Weekly Principal Update

Hello Harmony Hills Family,

The leaves are turning color, the temperatures are beginning to fall (from 100's to the 90's), and the night sky is getting darker more quickly each day, indicating the arrival of Autumn. Fall in San Antonio is interesting to say the least. In spite of the tropical weather, there is no place better to live or go to school.

One example on how wonderful our school is would be our annual Walk/Bike to School Day on October 9th. We will meet at the Community Cabana Club at 7:15 and walk or bike to school. I can't think of a better way to start the school day! I will be there with my walking shoes on and I hope to see you too!

As a reminder the end of the first nine weeks is October 11th.

Word of The Week- Record- To set something down in writing, store it on a computer, or use a device to measure something. For example, you can record a meeting, record sounds, or record a temperature (synonym- log, note, register).

As you know we have kicked off our school fundraiser. It is scheduled to run from August 20th through November 28th. We are looking to raise money for several projects around campus. In order for the school to receive money, family and friends shop in SchoolStore.com. Please be on the lookout for fundraising information being sent home with your child. Just by signing up, your child will receive one of the items below.

As you know school safety is paramount as we head back to school. While some families utilize car-drop-off and others take the bus, there are many families who walk to school.

It has come to our attention from both staff and parents that traffic laws are not being heeded. Whether it's minding the speed limit or giving pedestrians the right-away, it is essential that we as a community make our roads safe.

Elementary aged children are small and more difficult for drivers to see, they are often unfamiliar with traffic laws, they tend to have difficulty judging speeds and distances, and they can be easily distracted. Therefore, it is critical for drivers to take special care throughout the school year. Please work with your child and plan for the safest walk to school possible whether you are accompanying them, or they are walking without adult supervision.

• To ensure your child's safety in our car pickup line, please clearly display your child's placard. If you don't have your placard, you need to come inside the school to show I.D. We take your child's safety very seriously.
• For safety reasons, please do not drop off your child before 7:15. We don't not have staff on campus until 7:15 to supervise kids.

• School breakfast is from 7:15-7:45. Please remind your child to go straight to the cafeteria upon arriving on campus. We want to ensure no child misses breakfast.
• If your child is a walker or gets picked up by car and you are on campus before dismissal, please do not hold conversations with them at the fence. When we see a student speaking with an adult not identified as school faculty, we take it seriously. Help us keep your child safe.

10/9 Walk or Bike To School Day

10/11 End of First Nine Weeks

10/11 Early Release 1:00

10/14 Student Holiday

10/28-11/1 Red Ribbon Week

11/5 Student Holiday

11/11 Veterans' Day Ceremony

11/25-11/29 Thanksgiving Holiday

San Antonio Community Resource Directory

If you or your family find yourself in need of community resources, while we can always try to help connect you with those resources through the school, there is also a new option available for you to use called the San Antonio Community Resource Directory (SACRD) online. This is kept up to date and is searchable by zip code. There are all kinds of resources available on this site such as food, housing finder and assistance, medical care, and so much more! The link for SACRD is https://sacrd.org/directory

National Bullying Awareness Month

October is National Bullying Awareness Month – a month-long focus on preventing childhood bullying while promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. National Bullying Prevention Month was founded in 2006 to unite communities for a better future for everyone. At school, we work with students on these efforts throughout the year and encourage parents to have open, honest conversations with their children about the topic of bullying as well. Share your own experiences. Point it out when you see it happening in public and tell your child why it isn’t okay. If you see it when you are watching movies or TV with your child, point it out and use that as an opportunity to have a conversation. How would your child handle that situation? Do they know who to ask for help? Talk about your expectations for your child’s behavior towards others, as well.

Some facts about bullying you may find interesting (from pacer.org):

• When school districts investigate allegations of bullying, there are specific criteria that must be met to be considered bullying under state law.
• Bullying directly affects a student’s ability to learn. Students who are bullied often do not want to go to school. They may find it difficult to concentrate, show a decline in grades, and lose self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth.
• Students who are bullied report more physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches, and mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, than other students.
• A focus on preventing bullying is important, as is promoting positive actions such as kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
• Bullying can be a factor leading to school violence and self-harm.
• Bullying affects witnesses as well as targets. Those who witness bullying often report feeling unsafe, helpless, and afraid that they will be the next target.
• Students who bully others can also be negatively affected by the behavior with higher rates of physical and emotional health issues.
• Every child has the right to feel safe and supported. Every state has bullying prevention legislation, and most schools have bullying prevention policies.
• Bullying is a community-wide issue that must no longer be ignored or thought of as a rite of passage.

More information about the topic of bullying for parents can be found at the following sites:

https://www.pacer.org/bullying/parents/definition-impact-roles.asp

https://mhanational.org/bullying-tips-parents

https://www.stopbullying.gov/

Thank you,

Kimberly Varner, M.Ed.,CSC, LPC-A

Kimberly Varner, M.Ed., CSC, LPC-A

Licensed Professional Counselor Associate # 94958*

School Counselor

Section 504 Campus Coordinator

At-Risk Coordinator

Trauma Informed Schools Point of Contact

Harmony Hills Elementary School

(210) 407-3826

(210) 407-3809 - fax

kvarne@neisd.net – best option for fastest response

*Supervised by Nancy Asher, LPC-S, RPT-S

Counseling Request Form

PTA news

Walk or Bike to School Day is coming up Wed, Oct 9th! Meet at the Harmony Hills Cabana Club parking lot (339 Fantasia) at 7:15am for donuts and juice provided by the Greater HH Neighborhood Association (GHHNA), and safe walking information and goodies from Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) and Safe Kids! Our favorite mascot Harley Hawk will be there to say good morning, along with some Churchill athletes and our WC Drumline!! At 7:30am, we'll take a group photo and walk or bike together to school!

Mark your calendars for the RootEd Future Chargers Game Nov 1st at 7:30pm! Harmony Hills students have the opportunity to be part of the breakthrough line for the football players before the game! More info to come on signing your student up, and order your shirt before Oct 9th to show your Charger pride!!

Thank you to our Volunteers! There are many ways to help, some that only require a limited amount of time or one day events. The school appreciates your help, and the kids love seeing their people helping at school! Marcy Garcia, Volunteers VP and Jill Olsen, our Room Parent Coordinator, are in the process of connecting teachers and parents for each class, so if you're interested in helping as a room parent, or even just helping in the classroom or making copies, and haven't filled out the form yet, please click on this link to sign up and get involved at HH!

https://tinyurl.com/HHvolform24

We are only 12 people away from our October membership goal! Thank you so much to those who have already supported our school with your PTA membership! If you haven't had a chance yet, you can join PTA online at www.joinpta.org, or fill out the form in your welcome folder (extra copies available at the front desk). Your membership does not commit you to anything at school, but it does help support our school and advocates for public education on the local, state and national level!

If you need help or have any questions, please reach out anytime at harmonyhillshawkspta@gmail.com.

When at school, students are not only learning academics, but social behaviors as well. When your child is not here they miss out on both. Friendships are formed and nurtured, and academics are learned and practiced. When your child has formed a pattern of being absent, it is hard for them to come back to school and pick up where they left off. They have missed the social stories of what has happened in their friends lives. They have missed important classroom celebrations. They have missed the connection of group classroom discussions. The list goes on. In short, they no longer feel like they belong to our Hawk Family. The connection to school is crucial to maintain successful educational experiences.

Poor attendance can contribute to anxiety of a child when they face coming back to school. If your child has poor attendance, the healthiest thing you can do for them is get them to our doors and we will do the rest. A healthy routine of coming to school, so your child feels like they belong and understand what is expected of them, is an ingredient to a healthy state of mind. They deserve the best we have to give but they have to show up.

Of course when your child is ill, it is important for them to stay home and recover. If it is an extended absence due to illness, and you are concerned about your child coming back to school, we are here to help.They are our future!

Parents please be aware of our cell phone policy. Failure to follow the rules will result in your child's phone getting confiscated and/or discipline consequences. Please know your child is always able to come to the office if they need to contact a parent/guardian.

Carri Elliott

Principal

Harmony Hills Elementary School