News and events
September 20, 2026
Character Trait of the Month
Our Character Strong trait for September is RESPECT. Check out what each grade level is working on:
A Message from the Principal
Hello Hoover Families,
We are so proud of our Hoover students and how they have all started this school year! Thank you for your continued support at home, reviewing school expectations, and being kind and caring individuals. Here is a link to what has been taught/reviewed at Hoover for your reference.
This week is Bus/Transportation Safety Week. All students, Kindergarten through 5th-grade, will be taught and/or review the rules and expectations for riding the bus safely. As a reminder, riding the bus is a privilege. In order to ride the bus to and from school and to field experiences/field trips throughout the year, students must demonstrate that they are safe and follow ALL bus rules. It is our priority to keep all students safe while on the bus, and disciplinary actions will take place if a student chooses not to follow these expectations. Here is a link to the Transportation Policy 709 Bus Conduct and Consequences for your reference. Here is a link to our school bus video shared with students.
We are seeking donations for snacks to build our reserve for students who need nutritious snacks at school. If you are able and willing to donate, please send a box or bag of nonperishable, individually wrapped healthy snacks to school with your student. Thank you for supporting our community of learners!
- Suggested Items: Crackers, goldfish, veggie straws, granola bars, pretzels, Cheez-Its, Nutri-grain bars, and pre-popped popcorn.
Thank you for your partnership with our Hoover staff to make this the best year yet for our Hoover Community!
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.
Upcoming Events
- Monday, September 21-Friday, September 25 - Bus Safety/Transportation Safety Week
- Tuesday, September 22 - Gr 2-5 aMath Assessments
- Wednesday, September 23 - Bus Evacuation Drills (at arrival time)
- Thursday, September 24 - PTO Back-to-School Bingo Night (5:30-7:30)
- Monday, September 28 - October 2 - CRHS Homecoming Spirit Week
- Wednesday, September 30 - Fall School Pictures (a flyer will be sent home with more info)
Reach My Teach Communication Tool
Fall Picture Day - September 30th
Picture Day is coming on Wednesday, September 30th!
You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using your Picture Day ID: EVTKX3R6W. Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!
Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day. Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com.
Important Reminders
- Please say your goodbyes and give hugs before dropping off at school or at the main door. Staff will be available to help students walk into school and escort them to their classrooms.
- All guests to Hoover must have an ID and be scanned in before entering the building.
- Parents/Guardians picking up students during the school day will be asked to present ID and wait in the vestibule until the student meets them there.
- 3:30 p.m. is the cut-off for students to be picked up/dismissed from school by a parent/guardian. Please plan accordingly and communicate with the teacher or the main office about this change.
- NEW PROCEDURE - When students leave the building early and are signed out by a parent/guardian, there will be an iPad in the vestibule for parents/guardians to enter the info to sign their student out. We appreciate your willingness to follow this new procedure and your patience as we work through the learning curve.
- If you have questions about bus transportation for your student(s), please call the district transportation office at 763.506.1125.
- Absence Reporting - Please call our Attendance Line at 763.506.2806 to report any absences that your child(ren) will be out of school every day.
- Don't forget to return your Summer Express Activity Book completed certificates to your teacher to receive a special reward!
Coming Back to Hoover This Year:
- Take Home Folders
- All Hoover students/families received their Take-Home Folders at Open House. We use them to establish a strong, effective communication process with our families. Please review the folders with your student(s) nightly and ensure they are returned to school daily.
- Replacement folders are available for purchase for $3.00.
- Student/Family Handbook
- During the first week or two of school, our teachers will spend some time reviewing our Hoover Rules and Expectations. Please also review it with your child(ren) at home. A copy of the Student/Family Handbook was included in the Take Home Holders that all families received at Open House.
- You can also access our Hoover Student/Family Handbook here (and moving forward, it will be linked in each week's Hoover Family Updates. Please review the following items this year at Hoover (aligned with the district's guidelines).
- Cell Phones, Smartwatches, and Electronic Devices (pg. 19)
- Toys (pg. 20)
- Classroom and Birthday Celebrations (pg. 21)
- Schoolwide Behavior Plan (pg. 21)
Daily Drop-Off/Pick-Up Procedures
- Stay in your car and keep pulling forward - follow the staff's direction.
- Have students exit/enter your vehicles on the passenger/sidewalk side to avoid walking in the parking lot. I know this part is not easy because of many factors (other children in the car/car seats, etc.), but it is very important for safety.
- Please park first in the parking lot if you want to walk your student to/from the main door. Do not exit your car while in the drop-off/pick-up line. Do not have your student cross traffic to walk to you in the parking lot.
- When exiting the parking lot during arrival/dismissal times, please ONLY TURN RIGHT. This keeps traffic flowing smoothly and allows staff to direct traffic safely.
- THANK YOU for your help with this process and for keeping our students and staff safe!
A+ Drop-Off/Pick-Up Procedures Reminders
For our families who access our before/afterschool childcare program, Adventures Plus (A+), please review the following procedures and inform friends/family members that may be dropping off/picking up for you throughout the school year:
- Park in the provided parking lot spaces when dropping off or picking up your student
- DO NOT park along the curb and peninsula; these are fire lanes (painted yellow), and vehicles can not park here unattended
- A+ families have their own access to enter the building provided by A+; if friends/families are picking up students at the end of the day, they need your access
- Our office staff will not be able to let them in
- A+ staff will have to come check in to ensure there's been communication for the pick-up
Free School Meals
Every student may receive one breakfast and one lunch at no cost during the school year. The state’s Free School Meals program will cover the cost of one breakfast meal and one lunch meal for every student daily, however the cost of a la carte items, such as milk, other drinks, or extra meal items will not be covered. Students will need to have funds in their meal accounts to purchase any additional food items.
If your family needs access to any other educational benefits available to your student, please visit ahschools.us/freereduced to complete an application. If you don't know if you would qualify or not, apply anyway! You may receive additional benefits that you are not aware of.
The enrollment window for the 2026 Applications for Educational Benefits begins Aug. 1, 2026.
Anoka-Hennepin asks that ALL families complete an online application to provide additional school funding to support all students in the district. By filling out this application, your school can earn funding and you can save money.
Educational benefits include:
Athletics fees: Eligible students may qualify for fees to be waived or reduced.
SAT, ACT, AP Fees: Students may be eligible for discounted fees for academic tests
and some lab fees.
Other high school activities: Students may qualify for discounts on speech, debate,
theater, band and others.
Additional benefits and cost savings: Chromebook device protection, Comcast Internet
Essentials discount, Amazon Prime membership discounts, discounted bus fares with Metro Transit, Xcel Energy account assistance, discounts at museums and theaters
Vona Center for Mental Health
Message from the Nurse's Office
Please send an extra pair of pants and underwear for your child in case there is an accident (bathroom, breakfast/lunch spill, etc.). The health office loves donations of gently used sweatpants and leggings sizes 5-10. We also appreciate new packs of underwear for boys and girls sizes 5-10.
Wondering if your child is well enough to come to school? Click here for more information.
If your child goes to the doctor or dentist, please request a doctor's note and send it with your child for attendance purposes.
Message from the Volunteer Service Coordinator (VSC)
Hello from your VSC, Volunteer Services Coordinator,
Hi again! My name is Beth Berzelius, and I am excited to serve as the Volunteer Services Coordinator for Hoover Elementary. I want to make sure our teachers and staff have the resources and volunteers to be successful each day, and I want to engage you to be active in our volunteer community. The best way for you to join us is to complete your volunteer application each year, for each school you'd like to help with for 2026-2027. Volunteering is the best way to get to know our school, staff and students on a more personal level.
A big thank you to everyone completing their volunteer applications and criminal background checks. We have 63 volunteers with their applications submitted, and excited to see more come through.
Please complete your volunteer application as soon as possible so you are eligible to join your kid on field trips. It takes less than 2 minutes:
We use Trusted Employees for a criminal background check for 18+, so please consent here:
New Sign Up Geniuses Added (you must have your volunteer application to sign up. Sign up with a friend, sibling or grandparent to amplify your fun!)
Bingo next week!
School Photo Day (I have coupon codes to share with volunteers helping at this event)
Book Fair Help
Hang Student Art
October School Dance help
Looking ahead to conferences, it has been a tradition for the PTO to provide a meal for the teachers and staff during conferences. If you own a business and/or restaurant, and you are looking for a write off, I'd love to connect with you to serve our hard working crew here at Hoover.
Hoover Volunteer Home Page
I am part time, and email is the best way to connect with me.
Hoover PTO
Please engage with our PTO, Parent Teacher Organization for Hoover Elementary on social media! We have a PTO to help fund Hoover to support our kids, teachers and staff.
PTO on Facebook - like, share & comment
PTO on Google
Thank you to everyone who dined at Texas Roadhouse this past week!
The PTO hopes to see your entire family for Back to School Bingo on Thursday, September 24th
We encourage high school students to volunteer at the PTO meeting to play with your kids! If you have older kids, please encourage them to give back to Hoover.
Next PTO Meeting: Tuesday, October 13th in our media center, or attend virtually 6:45 pm - 7:30 PM
Questions about Hoover PTO? Email: hooverpto@ahschools.us
Message from the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)
Hoover PTO would love to increase participation! 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!
Support Hoover with Box Tops 4 Education
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.
This e-newsletter is published by Hoover Elementary School. Questions, comments or concerns about the school e-newsletter? Contact us.