HT Newsletter of October 4
Principal’s Message
I don’t remember a lot of pats on the back or “thank you’s” from my folks as I was growing up. They simply expected their children to “be good”, to “mind our manners”, to respect adults, to play fair, to wait our turn, to pay attention in class and so on. When we did those things, we were simply meeting their standards and no thank you was necessary, nor forthcoming! (Their child raising theories must have worked (to some degree) because my older brother and I are relatively decent citizens.)
I, on the other hand, believe in catching kids being good. I believe in thanking kids for their small acts of kindness, of patience, of fair play. This week I would like to publicly thank our 5th graders. They are starting to see themselves as leaders here at HT, as the ones our younger kids look up to. I think they’re collectively starting to grow into their new status.
As you know, classes have personalities which are often bigger and more pronounced than the individuals themselves. Being a principal allows me an interesting vantage point with each class. For two years I have watched this 5th grade class act like, well, how shall I put this? Ah, Great Dane puppies - all legs and goofiness, never quite taking the shortest route between points A & B, preferring the scenic, rambling route instead...never being intentionally “bad”, but definitely needing constant reminders of what’s okay and what’s not.
This year I’m starting to see less “puppiness” and more awareness of being the “big dog”....in the most positive sense! Tempers don’t flare quite so quickly. Goofiness doesn’t totally shut down the learning process. And, miracle of miracles, some students can actually walk from Point A to Point B without touching every locker door, tripping fifteen times, poking every student in their pathway, or making a flying projectile out of anything that they have in hand. These are huge changes and ones I appreciate.
It’s not easy changing old habits. It’s not easy moving from puppy to big dog. Here’s to our 5th graders who are making that transition and positively affecting the HT community...here’s to growing up before my very eyes!
Donna McGibney
Dates to Remember
October
5th: Staff Workshop Day - no school for students
8th: Columbus Day - no school
15th - 19th: School Lunch Week
16th: PTA meeting, 6:30 in library
17th: Early Release Day - students dismissed at 12:30
19th: School picture day
19th: Mrs. Jessop & Mrs. White’s classes to County Fair Farm
22nd - 26th: School Bus Safety Week
25th: Fifth grade to Chewonki
29th: Fourth grade to Portland Symphony Orchestra
November
1st: End of first quarter
6th & 7th: Chewonki’s Batmobile to visit HTS
12th: Veterans Day observed - no school
21st- 23rd: Thanksgiving break - no school
Pokemon cards are great...at your house!
Please have your child keep his/her Pokemon cards at home. Here at school the cards become distractions in the classroom, causes for hurt feelings and unfair trades, potential theft items and a host of other yucky things. Kids love them and love having a pocketful of them, but Pokemon cards are just not cool at school.
Send your child to school, please, but save those cards for afternoon and evening play at home.
PTA News
THANK YOU! The fundraiser was a success and we really appreciate your efforts. Please get any last minute orders to the school Tuesday -- it's not too late yet! Give Janie a call at 724-3542 about late orders. The details about top sellers and money raised will be coming soon. One of the ways that we will spend this money is on special enrichment programs and this year we are planning to have Chewonki's Batmobile, music from the Old Grey Goose band, a ceramic artist from Mexico and a play about King Arthur. The students love these special programs -- thanks to those of you who helped us raise the funds to make them possible!
Now that we are done with the fundraiser we ask for a donation of your TIME TO VOLUNTEER with the PTA on one of our many committees. Please help us organize events such as the Holiday Fair and Spaghetti Supper or volunteer to make the Reading Incentive Program, Scholastic Book Fairs and Reflections Program a success. Contact Susan Caldwell at 582-8658 to get more details and sign up to help! Donation requested - the PTA uses a lot of colored paper throughout the year. If there is anyone who has the ability to donate paper we would greatly appreciate it.
Join us at our next meeting on Tuesday, October 16th at 6:30 pm which will focus on the budget and committee organization. Don't forget to check out the PTA link on the HTS website for more PTA information.
A Reminder to Families of Kindergarten Students:
The State of Maine requires the school to have an up-dated immunization record or letter of exemption on all students for the child to stay in school. If you are a parent/guardian of a student in our kindergarten we would appreciate you getting the school the up-dated copy by the end of next week if you have not had an opportunity to do so. Please call me if you have any question(s). Thank you for your help with this State of Maine law.
Pat Fisher, R.N.
School Nurse
October is respect month for all of our HTS Super Kids
T.C. Hamlin School PTC Craft Fair
Saturday, October 13,2007 - 9:00 to 4:00
Sponsored by the Hamlin School PTC
100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed
- from the National PTA
There are many ways to be involved with your child’s education, and when parents get involved in their children’s education, everyone benefits! Here are ten more tips from the National PTA’s list of “100 Ways to Help Your child and School Succeed”
11. Address concerns or questions honestly, openly, and early on.
12. Attend PTA or parent meetings regularly.
13. Read classroom and/or school newsletters.
14. Visit your school’s Web page.
15. Know the names of your child’s teacher(s), school principal, and school nurse.
16. Read and know your school’s handbook.
17. Request that information be available in all languages spoken by school families.
18. Share your family’s practices related to culture, values, and parenting with your child’s school.
19. Communicate your perceptions of how parents are treated and,when necessary,work with school staff to improve perceptions and school climate.
20. Notify teachers of any significant changes that have taken place in a child’s life (such as death of a pet, family move, loss of income, family member’s illness, or divorce).
Maine Dental Health Out-Reach
Maine Dental Health Out-Reach will be visiting the schools in our district again this year to provide services to eligible students. Please look for the information that came home with your student and review it carefully.
Maine Science Teachers Family Science Night
Friday, October 5th
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Gardiner Area high School
Join us for this evening of FREE family science fun! Door prizes and science goodies for all! Pre-registration is necessary. Please e-mail ldarling@fairpoint.net.