Upcoming Important Dates:
Report cards posted to Aspen Family Portal December 18
Early Release Dismissal @ 11:15AM December 23
No School: Winter Recess Dec. 24-Jan. 1
School Resumes January 4
No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 18
There are a few possible scenarios that can occur if we have inclement weather this year that is severe enough to interrupt or cause the cancellation of in-person school days:
Possible Scenarios:
Full Cancellation - No power in communities results in “No School Day” and will need to be made up at the end of the year.
Weather-related Remote Learning Days -
- Remote Day Cohort (regularly scheduled learning day at home)- Students will continue as usual with the asynchronous Google Classroom/paper assignments. Students will still have their synchronous Morning Meetings and academic check-in with teaching assistants.
- In-Person Cohort - The scheduled in-person cohort will learn remotely, following a schedule created by each classroom teacher.
- APL Students - APL students will have a typical day.
Delayed Opening - 2-Hour Delayed Opening if weather conditions are expected to be safe for travel within a two-hour window of regularly scheduled school travel times. (Rare)
Early Dismissal - If inclement weather is predicted to impact the safe travel home from school, the District may call for an early dismissal. (Rare)
Cancellations will be posted on Twitter, local news, and you should receive a call and written cancellation via Blackboard Connect. It is important that you keep your family information correct in Aspen. If your information is not correct, you may not receive a notification from the superintendent.
Please log into the Aspen Parent Portal to make any necessary changes. Our District will be rolling out the text messaging feature for BlackBoard Connect as well.
Link Aspen Parent Portal: https://ma-hamiltonwenham.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do
Help with Log-in: Aspenhelp@hwschools.net
We value report cards as one of our important ways to communicate progress with families. The students' performance connected to a specific learning standard is evaluated on an academic performance indicator scale, ranging from N (student is not yet demonstrating progress toward the standard), B (student is beginning to progress toward standard), P (student is progressing toward consistent and independent proficiency of the standard) and M (student consistently and independently demonstrates mastery of the standard).
Winter gear
While the winter weather has us mostly eating lunch inside now, we still will go out for recess daily and will eat outside as the weather allows. It's the one time of day that kids really can move and play without as many restrictions as they face inside. Thank you for making sure your child has appropriate boots, coats, mittens, and hats to be comfortable while we are outside multiple times each day.
School Pictures
If you still wish to place a picture order, click on the following link; O'Connor Studios, enter your unique access code and place your order. Online ordering will be left open until Friday, December 18th.
If you did not receive a unique identifier code for your child, please email Sandy Williams at s.williams@hwschools.net.
- It reduces the risk of getting sick with influenza, reduces the severity of disease (including the risk of hospitalization), and prevents the spread of influenza to others.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, the influenza vaccine is especially critical to reduce the overall impact of respiratory illness on the population, protect vulnerable populations from severe illness, and decrease the overall burden on the healthcare system.
- Students in Kindergarten-Grade 12 are required to receive influenza vaccine for the current influenza season for school attendance.
- Students must receive the influenza vaccine for the current season by December 31, 2020.
- Medical and religious exemptions are allowable in the state of Massachusetts.
- Any age-appropriate licensed influenza vaccine for the current season fulfills the requirement. This includes injectable and nasal spray vaccine types.
- The school immunization requirements, including the requirement for the seasonal influenza vaccine, apply to all Massachusetts students enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 12, regardless of whether the district is providing instruction in-person, or using a hybrid or remote learning model.
Wednesday 12/16
Saturday 12/19
Sunday 12/20
Wednesday 12/23
Monday 12/28
Full details as well as forms are on the Town of Hamilton Website: https://www.hamiltonma.gov/government/covid-19-testing/
Testing is for residents for Hamilton and Wenham as well as school staff. You will need a school ID and to complete the form available online.
- Breakfast items: Jam/jelly, cereal (hot & cold), pancake mix, syrup
- Canned goods: Chili, hearty soups, canned meats (white tuna, chicken, salmon, ham), baked beans, beef stew, Chef Boyardee
- Dry goods: Coffee, tea, cocoa, baking mixes, macaroni & cheese, couscous, quinoa, and other grains
- Snack items: granola bars, raisins, pudding, peanut butter crackers, other crackers
- Condiments: Mayonnaise, salad dressing, mustard, ketchup, and other condiments
- Personal care items: Soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products
- Baby items: Diapers, formula, baby food
FoC “News To Use”: Week of December 14th
Teacher/Staff Holiday Breakfast: Each year, the FoC’s Hospitality Committee is delighted to organize/arrange a Holiday Cookie Swap for our teachers and staff. We can hardly believe it’s that time of year again! With restrictions and limiting protocols in place, we decided to host a Holiday Breakfast this year instead.
On Wednesday, December 16th, the hospitality committee will be delivering an assortment of breakfast pastries/baked goods from Honeycomb Bakery, along with coffee and hot chocolate from Dunkin Donuts!
This is an event that the teachers look forward to every year and, although a bit different this year, we are so glad we are able to make it happen!
Classroom/Cohort Liaisons: By now, you have likely received a message from your child’s classroom/cohort liaison(s) (room parent). Throughout the year, the liaison will be emailing communications to parents from teachers and the FoC, soliciting volunteers when requested, and supporting the needs of the class for special projects and activities, as well as arranging teacher/classroom gifts. If you haven’t done so already, please respond to this representative at your earliest convenience with your name, your child’s name, and your email address. Thank you for your assistance!
Directory: We are happy to offer an update regarding this year’s HWRSD Elementary School Directory – we have been told that we can expect the directory to be distributed after the holiday break. We will keep you updated as information becomes available.
As always, the FoC thanks you for your support! Have a great week!
Two years ago, students at the high school launched a a charitable giving campaign, #HWgivesback, to promote awareness of challenges impacting members of our Hamilton and Wenham and surrounding communities and raise money to support these causes. Our goal is to collaborate with community leaders, public safety officials, business owners and families to work together to make a difference. Our goal for this year is to provide opportunities for all students to hear about the idea of #HWgivesback and connect it to the many charitable causes they are currently supporting.
Over the next month we are joining forces with Anton’s Cleaners to help make their annual Coats for Kids drive the most successful year yet! We would love to have the elementary school students join us in this effort. We will begin collecting new and lightly used coats in all sizes (children to adult) on Monday, December 7th, and conclude January 8th. Coats will be collected in the box located in the Gallery.
For a $20 Donation
You can participate in Our HW Community Photo Scavenger Hunt!
Here is what you need to do:
Email Lisa Fibbe - Lmfot@comcast.net and she will send you a secure link for payment.
Once you go to our secure links and pay, We will send you the instructions and the checklist.
Enjoy celebrating the Holiday season by finding and photographing yourself or family with the clues from the checklist.
Add our Twitter Page @HWHolidayHunt and Like our Facebook Page@HW Holiday Hunt: Girls Basketball Fundraiser
Once complete: You can post your Photos to our Facebook or Twitter pages for all participants to enjoy. Be sure to use #HWgirlsbasketball #HWHolidayHunt
Be sure to stop at 2 Donkeys Toy Shop during Store Hours and show your Holiday Mascot Gerry to pick up a small treat.
And of course.......Have a blast making some fun family memories!!
EARLY CHILDHOOD PARTNERS CFCE “WIND-DOWN WEDNESDAYS” PARENT WORKSHOPS ON ZOOM Please join Early Childhood Partners CFCE for a series of FREE drop-in parent workshops to connect local families during these unprecedented times. Each week we will focus on self-care strategies, share parenting challenges & opportunities and discuss ways to better support our children. These workshops will be facilitated by Maryellen Collamore, MSW, LICSW, a local child & family clinician who specializes in parenting and childhood mental health. JANUARY 6 @ 7:30PM: PARENTING DURING COVID JAN 13 @ 7:30PM: ADDRESSING CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS JAN 20 @ 7:30PM: ENGAGING TWO AGE LEVELS AT ONCE JAN 27 @ 7:30PM: PARENT/PARTNER COMMUNICATION FEBRUARY 3 @ 7:30PM: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT FEB 10 @ 7:30PM: SELF-CARE FOR BUSY PARENTS Please register at www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com to receive the ZOOM link. Feel free to join us for one or all of the workshops! | ||||||||
Early Childhood Partners CFCE offers FREE storytimes, playgroups, workshops, community events, advocacy, connections, and support for families and children aged 0-8. To learn more and to register, please go to our website www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com or call 978-468-5489. | ||||||||
Funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care awarded to Hamilton-Wenham RSD. All educational and non-academic programs, activities and employment opportunities at Hamilton-Wenham RSD are offered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, age and/or disability, and any other class or characteristic protected by law.
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