the principal indicating everyone may resume their activities.

Huge thank you to SRO Sgt. Parenti and the Girls Scituate Tennis Team for coming to Hope Elementary for High Five Friday. Best of luck this season! We look forward to more High Five Fridays throughout the year.

We have started a new tradition at Hope this year! Each Monday morning, we come together to start the week off on a positive note while building community and school spirit. We are led in morning announcements and the pledge of allegiance by our student council representatives, review school rules/policies, learn about a special social emotional topic, and celebrate Husky Hoorays and other student awards. We are also often joined by Mr. Jay and our district's therapy dog, Glory. Many students report that Monday mornings are easier after being greeted by Glory!

Back-to-School Tips

I hope everyone has had a nice transition back to school. Getting a new school year off to a good start can influence children’s attitude, confidence, and academic performance. The transition from summer to school can be difficult for both children and parents. Here are a few suggestions to help ease the transition and promote a successful school experience.

• Reestablish bedtimes and school routines.This will help students from becoming overtired or overwhelmed by schoolwork and activities.

• Select a spot to keep backpacks and lunch boxes. Designate a spot for your children to place their school belongings as well as a place to put important notices and information sent home for you to see.

• Make lunches the night before school. Older children can help or make their own lunches.

• Set alarm clocks. Have school-age children set their own alarm clocks to get up in the morning.

• Leave plenty of extra time. Make sure your children have plenty of time to get up, eat breakfast and get to school on time.

• Prepare for after school. Review with your children how they will be getting home after school either pick up or bus and review who will be home when they get off the bus.

• Let your child know you care. If your child is anxious about school, send a little note in their lunch box or backpack. Let them know it is natural to be a little nervous anytime they start something new. Reassure them that they will be fine. Young children in particular may experience separation anxiety. If you drop them off, try not to linger. Reassure them that they are safe and will be okay. Tell them you will think about them during the day and will be back. Remain calm and positive.

Give your child time to adjust to their new teachers and classmates. If your child appears to be having difficulty adjusting as time goes on, please feel free to contact me.

Mrs. Schiappa, MA, CAGS

School Psychologist

*Information provided by the National Association of School Psychologists. (2017). Back-to-School transitions: Tips for parents. Bethesda, MD K. Cowan & T. Feinberg, EdD, NCSP

As we start this upcoming school year, we would like to hear from parents about topics that you would like us to cover in upcoming newsletters. In previous newsletters, we’ve talked about topics such as: kindness, safe internet use, self-care, supporting transitions and more.

Please complete this google form when you have a moment, to let us know some topics you’d like use to cover in this year’s newsletters ⬇️

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9Jy-TrEC6eJnEOERLeLy-2NZinfmbCiZT5u5MJ1aMPNIleQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

We are excited to start this school year and look forward to your feedback.

Mrs. Schiappa and Ms. Swift

During the month of October students will participate in activities to educate all children and raise awareness about bullying. Hope Elementary will participate in Unity Day on October 16th by wearing orange - showing that we are together against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

**Parents are encouraged to contact Hope teachers or Mrs. Toomey directly with any concerns related to bullying. Your child's safety and well-being is a top priority for all Hope staff members. Educating students, parents, and staff members, open communication, and solution-focused intent are key to combating bullying! Please see the link below for more resources.

On October 25, 2024, Scituate Public Schools will be participating in a Pink Out Day as we participate in a district-wide collection for Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

We are happy to announce that our 2024-2025 Student Council Delegates were elected in September. Candidates in fourth and fifth grade wrote speeches and read them to their classmates. After the voting process, we're pleased to announce ten students were elected to represent their class on Student Council.

These students will coordinate school events such as spirit days, fundraisers, and food drives alongside their co-advisors Mrs. Mikkelsen and Miss Robitaille.

In addition, to helping with these initiatives, the Student Council Delegates will also be taking turns leading morning announcements and assigned to a classroom to serve as a room helper throughout the year.

Congratulations to our student leaders!

4C -- Ben and Lena

4R -- Charlotte and Grace

5D -- Lillyana, Madalyn, and Reagan

5R -- Leo, Lillah, and Roland

Students can receive these awards given by a faculty or staff member for EXEMPLARY behavior in the following categories: Growth Mindset, Problem Solving, Self Control, Responsibility, Effort, Kindness, and Teamwork. These categories align with our new social emotional curriculum- Second Step.

Our Husky Hoorays will be displayed in the showcase outside of the main office. These certificates will be presented to students on Monday mornings during our (brand new!) whole school community meeting. Monthly newsletters will include photographs of our recipients.

This past summer, students were challenged to complete a Math/ELA packet and reading steps. I am pleased to announce our finishers and their rewards for completing the challenge and continuing their learning over the summer. Students were awarded with an extra recess and will all be receiving a new book to bring home!

Summer Challenge Fun Facts!

- 68 students completed the challenge in all!

- Mrs. Brady's third grade class had the most participation with 71% of students participating!

- In total, Hope students read 3,701 steps which equals 92 hours and 15 minutes of reading!

Amazing work boys and girls! I am very proud of you. Thank you to all of our Hope Families who supported any amount of summer learning with their children.

At our Back to School Night, we were so fortunate to have the support of many parents who signed our Hope School attendance pledge! This pledge asks parents to help their child attend school every day on time, to send a doctor's excuse note, and ensure missed assignments are completed. In celebration of this commitment to attendance, we had a random drawing and selected three families who signed the pledge to review a Target giftcard!

We are so fortunate to have received a very generous donation of school supplies from the industrial and technology company, Thyssenkrup. We are so thankful for our community partners like Thyssenkrup who do such an excellent job of helping us to support our students and staff!

We're writing, reading, and becoming mathematicians in Kindergarten!

First graders have already showcased so much expected behavior and kindness that they have filled their Marble Reward Jar! They earned a Stuffed Animal Day to celebrate!

In Grade 2, we have started the new Mystery Science Curriculum. In this unit, students begin to develop an understanding of the world's animal biodiversity. They explore animal classification and the traits. Students then turn their focus to habitats and how the surrounding environment affects what organisms live in a particular environment. In the Animals Sorting Game, students study animal traits and use these traits to sort animal cards into mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. In the Habitat Scavenger Hunt, students record observations of the diversity of life found in the desert and the playground.

Grade 2 has also started Wacky Word Wednesday! Students travel from different kinetic stations to practice our Heggerty Phonics skill for the week. Some activities seen below are writing in sand and sticky note spelling.

Fifth grade classes have been joining together to meet with Ms. Holly Loew (a district social worker) each Friday for social-emotional based lessons.

In Art class we started off the year by playing a collaborative drawing game with grades 3-5. Students had to work together to draw a picture by using one marker with strings attached to it. Each student had to hold a string and talk to their teammates about the direction they needed to move the marker, how low or how high to hold the string or how hard they needed to pull. All of the students did a great job working with their teammates! We talked about how the process of creating their picture and working together with their teammates was more important than the outcome or the quality of the final image that was created.

As we head into October, kindergarten and first grade will continue to work with lines and mark making and getting familiar with the materials we use in the art room. Second grade is going to continue learning about value. The third grade classes are finishing up some amazing roller coasters that they made using lines of different weights, parallel lines, and perpendicular lines. Moving forward we'll use what we learned about lines to create some optical illusion artwork. In fourth grade we're working on positive and negative space and creating beautiful pictures of cicadas that emphasize the importance of both positive and negative space, balance, and texture. And finally in fifth grade we are starting the year off strong by learning about self portraits and self expression in art. We are studying the anatomy of the human face and practicing drawing what shapes we actually see instead of what we think we should see. I am so proud of everyone's hard work and am looking forward to sharing their amazing artwork as the year progresses.

Just a reminder: Please remember to make note of the day that your child has art class and dress them accordingly. We make every effort to keep their clothes clean and they wear aprons when working with messy materials, but accidents do happen so please have your child save their fanciest outfits for another day! Thank you!

Second grade students had some musical fun playing Boomwhackers! Can you guess the song?

Third grade students formed a percussion ensemble and played a march. We learned to count in, play eighth notes and quarter notes, what a repeat sign does and played as an ensemble.

Fourth grade students also formed a percussion ensemble. They learned to follow the conductor, count in, and a new musical term, crescendo.

Grade 1 students have been learning a new word in STEAM... Collaboration. They worked together to build some cool creations!

PTA meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month. Our second PTA meeting will be on Wednesday, October 9th at 6:30 pm. Join us in the Hope School library.

Please email hopeschoolpta@gmail.com with any questions. We hope to see you there!

Hope PTA is also looking for donations of baked goods for our Bake Sale Fundraiser at the Scituate Art Festival. Please see below for more information!

Wrap Day Volunteer Sign Up; https://signup.com/go/KiAzNqJ

Baked Goods Sign Up https://signup.com/go/jMUnHSk

Booth Volunteer Sign Up https://signup.com/go/KZEkNEf

The next Scituate School Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 1st! All members of the school community are encouraged to attend in person or virtually. The meetings begin at 7 p.m. For more information about meetings, click here.

• 10/01: Girl Scouts Meeting @ 6:00, Hope Elementary Cafeteria
• 10/01: School Committee Meeting @ 7:00pm, Scituate High School
• 10/08: Vision Screenings
• 10/09: Kindergarten Field Trip to Salisbury Farm
• 10/09: Flu Clinic @ Hope, 4:00-6:00
• 10/09: PTA Meeting, 6:30pm
• 10/11: No School for Students/ Faculty PD Day
• 10/12: Bake Sale @ Scituate Art Festival
• 10/14: No School- Indigenous People Day
• 10/16: Unity Day (wear orange)10/17: SIT Meeting, 3:20pm
• 10/18: Grade 2 Field Trip to Roger Williams Zoo
• 10/18: Trunk or Treat (10/19 Rain Date)
• 10/25: Pink Out Day
• 10/25: Scituate Town Halloween Parade @ 4:30pm, NS Gazebo
• 11/05: No School- Election Day
• 11/11: No School- Veterans Day
• 11/27-29: No School- Thanksgiving Recess
• 12/23-1/1: No School- Holiday Recess

Email: rebecca.dinerman@scituateschoolsri.net
Website: https://hope.scituateschoolsri.net/
Location: 391 North Road, Hope, RI, USA
Phone: 401-821-3651