Hovatter Elementary

Greetings Hovatter Families:

We had another busy week of teaching and learning at the Hive! Join us for our annual, fan favorite, Hovatter Hoops basketball game this week on Wednesday, March 26th at Lightridge HS and watch our 5th grade students and many staff members join forces in a friendly competition of Green v. Blue....more details below!

Calendar Reminders:

• Tuesday, March 25th: Chick Fil A Spirit Night
• Wednesday, March 26th: Hovatter Hoops
• March 31: Holiday (Eid al Fitr)
  
• April 3: End of 3rd Quarter
• April 4-April 7: Student Holidays- Teacher Workday/Professional Learning Day
• April 14-18: School Holidays: Spring Break

First, thank you to our drivers who are consistently following the established morning car line procedures established for both Henrietta Lacks and Hovatter. As we continue to strive to ensure the safety and efficiency of our morning car line, we kindly ask all parents and/or guardians to carefully follow the established procedures. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety of all students and staff, and to maintain a smooth flow of traffic.

Please avoid taking shortcuts to bypass the long line. The only road which should be taken to access the car line is Collaboration Drive. Additionally, children should never be dropped off on either side of Lightridge Farm Road. While we understand mornings can be hectic, adhering to the procedures helps us create a safer environment for everyone. Your respect and cooperation are greatly appreciated and make a significant difference.

Sharing Your Culture

Hovatter is committed to sharing the cultures of our families and learning from each other. Please consider sending in a video or artifact we can share on our internal morning news show or display in our locked showcase which might teach others about your customs and traditions. Each month we celebrate different cultures. For example, September 15th-October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month. Ideally we would like to play the videos and display the artifacts during this time period from our Hispanic families. During other months, we could share other customs from other cultures. Some examples of videos could be a recipe, dance, or story. If interested, please complete this form to submit an entry.

3-24-25 TO 3-28-25

Monday

Pizza Crunchers

Chicken and Vegetable Egg Roll

COLD OPTION

SunButter & Jelly Sandwich

Bagel Box

Tuesday

Asian Style Chicken Nuggets w/ Roll

North African Red Lentils & Couscous w / Roll

Chicken Cheese Quesadilla

Cheese Quesadilla

COLD OPTION

SunButter & Jelly Sandwich

Bagel Box

Wednesday

Penne Pasta with Marinara Sauce

Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce

Breaded Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

COLD OPTION

SunButter & Jelly Sandwich

Bagel Box

Thursday

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders (Turkey Bacon)

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

COLD OPTION

SunButter & Jelly Sandwich

Bagel Box

Friday

Cheese Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza

Crispy Fish Taco

COLD OPTION

SunButter & Jelly Sandwich

Bagel Box

Breakfast and Lunch are served daily during the school year. You can create your student's lunch account on LINQ Connect or send in cash/check. Meals include a main entrée, fruit, veggie, and a milk. Meal costs are $3.05 for lunch and $2.50 for breakfast. There are many different a la carte items which can be purchased additionally with the meal, including ice cream (coming soon). You are able to limit extra items in your student's LINQ account. https://linqconnect.com/

Welcome back to our cafeteria manager, Ms. Binni Gandhi, who can be reached at binni.gandhi@lcps.org.

Occasionally, students will forget items at home (chromebook, lunch box, water bottle) and a parent or guardian will need to bring these items to school. We have office volunteers who help deliver these items to the classroom. We are unable to accommodate deliveries from Grub Hub, Door Dash, etc. for students who forget their lunch. These vendors are not permitted access into the school, and our staff cannot ensure the safety of the contents of the delivery. Our staff will ensure every student is offered a lunch choice in the event they do not have a packed lunch.

We need your help during lunch! From now through the end of the school year, we have set up one-hour shifts to volunteer in the cafeteria (if you can do longer, please sign up for back-to-back shifts). "Duties" include: Talking with students, passing out materials, and monitoring the coming and going of students to the restroom. This allows our staff to focus on managing the room, behavior, clean-up, etc. These slots will continue through the end of the school year. Thank you to this amazing hive--we appreciate the ongoing support!

Sign up here!

Please use the form on the Hovatter ES webpage to make a change to your student's normal dismissal method for one day only. For example, they are going home with a friend for a playdate or need to be picked up in the car line for an appointment. All changes must be received by 2:00 p.m. as the form will not be accessed during dismissal. If an urgent change after 2:00 p.m. is necessary, please call the office at 571-367-4120.

Each month our staff receives an email presentation, The Buzz, which highlights important information for the upcoming month.

This year, we would like to continue monthly (individual) shout-outs to our amazing staff members, who are dedicated to the success of our students every day.

We would like to invite you to nominate HOV staff members, who you feel should receive a spot in our monthly Hovatter Hall of Fame. The nominee will have their picture posted in The Buzz, as well as a description of why they were selected and by whom.

You can nominate as many times as you would like! Click the link to nominate today!

A family liaison serves as a resource person for the families within our school community to bridge the communication between school and home by helping parents get the information, help, and support they need to ensure their child's academic and social success in school. Help is provided to families with a variety of information about programs, resources, school requirements, special events, and/or activities. Please contact our Hovatter Family Liaison, Jill Teague, jill.teague@lcps.org if you need assistance with anything.

Upcoming Spirit Night: Chick-Fil-A ! 🐝

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Chick-fil-A SPIRIT NIGHT!

Details are as follows:

🐔Date: Tuesday March 25th

🐔Location: Chick-fil-A , 43310 Defender Dr, South Riding, 20152

🐔Time: 5:00-8:00pm

• 🎉15% of all sales will go towards our school PTA! Be sure to mention Henrietta Lacks / Hovatter Elementary to receive credit for our school!
• 🎉MOBILE ORDERS Use Code 41135 after check out to receive credit for our school!

Come out to support our PTA and enjoy some food and fun!!

Hovatter Hoops Event!!🐝

We are incredibly excited to announce our next upcoming event HOVATTER HOOPS!! This is where the 5th graders and staff join forces on blue and green teams to play a game of basketball and celebrate the end of their Elementary years! 💚💙

Join the PTA Team!!🐝

We have PTA positions coming up and would love to have you join us!!

🎉Click the link below and apply today!!

https://forms.gle/Qe9vCYcqJb1R5bNh9

Winter ASEP Important Reminders:🐝

Classes will not be held during student holidays. Students will go right to their ASEP class following school dismissal at 2:30 PM and classes end at 3:30 PM. Transportation must be arranged for students to be picked-up promptly at 3:30 PM if they do not attend CASA.

Absences: Email the ASEP instructor directly if your child(ren) will not be attending the ASEP class. This is the only way to ensure accountability of all students and will prevent the instructor from taking time during the ASEP class to make phone calls to find out the status of the student.

Last date for Winter ASEP classes will be 28th March 2025

For further ASEP related information / frequently asked Q&A please click on the following link https://hovatter.schooltwist.org/

Spirit Wear Store 🐝

📢Attention All Honeybees!!

We are super excited to announce our New Inventory is ready and available to purchase online ! New products include Squad Gear Fleece Sweatshirts; Outerwear; Infant Wear; Accessories; Homegoods and so much more!!

Staff Favorite Things/Wish Lists🐝

Attention Honeybees!

• The Front Office at Henrietta Lacks needs some supplies to help make each day at the school run smoothly. Let's help them get these much needed items!

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Z1TIZAM8LS03?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwY2xjawI6MNtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQoOOu_HOT9_lxWqOeIJlSGJeYj6Dw5uLvCRHqPZLRC5UPAa95i-zpYhXA_aem_DPXvu9gM9xnL9z0pKlLyxg

Staff Favorite Things Forms with classroom wish lists are now up on the PTA Website! Missing forms will be added as we receive them! These are great resources to help with classroom needs and to spoil our staff for all they do for our honeybees! https://hovatterpta.givebacks.com/w/StaffAppreciation

Business Sponsorships!

We are currently looking for Business Sponsors for the PTA! Do you own a business or know a business that may be interested ? Click for more information and to become a sponsor! Sponsorship Form

My name is Leah Macchiarolo, and I am the LEAF (Loudoun Education Alliance of Families) Representative for Hovatter Elementary School. LEAF is an advisory group voice for parents to elevate educational concerns and provide feedback to the board on current or proposed policies or issues facing the School Board.

LEAF is continuing to explore best practices to effectively disseminate information to LCPS families and ensure we are a well-informed community. Outside of newsletter updates, one potential means for communication is via a LEAF specific facebook group(s). Hovatter and Henrietta Lacks are part of the Dulles South District Facebook Group. There is also the Lightridge Pyramid Schools Page to find information regarding upcoming community events for Lightridge and its pyramid schools (Willard MS, Pinebrook ES, Buffalo Trail ES, Aldie ES, Goshen Post ES, Hovatter ES, Henrietta Lacks ES). I recommend connecting to these two groups to stay in contact with our amazing district.

Let's advocate for our children and have our voices heard! If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly at hovatterleaf@gmail.com.

A few details to note:

• NO cars may park and walk students through the moving car line into the school. If you are dropping your child off at school by car, you must enter the car line.
• If you are a walker or bike rider, it means you are walking from your home, not from your car parked in any of the school parking areas.
• There are no left turns into the Hovatter school campus during arrival times. The cones are placed on Collaboration Drive at 6:45 and removed at 7:33.
• Please pay close attention to the staff supervising the car line by keeping cars moving and encouraging drivers to pull up as far as possible.

Email: Hovatter@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/hovatter
Location: 41135 Collaboration Drive, Aldie, VA, USA
Phone: 571.367.4120
Twitter: @HovatterES