[HMS News] Summer Parent Flash

Mon Aug 21 20:51:04 EDT 2006

Welcome to the Summer 2006 Parent Flash from Harold Martin School.

There was a mistake in the hard copy of the Parent Flash regarding  
lunch prices for next year. Here are the accurate prices:

Hot lunch: $1.75
Milk/juice: 35 cents
Breakfast: $1.00

Also: the bus schedules are now online at: http:// 
www.hopkintonschools.org/sau/proposedroutes.html

*****

It’s amazing how fast the school can restore itself from the summer  
deliveries and cleaning and then have everything come together in  
time for the big day. A friend of mine who recently retired from  
education says she still gets the butterflies every year around this  
time.

SUMMER PARTIES
We will again hold our ice cream socials for each classroom at Beech  
Hill Farm, sponsored by PTA. You should have received information  
already in the mail. If you did not, give us a call. This is a great  
opportunity for kids and parents to get to know each other a bit  
before the year begins. The schedule is posted on our web site; just  
click the link at: http://hopkintonschools.org/hms/principal

NEW AND RETURNING PARENTS
On the first day, I invite parents of new and returning HMS children  
to an informal coffee with me and officers of PTA from 8:05-8:30 in  
the HMS Art Room. In addition to the coffee, we’ll have a time for  
informal chats and you can be introduced to the workings of the  
Hopkinton PTA. This is the beginning of our “Coffee With Carozza”  
monthly get-togethers.

In addition, if it is more convenient, we’ll greet interested  
kindergarten parents on the first day at 11:20 in art room. And the  
following day for Day 2 kindergartners, same time, but in the library.

CALENDAR
The first day of school is Tuesday, August 29.
We’ll have school two days that week, the 29th and 30th, and staff  
will be engaged in workshops on Thursday, as we collaborate together  
to learn more about all of our children.

School starts at 8:00 AM and students are dismissed at 2:35 PM. If  
you bring your child to school, please have them wait on the  
playground for the bell. Teachers will come out to the playground to  
meet their students.

BUSES
Bus routes will be posted soon on our district web site. I will also  
have a link on the “Principal’s Pages” at: http:// 
hopkintonschools.org/hms/principal/

To make the first day of school go smoothly, fill out the enclosed  
school bus form and attach it securely to your child’s lunchbox,  
backpack, or jacket. Please use the route number for the bus number.  
They are the same. This “bus” is a great aid in helping students  
remember their bus number and find the right bus home.

When students arrive at school, they should go directly to the  
playground. Students should look for a tall bus sign with the  
appropriate color:

Kindergarten: Pink
First grade: Yellow
Second grade: Blue
Third grade: Green

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
If you drive your child to school, please follow the traffic patterns  
marked by signs and pavement markings in the parking lot. All non-bus  
vehicles are to follow the appropriate traffic pattern in the main  
parking lot upon entering the parking area. For safety measures,  
please do not cut across the parking lot. Only school buses are  
allowed to drive around the circular roadway by the flagpole from  
7:00-8:15 AM and 2:30-3:30 PM.

When dropping your child off, please do so promptly so that other  
cars behind you do not have to wait long. Also, do not drive past the  
car in front of you in line as this may put children being dropped  
off in danger. Once dropped off, all students must walk on the  
sidewalk around the outside of the building to the playground.

Please do not drop your child off past 8 AM if possible. It is really  
is crucial that students begin the day on time. Thank you.

If you are picking up your child at the close of the school day,  
please park your car in the parking lot and sign your child out in  
the music room where you may wait for him or her. Please do not go to  
the classroom to meet your child. In general, if you are changing  
your child’s end of the day destination, please send a note in to  
your child’s teacher. If you know at least a day ahead, you may also  
email this information to Administrative Assistant, Betsy Wilder, at  
bwilder at hopkintonschools.org. With the nature of email, there are no  
guarantees that we will receive an email the same day you send it out.

In general, please do not pick your child up later than 2:35. If for  
some reason you are running late, your child will be waiting in the  
office where you may sign him or her out.

MILK AND HOT LUNCH
Hot lunch will be served every day. Milk for both recess and lunch  
costs 35 cents, as does snack juice, and hot lunch will cost $1.75.  
These envelopes will be sent home every Friday. Please return them to  
school the following Tuesday (after Labor Day) for that week. Be sure  
to put your child’s name on the envelope, check off your child’s  
choice for the day and indicate the amount of money enclosed. Checks  
should be made out to Hopkinton Hot Lunch Program.

Breakfast is served every morning at school, including the first day  
of school, and all children may participate. Breakfast will cost  
$1.00 and may be paid for each morning.

HMS LISTSERV AND WEB SITE

Email has become an important communications tool. The over 300  
members of the HMS News Listserv enjoy the following benefits:

1.    The Friday Parent Flash in electronic form

2.    Early morning announcements of school district delay or  
cancellations

3.    Emergency updates during the day (e.g. early dismissals, etc.)

4.    Timely reminders of meetings

5.    The HMS Lunch Menu sent monthly

If you would like to join the Listserv, visit:
http://www.hopkintonschools.org/hms/principal/HMSNews.html
The instructions are simple. If you are already a member from last  
year, you do not need to do anything.

In addition, our school web site is updated regularly to include  
information specifically for parents and community members. To access  
this directly, dial up: http://www.hopkintonschools.org/hms
Nearly all pertinent information is included on the site and many  
documents coming out of the school office are archived there as well.

OPEN HOUSE
Please join us for HMS Open House on September 13 from 6:30-7:30 PM.  
This is an informal time when students can lead their parents  
throughout the school and classroom. It is truly much fun.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

We are fortunate to have a vibrant Volunteer Program at HMS averaging  
nearly 2500 hours of volunteer service yearly. Our Volunteer  
Orientation will be held September 19, 6:30 PM beginning in the HMS  
Music Room. This year our Volunteer Coordinator is Marcia Clark. For  
more information on our Volunteer Program, head over to our web site at:
http://www.hopkintonschools.org/hms/principal/volunteer.html

Also, look for more information on the program to be coming home the  
first day of school.

NEW STAFF
We have two new staff members on our staff this year, Kim Najem, our  
new Art Teacher,  and Katie Winslow, who will be working as an  
Instructional Assistant in our Preschool Program. Welcome!

PTA
Our new PTA officers for the
2006-07 school year are:

Kathy Donohoe-President
Julie Morris-Vice President
Joyce Rose-Treasurer
Nancy Skarmeas-Secretary

PTA generally meets the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 PM in  
the Harold Martin School music room. We are fortunate to have a  
dedicated group of parents who add so much to our schools through the  
organization of family events and fund raising which provide many  
activities for our children. For more information on PTA, head to:  
http://
hopkintonschools.org/hms/principal/pta.html

IN CLOSING…

Let me know if there is anything I can do to make the transition from  
summer to school smoother for you. As you’re planning your year, you  
can access our district calendar by heading to: http:// 
www.hopkintonschools.org/ and clicking on the “calendar” tab on the  
left. See you soon!

Sincerely,

Bill Carozza
Principal

_ _

Bill Carozza  | Principal
____________________________
Harold Martin School
271 Main St.
Hopkinton, NH 03229
p. 603 .746 .3473
w. www.hopkintonschools.org/hms/principal