Hutchings Herald Friday, December 4th 2020 
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Hutchings Herald

Friday, December 4th 2020

Dear Families,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to connect with family during a time where being in person with family has proven to be very difficult. I was able to zoom with my parents and cousins, and just getting some time to relax with family was an absolute pleasure. We joked about our lives and our imperfections, talked about the current state of the world, and reminded Ronnie that his mustache (22 years old with full handlebars) was absolutely fantastic. 

 

It was a great time reminiscing about the past and all the fun we had growing up, yet whenever we do this it often leads to my father doing what he does best. He sits and listens to all the insane stories we share, and it gives him material for his sermon at his church. A WONDERFUL part of being the son of a pastor is that very often your life becomes the focus of the sermon and 99.7% of the time it is not because you were “the perfect child.” I was the focus when I got in trouble at school, when I got cut from soccer, when I didn’t listen to my parents, or when I was the BEST SHEEP in the Christmas play. (I might have wandered off from the herd to go get some water at the drinking fountain during a song) 

 

I was reminded of a sermon my father gave one Sunday about “a boy” who wasn’t listening to his grandparents. My grandparents were the nicest people on the planet, and for my birthday they decided to take me to Discovery Zone (a massive indoor playground). They got me lunch, paid for all the video games, gave me my birthday presents, and got me a cookie cake, which was my favorite type of cake. 

 

As my Nanna was loading me into the car she asked me to, “say thank you to Nannu for such a fun day.” I’m not sure if I was just overloaded with play, if I was tired, or if I was just being a pain, but I did not say it. She asked me again, this time a little more firmly, to say thank you, but again I just sat there, not saying a word. At this point my Nannu was ready to go and he was not known for his patience when driving. He turned to me and said, “Timmy, you say thank you to Nanna and I for the day so we can get out of here.” My response was, “Nannu, I’m not gonna say it, but I’m sure thinking it.” 

 

As we go through this pandemic year and if we are being honest about our past experiences, I wonder how many of us fall into that same boat. I know I do. I am always so thankful for the community, the PTO, the staff here, the kids, the district leadership, but all too often it is just a thought in my head. We wouldn’t be the school we are today without our amazing custodial team, paraprofessional staff, secretarial staff, breakfast team, and lunch team but I cannot honestly say I’ve ever written a newsletter highlighting their work. 

 

As we enter this holiday season, I want to make sure that my thoughts don’t just stay in my head. I hope if you are like me, you can also take time to thank those individuals in your lives who make the difference. Is it a teacher, a parent, a friend, a colleague, or a random stranger who wishes you a great day at the grocery store? Who knows, maybe this was my father’ longterm strategy: if he used me in enough sermons, maybe I would pick up on a few of his lessons.. 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and I wanted to thank our community for all of the dedication to the school and staff this year. The outpouring of support has been something I’ve never witnessed before in any school or district that I have been a part of. 



All the best,

Mr. Moore

 

 

Younger Students at the Bus Stop:

Please remember that students in begindergarten through third grade must be met at the bus stop by a parent, guardian, or older sibling. If an adult or older sibling is not present, our bus drivers will not release students in these grades from the bus. Instead, the child will be returned to Kid's Kare, and a twenty ($20) dollar fee will be charged.

 

Update from the Livingston County Health Department:

At the guidance of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), the Livingston County Health Department (LCHD) has realigned its COVID-19 case investigation prioritization strategy. This realignment is necessary for local public health to maximize staffing resources and prevent outbreaks within the school environment and amongst the most vulnerable populations. A top priority of this realignment at LCHD is to keep schools open for in-person learning. The new strategy includes case investigation only for individuals below 19 years and above 64 years of age, as well as students attending in-person schools and those living in congregate living environments. Due to this realignment strategy, the LCHD will need help to identify individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 that test positive for COVID-19 and reside in the same household as a child attending school. To self-report a positive COVID-19 test result, please fill out the self-reporting form here: https://bit.ly/3pGWJGV. Questions about self-reporting can be submitted to the LCHD COVID-19 email at [email protected]. Please remember that if your child has been tested for COVID-19 for any reason, they should not attend school while their test results are pending.

Counselor's Corner:

Although our day-to-day is often chaotic, it is beneficial to spend a little time thinking about our children’s futures. Here are two great college-savings opportunities:  Michigan Education Trust (MET) and Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP). 

 

MET is a 529 Prepaid Tuition Plan which allows for the pre-purchase of tuition based on today's rates and then paid out at the future cost when the beneficiary is in college. Click here for more information about MET, or visit https://www.michigan.gov/setwithmet.

 

The MESP is a college savings account that you pay into over time. By setting up automatic contributions from your bank account or by payroll deduction (if supported by your employer), making regular contributions is hassle free. MESP can be used at colleges and universities all over the country, and it allows for unused benefits to be transferred between members of the same family. Click here for more information about MESP, or visit www.misaves.com.

 

Both MET and MESP are simple, user-friendly, and can help maximize your savings even on a modest budget. Contributions may qualify for a state tax deduction and can be made automatically. You can even invite others to contribute to your children’s accounts through e-gifting!  

 

As always, reach out for support and resources! I am just an email away: [email protected].

 

Sarah Marker

School Counselor

 

Important Dates

  • December 8th - PTO Meeting
  • December 18th - Snow Gear Comes Home For Holiday Break
  • December 21st - January 1st - Holiday Break 

Hutchings Elementary School, 3503 Bigelow Rd., Howell, MI 48855, Phone: 517.540.8081, Fax 517.548.1763

Posted by deurlooj On 04 December, 2020 at 4:13 PM