Hardy Happenings - November 2024

NOVEMBER HAPPENINGS

Daylight savings has arrived and we are readying for the holiday season! With that in mind the Fall Food Drive has kicked off through December 13, and we are preparing to thank and show our appreciation to Hardy staff with a Teacher and Staff Appreciation Luncheon on November, 25th.

The PTO Direct Donation Drive has wrapped up but there is always opportunity to donate! We welcome ongoing donations, and if you have already donated, employer matches. Thank you to all who contributed.

We've added some new pages to the PTO website, including Arlington Community News & Hardy Family Initiatives and the PTO calendar has many important dates this November, including Native American Heritage Month, check them all out!

Feel free to reach out to PTO president, Becky Gibree (president@hardypto.com) or our school admin Ms. Mary Bellerose (mbellerose@arlington.k12.ma.us) with any questions you can't find answers to on the Hardy PTO or Hardy School website.

Principal Saunders is now sending weekly updates. You can read her latest update here.

CALENDAR

NOVEMBER UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Wed., Nov. 20: Arlington SEPAC Webinar: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Students in School @ 7:30pm

Transgender Day of Resilience Vigil @7pm

- Thurs., Nov. 21: Hardy Rainbow Alliance Meeting @ 2:30pm

- Mon., Nov. 25: Teacher & Staff Appreciation @ 8:00am

- Wed., Nov. 27: Extra Early Release @ 11:30am

- Thurs., Nov. 28 - Fri., Nov. 29: No School, Thanksgiving

DECEMBER UPCOMING EVENTS

- Thurs., Dec. 5:Picture Retake Day

Rainbow Alliance Meeting @ 2:30pm

- Fri., Dec. 6: Caregiver Coffee @ 8:00am

Treat Train Delivery @12:45pm

- Tues., Dec. 10:SEPAC Meeting @ 7:30pm

- Wed., Dec. 11:PTO Meeting @ 6:30pm

- Fri., Dec. 13: Hardy Fundraiser - Maxima Shopping Day

- Tues., Dec. 17: APS Special Ed Coffee Chat @ 8:00am

No School Days/Extra Early Release

November 27th - 11:30AM release - optional bagged lunch available
November 28-29 - NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving
December 23 - Jan 1 - NO SCHOOL Winter Break

Please note there are programs in Arlington that may provide care during days off:

Arlington Boys and Girls Club
Fidelity House

Arlington EATS provides school vacation lunches. Please call 339-707-6757 for more.

GET INVOLVED!

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon

During the season of gratitude, the PTO will be providing an appreciation lunch of sandwiches from D'Agostino's for Hardy teachers and staff on Monday, November 25th.

We are asking for donations of salads, sides, desserts, and drinks to make the spread of food complete. We're also asking for 2 helpers to set up and 2 helpers to clean up.

Click here to donate or volunteer.

Join STEAM Fest Planning

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math = STEAM!

The Hardy PTO has a committee of STEAM enthusiasts planning an interactive festival to be held on February 8, 2025. If you are interested in joining this committee, please reach out to Alham Saadat.

Join Auction Planning

Do you like party and auction planning? Join the Auction committee to plan Hardy's auction and 100th birthday celebration! Email Becky Gibree if you are interested.

December's Caregiver Coffee - 2nd Grade

Each grade will host a caregiver coffee on the first Friday of the month, weather permitting.

Responsibility includes picking up 2 boxes of coffee and bringing it to the Chandler St playground and ensuring any trash and leftovers are handled.

2nd grade will host on Friday, December 6 and 2 volunteers are needed. Please sign up here.

December Treat Train - 3rd Grade

Join the Hardy PTO Treat Train to deliver some snacks 'n love to Hardy Staff during the first Friday every month!

Each grade level is assigned a different month to host - December is 3rd grade's turn.

Please see dates and donation / volunteer requests in the sign up below. Let's show our staff how much we appreciate all that they do!

Click here to volunteer to donate or deliver.

PTO News

Hardy Water Bottle Fundraiser

Lake St crossing guard Linda Carella is still fundraising to benefit the Hardy PTO. She has extended the fundraiser through November for holiday gifting! For every $20 water bottle ordered, $5 will be donated to the PTO. Place your order here.

Thank you for your support Linda!

Hardy Spirit Wear Orders Have Arrived!

Orders are in! Check your email for pick up info and plan to pick up at the Hardy Front Office, Monday-Friday from around 7:30am-3pm. If you have questions email

spiritwear@hardypto.org

Hardy Garden Team Update

The Hardy Garden Team is working on a winter sowing and enrichment fundraising project with a plan to get sowing in January. Over 20 kinds of native seeds have already been collected via donation. To get this project going the team is collecting clear/translucent bottles (milk, juice, water, gallon vinegar, 2 liter soda). Can you donate any? If you are interested in helping or have bottles to donate, email garden@hardypto.com!

Our garden serves as a hands-on learning space where students explore the vital role of native perennials in supporting pollinators, discover the joy of caring for shared outdoor spaces, and experience the fun of digging in the dirt.

Treasurer's Update: Everything is Free For Teachers

A reminder - we started a “free list” for teachers using Google Drive and uploading photos. You’re welcome to offer Hardy faculty your donations here. Instructions can be found here. Hardy faculty have put their classroom wishes and Amazon wish lists in this Google Sheet. Please take a look and see if you have anything to donate.

And another thank you again for all your Direct Donation Drive contributions.

Do you have any questions? Contact PTO Treasurer Julia Twarog at treasurer@hardypto.com.

December PTO Meeting - Wednesday, December 11

You're invited to the December installment of our monthly PTO meeting. Join at 6:30pm in person in the Hardy Library or via Zoom. Find details on the PTO Calendar.

All are welcome! Curious what happens at a PTO meeting? Please read last month's meeting notes here.

SCHOOL NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Picture Day Follow Up

LATE ORDERS: You can order online at any time.

RETAKE DAY: Scheduled for Thursday December 5th. If your student was absent, Coffeepond has already generated a list and there is nothing more you need to do. If you are not happy with your photo, please email Roslyn Fitzgerald at rosfitzy@gmail.com to have your student/s name added to the list. Please include the class and teacher's name in email. Students must return the photo package they received from Coffeepond on retake day, unless delivered digitally.

PHOTO DELIVERY: Portrait packages will arrive 3-5 weeks after picture day, usually in your child's backpack. Class/group photos will arrive after retake day.

CONCERNS/CUSTOMER SERVICE: Please do not email the school with questions about picture day. Instead, call (508) 907 6633 x 0 or email lifeguards@coffeepond.com

Nurse Sarah's Corner

It's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter and the temperatures colder. It's also a time of more bugs, sickness and ill health. If your child is sick and you are wondering when they should stay home please use this list:

Student Attendance During Illness:

There are times when a student should remain at home for their own welfare and the protection of other students.

Your student should remain at home if they have:

Uncontrollable and/or productive cough
Fever over 100.4 degrees fahrenheit within past 24 hours
Vomiting or diarrhea within past 24 hours
Sore throat and swollen glands
Undiagnosed rash or skin eruptions
Earache, severe headache or drainage from eyes

Students should remain home for 24 hours after an acute illness or after starting antibiotics for a diagnosed infection. They should also be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc). These absences can be excused with a note from a student's health care provider.

SEPAC

Webinar this week - Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Students in School

This Wednesday, November 20 at 7:30pm, SEPAC is hosting a webinar with the Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) to give caregivers a foundation to advance their advocacy skills around the Special Education and Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Learn how to identify, document and communicate your concerns, evaluations, support plans, team meetings and letter writing with the focus on the student’s emotional/behavioral/mental health challenges and the support that students may need to access the curriculum and school life.

Casual Coffee Chats with Hardy SPED Coordinator Louisa Popkin

Have a special education question or would like to make a connection? Casual coffee chats with Louisa are planned for December 17, February, April and June at 8AM at the Hardy Cafeteria. Look out for more details in the Weekly Round-Up newsletter and the PTO calendar.

Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a parent group that acts as a resource for parents and advises the district regarding meeting the needs of students with disabilities. SEPAC meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month, and alternate morning (9:00am) and evenings (7:30pm) to accommodate a variety of schedules. Check out their brochure and schedule of meetings.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS)

A friendly reminder there is a 20mph speed limit around the school.

Please note:

The Orvis and Brooks light can be hazardous if people go around cars - go gently
Dogs are not allowed on school property
Cross streets at the crosswalks (yes this means don't cross Lake St near the Kindergarten door)
Pay attention to the crossing guards Linda (Lake & Brooks) and Katherine (Chandler & Herbert)
No parking in front of school on Brooks Ave
Chandler St is a pick up/drop off area (Kiss and Go! Just like the airport)
Idling is illegal near schools
Walk your bike/scooter in crosswalks

Get more details and contact our SRTS coordinator Ashley Kresl with questions at saferoutes@hardypto.com

COMMUNITY NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Arlington Education Foundation ⭐️Stars⭐️ Program

Before December 11th, make a donation to the Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) by giving a Star Certificate to recognize a teacher or staff member!

Your donation goes to fund Innovation Grants and Continuing Education Grants for Arlington educators. Learn more here!

4th Annual Winter-themed Window Painting Arlington Heights

Winter images of snowmen, polar bears, people at winter play and more will brighten storefront windows in Arlington Heights on Saturday, December 7th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Paint a window by yourself or grab your friend or parent and paint a window in 60+ designated storefront windows in 26 Heights businesses. Paintings will remain on display through January and will be a feature highlight in the fourth annual Heights Holiday Stroll on Saturday, December 14, 2-5pm. (rain or shine)

Online Registration: Saturday, November 9 - Saturday, November 23 (2 weeks). Register for this event online.

PTO Fundraising

Donate to Hardy PTO

We appreciate donations to our PTO at any time. Every amount helps! Your donations directly fund the many PTO programs that support and enrich our Hardy School community, and are tax-deductible. Donate here!

Box Tops

Get the Box Tops app and scan receipts with your phone's camera to raise money for Hardy PTO. Learn more and get the app!

Mabel's Labels

Order customized labels and other products, and 20% of your purchase goes to Hardy PTO. Visit the site and search for “Hardy Elementary Arlington” to select our program, then shop for products.

Connect

Visit the Hardy PTO Website

Visit the Hardy PTO website to sign up for PTO emails, access the student directory, check the calendar, learn more about our programs and events, and find out how you can get involved.

Find Us on Facebook

Join the Hardy School Arlington private Facebook group (free login required) for news, updates, and discussion with other Hardy caregivers. It's full of good information and timely updates and reminders.

Families of Kindergarten students are invited to join the private Facebook group Hardy Kindergarten 2024-2025 (Graduating 5th grade in 2030) Arlington MA.

Get updates and reminders from the Hardy PTO via Instagram.

Get the Membership Toolkit App

Download the Membership Toolkit app for streamlined access to the Hardy Student Directory and other PTO info on your mobile device. Visit the App Store, Google Play, or search for "Membership Toolkit" wherever you download apps!

Share With Us

Have a school-related or community announcement that would be of interest to the Hardy community? Please contact newsletter@hardypto.com.

SUBJECT: Hardy Happenings: November 2024