Elementary Newsletter

March 2024 Newsletter

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

March Important Dates

3/1 - No School

3/4-5 - S-CAP
  Review

3/8 - No School

3/11-15 - No school
  - Spring Break

3/22 - No School PT Conferences

3/29 - No School

Need Water Bottles

There was a law passed indicating that we can no longer use styrofoam cups. With this change, the office will no longer have styrofoam cups and your child will need to bring a water bottle to school daily. There are four places to get water from a drinking fountain and two places to fill a water bottle. The elementary staff has stressed the importance of bringing a water bottle. Please know your child will no longer be able to get a cup from the office for water starting Monday, February 5th, 2024.  Please make sure your child has a water bottle daily!

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Time is going by fast and we are excited to meet with our parents during our parent/teacher conferences. We will be mailing a letter with your child(ren)’s conference time. Parent/teacher conferences will be Friday, March 22nd. Back to school conferences and in the fall we had about 94% of our parents attend conferences and we hope to continue that this spring!  If the time scheduled for your child(ren) does not work, please contact the elementary secretary, Mrs. Juarez, and she will help to get your child(ren)’s conference rescheduled.  

Our 2nd trimester ended on Thursday, February 22nd. You will receive your child(ren)’s report card during parent/teacher conferences on March 22nd.

During PT Conferences, our 5th/6th grade student council will have goodies for sale and the school book fair will be open in the library!

Counselor Corner - Mr. Hines 

Sources of Strength guidance lessons will continue with unit 3. Unit 3 for Kindergarten through second grade is “Practicing Regulation” and Unit 6 for third through sixth grade is “Positive Friends.”  Students will also work on Xello this month.  If you would like your child to visit with Mr. Hines on a regular basis, please reach out to him by phone or email. 

You can contact Mr. Hines at (970) 854-3411 and by email hineslo@hcosd.org.

What do I do when my child is late to school? 

The Elementary School lets students in the building at 7:45 AM. The first bell rings at 8:00 AM and the tardy bell rings at 8:15 AM. If your child arrives after 8:15 AM, it is up to you or the person dropping the child off to sign the child in at the office. It is important to make sure your child is accounted for so you do not receive a phone call indicating your child is absent.
It is vitally important for your child to be at school as much as possible. The instructional day is impossible to recreate when your child is gone. Please know we are not asking to bring your child to school when he/she is sick, but we want to make sure he/she is getting the best education possible.

Healthy Snack 

Please make sure to send a healthy snack with your child(ren) to school. We are seeing an influx of takis, chips, cookies, and other unhealthy items being brought. The purpose of snacks is for our kids to get an energy boost and help support their brain. If your child is in need of a healthy snack and does not get breakfast daily, he or she can get breakfast and have that as a snack later in the day! It’s free and healthy!
There is no soda allowed in the cafeteria, so if you are bringing lunch for your child or if your child brings a sack lunch, they are not allowed to have soda. 

Thank you for your help and understanding!

Lunch

Lunch is $4.65 for adults and $2.45 for kids for a meal and we ask that you call the school office BEFORE 9:00 AM on the day of having lunch so we can notify the cooks to make sure there is enough food for all students, staff, and guests. Thank you for your understanding and support!

  • 10:55 AM - 11:20 AM - 1st and 2nd Grade Lunch

  • 11:25 AM - 11:50 AM - Kindergarten Lunch

  • 11:55 AM - 12:20 PM - 5th and 6th Grade Lunch

  • 12:25 PM - 12:50 PM - 3rd and 4th Grade Lunch

Weather - Inside or Outside?

With the weather always changing, we have set guidelines to help us make a decision when students will be inside for recess. Please make sure your child(ren) is dressed appropriately for the weather. If it is or feels like 20 degrees or below, students will be inside for recess. 

Reminders about Illness

This is the time of year that we start thinking about illnesses such as the flu.  Please make sure your child stays healthy by getting a good night’s rest, eating healthy meals, and washing hands regularly. Also remind your child of the following to avoid lice. 

  • Use your own hair brush or comb

  • Use your own hair ties, bows, and clips

  • Wear your own hat, jacket, clothes

Opt out Form for State Testing

We will be starting state assessments on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024.  If you do not want your child to take the state assessment, you will need to fill out the form on the following link by March 25, 2024.

https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/306795/IKA-E_OptOutForm.pdf

OR go to www.hcosd.org, “Home”, “Board of Education”, “Board Policies”, “Section I - Instruction”, “IKA-E”. 

Next Year - Letter to Mrs. Kammer

As a school district and school, we are committed to educating each and every student to realize his or her full potential, become a responsible and productive citizen, and a lifelong learner.  In carrying out this mission, we value and encourage your input into your child’s education. As we begin to work on class lists for next school year, please know our staff works hard to make sure we place students with the teacher that works best with your child as well as make sure students who do not work well together are separated. We value your input into your child’s classroom placement.  If you have a major concern, please write a letter to me addressing one or more of the following points.

  • Educational environment that best suits your child,

  • Your child’s learning style,

  • Characteristics of a teacher that best meets your child’s needs,

  • Student(s) you would like your child separated from (if possible),

  • A teacher the parent(s) does not want for their child, and rationale.

Please submit letters of concern by Thursday, April 4th, 2024.  Please note that letters submitted after this time frame will not be considered within our class placement procedures. Also understand if your child is in 5th or 6th grade your child will rotate between classrooms throughout the day.

Thank you for your partnership in the education of your child.

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.

S.O.A.R.

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

  • Safety

  • Ownership

  • Achievement

  • Respect 

For the month of March we are focusing on “A” Achievement.

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 March, we are focusing on “E” Effort Matters.