Hathaway Happenings - Home
September 1, 2023
Welcome Back!
Dear Hathaway Families,
It was an amazing first week of school!
We hosted our New student and K Orientations on Monday, August 28th, and both were very successful! From scavenger hunts to our Kindergarten signing, a good time was had by all! Thank you to all who attended.
Day 1 for Kindergarten was on Tuesday and it was another fantastic day! Thank you to Sondra Blank for being Happy the Apple and helping to spread joy in our Hathaway community. While our little ones had a great day, it was wonderful to welcome everyone back on Wednesday! Our new PE teacher, Serena Bobola greeted everyone as Happy and there were lots of smiles!
Please be sure to check out all of the information in this week's newsletter. We are starting our first principal read aloud, The Energy Bus for Kids by Jon Gordon. We are rolling out the Abound Parenting app again this year. Information on how to sign up and use the app can be found in this newsletter and in correspondence from classroom teachers.
We had our first fire drill this week and it was a success! Teachers have reviewed protocols for lockdowns, evacuations, and shelter in place drills. We will be practicing these drills in the near future. See below for information on drills from our handbook.
We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful weekend and look forward to week 2 in our Hathaway community!
As always, thank you for all that you do as our partners in education!
Abound APP/Newsletter
Nurse Updates
Hello Parents!
Below are the recently updated protocols for COVID, as well as when to keep your child home from school due to illness. If your child is ill, please complete the absence notification online. If you would like to provide more information you can email or call me directly at habershawk@portsmouthschoolsri.org or ext 4911. Thank you!
Stomach Bug - student can return after being vomit-free for 24 Hours.
Fever - Students can return after being fever free for 24 Hours WITHOUT the use of Tylenol or ibuprofen.
Strep Throat - Students can return once on antibiotics for 24 hours.
Pink eye - Student can return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic (topical or oral)
Lice - Students can come to school with lice however we STRONGLY recommend students be treated prior to returning to school.
COVID - we are following RI Department of Health and CDC regulations, please see info below for COVID recommendations:
In preparation for the 2023-24 school year, RIDOH expects increases in COVID-19 this fall and winter season. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control’s (CDC) COVID-19 guidance for schools remains largely the same. The goal remains to prevent students and staff from getting very sick from COVID-19 and to minimize disruptions to school and families.
RIDOH encourages you to review the following COVID-19 information and updates:
COVID-19 Key Recommendations
Students and staff should continue to take preventive actions to avoid getting very sick and/or spreading COVID-19 including:
• Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccine;
• Staying home when sick and getting tested when you have COVID-19 symptoms;
• If exposed to someone with COVID-19, monitoring symptoms; testing after day 5; and
wearing a mask through day 10;
• If you have COVID-19, isolating at home for 5 days and wearing a mask through day 10;
• If at higher risk of getting very sick, have a COVID-19 plan.
Krissy Habershaw, RN
Hathaway Elementary School Nurse
(401) 683-0500 ext 4911
Principal Read Aloud
Drill Information
Fire drills occur on a regular basis. State law requires each school to conduct eleven fire drills, two lockdown drills and two evacuation drills each year. Shelter in Place drills are conducted throughout the school year. Children are given instruction on all procedures. Children are expected to behave in a calm, orderly manner during these exercises. Please review the importance of such exercises with your child and emphasize the need for appropriate behavior.
A lockdown is an alert to a school community that students and staff should not leave the classroom and should gather in one area of the room until provided with further direction.
An evacuation requires all students and staff to exit the building and meet at a designated safe place.
A shelter in place is an alert to a school community that movement outside of classrooms is being restricted for a brief period of time. It is typically used when a student or staff member is requiring some sort of attention (sometimes medical) and the school is trying to keep that area clear and/or protect that person’s privacy. If there were a serious safety concern the school would not issue a shelter in place.
We will send notification of lockdowns, evacuations, and shelter in place drills and events via email.
Here is the presentation that was shared at a Parent Safety Forum that was hosted in conjunction with the Police and Fire Departments. The Run, Hide, Fight FBI philosophy guides our safety training.
The P3 Sandy Hook Promise Anonymous tip line is a resource that we encourage anyone to use if there is ever an immediate safety concern.
Hathaway Notification Form
Please complete the Hathaway Notification form to let us know!
Arrival and Dismissal Map
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Lunch Information
How to Apply for Free and Reduced Price School Meals
Apply through the online application at MySchoolApps.com.
Chromebook Update
3-4: Students in grades 3-4 will continue to take Chromebooks home nightly and need to charge them before returning to school each day.
Chromebook Tips for Grades 3 and 4
New Entrance System
During the school day, we are responsible for keeping all students safe as well as protecting their privacy. For this reason, we have limited guests in the building during school hours and we require anyone working directly with children to go through our Volunteers in School Process. This year we have a new security system.
Visitors who are entering the building for a meeting, volunteering, or an event etc...
When you arrive:
- Enter the vestibule.
- Approach the platform and tap the button on the screen that aligns with the purpose for your visit.
- Follow the cues on the screen. All visitors must have their license with them to enter the building.
- Once complete, then ring the buzzer.
- Our office staff will verify that you are ready to enter the building and will unlock the door for your entry.
*There is also a QR code on the screen that you can scan with your cell phone's camera and it will bring you through this same process.
If you are dropping something off for the school, class, or a particular child, then you do not need to sign yourself in on this system.
- Ring the buzzer and the office staff will respond.
- Notify the office staff of the purpose for your visit.
Thank you for your support in keeping our community safe.
School Meals Program
Breakfast, lunch, and milk are available to purchase for all Hathaway School students. Students order lunch each morning through their teacher that day. Breakfast can be picked up by students in the cafeteria as they arrive at school.
Full price Breakfast is $1.00 and Lunch is $2.60. If your family qualifies for reduced prices, breakfast is $ 0.30 and lunch is $0.40. Milk is offered for $0.55 as a stand alone item.
Please apply for free or reduced lunch online by visiting this site: https://www.myschoolapps.com. Or, paper applications will be sent home the first week of school.
Payment for breakfast, lunch and/or milk can be made online at www.myschoolbucks.com. A student LASID number will be needed to create and make payments online using your “My School Bucks” account. Here is how you can access your student’s LASID number in ASPEN:
Payment can also be made by sending cash or a check in an envelope to school labeled with your student’s name, teacher’s name, LASID number and amount included. If paying by check, please make it payable to Portsmouth School Department with your child’s LASID number noted on the memo line. Send a separate check for each child in your family as payments cannot be split between accounts. KEEPING YOUR BALANCE PAID IN FULL IS VERY IMPORTANT.
Please refer to the family portal navigation below to access your child's LASID number.
AlphaBEST
Scouts
Do you like hiking, camping, learning new skills and knowledge, or doing fun activities with kids your own age? Would you like your child(ren) to learn about leadership, boost their self-esteem, be more helpful and kind towards others, and work on their overall positive character development? If you answered YES, then scouting may be for you!
Portsmouth’s Pack 1 is always looking for new boys and girls that are interested in Cub Scouts. Students entering grades K thru 5th in the fall are eligible to join cub scouting. Currently, Cub Scouts meet at the church hall at St. Barnabas on Thursday evenings at 6 pm.
Questions on cub scouting please contact Amy Nicodemus at beachgirl627@hotmail.com
Hathaway Habitat
Thank you to everyone who helped to keep our habitat and garden alive and well over the summer! We are reaping the benefits!
As always, thank you for making our school, Happy Hathaway.
A Letter From the HPTA
Hello Hathaway Families,
On behalf of the HPTA, we hope you are having a wonderful summer!
The HPTA is busy working on some great events for the upcoming school year. We just hosted a polo tailgate, and though the weather didn’t exactly cooperate, we had fun while it lasted. Some highlighted events we will be hosting throughout year include, a movie night early in the school year ( date TBD), Open House / Ice Cream Social / Food truck, Welcome back teacher breakfast, The Fun Walk, Hullabaloo (A holiday shopping/ craft event), Providence Bruins Hockey night, Springabaloo (silent / live auction), Scholastic Book Fair, Book swap, Teacher Appreciation Week, and Field Day. We are always brainstorming new fundraising events and would love any input. The HPTA works on fundraising to enhance education for students at Hathaway. Money raised is used for field trips, supplies for classrooms, the outdoor learning center, teacher/staff grants, plus much more. Volunteers are needed in order to make all of this possible. It is a great opportunity to get involved in the school, meet the staff, and spend time with students.
We have meetings monthly in the school library, generally the third Wednesday of the month.
We encourage the Hathaway community to attend.
If you have any questions, please email us at Hathawaypta@gmail.com. And as always, we thank you for your continued support!!
HPTA News
Becoming a Volunteer in School
Visit the district volunteer page for information if you would like to become VIS approved to volunteer in school.
VIS Authorization Form: A background check must be completed annually, by law in Rhode Island. You must fill out the authorization form for the background check and have it notarized. It also needs to include a copy of the front and back of your driver’s license, and a $5 check made out to ‘BCI.’ This form can be turned in at the school’s main office or at the school department building.
HPTA Board
Celebrations and Recognitions
Nut Free Facility
Thank you for your support in keeping all of our students safe in our Hathaway community.
Securly Home
Securly Home is an app that allows parents to monitor their child’s Chromebook activity at home and add rules for home use. Please take some time to review the slideshow and recording of the parent meeting that took place on 9/16.
We encourage you to sign up now for Securly Home!
Hathaway Notification Form
Please complete the Hathaway Notification Form.
Thank you in advance for helping us to keep things organized and safe in our Hathaway community.
Accessing Aspen
If you are having issues accessing Aspen, you will have to email familyportal@portsmouthschoolsri.org with your child's name, date of birth, grade level, and your name. The system administrators will be able to restore access to your account and make sure that you can login.
Where Can I Find Past Parent Newsletters?
Important Dates
Important Dates
2023-2024
September 4th - Labor Day, No School
September 14th - Open House, 5:30-7:00 PM
September 14th - Ice Cream Social
September 18th - 22nd - Start With Hello Week
September 25th - Yom Kippur, No School
October 9th - Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day (No School)
October 10th - Staff Professional Development Day (No School for Students)
November 2nd - Vaccine Clinic, 4:00-7:00 PM
November 13th - Veterans’ Day Observance (No School)
November 22nd- 25th – Thanksgiving Recess (No School)
November 30th - End of Trimester One
December 8th - Family Portal Open
December 22nd - 31st – Holiday Recess (No School)
January 7th - Hathaway P Bruins Game, 1:30
January 12th - Staff Professional Development Day (No School for Students)
January 15th – Martin Luther King Day (No School)
February 19th-23rd– Winter Recess (No School)
March 12th - End of Trimester 2
March 20th - Family Portal Open
March 29th– Good Friday (No school)
April 15th-19th– Spring Recess (No School)
April 23rd– Presidential Primary/Staff PD Day (No School for Students)
May 27th – Memorial Day (No School)
June 14th - Last Day of School
Howard Hathaway Elementary School
Email: littlel@portsmouthschoolsri.org
Website: https://www.portsmouthschoolsri.org/Domain/10
Location: 53 Tallman Avenue, Portsmouth, RI, USA
Phone: (401)683-0500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hathaway.principal/
Twitter: @HathawaySchool