Ruahmah J. Hutchings Elementary School

Hutchings Herald 5-10-2019

The Principal's Corner:

When I was a little kid I guess I told my mom that before I was born I “picked her” to be my mom because she was the best mom in the whole wide world. Coming from a 5-year-old it was pretty adorable and since I was a really, really, really cute kid (her words not mine) it was a memory that was cemented in her for a very long time.

My cuteness wore off as I grew up and put her through a gambit of behaviors from adding peas to her famous cookie recipe right before the church bake sale began to making sure she was sitting down before I delivered the news that I was going to be missing a day of high school due to a poor choice. Mom, I apologize, I asked if you were sitting down and you said yes. I had no idea you were driving on the freeway when I told you about the suspension. You have to admit that was a better conversation than the one I did from the back of the ambulance when I had separated my shoulder again playing hockey, I thought you would be sleeping I didn’t want to bother you!

It is pretty crazy to think of all the situations and events we as children put our parents through yet for some unknown reason they still choose to love us unconditionally. As you get older you start to reprioritize things in your life and my mom 100% made me the 1st priority in hers. I was far from the perfect child, in fact, think of the opposite of that perfect child, double it, and you had me as a 9-year-old. But I did get lucky, I got a mom who was going to love me and while I’m not sure how the selection process goes for the child to mother connection I do know that I was right, she is the best mom in the whole wide world.

I hope all the moms, grandmothers, aunts, guardians, and other fabulous women who help raise and care for our kids have a wonderful weekend.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2zhVs1cUgU

 

Mr. Moore

 

 

Hutchings Huskies Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures

In an effort to ensure the safety of your child, we are updating our drop-off and pick-up procedures effective May 13th, 2019.  

Drop-off

• Please pull ahead to the furthest available cone.
• If your children are taking longer to exit the vehicle, please pull around and park in the parking lot.
• Adults or children should not get out of the driver’s side in the Kiss & Go lane.  If you need to get out of your car for any reason, please pull around and park in the parking lot.
• All children need to exit the vehicle from the passenger side in the Kiss & Go lane.  If your child cannot exit through the right side of the vehicle, please pull around and park in the parking lot.
• If your child arrives at school after the bus supervisors have gone inside, you will need to come inside and sign your child in at the office.
• Please make sure you only cross the driveway at the crosswalk!
• There is no “kiss & go” drop off in the parking lot driveway.  Please pull into a parking space and safely lead your child to the sidewalk, so they can cross at the crosswalk.
• (add in treats, projects in AM leave in office)
• Items your child cannot bring down to the classroom independently need to be dropped off in the office. Examples include, but are not limited to, birthday treats, projects, supplies, and the alike.  

Pick-up

• All families will need to have their family pass prominently displayed on the passenger side of their vehicle dashboard for pick-up.  Each family will get two family pick-up passes.     
• All students needing to be picked up will wait in the cafeteria until their vehicle is in a designated pickup slot.  Students will then be sent out to the pick-up lane to enter their vehicle. Students will not wait outside.
• All students must be picked up by parents or designee outside of the school after 3:30 p.m.
• Make sure to share your family pass with a grandparent or other person who may be picking up your child.     
• If someone needs to pick up your child and does not have a family pass, he/she will need to come into the office, show their identification, and sign your child out.  Please make sure they arrive by 3:30 p.m. or they will need to wait until after pick-up to sign out your child.
• Please make sure to send a note with your child if there is a change to their regular end-of-the-day transportation.  
• Please do not let others in the building unless they have been buzzed in and permitted to enter by the office staff.  
• Please make sure you only cross at the crosswalk!
• All adult pick up must be on the emergency form. If changes need to be made on this form please stop by the office at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your cooperation in making Hutchings a safe learning environment for all!

 

 

 

MacGregor's Message:

Thank You, Voters!

On behalf of the students and staff of Hutchings and all of Howell Public Schools thank you to each of you who supported the bond proposal on Tuesday. This approval will allow the district to complete security updates and many major maintenance projects at our school and across the district. 

Summer Lunch Bunch Information

With the school year is coming to a close, The Salvation Army is gearing up for its Summer Lunch Bunch program. This Summer Lunch Bunch is a food assistance program put on through a partnership with The Salvation Army, the Livingston County United Way and the Livingston County Hunger Council. The program will run June 17 through August 16, with several locations throughout Livingston County. To learn more, please visithttps://tinyurl.com/y2urp68f. 

Robotics Night

Come and learn all about the K-12 Howell Highlander Robotics program Thursday, May 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Parker Middle School. At the event, students and parents will learn about the various robotics programs offered to students in each of the district’s buildings. There will also be hands-on robot demonstrations and team displays. To learn more, please visit https://tinyurl.com/y3mxaqrp. 

Coffee Chat with Superintendent MacGregor

Next Thursday, May 16, Superintendent MacGregor will hold his final Coffee Chat of the school year. The Coffee Chat will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, which is located at 123 E. Washington St.

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is a time to educate the public about mental health, recommit to research and advocacy, and reduce the stigma and discrimination around mental illness.

Mental health refers to a person's overall psychological and emotional well-being. A healthy lifestyle can prevent the onset or worsening of mental health conditions, which affects 1 in 5 people.

Experts suggest that humor, spirituality, recreation, animal companionship, and work-life balance are essential for everyone, especially those with chronic health conditions. Here are some other simple lifestyle tips and resources to support strong mental health and self-care:

• Be purposefully positive by tracking gratitude and achievement. Write 3 things you were grateful for and 3 things you were able to accomplish each day in a journal.
• Use Colortherapy.app - an app for everyday people to destress through a social coloring experience. The in-app community benefits from friendly, unconditional support to voice worries while creating beautiful artwork to share with the world.
• Ensure your social media interactions are as positive as possible. Choose apps and programs that are affirming and positive.
• Nurture your relationships. Show some love to someone in your life. Close, quality relationships are key for a happy, healthy life. And don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
• Look into Themighty.com - a safe, supportive online community for people facing health challenges and the people who care for them.
• Take time to laugh. Hang out with a funny friend, watch a comedy or check out cute videos online. Laughter helps reduce anxiety.
• Unplug. Leave your smartphone at home for a day and disconnect from constant emails, alerts, and other interruptions. Spend time doing something fun with someone face-to-face.
• For more information and resources, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness at nami.org.

As always, for more support, or a more personal family plan, please reach out: [email protected]

Jennifer Starkey, LPC

School Counselor