Elementary Newsletter

2025 August Newsletter

Greetings from the Principal: Mrs. Andrea Kammer Phone: (970) 854-3411 Email: kammeran@hcosd.org

August

Important

Dates

  • 8/12 - PT Conferences 8 AM - 4 PM 

  • 8/13 - First Day of
      School!

  • 8/15 - No School 

  • 8/19 - School Board
      Meeting at 7 PM

  • 8/22 - No School

  • 8/26 - Picture Day!

  • 8/29 - No School

  • 9/1 - No School

  • 9/2-9/17 - DIBELS BOY Testing

Welcome Back!
I hope your child(ren) enjoyed summer! The teachers and staff worked hard to make sure this year is the best yet! I am excited to share that all of our staff have met the READ qualifications mandated by the state and if you need more information, please contact me. Please keep an eye out for these monthly newsletters in your email.  If you know of someone who is not getting the newsletter, please have them check their spam mail and check with our secretary, Mrs. Juarez, to see which email the newsletter is being sent to so we make sure we are sending it to the correct email address. If you do not have an email address, we will send home a copy of the monthly newsletter with your child. We try to send the newsletters out the first day of the month.

New Staff for the 2025-2026 School Year

  • K-6 Music Teacher- Mrs. Jeanie Uptain

  • Special Education Paraprofessional - Miss Aspyn Kinnie

  • Special Education Paraprofessional - Miss Lesley Dominguez

Staff Who’ve Made a Change for the 2025-2026 School Year

  • Move from 2nd grade to Special Education - Miss Makenzie Martin

  • Moved from 1st grade to Kindergarten - Miss Bailey Chintala

New Tardy Bell at 8:05AM! 

For the 2025-2026 school year we are allowing students in the building for breakfast at 7:45 am. Students who do not want breakfast, but are dropped off at 7:45 will be allowed to go to the playground and play with all of our elementary students. The first bell will ring at 8:00 am and students will need to be in their classrooms by 8:05 am when the tardy bell rings. Please plan accordingly so your child is not late to school. It is important for students to start their day with their peers.  Also remember that it does take a little while for your child to get his/her breakfast, so having your child(ren) at the school by 7:50 is the best option, if at all possible.

Counselor Corner - Mr. Hines 

Guidance Counseling will begin the first full week of school.  We are using the Random Acts of Kindness curriculum and Sources of Strength again this year. If you would like your child to visit with Mr. Hines on a regular basis, please reach out to him by phone or email; (970) 854-3411 and by email hineslo@hcosd.org.

End of the Day Messages

Please call our secretary, Mrs. Juarez, before 3:00 PM if you have a message for your child. We have around 300 students and have to start messages early to get through all of them depending on the day. Please know we understand last minute emergencies.

Breakfast and Lunch 

Breakfast and lunch are free this year. You are welcome to join your child(ren) for lunch. We just ask that your child(ren) is allowed to get seconds or an additional milk when he/she has a positive balance in his/her account. The following prices apply…

  • Extra milk $0.50

  • Additional breakfast $2.00

  • Additional lunch entree $2.00

We enjoy having parents join their kid(s) for lunch, but we ask that you wait until after September 11th so your child(ren) can get used to the lunch schedule and routine of the school day.

Lunch times are the following…

  • 1st/2nd grade: 11:10 am - 11:35 am

  • Kindergarten: 11:40 am - 12:05 pm

  • 5th/6th grade: 12:10 pm - 12:35 pm

  • 3rd/4th grade: 12:40 pm-1:05 pm

Important Information

  • Please make sure to call Mrs. Juarez before 9 AM if your child will not be at school. 

  • Students can start entering the school at 7:45 AM. 

  • Students will be dismissed and exit the building at the following times and locations…

  • 5th/6th Graders - dismissed at 3:38 PM and will exit the front doors

  • 3rd/4th Graders - dismissed at 3:39 PM and will exit the front doors

  • 1st/2nd Graders - dismissed at 3:40 PM and will exit the library doors

  • Kindergarten - dismissed at 3:40 PM and will exit the kindergarten doors

L.E.A.R.N.E.R.S.

LEARNERS is a word we will be focusing on at Holyoke Elementary. LEARNERS stands for…

  • Learn from mistakes

  • Evaluate work

  • Ask questions and accept challenges

  • Receive and respond to feedback

  • Never give up!

  • Effort matters

  • Reach goals

  • State what we’re learning

For the months of August and September, we are focusing on “L” Learn from mistakes.

S.O.A.R.

We are The Dragons and we Soar to excellence! SOAR stands for… 

  • Safety

  • Ownership

  • Achievement

  • Respect 

For the months of August and September, we are focusing on “S” Safety.

Student Safety Before and After School

It is the goal of the city, police department, and the school that we have a great and safe start to the school year! We are providing you with information about the safest routes, rules, and helpful hints. 

  1. When walking or biking, please use the sidewalks.

  2. Avoid alleys and parking lots.

  3. Do not walk or ride in the middle of the street.

  4. Travel in groups if possible, especially when crossing major intersections. This allows cars to not only see you, but make them stop on time.

  5. When riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard, you are required to stop at stop signs just like a car.

  6. Utilize the designated routes which are patrolled and shared with the public as streets to be watching for pedestrians and bikers.

  7. Wear a bicycle helmet if you have one.

  8. Always assume cars cannot see you and will not be stopping.

Drop off and pick up

Please use yellow zones for dropping kids off. Do NOT park in the yellow zones. If you want to walk your child to the front door of the school, please park in a parking spot in the parking lot and not the yellow zones.

After school, please make sure to pull over in a parking spot to pick up your child. We have staff helping fill in as a crossing guard, so please let them help your son or daughter cross the street.

Chromebooks and Chargers

We appreciate your help with your child’s education by providing school supplies at the beginning of the year. If your child is in 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade, it will be your child’s responsibility to charge his/her Chromebook for school the next day. Your child was given a Chromebook and a charger at the beginning of the school year. If the charger gets lost, you will be responsible for replacing it. It would be a big help if you could remind your child to plug in his/her Chromebook nightly.  It is your responsibility to make sure your child has his/her headphones charged and ready for school daily.

Option to Opt Out of the State Assessment 

There is the option to opt out of state assessments. If you choose to do so, please speak with your child’s teacher and the principal ahead of time. There is a sheet to fill out if you choose to do so. The form is IKA-E and can be found at www.hcosd.org.