News and events

August 18, 2026

Hello Hoover Families,

We are officially 3 weeks out until the first day of our 2026-2027 school year! Summer is not quite over yet, though, so we hope you all still have lots of fun summer days, soaking in the sun and making memories as a family.

Our family has been busy, as always, this summer! Our oldest, Ian, graduated from the College of St. Scholastica, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology. He is currently working as a medical assistant at a vascular clinic and has applied to medical school. Ian also moved home, so it has been nice to have him around again. Our grocery bill is much higher now! 😂 Kalla is starting her junior year at the University of MN-Duluth, majoring in Biology and minoring in Art. She has started an etymology club because, well, she loves bugs (she has two African millipedes and a spider for pets). And our youngest, Emmitt, will be finishing his last year in middle school as an 8th-grader. He has been working hard as a junior black belt in taekwondo and passing time with his other hobbies: gaming and garage-sale shopping. My husband, Kevin, and I have really tried to slow down and make time for those family moments because time goes by so fast, and our kids are too! 🥰

We have been busy here at Hoover, preparing for another year of crazy, creative thinking, learning, and fun for our students, staff, and families. Please take a moment to review the content of this newsletter and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Best,

Mrs. Strusz

P.S. - Did you know that you can access all of our Hoover Family Updates Smore Newsletter on our school website at https://hoover.ahschools.us/about-us/news? Scroll down to the bottom and locate the E-newsletter archive for this year and previous years' newsletters.

Important Information about Classroom Teacher Assignments:

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to share a quick update regarding classroom teacher assignments.

Our school team works hard to create balanced, supportive classroom environments where every student can thrive. Please keep in mind that class rosters and student placements remain fluid over the next few weeks leading up to the first day of school. Student numbers, enrollment changes, transfers, and specific learning needs continuously evolve right up until school begins, which often requires us to adjust rosters and staff assignments behind the scenes.

We appreciate your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we navigate these final summer adjustments to ensure the best possible learning experience for all of our students!

E-Bikes and E-Scooters Information for Students and Families:

With the increased use of E-Bikes and E-Scooters in our community, Anoka County has provided information for families to be aware of, including definitions of E-Bikes and E-Scooters and the rules/guidelines for student use. Please take the time to review this with your student(s).

• https://www.anokacountymn.gov/m/NewsFlash/Home/Detail/2712

At Hoover, we want to remind students that if they are riding bikes/scooters to and from school, they should follow these rules:

• Park bikes/scooters in the provided bike racks
• Walk bikes/scooters once on school sidewalks (refrain from riding them on sidewalks when students/staff are present to avoid collisions/injuries)
• Be safe!

Club Carwash Back-to-School Weekend Event:Club Carwash is reaching out to support our local schools, and Hoover Elementary is one of them. They are hosting a "wash weekend" to support the community and students as they return to school. The event will take place Friday, August 28th through Sunday, August 30th. They will be running a $5.00 wash, with $1.00 from each purchase going directly back to the school. There's also a chance for students/families to nominate their favorite teacher/staff member for a chance to win a $5,000 gift card!

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday, September 2nd, 4:30-6:00 pm - Open House
• Tuesday, September 8th - First Day of School for 1st-5th Grade Students
• Tuesday, September 8th & Wednesday, September 9th - Individually Scheduled Kindergarten Conferences (Kindergarten families will receive a separate email with information for signing up for the one-on-one conferences)
• Thursday, September 10th - Kindergarten students with last names starting with A-L attend school
• Friday, September 11th - Kindergarten students with last names starting with M-Z attend school
• Monday, September 14th - ALL Kindergarten students attend school
• Monday, September 14th, 6:45-7:30 pm - PTO Meeting (in-person or virtual available)
• Tuesday, September 15th, 5:30-7:00 pm - Gr 4 & 5 Family Welcome Night
• Thursday, September 17th - PTO Back-to-School Bingo Night
• Wednesday, September 30th - Fall School Pictures (a flyer will be sent home with more info)

Who: K-5 Students and Their Families

What: Hoover's Open House

When: Wednesday, September 2nd from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Where: Hoover Elementary School

Why: To meet your teachers, drop off school supplies, and more!

Start in the cafeteria, where you will pick up your classroom teacher assignment, visit your classroom and teacher, drop off your supplies, and pick up your student's Take Home Folder filled with important school info to review. There will also be opportunities to check out other community partners.

2026-2027 School Supplies List

What to expect the first week of school:

Anoka-Hennepin has a tradition of hosting a “Welcome Week” for kindergarten students, to ensure each student has the time and opportunity to focus on new experiences. The goal is to ensure all students and families get off to a strong start.

Schedule an individual meeting with your child’s teacher on Sept. 8th or Sept. 9th:

Families will be invited to schedule a one-on-one opportunity to meet your Kindergarten teacher, drop off school supplies and familiarize your child with their new classroom. These meetings will be scheduled in 30-minute time slots and will be offered on Tuesday, September 8th, and Wednesday, September 9th. Classroom teacher information and a link to sign up for the 30-minute meetings will be sent separately via email to kindergarten families the week of August 18th. There is no school for kindergarten students on these two days.

School begins in a phased approach on Sept. 10th or Sept. 11th:

This means that half of the students will attend school on Thursday, Sept. 10th, and the other half of the students will attend school on Friday, Sept. 11th. Schedules are determined by site based on alphabet and number of students at Hoover:

• Thursday, Sept. 10th: Students with last names A-L attend in person.

• Friday, Sept. 11th: Students with last names M-Z attend in person.
  
  

Welcoming smaller groups of students provides your child’s teacher the ability to provide individualized attention as they introduce students to classroom and school routines such as arrival and dismissal procedures; schedules for small group and full class activities; introductions with physical education, music, art, media center, technology, and science teachers; and school lunch routines.

All kindergarten students attend school together beginning Monday, September 14th:

Again, Kindergarten teacher and class assignments will be sent out the week of August 18th, via email. Open House for all K-5 students will be on Wednesday, September 2nd from 4:30-6:00 pm. Students in 1st-5th grade will find out their teacher and class assignments at Open House.

This was our 5th summer providing your child with a Summer Express Activity Book from Scholastic, funded by Title I.

These colorful, fun-filled activity books feature 10 weeks of engaging activities that target vocabulary, reading, writing, phonics, grammar, math, and more. Each week, students have an incentive chart with a sticker and a certificate for you to award your child for their weekly progress.

We encourage you to discuss the activities with your child while they are solving the problems or after they finish. They align with key concepts to prepare your child for their next year of learning and support key Minnesota standards.

Students can bring their completed workbooks/certificates to school when they are back and give them to their teacher. Students will be celebrated by having their name posted in the main hallway.

We hope you and your child enjoy the summer and the Summer Express Activity Book!

Planning to attend a field trip with your child during the 26-27 school year? Wanting to help in their classroom? Maybe help at an event? Get your volunteer application and background check completed right away to avoid delays and possible disqualification from attending field trips with your child or helping at events! Getting this done right away at the beginning of the year helps you to avoid any possible complications when the time comes that you are ready to volunteer.

Beginning July 1st, 2026, individuals, including those that completed paperwork for the 25-26 school year, that would like to volunteer for the 2026-2027 school year will need to complete a new volunteer application and criminal record history release form for each school they volunteer for.

Curious what type of volunteer opportunities we have at Hoover? Click HERE to see the needs we have in the Fall when we return to school.

Please contact Beth Berzelius , VSC, at beth.berzelius@ahschools.us with any questions.

Hoover PTO would love for our families to be a part of the fun and planning this school year! ALL parents/guardians are welcome to join our PTO. Please check them out on the Hoover PTO Facebook page and like/follow them to learn more about what's going on! PTO also has a website with additional information. Please bookmark our PTO's website and check it for updates.

Also, please like/follow our Hoover Elementary Facebook page too!

Another option is to go to https://www.boxtops4education.com/ to learn more about downloading the app to scan receipts for box tops for Hoover Elementary.