Hopewell's Happenings

April Adventures at HES!

What a month it’s been at Hopewell Elementary — full of fun, learning, and school spirit!

Our 3rd graders wowed us during their Biography Bonanza, impressing everyone with their creativity and hard work.

April also brought Green Week, packed with meaningful, eco-friendly moments. We kicked things off with a spirited Bike, Walk & Ride to School event, then joined forces with the Sourland Conservancy for various plantings on and off campus (i.e. St. Michael’s Preserve). Don’t miss the beautiful new Red Oak Tree in our front circle — a lasting symbol of our environmental commitment!

We also enjoyed our 2nd Annual HES Talent Show, hosted by Student Council. With over 300 attendees, our 3rd–5th grade students lit up the stage with singing, dancing, magic, and more — such an unforgettable night!

To cap off the month, we celebrated our youngest learners at the beloved Kindergarten Donuts with Grownups event.

To begin the month of May, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for our May Day Celebration! The sun was shining, the breeze was perfect, and our students had a wonderful time showing off their dancing skills around the Maypole. Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy this joyful tradition with us!

We’re so excited for a warm and busy May — scroll down to see what’s coming up!

Bertha I. Scott (1880–1963) was the first principal of Hopewell Elementary School and served for an amazing 26 years, from 1916 to 1942! Before leading our school, she taught in South Jersey and worked hard to earn her education degree, taking summer classes at the University of Pennsylvania and later graduating from Rutgers University.

Scott first led the Hopewell Grammar School on Model Avenue, and then became the founding principal when the new school building opened on Princeton Avenue in 1926 — what we now know as Hopewell Elementary. She was a true hands-on leader, teaching classes, preparing hot lunches with students, and even managing work permits and gas rationing during World War II.

After nearly 40 years in education, Scott retired in 1942. Her name proudly stands first on our Principals Plaque, a reminder of her lasting impact on generations of Hopewell students.

The HES PTO is looking forward to celebrating all of our amazing teachers and staff the week of May 5th and 9th. We have many fun things planned to show our teachers how much we appreciate them so check out the flyer and please reach out to your Room Parent or Jill Guiseppe at HESRoomParents@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Thank you to our families for your participation in your children's programming and working with us during Annual Review season. With teacher and staff appreciation week coming up, please consider sharing a few kind words, or even a photo, expressing gratitude for our special education staff by clicking on the Special Educator Appreciation padlet and posting your note. Just click the plus sign, add your words and click publish. The more messages the better! We appreciate you taking the time to partake in this meaningful activity and thank you for your support!

Yearbook Orders Due Friday, May 9th:

Don't forget, the 2024-2025 yearbook orders are due by Friday, May 9th. Should you wish to purchase a copy, please see the flyer linked here.

Please note the schedule changes for Memorial Day Weekend:

Since we did not use all of our allotted snow days this year, the following adjustments have been made to the school calendar:

• Thursday, May 22nd will be an E-Learning Day. Students will not attend school in person but will receive assignments and instructions from their teachers to complete at home.

• School will be closed on Friday, May 23rd and Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day Break. These days were originally built into the calendar as potential make-up days for inclement weather and will now be observed as days off.

Thank you, and we wish all our families a safe and enjoyable long weekend!

News for students by students! We are so proud of all of our members of the Newspaper Club who put a lot of effort into making their articles. You will get to learn more about what is happening at the school, learn more about teachers, pets of HES and so much more! Thank you for taking the time to read our paper! Don't forget to check out the special podcast all about school news!

HES will be raising money for the American Heart Association by jumping rope! Please consider donating for an amazing cause. Students who sign up on the site (which is free) will complete a Jump Rope for Heart Challenge on May 7, 2025 during their recess! Plus, we have the chance to earn PE equipment for our school!

Join us in learning about heart health and raising funds to protect all hearts – especially other kids! Through fun activities we’ll discover ways to take care of our hearts and brains while practicing kindness, gratitude and learning to ways to de-stress.

• Kindergarten Registration is now open for 2025-2026 school year.

• Kindergarten Camp will be held Monday through Thursday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. (four days a week) on the weeks of July 7th - 10th and July 14th - 17th at each elementary school. Please note: your child must be registered for Fall 2025 Kindergarten in order to attend. The cost for attending two weeks is $300. If your child is only attending one week, it is $150. Transportation is not provided.

• PEECH (Preschool & Early Education for Children of Hopewell) Program Registration is now open.

The Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance is excited to announce that Hopewell Valley Come Outside & Play! will take place from Thursday, June 5 through Saturday, June 7, 2025. This community-wide event encourages children and adults to get outdoors and connect with nature.

Organizations and community members are invited to host an outdoor activity during the event. If you or your organization are interested, please complete the participation form by April 25 to have your activity included in the event newsletter, which will be shared throughout the community in May.

For more details or to promote your event, visit Hopewell Valley's Backyard on Facebook. Let’s get outside and play!

HES PTO is excited to present The Give & Take Jugglers: The Little Circus on May 15th! This lighthearted, high-energy assembly will dazzle with 40 minutes of juggling, aerial artistry, and a portable tightwire—all delivered outdoors (weather permitting). We are ready for an unforgettable, joy-filled spring assembly show!

As always, please reach out if you need any assistance via phone at 609-737-4007 x7206 or email at ashleylarose@hvrsd.org.

Summer EBT is a new federal program to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Families will receive $120 for each eligible child to buy groceries during the summer. Children who receive Summer EBT benefits can still participate in other summer meal programs. Receiving benefits will not affect children or families’ immigration status. To find out more information or if you are eligible, you can find information HERE.

PTO Meeting:
The May PTO Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, the 8th, in-person at 8:45am in HES's Faculty Lounge. Zoom link can be found here for those who cannot attend in-person.

Are you in the directory yet?

The HES PTO is the volunteer organization behind many fun events and special things for our kids during the school year. Please view our link to the Frog Flash for more information.

• May 1st - Student Council Meeting (8:05am); May Day Celebration (2:15pm); Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• May 2nd - May Day Celebration - Rain Date (2:15pm)
• May 5th - 9th - Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
• May 5th - NJSLA Testing (Gr. 3-5)
• May 6th - NJSLA Testing (Gr. 3-5); 4th Grade's Field Trip to Princeton Symphony Orchestra; 1st Grade's Field Trip to Doyle's Farm; Green Team Meeting (3:40pm)
• May 7th - NJSLA Testing (Gr. 3-5); Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (8:00am); HVRSD Wellness/SEL Day; Kids Heart Challenge (during recess); Early Dismissal Students Only; PreSchool Half Day PM only
• May 8th - NJSLA Testing (Gr. 3-5); PTO Meeting (8:45am @ HES); Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• May 9th - NJSLA Testing (Gr. 3-5); 5th Grade Activity Night (6:00pm)
• May 12th - NJSLA Testing (5th Grade only)
• May 13th - NJSLA Testing (5th Grade only)
• May 14th - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (8:00am); NJSLA Make-up Testing; 2nd Grade Musical Performance for Families (2:30pm)
• May 15th - Student Council Meeting (8:05am); NJSLA Make-up Testing; PTO-sponsored Little Circus Performance Assemblies; Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• May 16th - Preschool Collaboration Day (No School for Preschool); NJSLA Make-up Testing; 4th Grade's Field Trip to HVCHS Band Concert
• May 17th - Retirement Open House at HES (2:00-4:00pm)
• May 19th - Whole School Meeting (Wear your HES T-shirt); BOE Regular Meeting (6:30pm)
• May 20th - Debate Team Meeting (8:00am); Green Team Meeting (3:40pm)
• May 21st - Field Day @ HES (Gr. K,1 & 5 AM, Gr. 2-4 PM); Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (8:00am)
• May 22nd - Memorial Day Break - E-Learning Day - No in-person School
• May 23rd - Memorial Day Break - Snow Day - No School
• May 26th - Memorial Day - No School
• May 28th - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (8:00am); 2nd Grade's Habitat Hoopla (2:30pm)
• May 29th - 5th Grade's Field Trip to Liberty Science Center; Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• May 30th - Newspaper Club Meeting (8:00am)

• HES Dismissal Waiver Form
• HES Lunch Info
• HES School Calendar
• HES School Times
• HVRSD District Calendar

This section of our monthly correspondence is dedicated to posting our older community newsletters so that you can refer back to previous HES communication. We also recommend that you regularly visit our school's website and read HVRSD's weekly Focus to stay informed with the latest events and happenings at HES.

Previous Newsletters:

• April Edition
• March Edition
• February Edition
• January Edition
• December Edition
• November Edition
• October Edition
• September Edition
• Back to School Edition