20th Year Celebration: Photos

Enrichment Clusters: Finishing our Projects

On Thursday, the Bookshelf Building cluster cut, sanded, and stained lots of lumber:


On Friday, we assembled our shelves!

It took a lot of teamwork, and we are very proud of our accomplishments!

The Folk Arts cluster created some terrific decorations and designs:

Meanwhile, over in the Kindergarten biking cluster, students practiced safe bike riding!

David Elliott's Presentation on Imagination

Author David Elliott presented his views on imagination during our Symposium for Parents and Teachers on Thursday evening.

In case you missed the event, Marek Bennett has posted his notes from the discussion on his personal blog. You can also view the film we screened: "Why Do These Kids Love School?"

More Enrichment Cluster Photos

Some students are learning to weave on bead looms this week:

Here's what our handiwork looks like up close:

This is the work site for the "Bookshelf Building" Enrichment Cluster:

(It is a beautiful site to work, but if you look really closely you'll see that some of our sawyers are wearing mittens!)

At the end of this second day, we had all our parts cut out and ready to assemble. Currently, our projects look like this:

On Thursday, we'll sand and stain the wood, and on Friday we'll assemble our shelves.

Enrichment Clusters Begin

This week, Elementary and Upper Grades students participate in Enrichment Clusters!

Here are some photos from our "Bookshelf Building" Enrichment Cluster:



All week long, we'll be building bookshelves, bead-weaving on hand-made looms, creating folk art, designing a NatureQuest, riding bikes, cooking new foods, and more.

20th Year "Memory Books" Available

These handsome books feature 20 pages of full-color photographs from the past two decades at Hopkinton Independent School, showing students and staff of all grade levels learning, working, playing, and growing together over the years.

You can order copies throughout our 20th Year Celebration in May, 2008. Preview a sample copy in the school lobby this week, where you can also pick up an order form. All Memory Book orders are due by May 31.

For more information, email the front office.

Press Release: 20th Year Dinner and Dance

We invite you to attend our:

20th Year Dinner and Dance Celebration

Saturday, May 31st

at the Hopkinton Independent School

• 4:00 = Social Hour & Toast
• 5:00 = Chicken Barbecue*
• 6:30 = Country Dance with Carolyn Parrott, Brad Dorsey, and students (at Kimball's Farm, across Beech Hill Road from the school)

*Space is limited! Email Lisa Dean to reserve your place at the chicken barbecue ($10 per adult, $5 per child 5-10 years old).

Download the press release for this event >>

May 29, 2008: David Elliott on "The Role of Imagination in Childhood"

We invite you to attend:

A symposium for teachers and parents:

The Role of Imagination in Childhood

with noted children’s author David Elliott

Thursday, May 29th
3:30-6:00

At the St. Andrew's Parish Hall in Hopkinton Village (map + directions)

David Elliott will talk about his creative work in illustration and writing. We’ll also view Why Do These Kids Love School?, a DVD that offers historical perspectives on progressive schools in the U. S., including a look at a small school in San Francisco that was founded about 20 years ago. This video provides a great prompt for reflective discussion by teachers and parents on why our kids love their school so much.

David Elliott’s books will be on sale at school prior to the symposium. He has offered to personalize book dedications.

Visit David Elliott's website!

Download the press release for this event >>

More May Day Photos

Here are some more photos from May Day on May 2:

Space Needs Survey

To begin focused, long range planning we need your input in identifying critical space needs for our building and site. We have created a brief survey that we hope you’ll fill out and return to the folder on the bulletin board in the main foyer. We’ve formed a space needs committee to identify the most critical needs we face now and in the future.

Please provide short answers to the questions provided below:

May School Wide News

The end of the school year is upon us and once again I find myself wondering where the school year went, let alone the past twenty years! Everyday, without exception, there is something interesting, engaging, and absolutely joyful to witness. No wonder time passes so easily and so quickly at school. Here are a few notes to keep us on track as we head toward June.

Teacher Appreciation Week: To honor and thank our teachers and staff, we’d like to set up a buffet lunch for Friday, May 9th, in the library. Items can be dropped off in the library in the morning. We will keep perishables cool until lunch. If anyone would like to contribute a lunch item (green salad, fruit salad, pasta salad, sandwiches, etc.) please let Lisa Dean know.

May Day-Grandparents’ and Senior Friends’ Day: Thanks to all of you, and to your parents and friends who helped make May Day a truly special celebration! Grandparents came from as far away as Florida, Chicago, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Special thanks to Lisa Dean, Jodi Burnham, Marilyn Knapp, and Kate Vattes who supported Courtney in her organizational efforts; and to Marek for his musical support. Please check out the school’s website for some wonderful photos.

20th Year Anniversary Celebration: Thanks to the hard work of many, we have some exciting events in the works. Be sure to mark your calendars for three anniversary events:

Thursday, May 29th 3:30-6:00
Symposium for teachers and parents: The Role of Imagination in Childhood with noted children’s author David Elliott

Friday, May 30th
Stay tuned for Arts and Nature Field Day activities for students of all ages. Details of this event will be announced in an informational flyer distributed next week.

Saturday, May 31st
20th Anniversary Celebration beginning with a toast at 4pm. Chicken Dinner and Barn Dance to follow. Be sure to get your ticket orders in to reserve your place at the table! We thank Sara Duval and the many volunteers who have worked to plan and underwrite this event.

We’d love the help from a few more parents for the Arts and Nature Field Day and the Parent-Teacher Symposium. Just let Lisa Dean know if you can offer any support for these events.

Congratulations to the Madan Family on the birth of their new son, Ramsey.

The last day of school is Friday, June 13. Childcare will run until 5:30 as usual.

Interim Care Weeks: We will provide interim care through the start of day camp programs. Day camp for students ages 6-12 begins June 23. Preschool Wind n Willows program begins June 30th. Cynthia and Beth will oversee interim care programs June 16th through 27th. Sign ups for interim care are posted on the door to the front office. Sign ups will close on May 23rd.

Summer Camp Reminder: We have a wide variety of programs scheduled for the summer. Be sure to get your registrations in soon as some weeks are filling fast!

Environmental Week at Camp Tuckernuck (for grades 1-8) begins Monday, June 3rd. Details will be forthcoming from classroom teachers.

Monadnock Students Travel to D.C.: Thanks to our chaperones Donna McGuire, Deb Marcou, and Barbara Abbott our eighth graders are enjoying a wonderful hands-on week in Washington, D. C. A great way to culminate their year of American Studies.

Community Service at HIS: We thank the Hotten Somers family for their donation of a washer and dryer to a refugee family in Concord and Catherine Ayer’s parents for their offer of the same. Marilyn Knapp has indicated that the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord is conducting a Mothers Day Diaper Drive to support area families, particularly refugees. If you would like to donate any disposable diapers, please deposit them in the baskets located in the main hallway.

Winter Gear: We have many mittens, hats, and boots that need to find their way home this week. Please be sure to check your child’s cubbies and hooks for winter clothes. After Friday all winter items will be removed to the cottage deck. After May 23rd, everything that is left will be washed and delivered to needy families in the area.

Scholarship Applications: Families wishing to apply for financial aid should have already submitted their financial information to Student and School Services and the scholarship application to the HIS office. The scholarship committee will meet the week of May 12—16 to determine awards. Only families who have completed their applications will be considered for financial aid.

I will be away from school May 13 — May 19, visiting family in Idaho. Any administrative questions can be addressed by Jodi, Lisa, or Eileen.

-- Cathy

May Day 2008

You know Spring is finally here when we celebrate our annual H.I.S. May Festival!

With a crowd of parents, grandparents, and senior friends waiting in the outer field, we made our May Day Procession through the wetlands...


... and out to our traditional Maypole!


First we sang some songs to our visitors, and then the Upper Grades danced the maypole.

Grandparents and Senior Friends Day

We invited our grandparents and other senior friends to visit and tell us about their lives on Friday.

The Elementary Grades have posted more notes and photos.

May Pizza Orders

If you would like to order pizza for your child for May, please have the form and payment to your teacher by Tuesday, May 6th.