Husky Herald

As we close out the first nine weeks of the school year, we want to thank our families for your continued support and partnership. It has been a busy and exciting start to the year, and we are proud of the hard work and growth we have seen from our students.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to everyone who attended Parent-Teacher Conferences. Taking the time to meet with your child’s teacher, discuss academic progress, celebrate successes, and identify areas for continued growth is an important part of helping every student succeed.

As we begin the second nine weeks, we look forward to continuing to work together to support our students academically, socially, and emotionally. Thank you for being involved, staying connected, and being such an important part of our Hunter Street Husky family. We are excited to see what our students accomplish next!

Every child develops at a different pace. If your child is struggling with reading, writing, math, or fine motor skills, there are simple ways you can provide extra practice at home. Even 10–15 minutes of focused practice each day can help reinforce skills being taught at school.

5K–1st Grade

📚 Reading

• Read with your child every day and talk about what happened in the story.

• Practice letter names and the sounds letters make.

• Have your child blend sounds together to read simple words, such as cat, sit, or mop.

• Practice high-frequency words that your child is learning at school.

• Ask your child to retell a familiar story in their own words.

• When your child gets stuck on a word, encourage them to look at the letters and sounds instead of immediately telling them the word.

✏️ Writing

• Practice writing first and last names using correct letter formation.

• Encourage your child to draw a picture and write a sentence about it.

• Have your child stretch out words and write the sounds they hear.

• Practice forming uppercase and lowercase letters correctly.

• Encourage writing during everyday activities, such as making a grocery list, writing a note, or labeling a picture.

🔢 Math

• Practice counting forward and backward.

• Count everyday objects such as toys, snacks, coins, or steps.

• Practice recognizing and writing numbers.

• Use small objects to practice simple addition and subtraction.

• Ask questions such as, “You have 5 crackers and eat 2. How many are left?”

• Practice identifying shapes and comparing objects by size, length, or quantity.

2nd–4th Grade

📚 Reading

• Have your child read for at least 15–20 minutes each day.

• Ask questions about what they read: Who? What happened? Why did it happen? What was the main or central idea?

• Ask your child to summarize what they read in their own words.

• Encourage your child to go back into the text to find evidence for an answer.

• Discuss unfamiliar words and use context clues to determine their meanings.

• Take turns reading aloud to build fluency and confidence.

✏️ Writing

• Encourage your child to keep a journal or write about something that happened during the day.

• Practice writing complete sentences with capitalization and punctuation.

• Ask your child to add details to explain their thinking.

• Have your child reread their writing and check: “Does this make sense?”

• Practice organizing writing with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

• Encourage writing for real purposes, such as letters, lists, directions, stories, or thank-you notes.

🔢 Math

• Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts appropriate for your child’s grade level.

• Use real-life math while cooking, shopping, telling time, or working with money.

• Ask your child to explain how they solved a problem, not just give the answer.

• Practice word problems and have your child identify what the problem is asking.

• Use drawings, number lines, objects, or other strategies when a problem is difficult.

• Review skills that have already been taught rather than moving ahead to unfamiliar concepts.

✂️ Fine Motor Skills: 5K–4th Grade

Fine motor skills support handwriting, cutting, manipulating classroom materials, and many everyday tasks. If your child struggles with these skills, try:

• Playing with Play-Doh or modeling clay by squeezing, rolling, pinching, and shaping.

• Using child-safe scissors to cut along straight, curved, and zigzag lines.

• Building with LEGO bricks or other small building materials.

• Stringing beads, cereal, or pasta onto string.

• Using tweezers or tongs to pick up and sort small objects.

• Completing puzzles and coloring activities.

• Practicing buttons, zippers, snaps, and tying shoes.

• Drawing, tracing, and completing mazes.

• Using clothespins to strengthen fingers and hands.

• Limiting pressure for perfect handwriting and focusing first on correct pencil grip, letter formation, and control.

Remember: Encourage, Don’t Overwhelm

Keep practice short, positive, and consistent. Celebrate effort and improvement, even when the skill is still difficult. If you are concerned about your child’s progress, reach out to your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher can share what skills are currently being taught, suggest activities that match your child’s needs, and help you determine the best ways to support learning at home.

When families and schools work together, our Huskies grow stronger! 🐾

If your child's teacher contacts you regarding extra intervention, enrichment, or extension support between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m., please know this is an important step in ensuring we meet your child's individual needs. Families participating in this support time may skip the car rider line, park in the large parking lot, and walk their child into the lobby so they can report directly to class at 7:15 a.m.. We appreciate your partnership as we work together to provide every student with the support and opportunities they need to thrive.

The Education Oversight Committee has created easy-to-read guides for parents that explain the South Carolina Standards in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies for every grade level. These guides outline what your child is expected to learn throughout the school year. Keep in mind that the standards represent end-of-year learning goals. Take a look to learn more about what your child is studying in school.

We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful PTO at Hunter Street! The support, time, and dedication of our PTO make a tremendous difference in the experiences we are able to provide for our students and teachers. Every dollar raised through the PTO goes directly back to our Hunter Street students and staff. Just last year, the PTO purchased a brand-new basketball court and new basketballs, helped cover the cost of field trips to keep expenses lower for our families, provided monthly birthday lunches for students, purchased Fun Run T-shirts, treated students to special themed snacks, supplied classrooms with much-needed materials, supported the Pork Chop Productions play for our students, and provided snacks for Valentine's Day parties in every classroom. These are just a few examples of the many ways our PTO gives back to our school community. We are incredibly grateful for everything our PTO does to make Hunter Street an even more exciting and supportive place for our students to learn and grow!

Our next PTO meeting will be held on October 15th at 2:45 p.m. We would love to see our Hunter Street families there! Your involvement and support help make all of these wonderful opportunities possible for our students.

All bus information (route number, bus stop times, etc) will be communicated to parents through Parent Portal a few days before school begins.

MyRideK12 by Traversa is the easiest way for York School District One families to stay connected with their student’s bus ride. With this free mobile app, parents and guardians can quickly check bus stop locations, route details, and even see when the bus is scheduled to arrive. It’s all about giving you peace of mind and helping your student get to and from school safely. Download MyRideK12 today on your Apple or Android device and stay in the know—wherever you go!

ParentSquare brings together district, school, and classroom communication in one place—making it easier for you to stay informed and connected.

With ParentSquare, families can receive updates via email, text, and the free mobile app. You’ll be able to view calendar events and announcements, send and receive messages, and more—all in your preferred language. Families will notice many familiar features from Remind, along with new capabilities that support stronger communication with your child’s school.

Parent Square now allows parents to submit parent notes for attendance excuses through the ParentSquare App. We are already receiving many notes using ParentSquare. Check it out!

To learn more about ParentSquare and view resources for the transition from Remind, please visit york.k12.sc.us/Back2School. There you’ll find links to a Getting Started Guide and helpful tips for families.

Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to student success. Each school day provides valuable learning opportunities, and arriving on time helps students begin their day prepared, focused, and ready to learn.

Our doors open at 7:15 a.m., and instruction begins promptly at 7:45 a.m. Students arriving after 7:45 a.m. are considered tardy and may miss important morning routines, classroom instruction, and opportunities to connect with their teachers and classmates.

In addition, we offer support services beginning at 7:15 a.m. for students who may need extra academic assistance. Arriving early allows students to take advantage of these valuable resources and start their day on the right foot.

We recognize the importance of family time and the lasting memories that are created through vacations and shared experiences. We also understand that many family opportunities arise throughout the school year.

To support both family engagement and student learning, we have provided a calendar highlighting suggested vacation periods when students will miss the least amount of instructional time. Our goal is to help families make informed scheduling decisions while minimizing disruptions to student learning.

If you need to update your contact information, emergency contacts, or your child's medical information at any time during the school year you will need to make those changes directly in FINAL FORMS. Please keep your login information for Final Forms so that you may access it during the school year.

South Carolina law requires every K-12 public school to have a School Improvement Council (SIC) that meets regularly. The SIC is composed of parents, teachers, and community members who work together to support the school's growth and success.

Parents serving on the SIC are nominated and elected by the parents of students attending the school, while teachers are nominated and elected by their fellow faculty members.

Established more than 45 years ago under South Carolina law, School Improvement Councils provide an important opportunity for parents, community members, and school staff to collaborate in the continuous improvement of our schools, ensuring the best possible educational experience for all students.

The vision of the SC School Improvement Council is:

"To promote and support civic engagement for quality public education in South Carolina.”

The mission of the SC School Improvement Council is:

"To facilitate meaningful parent and community involvement in our state’s public schools by providing resources, tools and strategies to local School Improvement Councils and other stakeholder groups."

We would love for you to get involved with our HSES School Improvement Council (SIC)! If you are interested in serving on the council, please contact Mrs. Montgomery at hemontgomery@york.k12.sc.us.

October 5-9

• Intersession Week- No School for Students

November 3

• Election Day- No School

November 11

• 1/2 Day for Students (Early Release Day for Professional Development and Collaboration). Students dismiss at 11:30 am

November 25-27

• Thanksgiving Break- No School

December 18

• 1/2 Day with dismissal at 11:30 am

December 21-January 4

• Winter Break

Third grade is a critical year for our students as they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. We are committed to supporting your child’s reading development and helping them succeed. Below are key details about the Read to Succeed Act and how it impacts third-grade reading expectations.

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Why Third Grade Reading Matters

Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is essential for your child’s academic success. At this stage, students use reading skills to learn other subjects like math, science, and social studies. Developing fluency and comprehension now lays the foundation for future learning and success.

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The Read to Succeed Act

The Read to Succeed Act ensures that all students gain the reading skills necessary for college, career, or military readiness. The law requires that third-grade students who do not demonstrate reading proficiency—scoring Does Not Meet Expectations on the SC Ready reading assessment—be retained for additional support.

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Good Cause Exemptions

Students who qualify for specific Good Cause Exemptions may still be promoted to fourth grade. These exemptions include:

· Limited English proficiency (fewer than two years of English instruction).

· Disabilities requiring alternative assessments or interventions (as outlined in their IEP).

· Receiving reading interventions for two years and previously being retained.

· Demonstrating reading proficiency on an approved alternative assessment.

Please contact your school if you believe your child may qualify for an exemption.

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Summer Reading Camp (SRC)

Students who do not meet the required reading level by the end of third grade will be invited to attend Summer Reading Camp. This program offers intensive, small-group instruction to help students strengthen their reading skills. Successful completion of the camp could lead to promotion to fourth grade.

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How We Support Your Child

We are committed to helping every student become a confident, independent reader through:

· Additional instructional time focused on literacy.

· Small-group and individualized reading interventions.

· Specialized teacher training provided by literacy coaches.

We also monitor progress regularly and communicate results to keep you informed.

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How You Can Help at Home

Your involvement is key to your child’s reading success. Here’s how you can help:

· Read Together Daily: Encourage your child to read aloud and ask questions like, “What happened in the story?” or “Why do you think that happened?”

· Communicate with Teachers: Stay in touch with your child’s teacher about their progress.

· Use School Resources: We’re here to provide tools and materials to support your child’s reading journey at home.

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By working together, we can make this year a success for your child. If you have questions or need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.

Thank you for partnering with us to make third grade a year of growth and learning!