HAWKINS HAPPENINGS

Chris McAuliffe - Principal

Address: 8900 Lee Road, Brighton, MI 48116

Website: https://www.brightonk12.com/Domain/52

First Bell: 9:01 AM

Second Bell: 9:05 AM

Dismissal Time: Begins at 3:55 PM (Final Bell 3:58)

10/13 - 11/14 - Gleaners Food Drive

10/17 - Homecoming Parade (6:00pm) & Homecoming Game (7:00)

10/24 - Picture Retakes

10/24 - Trunk Or Treat

11/4 - NO SCHOOL

11/26 - 12/1 - THANKSGIVING BREAK

12/22 - 1/2/2026 - HOLIDAY BREAK

Lunch/Recess Schedule

JK/K - 11:10 - 11:55

1st - 11:40 - 12:25

2nd - 12:10 - 12:55

3rd - 12:40 - 1:25

4th - 1:10 - 1:55

Happy Homecoming Hawkins,

We had a great week at Hawkins, with our first Huddle of the year. We spent a little time talking about Determination and then got to know our groups with a game about what things were their favorites. Spirit week was great, our students and staff went all out. I think Neon Day was my favorite. With Halloween right around the corner I wanted to remind you that our Trunk or Treat is next Friday the 24th, and all classroom parties will be on the 31st. A reminder that each classroom will have their own policies about costumes and parties, and you must be signed up as a helper to attend that day. Tonight is the Homecoming parade. I hope to see many of you as I drive by in a beautiful Mustang, give me a shout. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend with my family. I have really been enjoying having my middle daughter home between cruises. She will be off to Japan in a few weeks and then to the Caribbean. Hoping for a Michigan win this weekend and some time to get some yard work done. One other exciting event in the McAuliffe household is I found out I will be a grandpa in the near future. Thanks for letting me be your principal and for all of the support you always give. Hawkins really is an incredible place!

Mr. McAuliffe

REMINDER...Picture retakes will take place 10/24. If you would like your child's picture retaken, please sign up through your Jostens account. In addition, any student that was absent on picture day will have their picture taken on 10/24.

Good news! JostensPIX was recently at your school to photograph picture day,

and your student's photos are now available for viewing and ordering!
Click on the button below to get started.

VIEW AND ORDER PHOTOS HERE

FIND YOUR STUDENT USING EVENT CODE: FE219525

DID YOU KNOW?

• You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and
  text
• Photos are shipped directly to your home
• High-res digital downloads are available
• If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay
  once

Hawkins Family Survey

Hawkins Counselor Support (optional)

We had perfect weather this week for running!

Running Accomplishments:

48 runners completed their first 5K
48 runner completed their second 5K
5 runners completed their third 5K
2 runners complete a 1/2 marathon

We have 4 days left in the fall session. All progress will be transferred over to the spring session.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the runners on their hard work as well deserved achievements!!

Art Room News!

Hello Hawkins Families!

We have been busy in the art room starting our annual art to remember fundraiser! Students are creating beautiful masterpieces in art class and soon you will be able to order special keepsakes with their featured art!

This is a WONDERFUL way to buy gifts for friends, relatives and the artist just in time for the holidays!!!

I will send out an email and add to this newsletter when the personalized order forms arrive so you can be on the look out!

Artfully yours,

Ms.V

vermiglioj@brightonk12.com

Title: Eagle Wings & More Concert

Supporting Students through the McKinney-Vento Act

Brighton Area Schools is part of a county-wide consortium dedicated to supporting students who are experiencing temporary living situations. Through this program, students can receive:

• Assistance with educational expenses
• Housing referrals
• Access to clothing and other essentials
• General support and technical assistance

To comply with federal law, staff and families are encouraged to help identify students who may be living in:

• Emergency shelters or transitional housing
• Motels or hotels
• Cars, parks, or public spaces
• Shared housing due to loss of housing or financial hardship
• Temporary arrangements with someone other than a parent or guardian

Our district’s homeless liaison is Starr Acromite, and each building has trained staff available to provide support. Brighton also partners with Candice Olrich at the Livingston Educational Service Agency.

📞 For more information or assistance, please contact your building principal or Starr Acromite at 810-299-4040.

Shorter Version below:

_________________________________________________________________________________________

McKinney-Vento Act Support

Brighton Area Schools supports students experiencing temporary housing through the McKinney-Vento Act. Assistance is available for school needs, housing referrals, clothing, and more. If you know a student in need, please contact your building principal or district liaison Starr Acromite at 810-299-4040.

Dear Parents,

We’d like to share some important information about Free & Reduced-Price Meal eligibility.

While all students currently receive meals at no cost through the Michigan School Meals Program, qualifying for Free or Reduced-Price Meals can provide additional benefits for your child and family—including reduced fees for school activities, athletics, and testing.

In past years, most students’ eligibility was determined through a process called Direct Certification. This automatically qualifies students without the need for families to apply. However, this year Direct Certification has not identified as many eligible students as in the past.

If your child has qualified for Free or Reduced-Price Meals in previous years but you have not received a notification this year, you may need to complete a short application. Also, if you feel that you may now qualify, you should fill out this application as well (Link to Qualification Standards). The good news—it’s quick and simple to do!

• Paper applications are available in all schools.

• Applications can also be printed from the district website.

• An online Application is available on Parent Connect

If you are unsure of your eligibility status or have any questions, please call the Food Service Office at 810-299-4175 and we’ll be happy to help.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to ensure your child receives all the benefits they are entitled to.

Sincerely,

The Brighton Area Schools Student Nutrition Department

*if the hyperlink to the qualification standards does not work, the following is the direct link: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/news-and-information/press-releases/2024/09/17/income-guidelines-for-free-and-reduced-price-meals-announced

All parent volunteers must undergo a background check in order to volunteer at Hawkins. If you have not done so yet and are planning on volunteering at Hawkins, click on the link below to access Brighton Area Schools Background Check Form.

Parents, please remember to be checking your students head for head lice. After a long summer of sleep overs and interaction with friends, family and sporting events, it is that time of year again to be diligent about checking for lice and eggs . While they are not harmful they most certainly are a nuisance and difficult to get rid of. Should you need any more information here is a link for your reference: https://www.cdc.gov/lice/about/head-lice.html

A quick reminder about the board policy regarding medication: All medication including over-the-counter medication (i.e. Tylenol, Motrin, TUMS, cough drops, etc.) must have a MEDICAL AUTHORIZATION FORM. This form requires both the parent's and the medical provider's signature. Without both signatures, we cannot give medication to your student. Also, the school cannot provide this medication. You must supply this medication for your student. The clinic does not have extra. This comes from board policy found here: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/2615

Please make sure your child has an extra set of clothes in their backpack and/or locker in case of accidents or emergencies (i.e. bathroom accidents, playground mishaps, lunchroom spills, ripped or torn clothes, etc.). We do not have extra clothes to lend out. An extra set here at school saves parents an extra trip to Hawkins during the school day. We appreciate your help!!!

Parent Connect a web-based application that allow parents/guardians to view information for your child's current school year. Logging into Parent Connect will enable you to see your child's placement (date to be determined), report card, and lunch account. In addition, parents/guardians can add or change emergency contacts. Please click on the link for more information.

Parent Connect FAQ

Parent Connect

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school - and themselves. School success goes hand in hand with good attendance. Missing 10 percent of the marking period can make it harder to learn to read. Students can fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college and at work. Providing a physician's note for absences does not effect absenteeism and is not counted towards the number of days your child is absent. If you feel your child has anxiety about attending school or struggles to stay at school for a full day, Hawkins has resources to help.

If your child is going to be absent, please call the Hawkins attendance Line (810-299-3900 then press 2). Please state your child's name, teacher, date of absence and reason for the absence (type of illness, doctor appointment, vacation etc). If your child has been diagnosed with a specific ailment (COVID, strep throat, pink eye, influenza, chicken pox) please state that in the voicemail message. If your child has not been diagnosed with a specific ailment but is having specific symptoms please let us know the symptoms your child is experiencing. Hawkins appreciates your help!

A new feature in Parent Connect will allow you to enter your student’s absence. Simply log into parent connect and click on the link Report Absence. The Report Absence link will open a screen for you to complete. If you have more than one student check the name of the student for whom an absence is being submitted. Add the applicable dates. If you check the All Day flag attendance will be submitted for the am and pm periods. If you do not check the All Day flag times must be entered and attendance will be submitted for whichever periods meet during the time range (based on period schedule).

If you need to change a contact phone number or email address you can do so through Parent. Connect at Parent Connect

If you do not know your Parent Connect login information, please follow the instructions on the Brighton Area Schools website.

PLEASE NOTE: Address changes CANNOT be completed through Parent Connect. Address changes must be completed by filling out a change of address form along with 3 copies of proof of residency. Details are listed on the change of address form which is available by clicking on the link below. Since in person drop off is not an option at this time, forms can be scanned and emailed to samanij@brightonk12.com

Title: Holiday POPs with the Phil Concert & Toys for Tots Drive

Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025

Time: 4:00pm (Approximately 2 hrs.)

Location: Brighton Center for the Performing Arts

7878 Brighton Rd, Brighton, MI 48116 (on the campus of Brighton High School)

Tickets:
$31 Adults

$26 Seniors

$21 Students

Available at www.bcpashows.com

Contact: (810) 299-4130

Description:

Get ready to deck the halls with the Michigan Philharmonic! Immerse yourself in the joyous sounds of the season as they perform all your cherished holiday favorites. This beloved tradition is the perfect way to launch your holiday celebrations. Join us and raise your voice in a festive holiday sing-along of your Christmas carols!

The Michigan Philharmonic – (or “Michigan Phil”) – is one of the most innovative and dynamic professional orchestras in Southeast Michigan. Nan Washburn, Music Director & Conductor since 1999, has won 19 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music from the League of American Orchestras. In 2016 the Michigan Philharmonic received First Place in the American Prize for the Performance of American Music. The orchestra performs in an ever-expanding roster of Michigan communities; including Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Livonia, Brighton, Downtown Detroit, and many others. The Michigan Phil is committed to reaching out to a broad and diverse array of audiences and providing enjoyable cultural and social experiences, while encouraging anyone who loves live music events to “Spend the night with Michigan Phil.”

TOYS FOR TOTS TOY DRIVE

Help make this holiday season a merry and bright one for the girls and boys in our community. Bring a donation of a new and unwrapped toy to drop off for Toys for Tots in the BCPA lobby. Doors open at 3:00pm