Hopewell's Happenings

We hope you’re having a wonderful summer! Believe it or not, it’s almost time to kick off another school year!

This year, we're taking our LEAPs Together spirit to the world stage! Just like the World Cup this summer reminded us, great teams aren't built around one player—they're built when everyone brings their unique strengths, supports one another, and works toward a common goal.

At HES, we're ONE TEAM with ONE DREAM: to make our school a place where everyone feels that they belong, everyone has a role to play, and everyone has the opportunity to LEAP.

Leadership
Empathy
Acceptance
Perseverance

That's Team HES!

This newsletter will help keep you in the loop with school updates, important reminders, and celebrations as we get ready for another exciting year together. Be sure to check below for details about our First Day of School Celebration, the PTO’s “BooHoo-WooHoo” Breakfast, and don’t forget to complete our HES Dismissal Waiver Form.

Here’s to a great start and an unforgettable year at HES! We can’t wait to welcome everyone back and get Team HES ready for another amazing season!

Annual Registration is now open in the OnCourse Parent Portal, and it must be completed before students can access their schedules.

• If you are a kindergarten or new family, or if you do not know your login credentials, please use this link to log in to OnCourse.

• If the link does not enable your account, please email us at helpdesk@hvrsd.org for assistance.

• Once you complete the Annual Registration, the initial sign-in page will prompt you to select the 2026–2027 school year and review/acknowledge several sections.

• This process must be completed for each child in your household before you can proceed.

Beginning on Thursday, August 20th, you will be able to view your child’s classroom placement in OnCourse by logging in and selecting “Student Info” on the left side of the page. Then, under “Additional Information” on the right, you will find your child’s Homeroom Teacher.

Families will also be able to see their child’s bus number, bus stop, and other key details. Please note that in the coming weeks, the Transportation Department will send an email that includes your child’s official bus pass.

Once you know your child’s classroom teacher, it's important to view your teacher's website for their Welcome Back Letter. To do this, go to Schedule, then click on the homeroom teacher’s name (in blue) to be directed to their website.

After the school year begins, OnCourse will once again be the place to view daily attendance, assignments, and report cards at the end of each trimester.

Below, you’ll find photos highlighting our 2026–2027 grade-level teaching teams. As a reminder, families may not request specific teachers. Such requests cannot be accepted, as our faculty maintains a professional and respectful culture built on mutual trust and collaboration.

We are excited to welcome one new staff member to the HES family this year while happily shifting another staff member's position within our building! Please join us in warmly welcoming:

• Erin Mattingly (new 5th Grade Special Education Teacher)

• Tara Gaspari (from 5th Grade Special Education Teacher to Child Study Team - LDTC)

• Kindergarten Orientation
• New Families Orientation

Our amazing HES staff returns to HES on Thursday, August 27th! What better way to celebrate than by having our HES families leave encouraging messages throughout the campus using sidewalk chalk? We invite you to stop by HES at any time on Wednesday, August 26th, to leave a quick message for our instructional and support staff. Sidewalk chalk will be available at various locations around the campus, so you and your family members can get as creative and positive as possible for our tremendous staff. We know they will love seeing these messages!

Our first day of school for all Kindergarten through 5th Graders will be Tuesday, September 1st. All families are welcome to join us on the HES basketball court for our First Day of School Welcoming Ceremonies, beginning at 8:30am (see picture for location). Please arrive early as we anticipate parking and congestion issues. We look forward to seeing everyone!

P.S. Preschool's First Day of School will take place on Tuesday, September 8th. More information will be communicated by your child's teacher.

Immediately following the Welcoming Ceremony and Students' Clap-In Parade, join the PTO for coffee and light refreshments as you make your way out of HES. Whether it's a "boohoo" or "woohoo" kind of morning, the PTO has you covered! We would love to meet you or welcome you back to HES (and we promise not to ask you to volunteer for anything...at least not at this event!).

Please complete the 2026-2027 HES Dismissal Waiver Form for each child that attends HES. Please review the various choices within the form and make a selection for each day of the week. Waivers should be completed before the start of school on September 1st.

In the event that there is a change in dismissal plans, please email the office staff at hwmainoffice@hvrsd.org as well as your student's teacher as soon as possible.

Get all the details you need about school lunches, including menus, pricing, and Free & Reduced Lunch forms HERE. Remember, even if you received Free & Reduced Lunch last year, you still need to complete new forms for the 2026-2027 school year.

New Jersey enacted a statewide "bell-to-bell" ban requiring all public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects to prohibit student use of personal internet-enabled devices like cell phones, smartwatches, and tablets during the entire school day starting in the 2026–2027 school year. The legislation (P.L. 2025, c. 195) was signed into law on January 8, 2026, to eliminate classroom distractions, improve academic focus, and protect student mental health.

As in previous years, all personal technology (cell phones, smart watches, meta glasses, etc.) will remain in the students’ backpacks during the school day. If a student needs to contact home, they can report to the Main Office and use the office phones with the assistance of the secretaries.

Parents should refrain from texting or calling your child during school hours, including lunch and recess. If you need to get in touch with your child or send them a message, please call the main office. Students are welcome to use their watches to communicate after dismissal at 3:30 pm.

Dear Hopewell Valley Families,

Fall is just around the corner, and the Hopewell Valley Youth Football & Cheer Association is

excited to welcome new and returning athletes for another fun and rewarding season!

We offer programs designed to help children build confidence, teamwork, sportsmanship, and

lifelong friendships in a positive and supportive environment.

Our Fall Programs Include:

Flag Football (Ages 4–6)

Perfect for our youngest athletes to learn the fundamentals of football through fun, age-

appropriate instruction and exciting game play. Practice starts the week of August 31st

Tackle Football (Ages 7–14)

Our tackle football program focuses on skill development, teamwork, discipline, and safe,

competitive play for athletes of all experience levels. Practice starts August 10 th .

Cheerleading (Ages 4–14)

Our cheer program welcomes participants of all abilities, providing instruction in cheers,

motions, stunts, and teamwork while supporting our football teams throughout the season.

Practice starts the week of August 31st

Whether your child is stepping onto the field for the first time or returning for another season,

Hopewell Valley Youth Football & Cheer offers an outstanding experience that promotes athletic growth, character development, and community spirit.

Register today and join the Hopewell Valley football and cheer family! We look forward to seeing you this fall!

Sincerely,

Hopewell Valley Youth Football & Cheer Association

Questions: Contact John Walsh jpwalsh47@yahoo.com

We know that budget reductions across the district can create additional challenges for families, and we did not want the cost of basic back-to-school supplies to add to that burden. To help make the transition back to school a little smoother and more comfortable, we are excited to provide the basic student supplies needed to start the school year!

We are incredibly fortunate to be part of such a caring and supportive community here at HES, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help our students and families start the year off on the right foot. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for another great year at HES!

Please join us on THURSDAY, September 10th, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, on the grounds at HES, for a fun night of inflatables, DJ Dance party, 50/50 raffle and more! Bring a blanket for your family/friends and enjoy. Please note: this is not a drop off (all children must be supervised at all times during this fun, family event).

While you are welcome to bring your own food, the PTO is offering pizza that can be bought by PRE-ORDER ONLY (order via the link below). All pizza orders must be received by Monday, September 7th. Drinks, water ice, and HES merch are also available for purchase on site.

Feel free to contact Jill Guiseppe (HESRoomParents@gmail.com) with any questions. Can't wait to welcome everyone to HES this year!!!

PIZZA PRE-ORDER: pizza.hopewellpto.org

or by QR code via the flyer.

There are many ways to be involved with your child's HES experience throughout the year. One way is to become a Room Parent. In the role, you will do things like

• communicating information from the teacher, school, and PTO to other classroom parents via email or telephone
• coordinating class activities and plan events with the teacher
• organizing teacher gifts
• supporting and promoting PTO events, projects and initiatives

If you would like more information, please contact Jill Guiseppe @ HESRoomParents@gmail.com

If you would like to sign up, please use this link - https://forms.gle/eYuN4QNDwWNRDVTd8

HES Calendar

HES Daily Schedules

HES Dismissal Waiver Form

HES Lunch Information

HVRSD Calendar

HVRSD OnCourse Connect

• August 20st - Student's Classroom Placement Released in OnCourse Connect (Check Your HR Teacher's Website Afterwards)
• August 21st - Schools/Offices Closed - Summer Hours
• August 25th - Kindergarten Orientation (9:00-10:30am use Cafeteria Entrance); New Families Orientation (11:00am-11:45am use Cafeteria Entrance)
• August 26th - Help "Chalk the Sidewalk" to Support our Staff (all day on front and side walkways)
• August 28th - Schools/Offices Closed - Summer Hours
• September 1st - 1st Day of School for Students; HES Welcoming Ceremonies (8:30am); PTO's BooHoo-WooHoo Breakfast (9:00am in Cafeteria)
• September 3rd - Family Day for Preschool
• September 4th - Schools/Offices Closed
• September 7th - Labor Day - Schools/Offices Closed
• September 8th - 1st Day of Preschool AM PEECH & PEECH+ (9:00am) & PM PEECH (12:30pm)
• September 10th - PTO's Back-to-School Bash (5:30-7:30pm use Large Parking Lot Entrance)
• September 11th - 1st Whole School Meeting (9:00am) - Wear HES Spiritwear (Blue/Yellow)
• September 19th - Hopewell Harvest Fair at HES
• September 21st - Yom Kippur - Schools/Offices Closed

• September 24th - Back-to-School Night (6:00-7:30pm)