Spring News

Dear Members of the J. Turner Hood School Community,

The year is passing by like the wink of an eye. It is hard to believe that spring is already here. I am grateful for the longer days (goodbye 4:28 sunsets!) It won’t be long before the warm weather arrives and the end of year madness begins.

April is an important month for teaching and learning. Here are a few ways that you can prepare your children to make the most of their learning opportunities:

• Make sure that your children get adequate sleep. There is research-based evidence that elementary age children require 10-12 hours of sleep each night.  

• Physical activity is a great stress release, helps children sleep better at night, and improves concentration and learning. Research indicates that children receive the most benefit from 20 minutes of sustained aerobic activity on a daily basis. 

•  good breakfast that contains a source of protein improves concentration and learning. Healthy snacks and lunches provide the ‘fuel’ children need to sustain their efforts throughout the day.

• Make sure that your children arrive at school on time. It is stressful for them to arrive late and quite disruptive for the rest of the class. 

Report Cards: Report cards are scheduled to be available later in the day on Monday.  In the past, we have had some users experience difficulties retrieving them as such we highly suggest using a computer to retrieve them as the majority of the encounters reported are experienced by individuals utilizing their phones. New families should have received login and instructions on how to retrieve report cards from the e-locker. If you have not, please reach out to us.

Tips from Nurse Blanchette: 

Please keep students home when they are not feeling well

Notify the nurse when your child has been diagnosed with strep throat, conjunctivitis, flu or COVID.

Refer to the handbook on page 45 for any information regarding illness and returning to school

Elementary Handbook 2023-24 (updated 11.28.23).pdf

Cough and sneeze into your elbow 

Eat a healthy breakfast prior to school 

Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water

Wash hands frequently 

Events: We are simply and happily a very busy school.  Please stay up to date regarding school events (We have so many exciting things happening) by accessing the Hood School calendar. Our school website is a great resource. We hope that you will find the information that is posted on our website to be valuable to you and your children. Please check our site often as there are always things going on. Please click on the calendar tab in order to view a monthly school calendar. 

Twitter (X): Please follow the J. Turner Hood Twitter account at: https://twitter.com/jthoodelemen. This Twitter handle provides followers with frequent updates of “Hound Dog Happenings” and retweets of other professionals within our community’s tweets.

Maker Days: We are looking forward to our second “maker day.” Our first schoolwide maker day focused on empathy and community and occurred earlier this year. Our second Maker day will be held on Friday,  March 29th, and will focus on growth mindset with a lesson that challenges our students to collaboratively build an escape route from Rapunzel’s tower. 

Conferences: I am sure that everyone has registered for their parent conferences as outlined in my letter from March 4, 2024, which is  linked here:

https://www.north-reading.k12.ma.us/hood-elementary/news/spring-conferences

Open House: Open House will be held on May 30th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. This is a wonderful opportunity for your family to visit the school and experience activities in different classrooms. More to follow. 

RMLD Contest Winners: We are pleased to announce the Reading Municipal Light Department Contest Winners from our school. Congratulations!  Lydia LoBello, Aiden Lowe & Rita Sandovich. Each year, RMLD works with the local schools to hold a student art contest for fourth graders in Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, and Lynnfield. The contest seeks to complement existing electricity curriculum and focuses on electrical safety, how electricity gets to the home, and electricity and the environment.

Please be on the lookout for future arts department announcements including a spring district art show as well as a Hood School arts night. 

MCAS (Grades Three, Four and Five):  The Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education has released the state assessment testing window for our Grades 3 through 5 Students. This year, the testing window opens on March 25, 2024, and continues through May 24, 2024.  The exact dates for specific tests have been added to the school calendar which is accessible via our website at:

https://www.north-reading.k12.ma.us/hood-elementary

Here is my family notice from March 1, 2024:

https://www.north-reading.k12.ma.us/hood-elementary/news/mcas-letter

Lost & Found: Our Lost & Found filled up quickly and our students have culled through the items. Please know that prior to the close of school today (Friday) we will move the remaining items outside under the entrance canopy. Please feel free to take a trip to the school to search the lost and found and claim any of your child’s belongings prior to us donating the remaining items on Monday.