Happy Holidays

As we get ready to leave for the Holiday break I just want to say Happy Holidays to the entire HBB Community.  We had a great day today and we had some pretty exciting things going on here, although nothing was more exciting than the awarding of the Bear.  We had one lucky 1st grade student who won the bear.  Our student council organized a coin drive and in a week and a half they filled an entire 5 gallon jug with change which will be donated to the Wish Come True Foundation.  All students who donated change were entered into a drawing to win the bear.  We are very proud of our Student Council Members for all their hard work and we are very appreciative of all the donations. 

Well that's it for now, we are all looking forward to spending some time with our families.  Please enjoy your vacation, HAPPY HOLIDAYS and we will see you all next year!  Enjoy the photos from today!

Student Council leaders posing with all the donated change

Student Council helping announce the winner

Our Lucky Winner!

Student Council members awarding the bear to a lucky
1st grade student

Character Word of the Week Winners and Kickball

As many of you know we had our MassPass Fundraiser and overall it was very successful. Thank you to everyone who helped make this fundraiser a success.  Classes which had 100% of their books either returned or sold were entered into a drawing to win a kickball contest with Mr. Gobeil and Myself.

The drawing was held today and congratulations goes to Mrs. Kaufman's 5th grade class and Mrs. Burke's 2nd grade class.  Both classes will have the chance to go outside and participate in a class kickball game. 

4th Grade Buddies

Last week I had the pleasure of joining Mrs. Sullivan's 4th grade class and Mrs. Trottier's 1st grade class during one of their visits together.  Mrs. Sullivan and Mrs. Trottier have organized 4th grade buddies for incoming 1st graders.  This gives 4th grade students the opportunity to mentor 1st grade students.  It was really great seeing the connections the kids have formed since the start of the year.  Below is a picture of students going over a book together as a class and they were learning about similes....it was a great lesson!

The character word of the week for last week was Gratitude.  And the winners are.........

Great job everyone.  The Character Word for this week is Humility.

Monday plans

Hello HBB community,

I want to take a moment to let you know what we will be doing Monday in response to the unthinkable tragedy in CT.

To start, we will be meeting as a faculty both before and after school to discuss our current safety procedures and to discuss our plans for supporting students over the coming days.

We understand that some of our students have been sheltered from most of the media coverage while others are very much aware of the event. Students will be coming in with varying degrees of information and concern and we will be prepared to provide support and answer questions as they arise.

We will not be addressing this incident collectively with all students. Our goal is to make sure students feel and know they are safe. Each classroom teacher will be addressing the incident as questions come up and we will have additional supports available throughout the day.

Over the next couple of days we will be working with the Superintendent, District Administrators and local police to review our current emergency response plans and we will be making modifications as needed.

The safety of your child is our NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you.

Thought are with families in CT

We are all mourning the tragic loss of life resulting from the senseless act of violence which occurred today in Newtown Connecticut. 

In the wake of this tragedy I would like reach out to the entire HBB community to let you know that we are doing everything in our power to make sure your child is safe when they are in our care.  We understand that you place a great deal of trust in us when you send your child to school everyday.  I want you to know that the entire staff at HBB is committed to doing everything we can everyday to ensure that your child is safe.  The care of your child is a responsibility we take very seriously and we take great pride in the work we do and we are thankful for the trust you place in us.

Over the course of this weekend please be prepared for your child to ask questions.  We certainly encourage you to handle these conversations in the way you deem best for you and your family but if you are looking for some tips or information on ways to approach these conversations here are a few links that may be helpful.

http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/talk-to-kids-media-violence.shtml

http://drjerryweichman.com/shooting.php?gclid=CO6aisesm7QCFQXNOgodslwA4A

http://www.naesp.org/resources/2/Report_to_Parents/2005/rtp11-05.pdf

Also, please take a moment to read the message from Superintendent Weiss which is located at the top of this page in yellow.

We are here to help.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us.    As I wrap up I would like to say that our thoughts and prayers are with all the families, children and staff at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Please enjoy your weekend and enjoy some time with your family! 

Kindness

The Character Word of the Week for last week was Kindness.  As I said today at lunches I am VERY proud of this weeks winners....as I am every week.  Great job guys!

And the winners are.....

Student Council Rocks!

As we wrap up this week I would like to start by passing along a note from our 5th grade Student Council Leaders....
"The HBB student council is having a coin drive to raise money that will be donated to the Wish Come True Agency.  The money we collect will help grant special wishes to really sick children.  We appreciate any change you can contribute"

So in a nutshell, they are collecting change and they will be collecting change from classes each day until December 21st.

To support these efforts the PTA has decided to donate all proceeds from this upcoming HAT DAT on December 13th to assist in the Student Council's efforts.  So please help out our Student Council!

Illness Guidelines

Before we get to a few of the pictures from some of the great things that happened here at HBB I want to bring a few things to your attention in regards to student illness.  As you may have heard or experienced, we have had a stomach bug going through the schools.  In an effort to avoid spreading these bugs we ask that all parents please keep their children home if....

- They have a fever of 100 degrees or more within 24 hours.  They should be fever free for 24 hours without Tylenol or Motrin before returning to school.

- Vomiting or diarrhea.  They may return to school when symptom free for 24 hours and able to eat and drink normally.

- If placed on an antibiotic students must be on the antibiotic for a full 24 hours before returning to school. 

We appreciate your assistance in keeping our school community healthy!

Here are a few pics of some HBB Happenings from this week....

Students decorating in
Mrs. Dziewit's class

Students decorating in
Mrs. Dziewit's class

Student's in Mrs. Gobeil's 1st grade class Reading Poetry

4th grade student learning about
electromagnetism during the
Museum Of Science Assembly

That is it for this week.....SEE YOU ALL MONDAY!

Character Word of the Week Winners

The character word of the week for last week was Thankfulness.  The word for next week is Kindness.  And the winners for this week are........