The Hiawatha Buzz!

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Warmly,
Kolby Snellenberger
Principal

• October 7th - Title 1 Meeting at 6:00 pm, the PTO meeting will take place immediately after the Title 1 meeting
• October 13th - School Picture Day
• October 22nd - Evening Family Conferences from 2:30 to 7:00 PM
• October 23rd - Diwali - NO SCHOOL - Please plan accordingly
• October 24th - Family Conferences - NO SCHOOL - Please plan accordingly

Please take a few moments to ensure you are familiar with our arrival procedures. These

procedures are designed to reduce traffic congestion, reduce impacts on our neighbors, provide

students with a positive start for the morning, and ultimately help keep our students safe.

Morning Arrival:

● All families are encouraged to drop students off at the front of the building by pulling

through the school drive. Please pull forward and drop as close to the end of the building

as possible.

● Students should go directly to the playground.

● Families staying with their child are welcome to go to the playground or can wait at the

outside door of your child’s classroom door.

● Students without an adult should remain on the playground and enter through one of the

playground doors.

Morning Timeline

● 7:20 Families can begin dropping students off in front of the building.

● 7:30 Students should begin lining up in the playground to enter the building through one

of the two playground doors.

● 7:35 All students should proceed to the main entrance to sign in and then head to their

respective classes. Please do not go to classroom doors after 7:35 as this disrupts the

classroom.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Please be advised that we have seen a few cases of Strep over the past couple of weeks.

Only a small portion of sore throats are the result of strep throat. However, it is important to identify this bacterial infection and get treatment. The bacteria that causes strep throat responds quickly to antibiotics, and treatment stops the infection from spreading to other people.

Strep throat is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15, but it affects people of all ages. In addition to throat soreness, signs and symptoms typically include a fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, swollen glands, and in some cases a rash. Younger children may also complain of abdominal pain.

If your student exhibits these symptoms, please contact their physician. Please contact the nurses office at 802-857-7740 if your student is diagnosed with a strep infection. If diagnosed, the student should remain out of school until antibiotics have been given for 24 hours and the student is fever-free for 24 hours.

Thank you,

Nurse Reyna

rmaher@ewsd.org

All the students learned a new song/game called “Doggie, Doggie”—and it was a big hit! We clap rhythms together while singing the song. One person gets to hold the “bone” and hide it. This person also sings the last line of the song. The “guesser” has to figure out who is holding the bone just by listening to the voice! Ask your child to lead the song and play this game at home!

Doggie, doggie, where’s your bone?
Someone stole it from your home.
Who stole your bone?
“I stole your bone.”

Another new song for the whole school is “Hello to All the Children of the World.” This song greets in several languages from different countries. We thought it would be meaningful to create our own version using the languages spoken within the Hiawatha community (students, families, and teachers). We learned there are 19 languages! Verses 2 and 3 are unique to Hiawatha School, and the students are learning them in music class and during their school-wide sing-along. Click here to listen to the original song.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month, students are exploring Spanish songs, adding movement to the music and experiencing rhythms and melodies from Hispanic traditions.

Please feel free to reach out to either of us if you have any questions.
Megumi Esselstrom & Matt Torrez

Hello Hiawatha Families,

The cold winter temperatures will be upon us before we know it. If your student needs a free winter coat, Operation Warm Coats (Essex Rotary) is providing coats for anyone in need. Please reach out to Nurse Reyna if your student needs a coat and what size they need. Please let us know prior to October 13th. Thank you.

Reyna Maher, RN

802-857-7740

rmaher@ewsd.org

Dear Families,

At Hiawatha Elementary, our goal is to ensure every child receives the instruction and support they need to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. One way we do this is through a framework called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

What is MTSS?
MTSS is a school-wide approach that helps us provide the right level of support for each student. It is proactive, data-driven, and designed to meet the needs of all learners through a tiered model:

• Tier 1: All students receive high-quality, research-based instruction in the classroom. Teachers use strategies such as explicit instruction, small group learning, and differentiated lessons to meet diverse needs.
  
  

• Tier 2: About 10–25% of students benefit from additional support with grade-level skills. This extra time and practice usually happens in small groups within the classroom, led by the classroom teacher.
  
  

• Tier 3: Some students may need more intensive, individualized support focused on building up skills from previous grade levels. Tier 3 support is provided by interventionists in our building. Decisions about Tier 3 are made by our Site Intervention Team after carefully reviewing assessment data.
  
  

How do we determine student needs?
We use a variety of assessments throughout the year to guide our decisions. Three times a year, during our screening windows (Fall: Sept. 10–Oct. 8; Winter: Jan 22- Feb 15; and Spring: April 27- May 12), we gather information using:

• Star Assessments (computer-adaptive tests for literacy and math)
  
  

• DESSA (a Social Emotional Learning screener)
  
  

These screeners give us a snapshot of how students are doing. Because a single assessment is only one data point, we also use follow-up screeners and classroom assessments to ensure we have a clear picture of each child’s needs. This helps us identify which students may benefit from additional support at Tier 3.

Communication with Families

• If your child is recommended for Tier 3 support during this Fall Window, you will receive a letter by mid-October. This letter will invite you to an Educational Support Team (EST) meeting, where you will meet the interventionist, learn about your child’s goals, and have an opportunity to ask questions. Your child’s teacher and our EST coordinator will also attend.

• If you do not receive a letter, your child does not need tier 3 intervention.

• We do not send letters for Tier 1 or Tier 2. Tier 1 is for all students, and Tier 2 support is fluid, often changing as students progress. Communication about tier 1 and 2 is always open, families can connect with classroom teachers.
  
  

If at any point you have questions about your child’s learning, we encourage you to reach out directly to their classroom teacher. You are also welcome to contact me if you’d like to learn more about MTSS or our assessment process.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s success.

Warmly,
Kaylie Bufano
RTI Coach

kbufano@ewsd.org or 802 857-7759

PTO Fall Fest + Clothing Swap – October 18th from 2-5 PM!

Mark your calendars! The PTO is hosting Fall Fest and a Clothing Swap on Saturday, October 18th from 2-5 PM. A clothing donation box is located in the Hiawatha main entrance lobby by the lost and found rack. Please drop off any items you’d like to swap by Friday, October 17th. We need volunteers for Fall Fest set-up. If you’d like to lend a hand, please email HiawathaPTO@ewsd.org.

Thank you for supporting this fun community event—we can’t wait to see you there!

Taryn Hennebicque

Hiawatha PTO Co-President

Please click the link below to see the hot lunch menu, be sure to select the correct month you need and select lunch in the drop down in the top of the page. If needed, there is a print option. The menu can also be found on our website :-)

Menu

Join us for our wildest and craziest costumed run of the year! Giveaways guaranteed to all runners registered for the 5K before October 10. Prizes awarded for age group, overall, and best costumes! They say running is a lifetime sport, so start the kids off strong with the free kids costumed race around the perimeter park path at 10:45am.
ALL AGES / MAPLE STREET
ALL AGES
MAPLE STREET PARK & SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS
SAT, OCTOBER 25 / REGISTRATION OPENS: 9:15AM / 5K Begins:10am
FREE HALF-MILE KIDS RUN BEGINS: 10:45AM (NO REGISTRATOIN REQUIRED)
ADULT PRE-REGISTRATION: $20 / RACE DAY: $25

Click here to register

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Maple Street Pumpkin Palooza

Back for a fifth year, this festive event will have a massive trick-or-treat trail throughout Maple Street Park, featuring decorated tents for families to enjoy! The amazing 750+ pumpkin pyramid will be on display for all to see at the front of the park. A ticket is not needed to see the pumpkin display. The pumpkin display will be up nightly through Halloween!

ALL AGES / MAPLE STREET PARK
SAT, OCTOBER 25 4–8PM

Ticket Details:
- City of Essex Junction residents may purchase presale online tickets starting October 1st. Please make sure you are logged into your Kaizen account that shows residency or create an account.
- Presale online tickets open up to purchase for all on October 15th
- Presale tickets are $5/group, up to 5 people and are available for online purchase until Friday, October 24 at 11:59pm.
- Tickets are sold for hour long time slots. Please arrive anytime during the hour time slot purchased.
- Day of ticket purchases will be $10/group, up to 5 people, subject to availability, plus processing fees on CC purchases. Can be purchased in person beginning at 4:00PM

Please bring a trick-or-treat bag, if you forget we will have some available! Walking to the event is encouraged as parking is limited. Scholarships available, please call our office at 878-1375.

If you are a business or community group that would like to participate in the event or pumpkin carving, please fill out the form below click here.

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Email: hiawathaoffice@ewsd.org