Huntington Herald

February is flying by, and our halls are full of learning, laughter, and a little extra kindness! This month, we’re celebrating friendship, teamwork, and all the ways our Huntington Elementary students shine each day. Thank you to our amazing families for your continued support—you help make our school such a warm and wonderful place to be. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and heart-filled February!

🎉 Teacher of the Year: Krista Fink
Ms. Fink brings creativity, curiosity, and innovation to life every day in our STEAM classroom. Her passion for hands-on learning and art inspires our students to think big, explore boldly, and never stop asking “why?” We are so proud to recognize her amazing impact on our school!

📚 Support Staff Person of the Year: Felicia Voelz
Our wonderful library paraprofessional, Ms. Voelz, is a true gem. From fostering a love of reading to supporting students and staff with a smile, her dedication and kindness make our library a welcoming place for all.

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Fink and Ms. Voelz on these well-deserved honors. Huntington Elementary is lucky to have such outstanding educators supporting our students every day!

Nicole M. Muñoz

Principal

Theresa Sexton-Grunwald

Administrative Assistant to the Principal

Huntington Elementary School

17752 Kennebec

Riverview, Mi. 48193

734-283-4820 ext -2​ ​

AARGH!!!

tsexton-grunwald@riverviewschools.com

JANUARY

29th Boy's event

FEBRUARY

11th Spring Count Day

11th Pirates Wear blue to support our crew! $1

12th Elementary/Middle School Early Release- Conferences

13-16th NO SCHOOL – Mid Winter Break

20th Girls Event

MARCH

5th Spring Book Fair, Family Literacy Night and Art Showcase 5-7pm

6th Early Release - End of Trimester 2

9th Trimester 3 Begins

18th Kindergarten and 1st grade Concert 5pm

20th Hall of Fame Banquet

30th NO SCHOOL – Spring Break Begins

APRIL

3rd Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

6th Classes Resume

21st 4th and 5th grade Concert 5pm

23rd Administrative Assistant Day

28th- May 1st 5th Grade Camp

MAY

1st Principals Day

8th Color Run

3rd Chalk the walk

5th-9th Staff appreciation week

22nd Field Day

25th NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)

JUNE

3rd 5th Grade Send off

5th LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Early Release

2/20 Girls Event

2/6 Marcos Dining for Dollars (11am-1am)

Dear Families and Caregivers:

We love having your student at school! Their curiosity and joy bring life to our school community. Being at school every day helps students stay connected, confident and on track in their learning.

As we head into the winter months, we know snow, rain, and seasonal illnesses like colds, flu, fevers and earaches can sometimes make it harder to get to school.

While some absences are unavoidable, every missed day, including excused absences, interrupts the routine of learning and makes it harder for students to feel engaged and connected.

Here are some ways to keep your child healthy and in school this winter:

1. Develop back up plans for getting your student to school. If you can’t take them to school, see who else can give them a ride, or form a “walking school bus” to walk to school or the school bus stop with other families. (

2. If your student gets sick or you are not sure whether to keep them home or send them to school, talk to your child’s medical provider or the school nurse for advice.

3. Look for signs of stress or anxiety. If you feel that anxiety or stress is playing a role, talk to your student’s teacher, the school nurse or counselor, or your medical provider about how best to support your child.

4. Promote healthy habits. Encourage handwashing, good sleep, healthy meals, daily exercise and plenty of fluids.

5. Prevent the spread of germs. Remind children not to share cups or utensils with others.

6. Dress your student for the cold weather. If you need help with coats, hats, or gloves, please call the school.

7. Stay connected if your student must be home. If illness keeps your child out for more than a day or two, contact your child’s teacher for learning materials so they don’t fall behind.

We know winter can be tough, but showing up matters

Thank you for partnering with us!

We are truly in the heart of winter, and it has certainly been a cold one! While the snow and winter weather can be enjoyable, many families, including my own, have also been experiencing a wave of seasonal illnesses. We are seeing an increase in colds, flu, and other common winter bugs, which can unfortunately lead to missed school days and learning opportunities.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a simple article this month that offers helpful reminders about easy, everyday ways to support children’s health and well-being during the winter season. Small steps can make a big difference in keeping our students feeling their best and ready to learn.

I hope you and your families are staying warm, healthy, and finding moments to enjoy the snow and chilly days we’ve had, and may still have, ahead this winter.

Sincerely, Mrs. Jones, Huntington School Social Worker

How to keep your kids healthy during the school season

Doctors say parents should address two important hygiene routines at home.

By Sasha Jones • Published August 25, 2025 • Updated on August 25, 2025 at 5:57 pm

The kids are back to school, and that could mean trips back to the doctor as illnesses start to spread throughout the household.

“But it's very important that parents know that young kids get sick, and that is normal” said Tatiana Charry, the director of Pacesetter Academy in Miramar.

Most schools have built routines into their schedule to help keep the spread of illnesses down.

“Each classroom has hand sanitizer. Every time they come, the teachers sanitize their hands, kids as well,” Charry said. Teachers encourage students to wash their hands regularly and use tissues whenever needed.

Teachers are good about cleaning and wiping down toys and sanitizing commonly used items, she said, and when students are sick, they have strict policies in place that dictate whether a child will need to go home. “If he or she is presenting with fever, running nose, stomach flu, those are symptoms that we encourage parents not to bring to school,” Charry said.

Dr. Charlyn Emmanuel with Emmanuel Pediatrics said parents should address two important hygiene routines, first is handwashing. According to the CDC, to properly wash your hands, you should apply soap and scrub your hands together for 20 seconds. That’s about twice the length of the "Happy Birthday" song.

Next, address anxious behavior like repeatedly putting hands in the mouth, “It's just something that they do for self-soothing. So maybe replacing this with a teddy bear, a lovey, or something that keeps their hands occupied, something they can put their hands on can help to get rid of that habit,” Dr. Emmanuel said.

Also, making sure your child gets a balanced diet and enough sleep is vital for the immune system to ward off illness, she said. “Nutrition can be very difficult with the younger ones. But if you think that your child is not having a very good, nutritious, balanced diet, you can supplement with multivitamins because the immune system does need a lot of vitamins and minerals to function optimally,” Dr. Emmanuel said.

On average, kids will get sick at least six times during the school year, she said.

School Hours are from 8:35 – 3:20

Students may not be dropped off more than 10 minutes before school starts.

Breakfast begins at 8:10. If students are dropped off at this time, he/she must go to breakfast.

School ends at 3:20. At 3:35, 15 minutes after school ends, all students should be off school grounds (including the playground). We have had too many incidents where students have not been picked up and we are not aware of the situation until all students have left which could be ½ hour after school has ended.

Middle School students are not permitted to pick up their siblings from the elementary school. We had far too many incidents last year with extremely inappropriate language used as well as disrespectful behavior towards our parents waiting to pick up their students.

All students who have siblings at the MS and need to be picked up by MS students, will be walked by Huntington Safeties to a Meeting Spot at the MS after school. K-2 will meet their safety in the front lobby. 3-5 will meet their safety in the hallway behind the cafeteria, in front of the Maintenance Office. They will then leave with their siblings through the MS Auditorium Doors.

- For the safety of our students, NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED during drop off and pick up of students while you are standing outside.

* Any medications students need to take during school (either prescription or over the counter) must be kept in our office and you must have the medication forms completed. Medication form can be picked up in the office. If your child will need to take medication at school, use an inhaler, or if there is the possibility of your child needing over-the-counter medication, please have your Doctor fill out and sign the form. As the parent/guardian, you will sign it as well. Lastly, please turn the form into the office with the medication in the original labeled bottle/box.

- Please make sure you call our attendance line ahead of time (283-4820, #1) and leave a message when your child(ren) will be tardy or absent. Leave a brief message as to reason.

It is IMPORTANT that you keep the office and your powerschool account updated of any phone #, email or address changes throughout the year AND you check your emails for important school related issues coming from Huntington office or the Superintendent

If your child has a fever they MUST be fever free for 24 hours before returning back to school.

Always check your child's daily school folder for anything sent home from teacher or office; or things that require your completion. Please make a habit to check your Schoology account also.

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

* PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR UNATTENDED IN OUR DROP OFF LANE (or in the striped areas)! NO STOPPING/STANDING/PARKING is allowed! Signs are posted. You may not stop your car and wait for your child to come to you in the driveway/entryway to our school. We need to keep traffic flowing. This blocks cars from being able to enter our parking lot and causes major issues on Kennebec.

Please park your car in designated spots and make sure you are there walking your child to and from your car. Students should not be allowed to walk across street to your parked car on Kennebec (accidents have occurred). Please meet your child at the playground or sidewalk.

Hi Huntington Parents & Families,

Did you know that those Box Tops you collect can make a BIG difference for our school? It's easier than ever to help raise money for Huntington with Box Tops! Join the fun and start collecting Box Tops today! It's a simple way to support our school while making your shopping more enjoyable. You can scan and earn money for Huntington!

Here's how to get involved:

1. Scanning: Use the Box Tops app to scan the boxes and earn cash!

Spread the word and encourage your friends and neighbors to participate too! Together, we can make a huge impact on Huntington Elementary.

Thank you for your support!

"Let's make Huntington even better, one Box Top at a time!"

The Kroger Family of Companies is committed to community engagement, positive social impact and charitable giving at the national and local levels. Every community is unique, but our common goal is to partner with the neighborhoods we serve and help the people there live healthier lives.

One of the ways in which we do this is through our Kroger Community Rewards program. This program makes fundraising easy by donating to local organizations based on the shopping you do every day. Once you link your Card to an organization, all you have to do is shop at Kroger and swipe your Shopper’s Card. Here’s how it works:

1. Create a digital account.

A digital account is needed to participate in Kroger Community Rewards. If you already have a digital account, simply link your Shopper’s Card to your account so that all transactions apply toward the organization you choose.

2. Link your Card to an organization.

Selecting the organization that you wish to support is as simple as updating the Kroger Community Rewards selection on your digital account.

1. Sign in to your digital account.

2. Search for your organization here.

3. Enter the name Huntington Elementary

4. Select the our school from the list and click “Save”.

Huntington will also display in the Kroger Community Rewards section of your account.

3. Huntington earns.

Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you. Kroger donates annually to our school based on your percentage of spending as it relates to the total spending associated with all participating Kroger Community Rewards organizations.

If you have any questions, please contact Kroger's Customer Service Center.

Healthy eating is important at every age – and can be done on a budget. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. When deciding what to eat or drink, choose options that are full of nutrients and limited in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Click here for some MyPlate tip

To volunteer in any capacity within the Riverview Community Schools, the link below for the VOLUNTEER CONSENT FORM must be completed.

• Must be completed at least 2-weeks prior to the event
• Must be done annually!!!!
  • Valid for the entire school year (you only need to complete once - not for each event)
  • Applies to all your students in the district