8/29

We are excited to open our doors on Tuesday for the First Day of School! Nothing beats the energy & excitement in the building those first couple of days :)
Schools Hingham-wide will be hoping to stock the shelves of the Hingham Food Pantry...please consider donating items to help those in need! Details within the flyer below, we'll have a collection box here at East throughout next week.

Parents are reminded to visit the Aspen portal and complete the yearly sign-offs and recognition (review contact information, handbook review, photo release, etc) within the first week or two of school.

Please let us know if there's something you need for the first few days of school!

- Mr. Hawes

Below you'll find all-things back-to-school related, please let us know if we've missed anything:

All HPS families are encouraged to use the Aspen Family portal. Parents will have access to assign & confirm contact information, review student report cards (published in January and June), retrieve classroom teacher assignments, and complete typical beginning-of-year authorizations (photo release, handbook sign-off, etc.)

For new families, registration links and account setup information was sent out on earlier this summer. For families with students already enrolled in HPS, your Kindergarten student's information should be populated into your family's page.

https://www.hinghamschools.org/page/family-portal

For all-things Food Services, please visit the link below:

Thinking of volunteering at East this school year? Hopefully the answer is yes! If so, now is a good time to check your CORI status with the school. A CORI check is required with each organization you volunteer for (i.e. if you're a coach through the town Rec department they require their own, separate CORI check). Stop in to the East front office and Karen Mariani can look up your status (a new CORI check is required every three years) and help facilitate the process.

At the 2025 Town Meeting, the town approved Article 33, which called for the formation of the 2025 School Building Committee. The committee will consist of seven members and will focus on replacing the roofs and upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system at Hingham High School, as well as replacing the roofs at Plymouth River Elementary School and South Elementary School. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please complete the Talent Bank Application by September 19, 2025, and indicate “School Building Committee” as your area of interest. Applicant interviews will be scheduled shortly after the deadline, with the goal of appointing the committee by October 27, 2025. For more information about the selection process, responsibilities, and timeline, please visit the Hingham Public Schools website: https://www.hinghamschools.org/.

East Elementary uses PickUp Patrol as our hub for communicating all absences, transportation, dismissal/arrival notifications, and other parent needs with our Main Office and staff. Parents can set default transportation/dismissal changes, add notes or reminders to our staff regarding pickup changes and PickUp Patrol will generate a report for us each day to ensure we get your kiddos where they need to be...all from your phone!

It is important that parents of Kids In Action before & after-care students set their preferences for Pick Up Patrol (ex. if your student is scheduled for KIA on Wednesday but you'd like them to take the bus that day, PickUp Patrol needs to be updated. If no changes are made, they will be signed in to KIA).

PickUp Patrol provides parents with easy-to-use setup directions within the PDF below. We expect PickUp Patrol to be ready and updated for the start of school. If parents need assistance with setup after August 31st, please contact kmariani@hinghamschools.org or enelson@hinghamschools.org.

Please join us on September 3rd (sessions beginning at 9:15, more info coming soon) for Kindergarten Orientation! You will get to hear information about the year's academics and social learning opportunities, explore the classroom space, and ask questions of your teachers before their first day of school (Kindergarten starts on 9/4).

During this session, our transportation department will be arranging for students students to experience a trip on the school bus with a quick drive around the neighborhood to review some initial bus safety and expectations. Save the date!

In the coming school year, some of our grade levels will be joining the district-wide pilot program for new math curriculum. Grades K, 2, and 4 will be piloting Bridges Math (a Math Learning Center product). Our educators will be working to get up-to-speed during the summer and we will be beginning this program in September. We invite you to explore this program here (https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/curriculum/bridges-mathematics) and will have curriculum guides and updates throughout the year for parents to familiarize themselves if they wish.

Please note: Grades 1, 3, and 5 will continue to use the Everyday Mathematics program

Have questions or need assistance? Reach out to us!
Jonathan Hawes, Principal: jhawes@hinghamschools.org
Dr. Amanda Donovan, Assistant Principal: adonovan@hinghamschools.org
Karen Mariani, Administrative Assistant: kmariani@hinghamschools.org

Elisa Nelson, Administrative Assistant: enelson@hinghamschools.org
Tel: (781) 741-1570