Hartwood's Weekly Newsletter
August 13, 2024
Thursday, October 15 - Picture Retake Day
Thursday, October 15 - final day of 2nd grade CogAT
Friday, October 16 - No School for Students - Staff Workday
Monday, October 19 - No School for Students - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, October 21 - Unity Day - Wear Orange
BOOK FAIR - October 19 - 26 - will be open on Parent/Teacher Conference Day AND the night of Trunk or Treat!
Friday, October 23 - Trunk or Treat
Friday, October 30 - Vocabulary Parade - more details below
Candy Monster check-in! We counted this week's donations today: 2,935 pieces collected so far toward our goal of 26,350 (enough for all 425 Hartwood students to grab a treat or two at every trunk). That's 11% of the way there!
One week left to donate! Candy donations and trunk sign-ups both close Mon Oct 19. Drop donations in the monsters, Pickles and Boo-berry, in the main office or by the bus loop.
And we need trunks! Only 4 of 31 spots are filled so far. Decorating is easier than you think, and the PTA supplies ALL the candy, so there's no cost to you. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040845AAAE2BA31-66443511-trunkortreat#/
Trunk setup is from 4:15 to 5:00 PM. Only registered trunks will be in the lot until setup is complete.
Trunk or Treat runs from 5:15 to 6:30 PM in the bus loop, and families may arrive any time during the event.
Parking is available in the Hartwood Presbyterian lot across the street.
The Sunshine on Ice dessert truck will be on site in front of the office, with 15% of proceeds benefiting the PTA, for the fourth grade, Jamestown field trip.
This event is for Hartwood Elementary students and their immediate families only. There is no rain date.
We are excited to announce that Hartwood Elementary will once again be participating in the Scripps National Spelling Bee! This exciting opportunity is open to all students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.
All students will receive a grade-level study packet and information in their Tuesday folders today, October 13. We encourage students to use these materials to practice and prepare.
The first round of the competition will take place in the classroom. Each student will complete a 25-word written spelling test by November 10. The top three spellers from each class will advance to Hartwood's School Spelling Bee on November 23 at 9:00 a.m.
The top two finishers of our school bee will then have the opportunity to represent Hartwood at the Stafford County Public Schools Division Spelling Bee on December 16 at Colonial Forge High School!
We are looking forward to celebrating our students' hard work, vocabulary, and love of learning. Good luck to all of our Hornet spellers!
October is National Bullying Prevention month and our goal is to work together to stop bullying in our schools and communities. This month, our counseling lessons will introduce what makes a good friend. We will also define bullying and discuss situations to determine if it is bullying or not. This includes teaching/modeling what is rude, what is mean, and what is bullying.
Wednesday October 21, 2026 we will celebrate Unity Day. Please wear orange to send a visible message to prevent bullying.
As we get to know all our students, there may be needs that arise. Parents/Guardians please fill out this brief form to share with the counselors if there are specific needs for your child.
Laura Mungo mungolh@staffordschools.net
We will be partnering with Operation Warm this year, a program that provides children in need with a winter coat. If any of your elementary-aged children (or younger) are in need of a winter coat due to financial hardship, please complete this Operation Warm Google Form. If you have children in other SCPS buildings, please contact that school so that they can make a coat request on your child's behalf and the coat can be delivered to the correct school. This form is due by October 22, 2026.
Coats are planned to be distributed in early December. We will work to fulfill every need; however, the total number of coats available will depend on monetary and sponsorship donations received. Coats might be substituted for the next size up during distribution due to the availability of coats from Operation Warm.
Get Ready for our Vocabulary Parade! A Guide For Hartwood Families!
When is it?
Friday Oct. 30th, 2026
What is it all about?
Vocabulary parades have become a popular event at schools around the country. They are a wonderful way to celebrate our love of words and reading. It also provides a fun and academic focus for dressing up in creative homemade costumes.
How do we get ready?
Plan: Think of a juicy word that would have an interesting costume design. Think about unusual words that others may not already know. Look at the lists of words sent home for ideas.
Create: You can recycle all sorts of items around your home to make a creative homemade costume: boxes, poster-boards, hats, paper bags, fabric, tin foil. You can also tie in a vocabulary word to your Halloween costume.
Make a Vocabulary Card/Label: remember to make a large card or sign with your vocabulary words on it, so we’ll know which word you represent in the parade. You can carry the word, make a headband or hat, or have it as part of your costume. Your word just needs to be visible somewhere on you!
Come Prepared: Bring your costume to school with you or wear it. Make sure you can put on the costume by yourself, and that you have all the parts.
For inspiration in creating your costume, there are lots of great ideas online! Check out ideas on Pinterest or Google.
Join the PTA
The Hartwood Elementary Parent Teacher Association's mission is to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. We do this by supporting the school, the staff, the students, and our community. We are a volunteer-run, non-profit organization that facilitates parent/caregiver participation in school.
To join the PTA: https://hartwood-pta-families-membership-2026-2027.cheddarup.com
Membership Dues until September 28: $9 (single) $13 (family)
Membership Dues after September 28: $12 (single) $16 (family)
SAVE THE DATE
PTA Meetings at 4:30 in the HES Library:
October 26th
February 1st
April 26th
Upcoming Events:
Trunk-or-Treat: Friday October 23rd 5:15-6:30 pm
We would like to thank everyone that donated to Fun Run. We surpassed our goal of $18,400 and now we can fund:
Field Trips & Assemblies for all grade levels (up to $20 per student)
Student Enrichment includes a book for every student at the Fall Book Fair (up to $10 per student)
Teacher Grants for hands-on learning tools
PTA Sponsored Events including our upcoming Trunk-or-Treat
Thank you again!
Hartwood Elementary PTA
Shelly Zappia, President
Jon Petri, Vice President of Oversight
Lauren Isenberg, Treasurer
Jen Neundorfer, Secretary
Hartwood PTA Socials:
Create you families personalized specials schedule with this app.
Hartwood Contact Information
Email: hewebmaster@staffordschools.net
Website: https://hes.staffordschools.net/
Location: 14 Shackelford Well Road, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
Phone: 540-752-4441
Facebook: facebook.com/HartwoodES
Twitter: @HartwoodES