Welcome Back 2017 | North Reading Public School District

August 28, 2017

Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Friends of the J. Turner Hood School,

I hope this note finds you well rested and excited about the upcoming school year. We have been very busy over the past few months in preparation for the opening of school grades 1-5 on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. The first day of school for Kindergarten students is Friday, September 8, 2017.

New Staff: We are excited to welcome new staff members to our school community. Please welcome Ms. Mara LaCava, Occupational Therapist, Ms. Sofia Flathery, Special Education/Reading Specialist, Ms. Stephanie Checrallah, Grade 4 Teacher and Ms. Jacqueline Morra, Art, to our team! I know that you and your children will make these individuals feel welcome to North Reading and the Hood School. I appreciate your continued support of the entire Hood School staff.

Kindergarten Welcome Social: Our annual Kindergarten Social will be on August 30, 2017 from 2:30-3:30pm. All incoming Kindergarten students are invited to attend. Please join us if you can. We are sure it will be an hour of fun. We have some special guests helping with the slush this year, please be sure to stop by if you are in the area.

The Faculty/Staff of the Month Program is designed to recognize outstanding teachers, specialists and paraprofessionals for their contribution to the J. Turner Hood Elementary School. Each month, the school recognizes one Faculty/Staff through a schoolwide announcement and by providing that individual with a highly coveted parking spot at the school. Nominations may be submitted by the school faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members though the link provided below. Staff of the month: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/hoodstaff

Twitter: Social media and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community. Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Hood School! Follow the Hood School on Twitter @jthoodelemen.

Arrival/Morning Drop-Off: School begins at 8:55, and staff will be available to welcome students beginning at 8:45. Children should not be brought to school before 8:45 AM as there is no adult supervision. School staff will greet you and your children at the drop-off loop at 8:45 to let you know that students may now enter the building. We do have a morning program that is tuition-based. If your child arrives in the building earlier than 8:45, he/she will be sent to the morning care program and a note will be sent home with a friendly reminder to you to pay the fee.

Drop Off Procedures:

Drop off children at the side rotary.

Pull all the way up to the end of the sidewalk before letting your child out.

Let your child out opposite the driver’s side, only.

Do not get out of the car yourself.

There is NO PARKING within the rotary.

Please remain in your car and move forward once your child exits the car, in order to keep the line moving. For safety reasons, it is important that you follow this procedure.

Parking:

If you must come into the building, please park within the parking lot.

Going Green: We have an obligation to conserve our natural resources. Schools should set a good example by demonstrating to others the methods and benefits of energy conservation. Going Green is the smart choice for our environment, but it also may prove to be savings for our school’s budget during these times. It will be our goal to utilize email as a primary source of communication for school notices and newsletters. That being said, we want to be sure that all parents and families receive information to remain involved and informed. If email communication isn’t available for your household hard copy notices will continue to be provided.

Student Absences: The office appreciates phone calls regarding absence or tardiness prior to school starting. This decreases the number of phone calls the office staff must make searching for students who are unaccounted for.

Food Pantry: For those new to our school community, September is the month the Hood School adopts the North Reading Food Pantry by sponsoring a food drive. More details to follow.

Shade Grant- There will be more details to follow but I want to announce that we are the recipient of a grant from The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). This grant will provide a shade structure for our playground area. A special thank you to Mrs. Hatch and our Parent’s Association for their support.

Opening Packet for Families: Please see the link provided below. If you would like to get a head start on the back to school paperwork, please feel free to visit the link provided below:

http://www.north-reading.k12.ma.us/hood-elementary/news/welcome-back-pac...

I am so excited to welcome you and your children back to school for another amazing year of learning!

Mr. Glen S. McKay, Principal