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Hutchens Highlights April 2024
"Every Student Matters, Every Moment Counts"
Message from Mrs. Owen
I would like to thank you for your support and collaboration during the recent state testing period for our second grade students. Your dedication to your child's education and your encouragement throughout this process has been invaluable.
I would also like to recognize the efforts of our amazing faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly to prepare our students for these assessments. Their hard work, dedication, and expertise have been instrumental in ensuring that our students are well-prepared and confident.
I am incredibly proud of our second grade students' commitment and resilience during the testing period. They have demonstrated their knowledge and skills, and we are confident that they gave their best effort.
Once again, THANK YOU for your wavering support and for trusting us with your child's education. We value your partnership and look forward to continued collaboration as we strive for excellence together.
As a reminder, there will be no school next week (April 15th - 19th). I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe SPRING BREAK and returns on Monday, April 22nd refreshed and ready to end 4th quarter strong!
Sincerely,
Brittney Owen, Principal
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week April 8th - 12th
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is a special time to show our gratitude and appreciation to the amazing teachers and staff who play such a vital role in our children's lives. I encourage you to take some time to express your appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and care that our teachers provide every day. There are many ways you can show your gratitude, such as writing a heartfelt note, sending a small gift, or simply saying thank you in person. Please remember that even a small gesture can make a big difference and brighten a teacher and staff member's day. I appreciate your involvement and look forward to a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week.
Registration for 24/25 School Year!
**ALL new and returning students must register online for the 24/25 school year.
*Students who are registered by Wednesday, April 10, 2024 will receive an OUT-OF-UNIFORM pass to be used on Thursday, April 11, 2024!
Your MCPSS username is the Enrolling Parent/Guardian's email address. Your password is the oldest active student's birth date.
For example: Username: myemail@gmail.com
Password: mmddyyyy
To register, click here: https://www.mcpss.com/enrollment
Parents are required to complete EZ registration each year. This includes our new PreK parents.
UPDATE for Incoming Pre-K (First Class Pre-K)
If you applied for your incoming 4 year old to attend our First Class Pre-K for the 24/25 SY, you will receive an email notification from "Alaceed" April 16-18 (reminder this is a lottery). During the Week of April 22nd, you will receive a phone call from the school to confirm placement.
Final Call for Yearbooks!
The link is closed to order online, but we are still accepting CASH (Please send exact change). Don't miss out on preserving your precious memories from this unforgettable year!
Kids Heart Challenge Rewards
This Thursday, April 11th the TOP class from each grade level will turn their teacher into a human sundae!! Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Owen, and our KHC Director (Mrs. Robinson) will also be pied in the face (many times)!! It's going to be a fun afternoon celebrating all of the hard work and efforts that went into meeting our $25,000 Kids Heart Challenge goal!
Spring Break Literacy FUN
The Alabama Reading Initiative is excited to share literacy activities with families. Take a look at these exciting literacy activities to keep your child engaged during Spring Break!
April Leadworthy Character Trait: PERSEVERANCE
Perseverance is the willingness and ability to keep going when things are tough. People who persevere show steadfastness and give the extra effort needed to do something despite how hard it is or how long it takes to reach the goal.
Why focus on Perseverance?
- Perseverance encourages positive self-talk and thinking. When faced with difficult tasks, perseverance helps students reframe with positive thoughts, such as: "I'm not good at this YET!"
- Perseverance develops empathy. Students gain a better understanding of who they are and develop more empathy and compassion for others who may struggle to reach a goal.
- Perseverance sparks personal growth. Pushing through complex tasks builds resilience and helps students discover how capable they are.
March Character Kids: Courage
Our Leadworthy character trait for the month of MARCH was COURAGE (STEP UP). One student per classroom was selected by their teacher for persevering, trying new things, and believing in themselves and their ability to do difficult or challenging things.
Our leadworthy staff member of the month was Ms. Trish Byrd! Ms. Byrd was nominated by our faculty and staff for exhibiting integrity and courage daily.. She is fair, consistent, and kind. Ms. Trish helps keep our school safe by how well she implements and enforces our school policies and procedures.
A very special THANK YOU to Grayson Air Conditioning for sponsoring our character breakfast. Students enjoyed their doughnuts and juice. We greatly appreciate your support to #OurHut.
Another special THANK YOU to our guest speaker, Coach Craig Sanders from Baker Hornet Football. He spoke to our students about being courageous and having the willingness to try something new even though it may be uncomfortable.
Pre-K Character Kids
Violet Worley
Nialani Saranthus
Harrison Bryan
Kindergarten Character Kids
Shelton Jones
Evee Fincher
Lizzy Aaron
Elliott Rimmer
Harmony Bowman
Liam Murphy
Kace Walker
Aubree Dyal
Saylor Miller
1st Grade Character Kids
Grace Vereen
Clayton Milam
Deckniel Aviles
Milan Romero
Madison Scott
Baylin Huffman
Donald Lett
Oliver Thames
Maverick Sharlow
2nd Grade Character Kids
Chandler Bobinger
Greyson Estes
Madden English
Roy "Tripp" Lee
Mason Gilmore
Rhett Lovitte
Abigail Porterpan
Wyatt Gordon
Heaven Thompson
Employee Character Award
Trish Byrd
Registrar
Grayson Air Conditioning
Guest Speaker, Coach Craig Sander
A very special THANK YOU to our guest speaker, Coach Craig Sanders from Baker Hornet Football. He spoke to our students about being courageous and having the willingness to try something new even though it may be uncomfortable.
Mrs. Percherke, Teacher of the Year
Last Friday, we were able to honor Mrs. Percherke at the wonderful MCPSS Teachers of the Year Luncheon. We are thankful for Mrs. Percherke’s dedication and incredible support she provides to her students, colleagues, and the entire Hutchens Elementary community!
Snacks & Ice Cream
- Snacks (chips and crackers) and juice/water are sold daily for $1.00 each.
- Students are allowed to bring their own snack and encouraged to bring their own water bottle from home.
- Ice Cream is sold each Tuesday for $2.00.
- Please send correct change!
Sno Cones
- Sno Cones are sold on the first Thursday of the month.
- Money is due before 8:25am.
- If your child is purchasing a sno cone or hot chocolate, please be sure to send the money in their folder.
- Please send correct change!
2nd Semester Club Days
Upcoming Club Days:
Friday, April 12th
Ms. Gayle - PAEMST Finalist
Please join me in celebrating Ms. Maegan Gayle, our phenomenal Science Lab “Nest” teacher, who's just been named an Alabama State/Jurisdiction-level FINALIST for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science teaching (PAEMST)!
This award is the top honor for K-12 math and science teachers in the U.S., recognizing exceptional dedication!!
Congratulations, Ms. Gayle! We’re all cheering for you!
NBCT Maintenance Certification
MCPSS held a ceremony last week to honor teachers who achieved or maintained National Board Certification, the most respected professional certification available in education. The program was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. Congratulations to Mrs. Pettis, Ms. Baranov, and Ms. Calametti for maintaining their NBCT certification.
Mrs. Pettis, Media Specialist
Ms. Calametti, ESL Teacher
Ms. Baranov, Kindergarten Teacher
April Staff Birthdays!
April 11th: Callie Berg (Speech Teacher)
April 13th: Jennifer Hall (1st Grade Teacher)
April 16th: Kaitlyn Varnadore (PreK Paraprofessional)
April 20th: Apryle Mather (Intervention Teacher)
April 24th: Courtney Tillman (1st Grade Teacher)
April 26th: Romina Ibarra (2nd Grade Teacher)
April 26th: Britnie Young (2nd Grade Teacher)
Important Upcoming Dates:
April 8th - April 12th: Hutchens Teacher Appreciation Week
April 12th: 3rd Quarter Honors Day (see flyer for more details)
April 15th - April 19th: Spring Break
April 25th: 2nd Grade Field Trip (students and staff only)
April 30th: April Character Breakfast @ 8:45 (by invitation only)
April 30th: Blood Drive
May 2nd & 3rd: 2nd Grade Field Trip to the Zoo
May 9th: Class of 2024 Senior Walk @ Hutchens
May 10th: 2nd Grade Transition Field Trip to Dawes
May 12th: Happy Mother's Day
May 17th: May Character breakfast @ 8:45 (by invitation only)
May 20th: PTA/Kindergarten End of Year Program @ 5:30
May 22nd: End of Year class parties
May 23rd: Last day for students
Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness is “the conscious awareness of the individual speech sounds (consonants and vowels) in spoken syllables and the ability to consciously manipulate those sounds” (LETRS Vol. 1 pg. 87). Students’ phonemic awareness skills continue to develop through about the fourth grade where they are practicing more advanced skills including the ability to substitute and reverse sounds. Kilpatrick (2015) emphasized that “mental phonemic manipulations must be fast and automatic to support consolidated, automatic word recognition”. Check out this video created by ARI that highlights evidence-based phonemic awareness instructional practices.
Writing
Want a fun and engaging way to practice handwriting and sight words?
Shaving cream writing is an inexpensive and easy way to work on letter formation and spelling. Place a dollop of shaving cream in the center of a plastic plate or tray, spread the shaving cream out to create a writing surface and get started! Using their finger like a pencil, your child can work on letter formation and practice spelling sight words, too! Writing can be easily erased by smearing the shaving cream. For a tasty twist on this activity, substitute whipped cream and use a candy cane as the pencil!
This multisensory activity will help develop fine motor skills, build connections in the brain and it's fun, too!
Braining Camp - Virtual Math Manipulative
Students at Hutchens Elementary have access to all of these virtual manipulatives through Brainingcamp. This can be accessed through their Clever single sign on. Check out the video link below for a quick overview of the manipulatives Brainingcamp has to offer.
Contact our Math Coach, Mrs. Alison Townsend at atownsend@mcpss.com if you need any assistance with this or have any questions.
Addition and Subtraction Strategies
The graphics below provide information on some of the addition and subtraction strategies students may use. These strategies allow students to approach problems in a way that makes sense for them and that they can explain to others. These allow students to have a better understanding of base ten number concepts and encourage flexibility in the use of a variety of strategies. As a result, this creates confident and capable mathematicians!
Spring is in the Air & Math Everywhere!
The Office of Mathematics Improvement is thrilled to announce our 2024 Spring Mathematics Challenge: "Spring is in the Air & Math is Everywhere!"
We realize the significance of helping students make connections between the mathematics they learn in the classroom and its constant application to their daily lives.
Help your children take pictures of math they see daily in the world around them. Using the QR code, upload their picture under the appropriate grade level. Include the name of your child's school and a simple explanation of how math is represented in the picture. Submissions will be posted on the Padlet as they are approved by the OMI Spring Challenge Team.
The challenge is open for submissions through April 19, 2024. Posts will be randomly selected for sharing on OMI's social media.
*The school with the most participation will be awarded a banner acknowledging their achievement.*
We hope you will encourage your students to see the math all around them!
April Early Numeracy Calendar
The April Early Numeracy Calendar has been uploaded to the AMSTI Mathematics @ Home Wakelet! English and Spanish versions are both available at https://bitly.amsti.org/calendars.
What is the Alabama Literacy Act?
"The Alabama Literacy Act was passed in 2019 to help improve reading in Alabama public schools to ensure students are reading on grade level by the end of the third grade. Reading is the gateway to lifelong achievement and the students of Alabama deserve a strong start on their path to success."
"By third grade, students must be proficient in foundational reading skills in order to comprehend texts. If they are unsuccessful, they will have difficulty understanding grade-level reading material. Students also need strong reading skills in order to learn other school subjects such as science, social studies, writing, and even math." (ARI/The Alabama Reading Initiative)
Watch this three-minute video to learn more!
Open Court Parent Guide Page 1
Open Court Parent Guide Page 2
At-Home Resource
GREAT RESOURCE!!
THE ALABAMA READING INITIATIVE (ARI) HAS CREATED SOME GREAT RESOURCES THAT PROVIDE PARENTS WITH INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN USE TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME.
Click on the link below to access these "My Child Can!" packets for grades K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd!
Early Dismissals
An early dismissal prior to 11:45am is considered an absence. If a student arrives to school after 11:45am he/she is marked absent for the entire day. There will be no early dismissals granted after 2:30pm. Early dismissals will be granted prior to 2:30pm only to a parent/guardian or a designated person listed as an emergency contact. Parents and emergency contacts must always present identification to the office.
Change in Transportation:
Any change in transportation must always be in writing. Transportation changes will not be granted over the phone. Please refrain from sending messages to teachers during their instructional time. In the event of an emergency, call the front office.
Lunch Visitors
- Lunch guests are required to report to the main office to sign-in and show identification.
- Adults visiting for lunch must be listed as a contact to visit the student at school.
- The student’s teacher must be notified BEFORE arriving on campus.
- Visitors must wear a badge/sticker provided by the office staff during check in and it must be visible at all times while in the building.
- Adults may purchase the school lunch ($4.75) or bring one from home. Outside food must be packed inside of a lunch box. No restaurant food bags are allowed.
- Visitors must return to the office after the student’s lunch period has ended to sign out.
- Cafeteria visitors may not visit other areas of the campus without prior approval from the principal.
- Any questions or concerns must be directed to an administrator.
Student Birthdays
We LOVE to celebrate our students; however, classroom birthday parties are not allowed. District policy allows two parties per year: Christmas and End of Year.
Students will receive a birthday shout-out during our live morning announcements and also a birthday treat from the office.
With the classroom teachers prior approval, parents/guardians may send a treat/special snack for the child's class. Be sure to check with the classroom teacher for any specific allergies as well as provide a snack for each child in the classroom. If you wish to distribute birthday party invitations, please send an invitation for each student.
Arrival and Dismissal
Please continue working with your child on how to buckle/unbuckle independently. Until then, please pull over to a designated parking area to provide assistance to your child. We ask that you do not get out of your car as this creates a safety concern and causes a disruption to our dismissal procedures.
We are in contact with county officials to expand our car line waiting area. This expansion will allow more vehicles to pull into our waiting area rather than pulling onto the shoulder on West Lake Road. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
Bus Safety
Please remind your child about good behaviors on the bus.
- Always listen to and obey the bus driver.
- Stay seated the entire time.
- Never extend your hands, arms, head, or any object out of the window.
- Keep the aisles clear.
- Do not jump seat to seat.
- Always keep hands and feet to yourself.
- Speak in quiet voice. No yelling!
- Bottom to bottom, Back-to-Back, Bookbag on lap.
23/24 School Calendar
Hutchens Uniform Policy
Connect with Us!
Contact us:
Email: bowen@mcpss.com
Website: hutchenselementary.org
Location: 10005 West Lake Rd. Mobile, AL 36695
Phone: 251-221-1420
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HutchensElem
Twitter: @HutchensElem