An Update from Hough Elementary

Despite the cold weather, our Hough Hawks have had a great time participating in all of the great activities at Hough! We are grateful to all of our parent volunteers that made the Valentine's Day parties so fun and memorable for our students. We had a record number of volunteers at school on Friday, which is so heart-warming! How lucky we are to have so many families celebrate a fun afternoon of friendship, crafts, games, and snacks together at Hough.

We are also looking forward to our 5th grade basketball playing a Hough Boys vs. Girls basketball game today after school. It was such a fun season and the students wanted to have a final opportunity to play together.

We have discussed HONESTY, the monthly Character Strong theme, through classroom meetings, morning announcements, classroom activities, and during STEM buddy activities. Students have shared some positive and insightful ways that show how honesty is truly valued and important in building trust with others.

Finally, the 5 Essentials Survey is opening this week. Be sure to enter LAKE when it asks for your county at sign-in. I appreciate the feedback you have to share about Hough School and ask each family to take a few minutes to complete the 5E Survey. Please click on the district letter to learn more about this survey.

Congratulations to Mrs. Ruhland's second grade class for earning the Character Strong Trophy on February 10th. Mrs. Laughlin (still on maternity leave) heard the news and is extremely proud of her class.

Barrington 220 will host a Kindergarten Lab (K-Lab) Virtual Round-Up Informational Session on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 6:00 - 700 p.m. for parents of incoming kindergarteners. Learn more about this unique, full-day program at Barrington High School, which offers a one-of-a-kind educational experience for our youngest learners and our high school students. For more information about K-Lab and the virtual program link for Feb.26th, visit: https://www.barrington220.org/families/kindergarten-information.

Last week Student Council held a Valentine’s Day heart sale to raise money for Tommy, a seven year old child facing serious health challenges. Thanks to your generosity, we raised $245 to create a special basket filled with games, activities, and fun surprises to brighten his day.

Thank you for supporting Student Council in making a difference for Tommy!

Student Service Opportunity - Sign up to give back this month by helping assemble fun St. Patrick’s Day care packages to be included in a March Packs of Plenty! We’ll meet on Wednesday, February 19th after school 2:10 - 3:15. This opportunity is open to the first 25 students who sign up. We’ll also need 4 adult volunteers. Sign-up here by 2/18 Student Service Opportunity Sign-Up.

PTO Meeting LOCATION CHANGE AND Culver's Fundraiser - Please note that our February 20th PTO meeting will be held at Culver’s in Fox River Grove from 6:30-7:30 PM in conjunction with our Culver’s Dine and Share Fundraiser. The meeting format will be informal, but we hope to see as many of you, and your kiddos, on Thursday as possible. If you have any questions or topics you’d like covered, please email hellohoughpto@gmail.com.

Code Ninja - Drop off your kids on Friday, March 7th at the Hoffman Estates Code Ninja from 6:30-9:30 PM for Code Ninja. Kids will enjoy exploring Roblox, Minecraft and game development alongside their peers. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Hough PTO. Space is limited to the first 30 people so register today.

District 220 Board Candidates Forum - Barrington 220 School Board Candidates Forum, hosted by the Hough PTO Presidents Council, will be held Wednesday, March 12th from 9:30-11:30 AM at the Barrington Area Library. Check out the District 220 School Board Candidates' Forum Info for more information.

The Hough Fundraiser - Join us for an unforgettable evening of fun and philanthropy at our school fundraiser on Saturday, April 5th from 5:30-10:00 PM (Wild Onion Brewery & Banquets). Enjoy exciting games, bid on unique items at our silent and live auctions and dance the night away. Tickets go on sale March 1st. Help us reach our fundraising goal by making a donation.

SHOUT OUTS!

• Thank you to all of our students who participated in Jersey Day and who kindly donated dollars, cents, and even Starbucks gift cards 😉 for our new playground.
• Thank you to Kate Fanselow for hosting and to the wonderful 18 parents who joined our Hough Fundraiser meeting on February 13th. We had a very productive evening.

PTO Volunteer Opportunities - As we continue our fundraising efforts for the playground, many wonderful ideas have been submitted. We are working to determine priorities and welcome your feedback. Please complete this google form to indicate interest and availability.

POP-Packs of Plenty - Please check out the link for newly added packing dates for the remainder of the year. Your help is greatly appreciated! Packs of Plenty Sign-Up

Playground Committee Update - Thank you to everyone for your generosity and patience as we navigate this process and all of the moving pieces! The playground committee had a great meeting last week with Principal Schumacher and our Barrington 220 Facility Director in order to align our PTO’s efforts with District plans. Also, you may have heard that the students have been sharing their incredible passion and wonderful ideas for the playground, which we are factoring into our decisions.

Hough St. Patrick’s Day Sweatshirts - Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a Hough sweatshirt or t-shirt, made by Hough Social Worker, Mrs. Gonzalez. Adult and youth sizes in a variety of colors are available. Mrs. Gonzalez will donate $10 from every sweatshirt and $5 from every t-shirt to the PTO. Please click here to pre-order yours now!

PTO Save the Dates:

2/20 - PTO Meeting at Culver’s/Culver’s Dine & Share

4/5 - The Hough Fundraiser

4/11 - Big Hawk/Little Hawk Sports Night (parents and kids)

4/22 - Earth Week

4/28 - 5/2 - Spring Book Fair

5/2 - Mini Marathon (after school)

5/2 - Art Fair and Bake Sale

5/16 - Fifth Grade Escape to Middle School

5/22 - Hough Field Day (Rain Date 5/23/25)

5/30 - Fifth Grade Recognition/Last Day of School

-Tuesday, 2/18

• Winter Chess Club 2:45-3:45 PM
• 5th Grade Boys vs. Girls basketball game 3:00 PM

• PTO-sponsored service opportunity (P.O.P. St. Patrick's Day) 2:10-3:15 PM

• K-1st Grade STEM Club 2:10-3:15 PM
• 4th & 5th Grade Drama Club (gym) 2:45-3:45 PM

• 4th & 5th Grade Drama Club (gym) 2:45-3:45 PM

• Winter Chess Club 2:45-3:45 PM

• K-1st Grade STEM Club 2:10-3:15 PM
• Drama Club 2:45-3:45 PM

• Term 2 Report Cards available on the Parent Portal after 4:00 PM

• Spring Parent Teacher Conference sign-up opens at 8:00AM in Meet the Teacher