Husky Herald

March is here and with it comes the last leg of the school year! Working together, we can make the last part the BEST part. We will continue to provide quality instruction and support as we plan for each school day. We ask that you continue to make sure students get plenty of sleep and eat a good breakfast, read with them as often as possible, and make sure they attend school every day. The support of our community is one of the many reasons that Hunter Street rocks!

As we strive to keep our Little Huskies safe each day, we would like to remind you of a few things concerning the car line that will help us meet that goal:

Morning Drop Off:

• Students should exit the vehicle as soon as the line stops at the curb. Please do not wait to be at the front or at a certain spot or person. Additional stops slow down the flow of traffic.
• Please make sure students are completely ready to exit the vehicle as you round that last corner. Smooth traffic flow is not possible when students need to gather items, eat food, comb hair, etc. before they are able to exit the vehicle.
• Students should only exit from the right-hand side of the vehicle.

Afternoon Pick Up:

• Please display your car sign the full time you are in line so that all staff can see which student(s) should be in each vehicle.
• If someone out of the ordinary will be picking up your child, please have a car sign for them to display as well. If you need additional signs, we will be glad to send them to you.

I am sure that some of you are already planning for end of year events, and sometimes that means asking for time off work. Here are the big dates for the end of the year. Hope to see you there!

Thursday, May 22

Montessori Bridge Ceremony 8:30 am

Preschool Awards (Lawton, Root) 10:00 am

Friday, May 23

Kindergarten Graduation 8:30 am

First Grade Awards 10:00 am

Tuesday, May 27

Second Grade Awards 8:30 am

Third Grade Awards 10:00 am

Wednesday, May 28

Fourth Grade Graduation 8:30 am

What’s up in the music room? We are so glad you asked!

Students in preK, kindergarten, and Montessori are learning new songs and games including The Bumblebee, Hot Potato, Teddy Bear, and My Aunt Came Back. Students have explored instruments such as the triangle, rhythm sticks, scrapers, and xylophones.

Students in second, third, and fourth grade are learning to label the notes on the treble clef staff. They begin by numbering the lines and spaces from the bottom of the staff to the top. Then, they practice labeling the lines and spaces with letters A-G. Students use their chrome books for independent practice with our QuaverEd app.

We are currently wrapping up our unit on playing the xylophones. Students have explored the science of how materials and size affect vibration. Students are also exploring how to improvise on the xylophone and lead the ensemble.

Third grade is a critical year for our students as they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. We are committed to supporting your child’s reading development and helping them succeed. Below are key details about the Read to Succeed Act and how it impacts third-grade reading expectations.

Why Third Grade Reading Matters
Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is essential for your child’s academic success. At this stage, students use reading skills to learn other subjects like math, science, and social studies. Developing fluency and comprehension now lays the foundation for future learning and success.

The Read to Succeed Act
The Read to Succeed Act ensures that all students gain the reading skills necessary for college, career, or military readiness. The law requires that third-grade students who do not demonstrate reading proficiency—scoring Does Not Meet Expectations on the SC Ready reading assessment—be retained for additional support.

Good Cause Exemptions
Students who qualify for specific Good Cause Exemptions may still be promoted to fourth grade. These exemptions include:

• Limited English proficiency (fewer than two years of English instruction).
• Disabilities requiring alternative assessments or interventions (as outlined in their IEP).
• Receiving reading interventions for two years and previously being retained.
• Demonstrating reading proficiency on an approved alternative assessment.

Please contact your school if you believe your child may qualify for an exemption.

Summer Reading Camp (SRC)
Students who do not meet the required reading level by the end of third grade will be invited to attend Summer Reading Camp. This program offers intensive, small-group instruction to help students strengthen their reading skills. Successful completion of the camp could lead to promotion to fourth grade.

How We Support Your Child
We are committed to helping every student become a confident, independent reader through:

• Additional instructional time focused on literacy.
• Small-group and individualized reading interventions.
• Specialized teacher training provided by literacy coaches.

We also monitor progress regularly and communicate results to keep you informed.

How You Can Help at Home
Your involvement is key to your child’s reading success. Here’s how you can help:

• Read Together Daily: Encourage your child to read aloud and ask questions like, “What happened in the story?” or “Why do you think that happened?”
• Communicate with Teachers: Stay in touch with your child’s teacher about their progress.
• Use School Resources: We’re here to provide tools and materials to support your child’s reading journey at home.

By working together, we can make this year a success for your child. If you have questions or need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.

Thank you for partnering with us to make third grade a year of growth and learning!

Congratulations to this month's Hunter's Heroes! In February, students were challenged to demonstrate ways in which Huskies are Energetic. Each child was rewarded with a book from our vending machine! We are very proud of our Little Huskies!!

The word for March will be Trustworthy. We can't wait to see how our boys and girls meet this challenge as they live the Husky Way!

September is Attendance Awareness Month, a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement. Did you know that starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, regular attendance is essential for students gaining the academic and social skills they need to thrive? Research shows that when students are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of the school year or 18 days over an entire school year), they are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, achieve in middle school, and graduate from high school.

Let's take a look at what happens when students miss one day of school at Hunter Street:

• Socially: They are truly missed! Staff and fellow classmates notice when your child is not at school. We take a personal interest in the well-being of our students. We want them here so that they can learn the social skills, along with the academic skills, that lead to productive lives. Practicing those skills begins early.
• Academically: In the typical school day, a student receives between 90 and 120 minutes of language arts instruction, 60-75 minutes of math instruction, and 30-45 minutes of science and social studies instruction. Students miss out on discussion, collaboration with peers, and assistance from their teacher; all of which are so crucial for a deep understanding and application of skills. When they come back the next day, they have a gap in their learning and are not ready to move to the next step with their classmates.

Is there a time you should keep your child at home? Absolutely! When your child is sick, we certainly do not expect him/her to come to school. To read more about when you should keep your child at home, take a look at page 17 of Hunter Street's Parent Handbook. We also have a full-time nurse on staff. She will be able to help you if you have questions.

Your child will be the most successful when we work together. Please help us by insuring your child attends school regularly, and we will deliver the best possible instruction while he/she is here! Three things to keep in mind:

• Even if the absence is "excused," your child still missed the instruction.
• Even if the absence is "excused," the days count toward "chronic absenteeism".
• Chronic absenteeism is tracked by the state.

Chronic absenteeism is legally defined as "any students who misses 50% or more of the instructional day for any reason for 10% of the enrollment period." For elementary students, that equates to being absent for 18 days - whether excused or not - during the school year. Again, all absence types contribute to this number - excused, unexcused, suspensions, tardy arrivals, and early dismissals.

Another consideration with absences is whether they meet the threshold of truancy, which then becomes a legal matter. Truancy is defined as "a student between the ages of 6-17 who has accumulated 3 consecutive or a total of 5 or more unexcused/unlawful absences during the academic year. Continued unexcused absences after the truancy intervention process begins may result in referral to family court and/or the involvement of the Department of Social Services."

We understand that circumstances at times can be challenging. If you are in need of some assistance, please reach out. It is our desire to work with you and help you if you are in need. We have access to resources that may be able to provide support for you and your family.

Bottom line: We want and need your child at school each and every day!

When your child must be absent, you have a maximum of 3 days to send an excuse. Excuses may be sent to the teacher, or you may click the button below for our convenient online form. Please note that per YSD 1 policy, excuses will no longer be accepted after the 3-days.

This month is Montessori we have learned a lot about Asia, celebrated the Lunar New Year, and shared lots of love with Valentine’s Day! Geography is a big focus of the Montessori Method. Dr. Maria Montessori believed in the significance of children understanding their place on Earth as another way to promote peace. “Give the world to the small child.” - Dr. Maria Montessori

Our kindergarten students have been working hard to name their emotions; Diane Alber's Little Spot of Feelings teaches us about the 7 emotions our body experiences (peaceful, anger, anxiety, sadness, confidence, happiness, and love). We learned that our body does its best work when we are feeling peaceful, but it is healthy for us to feel all seven emotions. When our emotions get too big, we have strategies that we can use to help our body return to peaceful. Students have spent the past several months working on naming their emotions and putting into action what they have learned through a variety of activities that you see below. We are now using what we know and applying that to our "learning spot" - when we learn new things, both at school and at home, our emotions can show up too! National Scribble Day is March 27th where we will celebrate all that we have learned!

February has been fabulous in first grade! In ELA, we began our study of vowel teams and text features. We went on text feature scavenger hunts and collaborated in small groups to create posters to share our learning . In math, students learned how to collect, organize and analyze data by surveying their peers, designing graphs and sharing results with their classmates.

2nd grade had a great time on their field trip to the Schiele Museum! While students explored the museum, they got to learn about all the different types of animals, their habitats, and what those animals need to survive!

MERIT third graders are on an exciting mathematical journey to the Land of Treble, where everything comes in threes – including their number system! Students are exploring a base-3 system using creative currency: gickles, trickles, and bickles. They're mastering math vocabulary with “The Fast and the Curious” and learning to trade and regroup while tackling fun challenges like saving up for a "Three-Headed Slurp" from the Trigon Pet Store!

This adventure deepens their understanding of number systems, including our everyday base-10. It improves numeracy skills, enhances their grasp of place value, and develops flexible thinking with numbers. Students are building a strong foundation for future mathematical concepts. All of this will also help them solve the Mystery of the MoLi stone in our math unit!

The third graders have been hard at work writing opinion pieces! They are learning how to write an introduction, body, and a conclusion. 🎉

For the month of February in reading, 4th grade has been discussing and analyzing main idea with different non-fiction text. We have been studying and applying the most effective methods in identifying main idea. We have studied a different nonfiction text each week and we begin reading the text together to identify main idea. Throughout the week, the students are given more independence over time to determine main idea of both the whole text and specific paragraphs through collaborative small groups and partnerships. Most recently, the students have been reading an article about taste buds. I placed the students in small groups and assigned each group a different set of paragraphs from the article to dissect and determine the main idea. Once each group finished, they presented their findings to the whole class, and we discussed their findings with one another. We also discussed how those small main ideas all connect to create the big main idea of the whole text.

Read Across America Week (3-7)

New and Returning Student Registration Opens

March 5

Book Character / Vocabulary Parade 8:15 am

March 10

Dominoe's Pizza Spirit Night

Spring Book Fair (10-14)

March 11

HSES 4K/5K (new students only) Registration/DIal-4 Screening - 8:15-5:30 by appointment only

March 14

Wake Up & Read! 8:00-8:30

March 19

Professional Collaboration Day - 👉Students Dismissed at 11:30 am.👈

March 26

Report Cards Issued

Spring Pictures / Class Pictures

March 28

PTO Birthday Lunch