9/1 - No School -
Labor Day9/2-11 - NWEA and
DIBELS BOY
Testing!9/5 - No School
9/12 - No School
9/15 - No School - Teachers Professional Development
9/16 - School Board Meeting at 7 PM
9/19 - No School
9/26 - No School
9/29 - Coffee with the Principals 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Elementary Newsletter
September Important Dates
Wonderful Beginning!
It has been so wonderful having the students back in the building! The staff works really hard daily to make sure your child(ren) receives the best education possible. Not only do they have energy to teach a classroom full of children, but they are making sure they are meeting all the needs of each individual. Teaching is a work of heart and we have the best teachers around!
We would like to give a shout out to our local community for working with the school to provide more information to students, parents, and staff with our Brains, Backpacks, and Bright Futures event held during back to school conferences! Thank you for helping make it a success!
Coffee With The Principals!
The last Monday of every month, the Elementary and JH/HS principal will be at Brewed Awakening from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Please feel free to stop by and visit or ask questions!
Attendance Matters!
Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but absences add up!
When a student misses 2 days a month…
They will miss 20 days a year.
They will miss 30 hours of math over the school year.
They will miss 60 hours of reading and writing over the school year.
They will miss over 1 YEAR of school by graduation.
When a student misses 4 days a month…
They will miss 40 days a year.
They will miss 60 hours of math over the school year.
They will miss 120 hours of reading and writing over the school year.
They will miss over 2 YEARS of school by graduation.
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. We just ask that if your child(ren) is allowed to get seconds or an additional milk that 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 amKindergarten: 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
S.O.A.R.
We are The Dragons and we Soar to excellence! SOAR stands for…
Safety
Ownership
Achievement
Respect
For the month September, we are focusing on “S” Safety.
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 month of September, we are focusing on “L” Learn from mistakes.
NWEA & DIBELS Assessments BOY, MOY, EOY
Holyoke Elementary takes NWEA and DIBELS assessments three times a year; beginning of the year (BOY), middle of the year (MOY), and end of the year (EOY).
NWEA measures students' knowledge in reading (kindergarten-6th grade), math (kindergarten-6th grade), language usage (2nd grade-6th grade), and science (3rd grade-6th grade). DIBELS measures reading students' fluency, accuracy, and skills. DIBELS is given to kindergarten-3rd graders.
It is imperative for your child to be able to read by 3rd grade. When children are in grades kindergarten through 2nd grade they are learning to read. When children are in third grade and above, they are reading to learn. So, if a child is having difficulty reading by 3rd grade, school will be more difficult for your child.
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.
When walking or biking, please use the sidewalks.
Avoid alleys and parking lots.
Do not walk or ride in the middle of the street.
Travel in groups if possible, especially when crossing major intersections. This allows cars to not only see you, but make them stop on time.
When riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard, you are required to stop at stop signs just like a car.
Utilize the designated routes which are patrolled and shared with the public as streets to be watching for pedestrians and bikers.
Wear a bicycle helmet if you have one.
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. your responsibility to make sure your child has his/her headphones charged and ready for school daily.
