HTS Newsletter of February 12, 2010
Dates to Remember
February
12th: Movie Night, 6:00 - doors open at 5:45
15th-19th: Winter break
26th: Fifth grade popcorn sale (please note the corrected date)
March
2nd: Dr. Seuss’ birthday & Read Across America
3rd-7th: Visit wgme.com to vote for your favorite Kid Correspondent!
5th: End of second trimester
9th: Please note the correction. The 4th grade will NOT be attending the PSO.
9th: PTA meeting, 6:30
10th: Chewonki presents “Owls” at HTS
12th: Chewonki presents “Owls” at HTS
17th: Early Release
19th: PTA Spaghetti Supper
23rd: Spring Concert, grades 3-5, 6:30 in HTS gym
Important Attendance Note
If your child will not be coming to school, please call us at 724-3930. All student absences are considered unexcused until parental contact has been made with the office.
Have a safe and restful winter break!
Read Across America
Read Across America is a national celebration of reading and literacy that takes place on March 2nd all across the nation. Everyone loves a birthday party, and everyone loves Dr. Seuss! Coming up on Tuesday, March 2nd is Dr. Seuss' birthday, and we will be celebrating here at Helen Thompson School. Students and athletes from Gardiner Area High School will come here to read to us, just as they did last year (and that was a big hit!). This year each classroom will receive a new book by Dr. Seuss to add to their collection. Lots of other special events will take place at school that day and we hope that you will continue the event at home, too. Please take the time to read to a child on March 2, 2010--join the celebration!
Remember to send in your empty printer cartridges, Box Tops for Education,
soda can pull tabs, Campbell’s logos, and Pennies for Peace!
Join us for Movie Night!
Friday, February 12th
Doors open at 5:45
Movie at 6:00
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
$3.00 per person, $10.00 family cap
To benefit the 5th grade trip to Chewonki
News from Your PTA
You certainly put the "fun" in Family Fun Day! Thanks to those of you who helped put this event together and those of you who brought your children to school last Saturday for some popcorn, a craft, and a cat-and-mouse chase in the gym. Now that we've caught our breath, we want to also thank our wonderful judges and creative participants in the Reflections program. Perhaps you have noticed some beautiful displays around the school? HTS students put their own creative spin on this year's theme, "Beauty is." Well done, everyone! We are currently working on putting together our after school enrichment programs. Do you have a skill you'd like to share with some children? Anything from baking cookies to making paper airplanes (hint hint). We welcome you to host one or more classes to enrich the lives our students. We are also a-buzz about the 7th annual Spaghetti supper. This “cabin fever" night is a fun family and community event. We hope we can count on you for a donation to our raffle baskets and of course, to come out on March 19th for some spaghetti! As always, we are ever grateful for your continued support of our wonderful PTA.
Reflections
Thanks to all of the students who participated in the Reflections Program and to all the parents who encouraged their creative efforts. Come to the school and see the results in the hallway. Stay tuned for your ice cream social invitations and a list of participants and results in the next Principal's Notes.
Lost & Found
Our Lost & Found area is overflowing! Please stop by sometime to look for items that your child might have forgotten or misplaced! Please put your child’s name on the inside
of his/her clothing, backpack, lunch box, etc. Names help us in returning lost items!
WGME COMES TO HTS
Visit www.wgme.com and click on “Kid Correspondents” to see two of our students describing the things they love about HTS. Their Kid Correspondent segment aired on WGME-13 and is now available to view online.
After an entire month of stories about schools around the State, there will be online poll. From March 3rd - 7th, you'll be able to go to the website, view the segments, and vote for your favorite Kid Correspondents. The school with the most votes will receive a trophy and a banner, and the two correspondents will receive personal trophies as well.
Highly Qualified Teacher information for Parents of Title I Students
Your child is attending a school receiving Title I federal funds through the No Child Left Behind Act (referred to as NCLB). This Federal law requires that parents be notified of their right to know the professional qualifications of their child's teacher(s) in core academic subject areas, including the following:
1. The type of state credential or license that the teacher holds. Some teachers will have a credential in a particular subject area, such as English or mathematics, and others will have a multiple subject credential, which allows them to teach a variety of subjects, such as in elementary schools.
2. The education level and subject area of the teacher's college degree(s). All teachers have a bachelor's degree, and many teachers have graduate degrees beyond the bachelor's, such as a masters or doctoral degree.
In addition to the qualifications of the teacher, if a paraprofessional (Educational Technician) provides your child services, you may also request information about his or her qualifications. Many paraprofessionals have two years of college, and others have passed a test that verifies their qualifications.
If you would like this information, please contact Ms. McGibney at 724-3930.
Engineering Expo
The Maine Engineering Promotion Council is sponsoring the 2010 Engineering Expo at the UMO Field House on February 27th from 9:00 - 2:00. It is a great opportunity for students of all ages to discover more about careers in math, science, and engineering. There are fun hands-on activities and exhibits, as well as scientists, engineers, and architects for students to talk to about their careers. For more information go to www.EngineeringME.com. (This is not an RSU#11 event.)
Pennies for Peace Update
So far, we have collected $213.07 in pennies. Please keep those pennies coming!