Hickory Ridge Highlights

This Veterans Day, we pause to honor and thank the brave men and women who have served our country. We are grateful for their courage, sacrifice, and dedication to protecting our freedoms. From all of us at Hickory Ridge Elementary, thank you for your service!

Tuesday we will welcome our Veterans and our 4th and 5th grade families for our Veteran's Day Concert.

HELP WITH HOMEWORK

Looking for ways to make homework time easier at home? Check out our recommended Homework Guide . This resource offers tips and suggestions to help families establish a consistent, structured homework routine. It also provides helpful strategies for addressing common homework challenges, solving specific homework struggles, and encouraging children to take responsibility for completing their work. We hope you find these tips helpful in making homework time a more positive and productive experience for the whole family!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bailey

Principal

Hickory Ridge Elementary

330-273-0483

jamiebailey@bcsoh.org

As we head into the second quarter, we want to emphasize the importance of consistent attendance. Every school day matters! Being at school each day helps students maintain strong routines, develop friendships, and stay engaged in their learning. Thank you for your continued partnership in making school attendance a priority and supporting your child's success.

November 2026

11/9 - Morning Announcements

11/9 - Good Vibe Guides 3:15 Dress Rehearsal

11/10 - Veteran's Day Concert for 4G/5G

11/10 - Growing Up Gardeners 3:30 pm

11/11 - Veteran's Day

11/12 - 1G to BHS for a Play

11/12 - Healthy Hound dogs Group 1 7:45 am

11/12 - Fire Drill

11/13 - Good Vibe Guides Teaching HS Health

11/16 - Morning Announcements 8:00 am

11/16 - Good Vibe Guides Group 2 Rehearsal 3:15

11/17 - Book Worms 3:30 pm

11/17 - Growing Up Gardeners 3:30 pm

11/19 - Healthy Hound Dogs Group 2 7:45 am

11/20 - Puzzle Club 7:45 am

11/20 - Good Vibe Guides Group 2 at BHS

11/23 - Morning Announcements 8:00 am

11/24 - House Meeting 2:30 pm

11/24 - PTG Deck the Halls

11/25-11/27 - Thanksgiving Break

11/30 - Morning Announcements 8:00 am

Click HERE to watch the Hickory Ridge PRIDE Awards.

Teachers look forward every fall to conferences and being able to meet with families about the amazing students in their classrooms. We are grateful for PTG for supplying dinner for the teachers to recharge us on this day. Thank you for all you do!!

This week, we recognize Mrs. Hlas in celebration of National School Psychology Week! We are so grateful for the care, compassion, and dedication she brings to Hickory Ridge each day. Her work supporting the academic, social, and emotional well-being of our students makes such a meaningful difference in our school community. Thank you, Mrs. Hlas, for being such an important part of our Hickory Ridge family!

We have had some beautiful fall weather so far, I hope you all are loving it as much as I am! Unfortunately, I think the cold weather will be here before we know it. Please make sure your child is dressing for the weather and if you need any items, let me know. Please also reach out to me if you need any support for your child or have any questions about anything. My contact information is listed below.

We will be continuing with the Second Step lessons in November. This month we will be focusing on Empathy. Your child(ren) will learn that empathy means to walk in someone else’s shoes or understand how they are feeling. They will also see examples of how to help others that are having uncomfortable feelings. Please continue to reinforce these concepts at home with your child(ren). See the parent links (listed below in this newsletter) for more information on this topic (and others) and how you can work with your child on these concepts at home to help with their social emotional learning.

Encourage Good Behavior by Teaching Your Child Basic Values

Every parent wants a well-behaved, pleasant and happy child. Every teacher hopes to have such children in class. Most often, these are the children who have learned a few basic values. After that, good behavior follows naturally. Try modeling these values for your child:

• Knowing how the other person feels (empathy). Encourage your child to comfort a sad friend. If a friend becomes angry, ask your child why they think their friend feels that way.

• Sharing with others. Of course it’s important for your child to learn to share toys. But also teach them to give their time. They could draw a picture for an elderly neighbor or do a chore for them, for example.

• Figuring things out. If your child comes to you with a problem, don’t always rush to solve it. Give your child a chance to solve it themselves. This teaches them to think, then act.

• Looking at the bright side. Stay positive. If something goes wrong, talk about what you could do differently next time. Laugh with your child whenever possible.

• Sticking to it. Very few things always go right the first time. But they often go right after lots of practice.

• Respecting self and others. Use kind words and a pleasant tone when you speak to your child and other people. Make it clear that you require them to do the same.

• Telling the truth. Children learn that if they see and hear you being truthful, it is what they should do as well.

Source: Parents Make the Difference!, The Parent Institute, a division of NIS, Inc.

The Second Step Program has a link that parents can utilize to reinforce the skills that their children have learned for the week. All you need to do is the following:

Use this link www.SecondStep.org then enter the following Activation Key:

Kindergarten- SSPK FAMILY70 Look for Lessons under Home Link

1st Grade-SSP1 FAMILY71 Look for Lessons under Home Link

2nd Grade-SSP2 FAMILY72 Look for Lessons under Home Link

3rd Grade-SSP3 FAMILY73 Look for Lessons under Home Link

4th Grade-SSP4 FAMILY74 Look for Lessons under Home Link

5th Grade-SSP5 FAMILY75 Look for Lessons under Home Link

Grinchmas with Santa

Join us for a festive evening of holiday fun at Hickory Ridge Elementary! Enjoy pizza, snacks, games, crafts, and a photo with Santa. Bring the whole family and get into the holiday spirit!

Date: Friday, December 4, 2026
Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
Location: Hickory Ridge Elementary
Cost: $6 per person or $30 per family
Tickets: Advance purchase only! Use the link below:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/grinchmas-with-santa

**If you have Grinch decorations to either be donated or borrowed for this event, please reach out to hrptg@bcsoh.org**

Save the Date:

Santa Shop: December 3rd & December 4th

We will be looking for volunteers to help students shop. Sign up link will be posted soon!

PTG Shoutout!

A huge shoutout to all our Halloween volunteers, especially Traci Tigue for planning an amazing Trunk or Treat! Thank you for all the time, effort, and creativity that went into making this event so much fun for our students. We appreciate your dedication and all you do to make Hickory Ridge a special place!

26-'27 PTG email distribution

If you wish to be on the 2026-2027 distribution list please sign up using the below link.

2026-2027 PTG Email Distribution

Dine to Donate

Upcoming Dine to Donates are Panda Express (December 11th) and Dairy Queen (March 16th).

Get to Know Our Teacher's Favorite Things

Want to make a teacher’s day? Get to know our teachers a little better by checking out their Favorite Things! From favorite snacks and drinks to hobbies, restaurants, and classroom supplies, this is a fun way to discover the little things that bring our teachers joy. Whether you’re looking for a thoughtful gift, a way to show appreciation, or simply want to get to know the amazing people who make our school special, their Favorite Things are a great place to start!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wMMrsBKLQDe6uBgvm3TAUXzvkXG1pu0quTv0usJv3NA/edit?gid=514390586#gid=514390586

PTG Meetings

Our meetings take place at Hickory Ridge in the Pit. Upcoming meetings are:

November 18, 2026

January 13, 2027

February 24, 2027

April 7, 2027

May 12, 2027

Box Tops

Last year we earned $800 simply by scanning receipts! Let's see if we can beat that again this year. A flyer will be sent home with your student(s) if it has not already!

Save the Date:

Santa Shop: December 3rd & December 4th

We will be looking for volunteers to help students shop. Sign up link will be posted at the end of October.

As always, please reach out to the PTG email if you have any questions! We are looking forward to a GREAT '26-'27 school year!

Popcorn Fridays

PTG hosts Popcorn Fridays on the first Friday of each month.* If you missed the Popcorn Pass Sign Up, don’t worry, students can bring in money for Popcorn that Friday. Popcorn Friday Dates are below:

November 6, 2026

December 11, 2026

January 8, 2027

February 5, 2027

March 5, 2027

April 9, 2027

May 7, 2027

Click here for PaySchools Central to register and create your account.

Also, any outstanding student class fees have been transferred to PaySchools. You will also have the option to pay any Athletic and Marching Band Pay to Participate fees through your PaySchools account.

There are no fees involved when paying your student's fees online.

There will be a small transaction fee for the Meal Accounts.

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions less than $25.00) $1.65 per transaction

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions $25 to $49.99) $2.00 per transaction

• Credit/Debit Cards (Transactions greater than $49.99) 4.5%

• Electronic Check (All transaction amounts) $1.75 per transaction

Several PaySchool links are provided below. At the bottom of each informational document, you will find PaySchools customer service contact information. Feel free to reach out to PaySchools if you encounter a problem when creating your account.

If you have a district-related question regarding your fees please contact Tina Campbell, Administrative Assistant to the Treasurer, at tcampbell@bcsoh.org. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this transition.

PaySchools Parent Registration

PaySchools Free and Reduced Application

PaySchool Meal Account

Website: https://www.bcsoh.org/Domain/12
Location: 4628 Hickory Ridge Avenue, Brunswick, OH, USA
Phone: (330) 273-0483
Twitter: @BCSDHRidge