Hopewell's Happenings

Welcome Back, HES Families!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break, filled with relaxation and time with loved ones. After such a busy and exciting March at HES, the break was well deserved! Last month was full of incredible moments that brought our school community together.

The HES Book Fair was a huge success, thanks to our amazing PTO, giving students and families the chance to explore new books and spark their love for reading. We also celebrated Read Across America and World Languages Week with a fun-filled spirit week, embracing literacy and global cultures.

Our students took the stage with two fantastic performances—the Preschool’s adorable Three (or Five) Little Pigs and the unforgettable 4th & 5th Grade'sThe Claw Machine Chronicles.

March also brought our SEL Day of Cooperation, where students worked together to prepare hygiene kits for The Chubby’s Project, showing the power of kindness in action.

Our Student Council's Coin Wars had the whole school buzzing with excitement, raising nearly $1,500 to support our Student Council and Green Team, with first and fourth grade claiming victory at the Pep Rally.

Our third-graders embarked on their Mini-Iditarod Race, while first-graders proudly unveiled their Mammal Museum, showcasing their hard work and creativity.

We wrapped up the month in true HES LEAPs Together fashion with our second annual HES Pep Rally, filled with school spirit, club celebrations, and the highly anticipated staff-student volleyball game, where our fifth-graders gave the staff some tough competition!

With April ahead, we’re looking forward to warmer days, new adventures, and even more opportunities to learn and grow together. Check out the photos below to relive all the fun and excitement from our incredible March!

In honor of HES turning 100 years old this upcoming fall, we like to take a trip back to memory lane.

Did you know that the current Hopewell Elementary School on Princeton Avenue was originally known as the Hopewell Grammar School when it opened in 1926. The new school replaced the previous Lincoln Grammar School which had stood on Model Avenue since 1888 (that’s over 135 years ago).

Lincoln Grammar School still stands today – The Model Avenue school was converted into multiple dwelling units, and the Annex has been the home of various businesses.

Want to see a piece of history? Check out the 1926 Hopewell Grammar School Dedication and take a trip back in time!

April is Inclusion Month, and at Hopewell Elementary, we are celebrating the beauty of diversity and belonging in our school community! To mark this special occasion, we created an Inclusive Bulletin Board that highlights how each of us is unique while showing that together, we create something truly wonderful.

Every student decorated a handprint however they liked—using watercolors, markers, crayons, or any other art supplies. This handprint represents their individuality. In addition, teachers, paras, custodians, and staff contributed by decorating a bee, butterfly, or cloud to be part of the background, symbolizing the supportive and inclusive environment we create together.

This bulletin board showcases an important message: "We are each beautiful and unique, but together we are a masterpiece!"

We were deeply touched to receive heartfelt thank-you notes from Marquez Charter School, one of the California schools affected by the wildfires that we supported during our January Day of Service. Their messages beautifully reflect how much our kindness meant to them. It’s truly inspiring to see the generosity of our students, families, and staff making a meaningful impact!

Parents, families and friends are invited to our annual May Day Celebration, held outside on the HES Basketball Court on May 1st, at 2:15PM. Consider bringing a blanket or a lawn chair for seating.

We will be dancing and singing to celebrate spring! This year we will be sharing songs and dances from around the globe. Each class will perform a dance, and some fifth graders will weave the ribbons of the beautiful May Pole. Our rain date will be Friday, May 2nd.

We are excited to see all of you there! Please reach out to Ms. Dauer with any questions or concerns! (Kathryndauer@hvrsd.org)

This year's Take Your Child to Work Day is Thursday, April 24th. Please use this Google FORM for attendance purposes. Thank you!

It is hard to believe that we are starting to talk about the 2025-2026 school year! This is the time when we begin our planning by developing class lists. As part of this process, we take into account the unique talents, characteristics and learning styles of each of our students. It is our hope that these classes will reflect a balanced representation of our learning community. While parents are encouraged to rely on and trust the expertise and judgment of the professionals making the class placement decisions, we welcome you to share your thoughts, using this google FORM as we prepare class lists for the 2025-26 school year.

Please note that only written comments will be accepted per the guidelines below:

• Written comments should be limited to unique issues relative to your child’s strengths, interests, study skills, work habits, developmental needs, accomplishments, learning traits, and characteristics.

• Parents may not request a specific teacher. Such requests will not be accepted or considered either by the current classroom teacher or the principal.

• Consistent with prior practice, any information received relative to a teacher’s performance must be shared with the teacher and the source of the information must be identified.

• Parents/guardians are asked to refrain from requesting placement assignments for pairs or clusters of students. In extraordinary circumstances that require your child to be placed in a different homeroom than a specific classmate may be included.

If you feel that you have critical information to share, please complete this form by April 28, 2025. Any forms received after that date may not be able to be considered.

This year, the HES PTO is bringing some extra excitement with grade-level themed baskets for our Spring Fling auction, and we need your help to make them amazing!

Use the following LINK to sign up and contribute to your child’s grade-level basket. Donated items range in price from $1 - $20. Every donation makes a difference and helps support our school! Items due by Tuesday, April 8th.

Get ready to be amazed! The HES Talent Show is just around the corner (April 24th), and our talented students can’t wait to take the stage!

🎟️ Tickets will go on sale the week after Spring Break exclusively for parents/guardians of Talent Show participants. Then, starting April 14th, any remaining tickets will be available for the rest of the HES community.

Stay tuned for more details, and mark your calendars—it’s going to be a show to remember! 🎶✨

Hopewell Elementary School is excited to kick off its 100th-anniversary celebrations next year with a special logo design competition for our current fourth-grade students! As the 100th graduating class in June 2026, these students have a unique opportunity to create a logo that will be featured throughout our centennial festivities. We encourage participants to showcase their creativity by incorporating elements that represent Hopewell Elementary and our school community. Use this LINK for the submission form. All entries must be submitted to the main office by April 23, 2025. One winning design will be selected as the official 100th-anniversary logo, with two additional runners-up receiving special recognition. We can’t wait to see the incredible artwork from our talented students!

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!

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

PTO Meeting:
The April PTO Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, the 9th, from 7:30pm - 8:30pm. This is a Virtual Meeting so please click here for a Zoom link.

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.

• April 1st- April 4th - Spring Break: Schools Closed
• April 8th - Green Team Meeting (3:40pm)
• April 9th - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (8:00am); PTO Meeting - Virtual (7:30pm)
• April 10th - Student Council Officers Meeting (8:05am); Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• April 11th - Pretzel Delivery by PTO; 3rd Grade's Biography Bonanza (2:15pm); HES's PTO Fundraiser - Spring Fling
• April 15th - 3rd Grade's Field Trip to Churchville Nature Center
• April 16th - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (8:00am)
• April 17th - Student Council Meeting - Officers & Reps (8:05am); Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• April 18th - Good Friday: Schools & Offices Closed
• April 21-25 - GREEN WEEK at HES
• April 21st - In-Person Day of School (E-Learning Day #1 Used 2/6)
• April 22nd - Whole School Meeting - Wear Green; Green Team Meeting (3:40pm)
• April 23rd - Bus Evacuation Drill; Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (8:00am); Planting with Sourland Conservancy; 100th Anniversary Committee Meeting (3:45pm);
• April 24th - Take Your Child to Work Day; Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm); HES Talent Show (6:30pm)
• April 25th - 4th Grade's Field Trip to Museum of American Revolution; Newspaper Club Meeting (8:00am); Kindergarten's Arbor Tree Planting (9:00am); Planting with Sourland Conservancy
• April 28th - Kindergarten's Donuts with Grownups (9:00am); HES Hosts the Board of Education Meeting & Building Tours (5:30pm-Tours; 6:30pm-BOE Meeting)
• April 29th - Debate Team Meeting (8:00am)
• April 30th - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (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:

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