The Husky Herald
November 3, 2023
A Message From Our Administration...
Dear Huskies,
Thank you to the families that joined us for last week's Math and Reading Night, as well as our PTA hosted Trunk or Treat! We were thrilled with the turn out for both events and truly enjoyed spending the evening with so many of our wonderful families. A special "Thank You" goes out to our Math and Reading Planning Committee, as well as all of our PTA volunteers, led by PTA President Melissa Hepburn. Please take a moment to provide event feedback HERE.
Send a staff shout out! Our staff work hard each day to create amazing learning experiences for your students. We want to capture staff "shout outs" from families that will be shared in our daily staff e-mail. You can share an activity that your student loved doing in class, something the teacher did that helped you support your student at home, or anything else that you want to recognize a teacher for! Families are welcome to recognize any staff member. Please take a moment to submit a staff shout out HERE.
Does your family need support during the upcoming holiday season, or are you willing to sponsor another family in need? Please take a moment to fill out our annual Holiday Help Survey at https://forms.gle/qgfvgPWFTKiGcSaQ6. Please support our annual food drive! Many of our Huskies will need support during the upcoming holiday season. We will accept all types of non-perishable food items, but each grade has been assigned a specific food category. See below for more information. Our goal is to fill 85 food baskets by the end of November!
As a reminder, due to transitions during daily dismissal, any family requesting an early dismissal should arrive prior to 3:15PM. Please also continue to send your absence notes to hhesabsence@hcpss.org.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to making this school year a success! Please feel free to contact us by email at troy_todd@hcpss.org, wendy_kanter@hcpss.org, or katherine_lee@hcpss.org, if you have any questions or concerns.
Warmly,
Mr. Todd, HHES Principal
Mrs. Kanter, HHES Assistant Principal
Ms. Katie Lee, HHES Administrative Intern
Save the Date! 🗓️
- November 6, 2023: Student-Led Conference Scheduling Window OPENS (8:00AM)
- November 13, 2023-November 17, 2023: American Education Week (Schedule TBA)
- November 14, 2023: Fourth Grade Field Trip (Skate Zone)
- November 16, 2023: Turkey Trot (More Info TBA)
- November 16, 2023: Husky Harvest Food Pantry (6:00PM)
- November 16, 2023: Student-Led Conference Scheduling Window CLOSES (4:00PM)
- November 20, 2023-November 21, 2023: Early Dismissal (12:55PM) - Student-Led Conferences
- November 22, 2023-November 24, 2023: SCHOOL CLOSED - Thanksgiving Break
- November 28, 2023: Fall Retakes (Individual Picture Day Make-Up)
- November 28, 2023: Virtual Counselor's Corner (College & Career Readiness)
- November 27, 2023-December 1, 2023: Career Week (Schedule TBA)
Related Arts Schedule: Week of 11/06 and Week of 11/13
IMPORTANT: Student-Led Conference Scheduling
Student-Led Conferences will be held from Monday, November 20, 2023, through Wednesday, November 22, 2023. What is a Student-Led Conference? Families are encouraged to sit with their student during their scheduled student-led conference so that your family, with the help of your student’s teacher, can work together to set goals for the remainder of the school year.
To allow parents flexibility in scheduling, conferences will be held two ways this year.
- Student-Led Conferences will be held in-person on Monday, November 20, 2023, beginning at 1:40PM.
- Student-Led Conferences will be held will be held virtually via Google Meet on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, and Wednesday, November 22, 2023, beginning at 1:40PM. As in the past, some teachers will have evening conference availability until 7:40PM, and thus will not hold conferences on Wednesday.
November 20, 2023, and November 21, 2023, are early dismissal days for students. All students will dismiss at 12:55 PM. (There will be no half-day PreK or RECC.) Each conference will be 15 minutes long. School is closed for students from November 22, 2023, through November 24, 2023. Students will return to the building following Thanksgiving break on November 27, 2023.
The conference scheduling window will open on Monday, November 6, 2023, at 8:00AM via the HCPSS Connect. You will not be able to access the conference scheduling program through your student's account. Conferences are first come, first serve. The scheduling window will close at 4:00PM on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Please look for a separate email in the coming days with specific directions on conference scheduling.
Join Us: American Education Week - 11/13/23-11/17/23
National American Education Week, during which we celebrate our school community and our continued dedication to excellence in education, is held this year from Monday, November 13, 2023, through Friday, November 17, 2023. During American Education Week, parents will be invited into the building to participate in various activities and celebrations. With over 850 students at HHES, we have created a schedule to help accommodate the number of anticipated visitors.
Save the date! We encourage you to visit our school during designated times. We will briefly list these opportunities below. However, please look for a detailed schedule of events in a separate email.
- Monday, 11/13/23: Join us on our news channel, Husky 42! Join us virtually for our morning announcements - followed by a brief Parent Q&A!
- Tuesday, 11/14/23: Thankful Tuesday! Send a note or token of thanks to your student's teacher or another staff member.
- Wednesday, 11/15/23: Help us celebrate our students! Join us for our school-wide Quarter 1 Awards Assemblies. (See email for schedule.)
- Thursday, 11/16/23: Grab your running shoes! Join us for our school-wide Turkey Trot. (See email for schedule. Parents are required to register as volunteers, runners, or spectators for this event.)
- Friday, 11/17/23: Have lunch with your Husky! Join your student during their scheduled lunch time. (See email for schedule.)
Here are some mandatory requirements for visiting during American Education Week. (Please look for more tips and reminders in a separate email.):​​​​​​​
- For safety purposes, please report to the Front Office with your driver’s license to sign-in. A visitor's sticker is required for the duration of your visit.
- Parking will be tight. Please consider walking to help with parking concerns, or carpool with a neighbor/friend when visiting. Parking in the bus loop will only be authorized between 9:45AM and 3:00PM.
- Participation in American Education Week is for ADULTS ONLY. Unfortunately, due to classroom and safety regulations, we are unable to accommodate siblings or other children in the building. This includes infant siblings.
- If you are visiting for lunch, please remember that we must ensure that all of our students can sit comfortably, so guests might need to stand. Visitors are not authorized on the playground during recess.
HHES Concert and Music Shirts
Help support our music program! As our music team prepares for both our winter and spring concert, the decision was made to ask participating students to wear an HHES music shirt for both performances. This sale was developed to give families the option between the polo style and the approved t-shirt design, which is available in both short sleeve and long sleeve. All families are welcome to support our program by purchasing a music shirt. In order for shirts to arrive in time for our winter concert in December, all items must be ordered by November 15, 2023 at 11:59PM. Order online at https://hanoverhillmusic23.itemorder.com/shop/sale/.
Barkley's Fall Food Drive (Monday, 10/16-Monday, 11/13)
With fall comes the season of thankfulness! We are incredibly grateful to have such a caring school community. However, many of our Huskies will need support during the upcoming holiday season. Please help us collect non-perishable foods. Our goal is to fill 85 food baskets by the end of November!
Each grade will collect different non-perishable food items to donate. Items will be collected through Monday, 11/13.
PreK/RECC: Baking Mixes (cornbread or biscuit mix, cookie or cake mix, muffin mix, etc.)
Kindergarten: Dry Snacks - Individual Size (goldfish, chips, granola bars, etc.)
First Grade: Cereal and Breakfast Items (all varieties)
Second Grade: Stuffing, Boxed Potatoes, Gravy (all varieties)
Third Grade: Box Meals - Mac and Cheese, Ramen, Pasta Salad, Hamburger Helper (all varieties)
Fourth Grade: Canned Vegetables, Beans (dry and canned), Rice (all varieties)
Fifth Grade: Dry Pasta (spaghetti, elbow, penne, etc.) and Pasta Sauce (all varieties)
We will also accept donations of peanut butter, jelly, cooking oil, flour, condiments, baby wipes, etc. These additional items will count for every grade! The class in each grade that collects the most items will be rewarded with a very special class prize!
IMPORTANT: HCPSS School and Policy Reminders
RECESS AND OUTDOOR WEATHER GUIDELINES: As the weather grows colder, please remember to send your student to school with a jacket, hoodie, or other weather appropriate gear. Per HCPSS Policy 9090, each elementary school will typically provide a 30 minute daily recess, preferably outdoors. Generally, students will be outside for recess when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees or the heat index reading is no more than 95 degrees. For more information related to Policy 9090, CLICK HERE.
ANIMALS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS: Animals, including dogs, are prohibited within HCPSS buildings. Animals are also prohibited on school grounds during arrival, dismissal, recess, and any other HCPSS sponsored outdoor activities. This includes therapy and emotional support animals (dogs and other animals), which are not permitted on HCPSS school grounds. Documented service animals, or service animals in training per MD Annotated Code Section 7-705 (Service Animals), are exempt from this prohibition. Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times. For any questions, we can provide reference to the HCPSS Circular 19 and 21.
Young Author's Contest: Enter now through December 11, 2023!
The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1 through 5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest known as The Young Authors' Contest.
For guidelines on the The Young Authors’ Contest and information about the rules, CLICK HERE. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to Mrs. Darchicourt at stacey_darchicourt@hcpss.org by December 11, 2023.
Winners of the contest will be recognized by the Reading Team in January! Visit the guidelines link above for more information. Contact Mrs. Darchicourt with any questions. All Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA Website.
Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining!
Response Needed: Military Connected Family Survey
Our school is looking to support the unique needs of our students and families whose parents or guardians are in our country's armed forces or are veterans. If you are in the US Armed Forces or a veteran and are the parent or guardian of a student in our school, please complete this survey to assist us in our planning: https://forms.gle/faXhtFGNaTtHa3dAA
Need help? Find support below!
Principal, Mr. Troy Todd: troy_todd@hcpss.org
Assistant Principal, Mrs. Wendy Kanter: wendy_kanter@hcpss.org
Administrative Intern, Ms. Katie Lee: katherine_lee@hcpss.org
Principal's Secretary, Mrs. Alisha Brackney: alisha_brackney@hcpss.org
Registrar and Attendance, Mrs. Ivette Mercado: ivette_mercado@hcpss.org
Registrar and Attendance, Mrs. Michele Yates: michele_yates@hcpss.org
School Counselor, Ms. Kristen Tacka: kristen_tacka@hcpss.org
School Counselor, Ms. Hanadi Hill: hanadi_el-bashir_hill@hcpss.org
School Psychologist, Ms. Kristin Meyering: kristin_meyering@hcpss.org
School Psychologist, Mr. Jeff Leard: jeff_leard@hcpss.org
Hispanic Liaison, Ms. Griselda Osorio: griselda_osorio@hcpss.org
International Liaison, Ms. Bibi Tial: bcni_tial@hcpss.org
Black Student Achievement Program Liaison, Ms. Stacie Thomas: stacie_thomas@hcpss.org
Pupil Personnel Worker, Mrs. Cheryl Hurbon: cheryl_hurbon@hcpss.org
School Nurse, Mrs. Cheryl McNerney: cheryl_mcnerney@hcpss.org
School Based Wellness Center, Ms. Annette Baldwin: abaldwin@howardcountymd.gov
HHES PTA President, Ms. Melissa Hepburn: hanoverhillspta@gmail.com
Community Events and Resources
HHES Library Resource Night: 11/7 at 6PM
Join us on Tuesday, 11/7, at 6:00PM! Staff from the Elkridge Library will present various resources, including Brainfuse, an online platform for homework and tutoring assistance.