November School Wide News

Thank you to everyone for making our Harvest Fest such a joyful celebration of this special season. The children’s preparation and anticipation built steadily through the weeks leading up to the event. It was such a pleasure to watch it all come together.

Some of money from the raffle tickets will go to purchase seeds and tools for our school garden. With the support of New Hampshire Farm to School program, we hope to develop a weekly nutrition class next year that will use foods from our garden and local farms. Stay tuned for more about this project.

As winter weather approaches, please remember to send your child to school with warmer clothes, gloves or mittens, and appropriate footwear.

Speaking of snow, we are sending out a survey via email to all parents about the possibility of running a slightly different ski program this year. In addition to our alpine ski program, we are considering participating in the Bill Koch nordic ski program right here in Hopkinton at the Blackwater Ski Club, a beautifully maintained course located on the fairground fields behind the Grange Hall. Please fill out the survey in the next week so that we can begin to plan our ski programs accordingly.

A reminder that there will be no school on November 10th and 11th. The Preschool teachers will be visiting a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool in Concord on the 10th and the Upper School teachers will hold Parent Teacher Conferences on the 11th. Sign-ups for meeting times are posted outside your child’s classroom. School will also be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday November 26th, 27th, and 28th.

Our first Upper School Parent Teacher Forum met on October 30th. It was a very productive meeting and will help the Upper School teachers as they continue to develop the curriculum schoolwide and within their individual classes.

The Preschool Parent Teacher Forum has been rescheduled and will be held on Tuesday, November 18th at 4:00pm. Child care will be available.

The Safety Committee met on October 17th. Sara Duval, Jodi Burnham, Jayne Huxtable, Jill Stagner, and Laura Brancato attended. We shared some great safety ideas and strategies and are in the process of finalizing an Emergency Response Procedure. Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 14th at 3:15. All are welcome.

Kate Vattes will be hosting a Lia Sophia jewelry sale in the Library on November 20th from
8-6. 40% of the proceeds will go to HIS. Catalogues are available in the front office. If you would like more information about Lia Sophia products contact Kate at 856-7519.

The Beech Hill Players will be presenting The Wizard of Oz at the Hopkinton Middle School Auditorium on Friday and Saturday, November 14th and 15th at 7:00pm and Sunday, November 16th at 2:00pm. Tickets will be on sale in the front office.

There are still two more Open Houses at the St. Paul’s School Observatory on November 7th from 7:30 to 9:00 and November 16th from 6:30 to 8:30. Don’t miss this chance to get a close up view of the moon, planets, stars, and galaxies. Children and adults of all ages are welcome. Contact Ian Hoffman for details at ihoffman@sps.edu, or 229-4758.

Ms. JoEllen is having a wonderful time on her Nature Quests with students on Mondays after school. She would like to remind all who participate in this program to be sure to dress appropriately for outdoor adventures. She’s hoping to make birdhouses with the students on November 3rd and 17th and is looking for a parent who might lend their woodworking skills and tools to help in their construction.

We are emailing this month’s School Wide News home to you. It is also posted on our website and copies will still be available in the foyer and front office. In our efforts to save paper we hope to communicate increasingly in this electronic medium. If for some reason this does not reach you, or if you would like it emailed to an alternative or additional address, please let Lisa know.