
Propel Hazelwood
Hawk Talk- Final Family Update for 2023 - 2024
Greetings Propel Hazelwood Families!
The finish line is in sight! We've proud of all we've accomplished this year and this last week and a half will be filled with activities to finish out the year, wrap up learning, reflect and set goals, and celebrate our successes!
Please read below to get all the information for the end of year expectations and events. We don't want you or your child to miss a thing!
We continue to be grateful for the strong culture we are building this school year, and for the collaboration and participation of families in ensuring this is a great school. We appreciate your support, engagement and partnership with us here at Propel Hazelwood as we work together for your children's success. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
The Propel Hazelwood Leadership Team
Meryl Johnson - Principal
Lacey Macchia - Assistant Principal
Darnell Bonner - Assistant Principal
The Final Events:
June 3-7 Spirit Week
Thursday June 6 "Around the World" Art Show and Celebration of Learning 1:00pm/1:30pm
Friday June 7 Sneaker Ball / Spray Park trip
Monday June 10 Field Day
Tuesday June 11 8th grade Promotion 9:30am
Tuesday June 11 Kindergarten Celebration 1:30pm
Wednesday June 12 Last Day of School for Scholars
Monday June 24 PPS Public Hearing and vote on Propel Hazelwood's charter renewal
The DETAILS
Spirit Week
Monday: Marvel Monday- Come dressed to show off your superpower!
Tuesday: Twin Day- Come dressed to match another member of the Propel Hazelwood community.
Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday- Put on those funky socks, hats, etc. for a wacky look.
Thursday: Class Colors for the COL- Students should wear their class color for the performance.
Friday: Choose Your Own Adventure! - Students come in a theme of their choice.
Regardless of theme, we still ask that students dress appropriately for learning and playing at school. That means no crocs or slides, no ripped jeans and no midriff-baring tops. If a student is not participating in the Spirit Week theme, he or she should wear their regular school uniform.
Art Show and Celebration of Learning- Thursday June 6
Doors open at 1pm for the visual art show in the gym. Then head over for the live student performance in the auditorium- doors open at 1:30pm.
Sneaker Ball and Spray Park - Friday June 7
Students will celebrate the end of the year with one last chance to get loose.
K-2 will have an in school dance in the afternoon. Students may come to school dressed in their outfits, or may opt to bring something to change into before the event.
3-4 will spend half the day at the spray park on Friday. Students may choose to wear their bathing suits under their clothes or bring a change. They should bring a towel, sunscreen and dry clothes to wear home after the trip.
5-8 will have their final Sneaker Ball in the evening from 6:30-8pm. Students must have a reliable ride home. Invitations are going out Monday.
Field Day- Monday June 10
All Propel Hazelwood students and staff will be invited to participate in our end of year Field Day. We'll have a variety of games and outdoor activities, a picnic lunch from the grill, Kona Ice, and lots of fun!
Students should come dressed in athletic clothing, with sneakers, and can bring sunscreen and water bottles for a day outdoors. Students may get wet in the water balloon toss or other activities, and so an extra set of dry clothing is a good idea.
8th Grade Promotion- Tuesday June 11, 9:30am
Our promotion ceremony to send our 8th graders on to high school will happen on Tuesday morning, June 11. Families should have received 4 tickets for the event in the mail. If you did not receive them, please call the school.
Students should come to school on time for the normal school day, dressed so they are ready for the start of the ceremony.
Students are encouraged to dress up for this important event. They will be walking through the auditorium and taking the stairs onto the stage- please be thoughtful about choosing shoes that students can walk safely in.
Kindergarten Celebration- Tuesday June 11, 1:30pm
At Propel Hazelwood we celebrate the start of our scholar's educational careers at the end of the school year. We will have a short ceremony recognizing all students and their growth this year. Families should have received 4 tickets for the event in the mail. If you did not receive them, please call the school.
Students should come to school on time for the normal school day. We do not have a cap and gown ceremony but students are encouraged to dress up for this important event. They can some to school in their celebration outfits, or can bring it with them and staff can help them change and get ready after lunch and recess. Students will be walking through the auditorium and taking the stairs onto the stage- please be thoughtful about choosing shoes that students can walk safely in.
PPS Public Hearing in support of Propel Hazelwood June 24
This year is our five year charter renewal. That means the PPS Board will be voting to renew our agreement to serve students in the city of Pittsburgh for 5 more years. We feel confident about a positive outcome of this vote, however we also want to ensure Board Members know how our parents and families feel about the work we are doing here at Propel Hazelwood.
Please join us in showing support for our school by coming out on the evening of June 24. We will give out Propel Hazelwood t-shirts so we can make a great visual impact. Interested in making your voice heard? You can speak or send a letter to the Board before the vote as well. For more information and to join the cause, please contact Ms. Johnson (meryljohnson@propelschools.org) or Mr. Peeks (justinpeeks@propelschools.org).
Propel Hazelwood Yearbooks for 2023-2024
This is our first time creating a yearbook to commemorate the school year... and they look awesome! Get yours for $12 and see photos of the entire school and all the learning and fun.
If you missed out on pre-ordering, yearbooks will be sold for one more week. Students can bring money in to Ms. Joy in the office. And books will also be on sale at the Celebration of Learning.
School Uniforms: donning and donating
For our final 8 days of school, we will have Spirit Week and celebrations, and so students are encouraged to dress to match the theme and activities for the day. That means, students are not required to wear uniforms if they are participating in these events. If students choose not to participate in Spirit Week, they are expected to wear uniforms this week.
We know that Propel has a uniform scholar dress code in order to provide an environment where the focus is on learning and the distractions of dress are kept to a minimum and all scholars are expected to be properly dressed in the school uniform daily. If your child has outgrown uniform clothes this year, please help out other families by donating items that are still in good shape to the school.
And as you start planning for next year, Here is the updated school uniform for all Propel scholars in grades K-8. Remember you can purchase uniform items through this online store. If your family needs assistance with uniforms please contact the school at the end of the summer for support.
Finishing STRONG at Propel Hazelwood
We know that athletes who win the races are those who push themselves all the way through the finish line. While the end of the year is in sight, we've got a few days to go so we are going to continue pushing students to meet behavioral and academic expectations until the end.
We are excited by the growth we have seen this spring and will keep providing support and instruction to prepare students for next year. During Morning Announcements each day we remind students to work hard, be kind, get smart, and finish strong!
Are you DOING YOUR PART?
Check Your Email
Information is regularly shared with families through email. Please be sure you are keeping up with news from our school. If you missed any information, please reach out to the school.
Attendance Matters...Regular Attendance is critical for academic growth and achievement
Regular attendance is the calculation of days a student has attended in the school year. Our goal is to increase regular attendance at Propel Hazelwood in order to increase academic success. A student who has missed 10 days of school, just 2 days missed a month, has actually missed 10% of the instruction so far this year.
If you child does need to be out, please provide a written excuse upon their return or email our Attendance Specialist, Ms. Tiffany Stamps. Per state regulation, after 10 absences, only medical excuses will be accepted. Please reach out to Ms. Stamps if you have questions or need support around attendance.
How's My Child Doing? Log in to JumpRope to find out and keep up with Standards Based Grading
As you know, Propel is no longer using a traditional grading system (As, Bs, Cs, etc.). We have transitioned to Standards Based Grading, which means your child will be regularly assessed on their progress towards end of year benchmarks. Scholars' progress towards mastering these end of year targets will be scored on a scale of 1-4. This grading system allows us to have a more clear picture throughout the school year of where scholars are in their understanding of content and mastery of skills required for the next grade level.
You don't have to wait until end of year Report Cards to find out how your child has done this year. Log in to our digital platform JumpRope using your child's school email address and lunch code, to see missing assignments, grades on various assessments, where they stand overall, and to connect directly with their teacher. Here are the directions for logging into JumpRope.
Want to Help Out?
Contact Mr. Peeks (justinpeeks@propelschools.org) or Ms. Johnson to get connected with our Parent Action Team and support Propel Hazelwood through this year's charter renewal process and beyond.
Dismissal Changes? Use PikMyKid App or Call the office before 2:45pm!
For any changes to your child's regular dismissal plan, please make the changes in the PikMyKid app or call the main office. These changes must be made before 2:45 p.m. so we can ensure all scholars make it safely home. If someone else is coming to pick up your child, it needs to be logged in the app. All adults coming to the school to pick up scholars may be asked to show valid ID.
There will be no Early Dismissals after 3 p.m. per the Family Handbook. If you need to pick up your child early, that must happen before our dismissal process starts. This is the busiest time of day for our office and our priority is ensuring that all scholars make it home safely. Thank you for your support with this.
School Hours
Dismissal begins at 3:30pm. Thank you for your patience as we help all of our students safely exit the building and head home each day.
Family Parking
Propel Hazelwood Leadership Team
Darnell Bonner, Assistant Principal
Lacey Macchia, Assistant Principal
Propel Hazelwood K-8
Website: propelschools.org
Location: 5401 Glenwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Phone: 412-325-0492