Dear Families,
I wanted to welcome you to the 2020-2021 school year and rather than my traditional welcome back e-mail, I wanted to send a video message out to all of the students that I have not seen in far too long. Please view the welcome video and a story at the following link: Hutchings Welcome Video
I know that this school year is going to be different from anything we’ve experienced in the past and with that comes a level of uncertainty. I am going to begin again our bi-weekly communications on Friday; however, as the school year gets rolling it may be weekly communications. I am always available by e-mail as well to answers any questions you may have.
My uncle had a great saying when he was working on his art projects and that was, “He was going to go as fast as he could, but as slow as he needed” to get the work done. I could type this entire e-mail with every single detail possible and that would massively overwhelm anyone reading this so rather than speeding through the entire school year in a welcome e-mail I’ve decided to highlight two key changes that will happen in the near future.
Open House
In order to better ensure the safety of our students, parents, and staff, and to comply with the latest Executive Orders from Governor Whitmer, the Elementary Open House is going to be different this year. This year, all grade levels (Begindergarten to 5th Grade) will have an opportunity to meet their teacher, the specials teachers, and any other staff members in which your child interacts with. This virtual meeting will take place on the evening of August 17 via Zoom.
There will be three 20-minute Zoom meetings which you are able to choose to attend. So if I am a family with two students my night could look like this.
6:00 - 6:20 - Mrs. Hess’s Zoom (Who is Mrs. Hess you ask? Mrs. Ballarin - she got married!)
6:30 - 6:50 - Go To Mrs. Urban’s Zoom
7:00 - 7:20 - Hop Over To The Specials Teachers Zoom (or at-risk, or counselor)
This will ensure your ability to meet with all of your students’ teachers if you have multiple children in one school. Your classroom teacher will be providing you a Zoom link via your registered email address prior to August 17. (It will also have the link to the specials teachers, at-risk, and counselor)
When you enter the Zoom we are asking that when the teacher beings his/her presentation all parents and students mute their microphone in order to prevent any background noise from jumping in and out of the presentation.
If you are a new Begindergartener, new Kindergartener, or new family to us, you will be invited to sign up for a brief tour of the school starting August 12. You can use the link here (Hutchings Tour Sign Up) to sign up. Please note our teaching staff will not be at the building during these tours.
Drop Off & Pick Up
Our office staff will be mailing out this year a letter that details all of our drop off and pick-up procedures in great detail. In this packet, you will receive your parent pick up tags for the car, a release for medication, in the event you need to drop medicine off at the school for the year, and the letter explaining student drop off and pick up. The major changes to the system are listed below:
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You will no longer be able to drop your child off before 8:40 a.m. We are no longer able to have students wait inside the main entrance and cafeteria before school begins.
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You will no longer be able to pick up your child outside of your car at the end of the day. You will remain in your car in the pickup area using the Kiss & Go option.
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Please do not exit your vehicle to drop off or pick up your child unless they cannot get into the vehicle themselves.
You can also view a quick video Drop Off & Lunch Procedures on our procedures to help visualize the process. This year families will have to drop their students off outside of the building and have them walk into the building we are unable to have parents walk their children down to their classroom on the first day of school. We do have staff in a position to help students get to their proper locations. If you do not receive something in the mail by August 17th please contact our office.
I wanted to thank everyone for their patience and dedication to Howell Public Schools as we embark on this journey together.
All the best,
Mr. Moore