Updates and Other Important Information
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Hawes Elementary School is committed to all students succeeding in a rigorous core curriculum. We believe in the importance of a strong home and school connection to ensure that our students acquire the skills needed to be life-long learners. We believe in teamwork, collaboration and mutual respect. We embrace risk-taking, creativity and an openness to new ideas and technologies. We believe that a positive self-esteem and social responsibility are goals for all and that our students, through a love of learning, will be challenged to reach their highest potential! We believe in aiming for the remarkable!
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Principal's Message
It is hard to believe it is June and we are winding down the school year....and gearing up for September 2020. This past week I found myself reflecting on the past year and thinking about transitions/change. September brought the first full month of a fully renovated school building. December brought the honor of earning a California Distinguished School Award and then, we jumped into a world of upheaval and change - school closures, changes in policy regarding transfer students and then emergency remote learning with COVID-19. As the end of this most interesting and complex school year comes to a close, the decisions at the district level have a huge impact on all of us as we plan for the upcoming school year. I want to share a few things in which we are grappling:
- With the change in the district policy regarding inter-district transfers, sadly we will lose about 100 students. Since our boundaries did not change, we continue to pull students from the same area. This means we have a smaller number of students enrolled in kindergarten for September. Our enrollment directly impacts the number of classes/teachers we have at each grade level. For next year, we are currently looking at an enrollment of about 150 students less than what we have now. This means fewer classes at each grade level and fewer teachers. We are working through these staffing changes now. I know that some of you have asked about placement letters. Please see the blurb below for additional details.
- On the bright side, an incredible district program will be moving to our campus. I am proud to officially announce that we will be the new home to the Preppy K program. Right now, the enrollment for this program is growing! To accommodate this program, some of our teachers will need to re-locate their classrooms.
- Although we have heard about the plans of many school districts, read the CDC, CA Dept of Ed. and OCDE guidelines and watched as Orange County re-opens, we do not have solid answers for what September will look like. Since the weeks before our March 13 closures, the recommendations changed (and continue to change) daily. There are countries that have re-opened schools, only to close them again. We have different opinions about masks, no masks, protective barriers, and more. We know that we must ensure the well-being of students and staff. We know that school may look different in September. Like all of you, we would love to be able to share specifics. Knowing helps us feel more solid about our future and helps us make plans. For me and perhaps some of you, this is our lesson in letting go of that need to know and plan. For now, we do not have a solid plan, but have thought about many potential plans - some require negotiations; others require money; and many require a change in practice and procedures. For now, we do not have answers. But our plans will continue.
For now, let's focus on the last few weeks of school and then enjoy the summer. It has been a challenging journey since March 13 and all deserve some time to step back and chill. Thank you for your understanding, for grappling with these transitions and change and for understanding that your Hawes team is working hard behind the scenes!
Finally here are some of the details for the coming weeks:
- Please click on the morning announcement link for the week and please share it with your children:
- The Talent Show will be aired on June 12 at 10 am. Be sure to mark your calendars for this annual event that is now virtual! Additional details and a link will be in next week's Enews.
- Because Chromebooks are being collected during the week of June 15, our goal is to ensure all have an equitable experience within the class. To this end, teachers will be uploading activities that don't require a computer and will not be zooming with students during the final week of school. The daily check in will still be posted. More details regarding the Chromebook collection from the district office will be shared at a later date.
- Finally, report cards from students in grades K-4 will be mailed home by the district office. Our 5th graders will receive theirs during our final 5th grade distribution drive through the last week of school. More details will be sent home to all 5th grade families.
Finally, thank you for your continued support and flexibility as we journey towards the end of the school year and through new territory!
#plans4nextyear #HawesNation #BeHawesome
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Story time at 12 pm on Wednesday:
Have lunch and listen to a story!
Please join us this Wednesday at 12 pm for story time. Mrs. Jennings will be reading a story at 12 pm on Zoom.
Please join the meeting using this link:
*There is a 300 person capacity to this story time.
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Hawes Choir Virtual Musical Premieres Friday!
Join us this
Friday, June 5 at 2 pm
for the virtual premiere of the Hawes Choir Musical!
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Class Act Family Night
With school closures due to COVID-19, we were not able to host our Class Act Family Night. So, this year, during these unprecedented times, we are bringing this event to you virtually. We encourage you to spend an evening with your family enjoying this experience. This link is only available to our school community and will not be shared in other modes.
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Class Placement Requests
As in years past, we will follow the student placement procedure outlined in HBCSD Board Policy.
The staff collects a wide range of information during the year that helps us recommend a proper placement for the upcoming year.In assigning classes, the staff attempts to balance each class carefully in order to facilitate learning. The staff accomplishes this balance by considering information, such as the following:
academic readiness, even distribution of the students at various academic levels, special need(s) of the student (academic, social or emotional), students' learning style, teacher-student personalities, separation of certain students, balance of students with special needs, gender ratio and other input from staff, parents or legal guardians.
- Parents can share pertinent information about their child; however, it is not appropriate for a parent to request a particular teacher. Information must be submitted by Friday, June 5 to: jjennings@hbcsd.us.
Please know that we take the placement of students seriously. Much time, effort and thought goes into creating balanced classes to ensure the success of all students. Please also understand that combination classes are sometimes necessary to accommodate the number of students at the various grade levels. Placement in combination class is made by the staff and based on the factors above as well as the ability of students to work more independently.
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It's time to register for K for September?
If you have an incoming kindergarten child, who turns 5 on or before September 1, and you live within the boundaries of HBCSD, please register your child for school at:
We are also accepting registration for the TK and PK programs. TK is for students who turn 5 between September 2 and December 2. PK are for students whose 5th birthday falls between July 1 and September 1 and who may need the gift of time before starting kindergarten. If you would like to register for one of these programs and live within the HBCSD boundaries, please use the link above.
If you know of someone who is
new
to our district boundaries and needs to enroll for September, please refer them to the link above.
Students who live within the HBCSD boundaries and who have been enrolled at Hawes, do NOT need to register again!
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School Calendar for 2020-2021
During the last Board of Trustees Meeting, our school calendar for the upcoming year (2020-2021) was approved. Please check out the link. The following are some of the key dates:
First day of school:
September 10, 2020
Thanksgiving break:
Nov. 23- 27, 2020
Winter break:
Dec. 21 - Jan.1, 2021
Spring break:
April 5 - 9, 2021
Last day of school:
June 25, 2021
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District Wide Information
Important Dates for the Rest of the School Year:
Lunch Service:
- Last day for lunch service at Perry: June 12
- Last day for lunch service at Peterson: June 19
Chromebook Collection:
- All Chromebooks that were checked out for distance learning will be collected: June 15 - June 19 at Sowers (no collection on June 18)
Instruction and Grading for 3rd Trimester:
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Still have AR and Library Books at home?
Beginning on Tuesday, May 26, a bin will be outside our office doors for a quick drop off of any AR and/or Library books. Thank you for returning any books that are still at home!
The bin will be accessible from 9:30 - 2 pm daily during the week.
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Discovery Education Science Materials Preview
Now is your chance to preview the state approved Science materials selected for K-8. These materials are being recommended for adoption at the June 23, 2020 Board meeting.
The preview is available now through June 22, 2020 (online via links below) or by appointment at the HBCSD District Office located at 8750 Dorsett Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92646. Please contact
lmartinez@hbcsd.us
to schedule a time to preview materials in person.
Overview video walk-through of the online program
Student log in credentials for virtual review of all K-8 content:
Username: CaSciStudent
Password: discovery
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Social- Emotional Resources and Support for Students/Families
HBCSD school psychologists have put together a website filled with social-emotional resources and tools to support our students and families during this difficult time. Please check this out!
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