HOD Family Newsletter

Dear HOD Families,

Happy New Year! We hope your family enjoyed a restful, cozy winter break filled with special moments together. We were so happy to Bee back together as a school community and to close out 2025 with our Annual Sing Along….what a joyful way to celebrate the season!

As we settle into the winter months, there is lots of buzz around HOD. This January, we look forward to welcoming prospective families for our PK Information Night and beginning Kindergarten Registration for the upcoming school year. Please remember that school will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 19th.

Finally, Kindergarten report cards will be issued at the end of the month. More details will be shared as we get closer.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we head into the heart of winter together. We are excited for a month full of learning, growth, and Bee-ing Respectful and Responsible!

Best, Kristen Giffune

…..And All of Us Here at HOD!

~ Tuesday, January 6th

Kindergarten Registration Opens - see details below

~ Wednesday, January 7th

PTO Meeting - FK Library - 7pm

~ Friday, January 9th

Patriots Spirit Day

~Monday, January 19th

No School ~ Martin Luther King Day

~ Friday, January 23

Family Heritage Night - Freeman Kennedy at 6:00 - 8:00 pm

~ Wednesday, January 28th

* Noon Dismissal - Teacher Professional Development

* Pizzeria Uno Fundraiser - Bellingham Location - see more information below

~ Friday, January 30th

Kindergarten Report Cards Issued electronically at 4:00 pm

Click on the following link for instructions for viewing your child's report card.

iParent Tutorial

Students and staff are encouraged to show their

school or team spirit by wearing

Patriots gear, or red, white and blue,

or their favorite sports-themed clothing

as we cheer on the Patriots for Sunday’s AFC Wild Card

playoff game at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Participation is optional.

Kindergarten information and

the online registration form can be accessed

by clicking on the following BUTTONS:

Dear Families/Caregivers,

Welcome back and cheers to a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year! I hope you had a wonderful, restful holiday, connecting with family and friends. I hope you are feeling rested and ready to enter 2026 with hope, optimism, and a renewed commitment to goals.

Below please find a brief description and overview of our iCare initiative.

Happy New Year!

Dr. Anna Eberwein-Tupper

Director of Student Support Services

Entering the New Year kicks off our Disability Awareness Initiative called Introducing Children to Acceptance through Reading and Education or better known as “iCare.” iCare helps to create an inclusive school community where kindness, acceptance, and inclusion are promoted. This is accomplished through classroom readings and discussion which foster a culture where every person, regardless of ability, is recognized for their strengths.

iCARE utilizes classroom readings to create a friendly, safe environment where family volunteers read a selected book and where thoughtful questions can be asked and answered by your student and other students in your child’s classroom. To facilitate classroom discussion, family volunteers participate in a training and are provided with questions and answers related to each book. Every family reader is supported by the classroom teacher and at times by the school adjustment counselors, Mr. Drogan and Ms. Longley. Selected book titles include topics that may range from general differences to more specific disabilities (like autism, ADHD, or specific learning disabilities).

This year, to support the iCare, books on general disabilities were selected.

The following book titles were selected by our educators and administrators. They include:

• Preschool: It’s OK To Be Different by Todd Parr

• Kindergarten: Accept and Value Each Person by Cheryl Meiners

• First Grade: A Rainbow of Friends by P.K. Hallinan

• Second Grade: Uniquely Me by Tracey Wilson

• Third Grade: Uniquely Brave by Tracey Wilson

• Fourth Grade: Just Ask: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor

• Fifth Grade: Rick’s Story - The Story of Rick Hoyt by Sherrie Ninteau

• Sixth Grade: I am not a Label by Cerrie Burnell

Your child will have a family reader scheduled once during the months of January or February. Additional book selections on Disability Awareness are available through the libraries at HOD and FK. The iCare books have been purchased to commemorate Mrs. Linda Balfour’s years of professional service to the Norfolk Public Schools as an inclusion pioneer.

We are excited to join the many schools in Massachusetts who promote a caring, kind, accepting community of learners through the iCare Program! Feel free to contact Dr. Anna Eberwein-Tupper/Director of Student Support Services for more information on the iCare Disability Awareness Program (tupper@norfolk.k12.ma.us).

Thank you to Andrew Barker at NCTV for filming our wonderful holiday sing-along!

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.

Click the yellow bars below for more details.

Click the yellow bars below for more details.

Lunch Menus

Click on the snowflake for January menu

Dear HOD Families,

As the cold weather season begins please keep the following points in mind when sending your child to school.

• Students should bring a light weight jacket or sweater to wear in class in case they get cold, especially if they are wearing short sleeves.
• We go outside for recess even in the winter as long as the temperature is 20 degrees F or above, so students should dress accordingly, including a hat and gloves/mittens.
• If there is snow on the ground students must stay on the blacktop unless they are wearing snow pants and boots.
• If you child is prone to chapped lips, you may send a chapstick with your child.

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.

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

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

Click on the button below for more information about the PTO