Bear Country News

Greetings parents,

We had a great first two days of school. We would like to thank our parents as we continue to work out the normal hiccups of the first days of school (car pool, arrival, etc.). Unfortunately, inclement weather will impact our next week of school as indicated below:

SCCPSS officials continue to monitor the track of Tropical Storm Debby in consultation with the Chatham Emergency Management Agency and information from the National Weather Service. The current track of the storm is expected to bring dangerous weather conditions to our area mainly in regard to rains which forecasters say could be at historic levels and lead to flooding throughout our community.

Due to the expected impacts of Tropical Storm Debby on our area this week, Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools will operate on a half-day schedule tomorrow, Monday, August 5th,

Hesse K8 will stagger early dismissal to reduce congestion as follows:

• 11:45 AM- PreK -2nd grade students will be released
• 12:00 PM- 3rd-5th grade students will be released
• 12:15 PM- 6th-8th grade students will be released

Parents with students that have siblings in older grade levels are encouraged to arrive at the time of the oldest sibling's dismissal.

All SCCPSS schools will be closed on Tuesday, August 6th and Wednesday, August 7th as this storm moves through. Students will not report to school on Tuesday, August 6th or Wednesday, August 7th and there will be no required remote learning during this time.

While all buildings and District facilities will be closed for in-person activities, certain staff who are designated by their immediate supervisor will be required to report to work during this closure.

The School District will maintain regular contact with the Chatham Emergency Management Agency to monitor storm impacts. Facility and operational assessments will be made after the danger has passed to ensure the safety of all buildings before students and staff return.

Normal school operations are expected to resume Thursday, August 8th. Should this change in any way, official information will be communicated through the District’s call notification system, email, district website, and social media channels on Facebook and Twitter. Parents and Staff should monitor our official communication channels for additional information.

Once again, schools will operate on a half day schedule Monday, August 5th and students will not report to school on Tuesday, August 6th or Wednesday, August 7th due to the anticipated impacts associated with Storm Debby. All buildings and District facilities will be closed for in-person activities. Please monitor SCCPSS.com, our social media channels, and all district calls and emails for more information on operational changes as the storm moves through our area.

Spirit Day is scheduled at Hesse on Friday, August 9th. Students may wear their Hesse shirts with uniform bottoms to show school spirit.

The Cross Country and Softball Interest Meeting for middle school students scheduled on Tuesday, August 6th will be rescheduled.

We look forward to an award winning school year!! As a reminder, Hesse is the best, we expect nothing less.. it's showtime!!!

We are excited to welcome our BEARS back to a new school year during Open House. Please make plans to meet your new teacher and classmates on July 30, 2024 as follows:

• Elementary (Grades PK-5th)- 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM
• Middle Grades (Grades 6-8)- 5:00 PM until 6:30 PM

Class assignments will be given at Open House. Please note that class assignments are not final until after the 10th day of school. We can't wait to see you at Open House! Use the link to access the flyer:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12AXLUsQuHGjv3BLcVd5SktjpdiygcYVp/view?usp=sharing

Calling all parents of students that speak languages other than English! Our annual ESOL Parent Meeting will be held 5:30 PM until 6:00 PM in the cafeteria during Open House. We hope to see you there!

Hesse K8 will adhere to the bag policy established by SCCPSS during school events such as Open House. Please use the link below to access the details:

https://www.sccpss.com/district/boepd/clear-bag-policy

With the understanding that student behavior is influenced by the way students are dressed and that no student should dress in a manner that is disruptive or has an adverse effect on school activities, the following mandatory uniform standards have been developed. Students are expected to dress in the school uniform during the school day, on field trips, and during school-related activities. Hesse K-8 uniform colors are as follows: hunter green or white uniform shirts; khaki or navy uniform bottoms. Please refer to the SCCPSS Code of Conduct for full details regarding uniform guidelines/expectations.

Additionally, the Dri-FIT shirts sold by our PTA will be accepted as a uniform top. Please contact our PTA for more information.

Safety is our top priority. We need all families to work with staff members to ensure the safety of our students and staff is maintained. Our instructional day begins at 8:15 am. Students arriving at 8:15 am or later will be marked tardy and parents must walk them to the front door to sign them into school.

Students will be assigned a security number and security tags will be given to each family to use during pick-up. Anyone who is picking up a student from campus will need to have the security tag or report to the office with identification.

Please be patient during carpool! The first week or two, the carpool line moves slowly until the students learn the new routine.

Please use the link below to review the Arrival and Dismissal procedures.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rZtWpGhE1-OF_nnoVSoskXtAnsH9h4di/view?usp=sharing