Dear Hill-Roberts Families,
We hope you all enjoyed this long weekend’s beautiful Fall weather!
While we are welcoming the Fall season, our staff and PTO are collectively raising the excitement and expectations of literacy within our Hill-Roberts community! From the PTO’s Bingo for Books this Friday, which kicks off our Paws for Books Book Fair season (10/13-10/20), to our K-4 staff’s deep-dive into academic writing and our specialized instruction team’s launching of reading support groups (e.g., start of Title 1 reading), we are all in on literacy! Frankly, this is challenging, but worthwhile work. Starting with our PTO and your support at home, our staff is grateful to be your partners in promoting deep literacy, that is, the ability to read, think with, learn from, and apply what we learn from text.
At Hill-Roberts we are proud to pursue this deep literacy in relation to the district’s Portrait of a Graduate, which envisions young people who demonstrate an ability to balance, communicate, collaborate, and innovate both to maximize their unique potential and improve our world. We aim to demonstrate this daily, from our morning announcements where we greet each other “Good morning!” in multiple languages to our classroom where we read old, new, and soon-to-be classics. Of course, as you can see from our cover photo, mathematics is still a focal point as well (thank you for the picture of your class’ ST Math progress, Ms. Dalpe!). All in all, with ongoing student input, robust family engagement, and our staff’s professional judgment, we know we can continue to reach new heights.
As always, thank you for your continued support! We hope to see you tomorrow, 10/10 at our October PTO meeting at 6:30pm in our Library. For updates and reminders, please see our seventh issue's table of contents.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul Madden, Principal
Ms. Nora Hassan, Assistant Principal
Table of Contents
- Updated: Upcoming Important Information & Dates
- School Hours
- Update: PTO facilitates furniture donation to update Hill-Roberts common places
- Update: Holiday Gift Help for Families - Informational Only
- Update: A Kids Brain Tumor Cure - Team Wesley Event - 7th Annual Sundaes with Santa - Informational Only
- Reminder: Technology Support - Rooms Help for Families
- Reminder: Message from School Nurse
- Reminder- Bus - Ridership Updates and Bus Registration for “Fee for Service” Students
- Reminders - Walkers/Car Drop-Off
- Reminder- Free and Reduced Price Lunch Applications Critical for Funding for School Supports
- APS Community Fliers
- PTO Announcements
- Reminders from Issues 1-5
- APS Student Handbook Workflow
- Title 1 Programming
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack
Upcoming Important Information & Dates
- 10/10/2023 - PTO Meeting, 6:30pm in HRES Library
- 10/13 – Bingo for Books
- 10/13-10/20/2023 - Book Fair
- 10/19/2023 - Picture Day
- 11/2 – Race for Education
- 11/3 – Race for Ed Rain Date
School Hours
- Arrival begins at: 8:30 AM
- School Day: 8:45 AM – 3:25 PM
- Dismissal is at 3:25 PM
- Early Release Dismissal: 12:25 PM
Update: Thank you PTO! PTO continues to update Hill-Roberts common places
Come see our new front-office couch with Attleboro Blue covers! HRES PTO (meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, 10/10 at 6:30pm) continues to work hard with us to both: a) make our front office more welcoming to families and b) increase the professionalism of our common staff spaces. Jen DiPietro and the PTO have more planned (e.g., glass mural), so stay tuned! For now, staff and families who have seen the most recent updates agree - what a PTO!!! Thank you!
Update: Holiday Gift Help for Families - Informational Only
While our school does a Giving Tree before the Winter Holiday break, the Attleboro Area Council for Children’s “Christmas is for Kids” program is accepting applications (due 11/4 for returning families and 11/25 for new families) and story sheets for families who may benefit from assistance in providing gifts for their children this Holiday season. This program is external to APS and has its own participation requirements.
Update: A Kids Brain Tumor Cure - Team Wesley Event - 7th Annual Sundaes with Santa - Informational Only
7th Annual Sundaes with Santa Event. “The raffle items are coming in!! Be sure to save the date for this year's Sundaes With Santa. November 12, 2023. Come any time from 11am-2pm. Professional photographer, rights to all digital images, make your own sundae from Bliss Dairy, raffles, silent auction and all going to help find a cure.”
Reminder: Technology Support - Rooms Help for Families
The District will be holding three help sessions during the month of October. Please register so we can plan appropriately for the events.
Reminder: Message from School Nurse
Hi Families,
Two quick updates:
Vision and Hearing Screening (and Volunteers) - I am hoping to begin our state mandated Vision and Hearing screens in mid October. All grades, K-4, are screened for Vision, grades K-3 are also screened for Hearing, and Height & Weight on grades 1 & 4 only. These are required by state law, but you may opt your child out by sending in a letter requesting that your child not participate in the state Vision and Hearing screens. I am also looking for volunteers that would like to be trained in doing the screenings to assist me here in school. If you are interested, please email or give me a call and I can give you more details, you can also stop by the Health Office during our upcoming Back to School Night.
Covid, Flu, and COVID Attendance Guidance - Cold, Flu and Covid season are upon us, to help keep all of our Huskies Healthy Learners, please keep your student home if they are not feeling well, fever of 100 or more, vomiting, diarrhea, or frequent cough. If your child does have a fever, vomiting or diarrhea, they must stay home at least 24 hrs after the last vomiting or diarrhea and be fever free 24 hrs with no Tylenol or Advil. We have long tiring days and sometimes an extra day is needed to recover fully, so they can be ready and able to learn after an illness. If your student tests positive for Covid, they need to remain out of school for a minimum of 5 days and should mask for a full 10 days upon their return to school. Masks are readily available all over the school. Please call the nurse with any questions or clarification.
Sincerely,
Sherri Knight-Cloud, BSN, RN, NCSN
sknightcloud@attleboroschools.com or (508) 399-7560
Reminder - Bus Privileges Update and Bus Registration for “Fee for Service” Students
If your student’s transportation type/bus eligibility status is Fee for Service, registration is required. Go here to register; please do not wait to find out they can no longer ride the bus. To verify a student’s bus eligibility status and determine if Fee for Service registration is necessary for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year, you can find your address on the School Street Listing or log into your Aspen parent portal. A video tutorial and instructions can be found here.
Update & Reminders: Walkers/Car Drop-Off
Reminder - How to Support Bus Arrival when Parking in Active Drop Off Area - If you arrive before 8:30am, please do not back out of your parking spaces to leave unless Roy Ave is clear. This may result in a 10 minute delay for your departure time. We apologize for any delay, but for student safety and the timely arrival of buses, which impacts ALL student’s breakfast and homeroom start times, we need your cooperation. Thank you for taking directions from our staff as we work through early morning traffic bottlenecks!
Reminder: NO vehicles park on the “inbound” side of Roy Ave in between or past the posted signs. Cars along that side of Roy Ave block our buses from getting down the road safely, creating dangerous conditions for walker students as well as our students on buses. Please refer to the HRES Pick-up & Drop off Procedures for more details and review the “active drop-off” route in the picture below.
Reminder: Please follow the process shown in the photos below for dropping your child in the morning and picking them up after school. For safety reasons, cars are not permitted in the circular driveway (i.e.. the main parking lot) in front of the school during arrival and dismissal times. This area is reserved for buses and transportation vans to load and unload students. It is illegal to pass a bus/daycare van with its lights activated. Walkers or students being dropped off at arrival will enter through the side doors closest to the gymnasium.
Reminder - 2023-2024 Dismissal Plans Update - So far we have had only 54 responses to our Dismissal Plans Update form that was linked in last week’s Howler. When the link was first shared three weeks ago, it was inaccessible to families, and we apologize for the mix-up. The link has been fixed, however, and we ask that you please try again. This form will help us to keep up to date records of students' dismissal plans. We ask that you fill out this form as accurately as possible, and please fill out ONE FORM FOR EACH CHILD. Although it may seem redundant, doing so allows us to sort and find students easily and allows us to provide individual teachers with accurate information. Thank you! We know it is one more thing, but your child’s safety is yours and our number one priority.
Reminder: Free and Reduced Price Lunch Applications Critical for Funding for School Supports
Please note that even though meals will be free for all students this school year, it remains essential for families who believe they qualify to complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2023-2024 school year. Accurate registration impacts state funding for our district, in particular, Title 1 Reading supports for all students. In addition, for families who qualify, it allows us to waive or reduce transportation, athletics, and other fees. Visit our Food Services page to learn more and Apply Online: https://www.attleboroschools.com/o/aps/page/food-services2
APS Community Fliers
Visit the APS Community Fliers page to view the most recent events, opportunities, and resources happening within the Attleboro Community.
PTO Announcements
Book Fair -
The Paws for Books Fair opens during Bingo next Friday, Oct. 13, from 6-8pm, followed by a week of class visits, open shopping, and teacher shopping. You can pre-order the next Cat Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, shop your favorite authors and series, pick up a holiday read, celebrate every voice, and have a pawsome time!
Volunteer: http://tiny.cc/HRESF23
Set up eWallet: www.scholastic.com/bf/Hill-Roberts
We will be collecting donations for the Friends of Attleboro Animal Shelter at Paws for Books. Students who bring an item to donate will be entered into a raffle for pawsome books. Please see the flier for the shelter’s most needed items. Let’s show how much our Husky students care!
For more information, check out our Paws for Books flier
Bingo for Books - Join us for Bingo for Books NEXT FRIDAY! We have two sessions to choose from – 6:15pm and 7:15pm Friday, October 13 in the HRES Cafeteria. Register using this link Hill-Roberts Elementary School PTO - Cheddar Up or the QR Code below! Please be sure to let us know how many people are in your party. Registration is FREE and the Book Fair will be open for all to enjoy from 6-8pm. If you’d like to volunteer to help check families in, pass out bingo cards, or keep track of the numbers called, please email katerduggan@gmail.com.
Race for Education - Husky families! By now your student should have brought home a packet with the materials for our biggest fundraiser, the Race for Education, taking place Thursday, November 2nd! We're looking forward to a great event! There are some amazing prizes up for grabs this year, you can check them out on the flyer! The EASIEST way to meet your goal is by creating your online donation page! Follow the link below and select create a page to get started. And don't forget to join your classrooms team! https://grouprev.com/hillroberts2324
10/10 - Next General PTO Meeting, 6:30pm at HRES Library
10/13-10/20 – Paws for Books Book Fair
10/13 – Bingo for Books
11/2 – Race for Education
11/3 – Race for Ed Rain Date
CONTACT US
www.facebook.com/groups/hillrobertspto OR hillrobertspto@gmail.com
Reminders from Issues 1 - 6
APS Student Handbook Workflow
Please click on the Attleboro Public Schools Handbook Workflow link for directions on how to access, review, and confirm understanding of the contents of the APS Student Handbook. We must have a record from all families that the handbook has been received. Please contact us with any questions you may have.
Title 1 Programming
Please see these important newsletters for information about our Title I programming:
Title I Family Engagement Plan
Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack
Massachusetts has extended free school meals for another year. This means that breakfast and lunch will continue to be served at no cost to all students. Please note that even though meals will be free for all, it remains essential for families to complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2023-2024 school year.
The breakfast and lunch menu will be on the district’s website
We ask that lunches from home are nut free when possible.
Snacks - While sending your child to school with a snack please keep in mind our classrooms are nut safe and no student will be allowed to eat a snack if it is not nut free