Harding Elementary Newsletter

April is upon us with wet weather and warmer temperatures. As we begin to warm up, students in grades 3-5 are warming up for PSSA testing at the end of April and into May.

The PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) is a standards-based assessment administered in all Pennsylvania public schools. Students will receive a score in one of four levels: Advanced, Proficient, Basic and Below Basic. The PSSA is an opportunity for your child to showcase their strengths and assist our school with the planning of curriculum and instruction to best support your child(ren).

Testing Dates:

ELA: 4/21 - 4/23

Math: 4/29 - 4/30

Science (5th grade only): 4/27 and 4/28

Please review some of the resources below for more information about PSSA testing.

We ask that all family trips and/or medical appointments are not scheduled during the testing dates and times in order for your child to test within their normal school environment.

An additional newsletter will be sent out to review all PSSA-specific information with families.

Thank you for the support and communication between home and school. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to our office.

Thank you,

Harding Elementary Administration

To ensure all students are successful on the test, please help support your child with the following items:

• Arrive to school on time.
• Attend school daily.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is served every morning.
• Get 8-10 hours of sleep the night before the test.
• Plan appointments and vacations around our PSSA dates.
• Talk to your child about trying their best on the test.

After a few years away, the Harding Yearbook RETURNS at the price of $20 per yearbook! Order forms will be sent home shortly, or you can download and print below. You have two ways to purchase: online or using the order form. Acceptable payment methods using the order form are cash and money order (made out to 'Harding PTO').

SALE ENDS APRIL 15th.

No School from April 1st - April 7th. Students return to school on Wednesday, April 8th

Harding Spelling Bee - Wednesday, April 8th at 6:00 PM in auditorium

District Spelling Bee - Wednesday, April 15th at Southwest Elementary

Wednesday, April 22nd from 6:00-7:30

At Harding Elementary, we place a strong emphasis on safety in our school environment. It is essential that we work together to ensure that our students feel secure, especially during recess. We encourage all students to keep hands and feet to themselves while on the playground. Reinforcing these expectations at home can greatly contribute to a safe play environment. Here are a few examples of how you can promote safety at recess:

·Remind your children to respect others’ personal space

·Encourage them to use kind words and actions during play

·Discuss the importance of following playground rules

·Discuss avoiding games that include play fighting or physical touch

·Reporting incidents to adults immediately

Thank you for your support in fostering a safe and positive environment for our children.

Registration for K4 and K5 classrooms will be available online starting March 6th. Appointments will be made to begin in April. Please look for further information through flyers, postings, or through the Lebanon School District website. If your child is already enrolled in our K4 program, you DO NOT need to register your child for K5 since your child will be simply promoted to one of our K5 classrooms.

On Saturday, March 28th, four of our Harding students participated in PMEA’s Elementary Song Fest at Big Spring Middle School. This year’s participants were Naomi Olalde, Luna Swavely-Ulloa, Ivellisse Andujar, Myah Martinez Reyes. Thank you for representing Harding, and our district, at Songfest this year!

During their annual Portrait of a Cedar celebrations, our 4th and 5th grade students celebrated personal successes. Part of being a Leader, which was this past month's theme, means setting goals for yourself and keeping yourself, as well as others, accountable for the progress. The students celebrated all who reached 100% math fact fluency on our Reflex math program. Congratulations to our students pictured, as well as all of our elementary students, who show leadership qualities every day!

We would like to remind everyone that breakfast is served each morning from 8:35 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. This schedule helps ensure that all students have enough time to enjoy a healthy breakfast and still arrive to class on time, ready to learn. At 9:00, the breakfast door will close, and remain closed, until K4’s designated breakfast at 9:15.

- Ramp doors open at 8:35 for breakfast K5 through Fifth. K4 entry/breakfast is 9:15.

- Door C (6th Street by the light) is for First through Fifth grade.

- Doors G and I (back alley) is for K5 entry.

At Harding Elementary, we strive to stay connected with families through a variety of resources. Here are a few tips to prepare for the school year.

- Make sure phone numbers and email addresses are up to date. The forms to do this will be sent during the first week of school. You may also contact our school office to update information.

- Be sure to have the Seesaw Class app downloaded onto your smartphone (picture shown). The app can connect you to teachers and office staff. Specific class codes will be shared by teachers during the first week of school.

- Like us on Facebook

Attendance matters! Regular attendance is necessary in order for your child to grow academically and socially in school. Please make on-time attendance a top priority this school year. In the event of an illness, medical appointment, or other verified absences, please use turn a slip into the office within three days of the absence. You can drop off your note in person, contact our SAIP Coordinator Emily Carnegie at 717-280-0144, or email our attendance secretary: HD-Attendance@lebanon.k12.pa.us

Mrs. Emerich is our school counselor. She is working on building positive relationships with your child through classroom and small group lessons. Please take a moment to learn more about Mrs. Emerich, or discover mental health resources, by clicking the orange button below.

If you are picking up your child from school early, please remember a form of ID. To ensure student safety, personal identification is necessary upon pick up.

Harding's School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) program is committed to establishing a social culture within our school in which students expect and support appropriate behavior from one another. At Harding, we strive to...

Be Respectful

Be Responsible

Be Safe

Students who show these traits are rewarded with blue tickets from teachers as recognition of their positive character traits. Each week, winners from each class are selected from the collected blue tickets to earn special prizes (see picture).

Our monthly 3:2:1 reward recognizes students who do not have 3 or more minor behavior incidents, 2 or more missing assignments, or no more than 1 major behavior incident documented for the entire month.

To remain clear with Harding's behavioral expectations, please refer to the steps our trained staff implement while handling behavioral situations.

Congratulations to Harding's Third Quarter Shining Star: K4 Paraprofessional - Miss Kreiser

Do you know someone who is Inspiring Minds, Enriching Lives, or Shaping Futures? If so, consider nominating them as a Shining STAR using the form below.

Are you looking to start a profession with the Lebanon School District. Click here to find out how to apply for open positions within the district.

Volunteering is also an option within the district. Our building is always looking for adults interested in opportunities to read to students, work within the classrooms, or chaperone field trips. If you have submitted paperwork before, please be sure clearances are up to date and on file at the district office. Please click here to begin the volunteer process.

The bulletin board is a place to promote community events, programs, and activities in Lebanon City and the close surrounding area, that may be of interest to our learning community. Activity calendars from out community partners, such as Lebtown and Macaroni Kid, are available as well. Take a look!

Power Packs Project is back! Register for your family's Power Pack of pantry staples and local items like fresh produce and milk. Sign up here.

The parent compact outlines ways in which Harding will be ensuring instruction will be held to high standards during the school year. Also, it includes ways in which parents can help support student learning at home to maximize academic growth in our students and your children.

The 2025-2026 Student Accident Insurance form will be available on our website under the parent section if you want to purchase insurance. Injuries caused by accidents at school are only covered if the student accident insurance is purchased. Otherwise the parent, through your personal insurance, is responsible. A direct link can be found here.

Email: jalbright@lebanon.k12.pa.us
Website: https://harding.lebanonsd.org/
Location: 622 Chestnut Street, Lebanon, PA, USA
Phone: (717) 675-2138
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardingCedars