HOD Family Newsletter

Hi HOD Families,

I can’t believe we are already buzzing into December! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and found time to relax and enjoy special moments with family and friends.

A huge thank you for all of the amazing donations to our annual Food Drive in November and for your continued generosity with our Season of Giving. Your kindness truly shows how special it means to be part of our HOD family.

As we head into this wintery, fun-filled month, report cards will be sent home on Friday, and we look forward to welcoming you into the building for parent–teacher conferences next week. These conversations are such an important way for us to partner together and support each child’s growth and success. Please remember that next week we will have two early release days (Tuesday and Thursday), with noon dismissals.

Next week also brings one of our favorite traditions, the Scholastic Book Fair in the library! Thanks to the Norfolk PTO, students and families will have the chance to shop for new books to enjoy over the winter season. It’s a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season, cozying up with a good book, and keeping our love of reading buzzing all winter long.

This month, we also began our Hat and Mitten Drive. We are collecting new hats and warm mittens or gloves for families in need. Thank you in advance for helping us spread warmth throughout our community.

We are grateful for your continued support and partnership. Our hive is ready for a joyful, busy, and bright December ahead!

Best,

Kristen Giffune

Monday, December 1st - Friday, December 19th

Hat and Mitten Drive.

We are collecting new hats and warm mittens or gloves for families in need.

Thank you in advance for helping us spread warmth throughout our community.

Wednesday, December 3rd

PTO Meeting - 7pm

24 King Street, Norfolk

Friday, December 5th

Grade 1- 2 Reports Cards

(Kindergarten Report cards will be issued on January 30th)

Issued Electronically at 4pm

see more information below

Monday, December 8th - Thursday, December 11th

Scholastic Book Fair

Classroom Schedule Below

Book Fair Home Page Link

Tuesday, December 9th

Parent - Teacher Conferences

Noon Dismissal

Thursday, December 11th

Parent - Teacher Conferences

Noon Dismissal

Thursday, December 11th

Dave's Hot Chicken Fundraiser - 4-8pm

Dave's Hot Chicken Link

Tuesday, December 16th - Tuesday, December 23rd

HOD Winter Wonderland Spirit Days

see below for details

Wednesday, December 24th - Friday, January 2nd

Winter Break

Norfolk Public Schools uses a standards-based report card that shows how students are progressing toward end-of-year skills and standards. We use performance levels, 1- Emerging - 4 Extending, to communicate students progress to standards. With our new reading and math programs, some standards may appear as N/A simply because they haven’t been taught yet. Special Education Progress Reports are sent home with report cards and outline each child’s progress toward IEP goals. Families are always encouraged to reach out with questions. To read more about our Standards-Based Report Cards, click here.

On Friday, December 5, 2025 student report cards for grades 1 and 2 will be sent home electronically and parent-teacher conferences will be held on December 9th and 11th.

Please use the following link for more information about accessing your child's report card:

• iParent Tutorial

Click the yellow bars below for more details.

Click the yellow bars below for more details.

Lunch Menus

Click on the bee for November menu

To help us return items quickly, please label sweatshirts, jackets, lunchboxes, and other belongings with your child’s name. This is also a great opportunity to remind students about BEE-ing responsible by keeping track of their things.

If your child is not feeling well, your pediatrician is the best person to consult about whether they can go to school. Common sense, con­cern for your child's well-being, and the possibility of infecting classmates should all contribute to the decision about whether your child should stay home. As a general guideline, keep your child home if:

• They have a fever of 100 degrees F or higher. They should remain at home until fever-free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medications such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
• They have had episodes of vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
• They have been diagnosed with conjunctivitis(Pink Eye). They may return 24 hours after the first dose of prescribed medication.

Below is a list of common health issues for your reference

Fever

A temperature of 100 degrees or higher is a fever. Children should remain at home fever-free for 24 ours without takeng Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

Vomiting/Diarrhea

Children should remain at home symptom free for 24 hours and are able to ingest fluids and food comfortably.

Coughs/Cold

If your child has discomfort from their cold symptoms, consider keeping them home. A continuous cough and/or continuous or green nasal drainage may need to be evaluated by your child's physician.

Conjunctivitis

Your child may need to be on an antibiotic for 24 hours after the first dose before returning to school or a note from your student's physician with other guidance.

Strep Throat

Children cannot return to school until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotic is taken. They should feel well enough to return to school.

Suspicious Rash

Children with rashes that are suspicious should have them evaluated by a physician and be cleared to return to school.

Information follows

Parents and caregivers are invited to participate and share ideas. Please visit the website for the latest PTO meetings and event

Wednesday, December 3rd at 7pm - 24 King Street, Norfolk

Wednesday, January 7th at 7pm - Freeman Kennedy Library

Click on the button below for more information about the PTO!