What's Happening??!!

~ From the Desk of Mr. Moretti ~

Dear Hawley Parents/Guardians, Teachers, and Staff,

Another Year Begins!!! The beginning of a school year is so exciting. We are so happy to see new faces while reconnecting with people we know. Teachers spend the first few days setting clear expectations and establishing routines. Some students are learning the building or are in parts of the building they have never been before. We then begin Instruction and Fall Assessments (see below). Families visit for Walk Throughs, Open Houses and fun Events like the Ice Cream Social.

Buckle up, stay seated, and keep your hands and feet in the car at all times, as you read on to find out What's Happening at Hawley .....

~ Open House ~

Hawley Elementary School is excited to have parents in for Open House.

Wednesday, September 9, is for parents of students in Grades 3-4.
Thursday, September 10, is for parents of students in Grades K-2.

Open House is an evening planned for adults only, to receive generic overviews of protocols/procedures, expectations, and curriculum. If you feel that there is a need for a more individualized conversation with your child’s teacher, please share that with them so a meeting at a future date can be arranged.

Our program will begin promptly at 6:00 PM in the Gym where Mrs. Carmody & I will review some Important Information with you. Our presentation is the same both evenings, so you only need to attend one time. Classroom Presentations will begin at 6:30 PM, with our evening concluding at 7:30 PM.

We are looking forward to seeing you and strengthening the home-school connection that defines Hawley.

~ Fall Assessments ~

As I shared, we have begun our Fall Assessments. These assessments help us understand where students are with academic skills, it shows us their strengths, and what are areas of need that we can best target with our instruction and intervention and/or enrichment.

The District Testing Window runs through 9/26/25. That is the time we are allotted to get all testing completed. It includes testing sessions and make-up sessions. Students are not tested all day, everyday, and not even throughout the entire Window.

There is no preparation for these assessments. Here is how you can help your child:

Make sure your student has a pair of working headphones
That they get a good night's sleep
That they eat something in the morning
That they are at school on time and in school all day
Encourage them to take their time, do their best, and respect those students needing more time

After completion, all scores are shared with parents (on or around 10/3/25). After receiving student reports, we are happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Below are the assessments that are administered.

DIBELS

All students in grades K-3 are given the DIBELS with some 4th graders taking it as well as needed. This is a 1:1 reading assessment given by a teacher in our Reading Department. The DIBELS is a series of short, timed assessments given 3 times per year (Fall, Winter, Spring) to monitor students' progress in early literacy skills.

i-Ready

This assessment determines reading and math abilities, areas of strength and areas of need. It is an adaptive assessment meaning the level of difficulty adjusts based on a student's answers. There are 3- 40 minute reading sessions and 3- 40 minute math sessions. This is given to Grade 2 students in Fall, Winter and Spring. Grades 3-4 students will take i-Ready in the Fall and Winter and then take the State SBA assessment in the Spring.

We thank you for your support and partnership. Please reach out with any questions that you may have.

~Hawley PTA ~

Hawley is thrilled to have a new PTA President starting, Laura Amodeo. Her Board consists of Christy Glovaski, Kate Fonseca, Paige Lombardo, Michelle O'Connor, Danielle Freitas and Amanda Leonardi.

They are hard at work preparing wonderful Family-Fun Events for this year. Up first is the Ice Cream Social, a Mums Sale & Spirit Wear.

They want to hear from you! If you have an idea, question, or suggestion, you can reach them at HawleyPTA@gmail.com, find them on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/hawleypta, follow them on Instagram at @hawley_PTA, or visit the PTA page through the Hawley Parent Resources section of the school website. Click HERE to join the PTA and for more information.

Spirit Wear

Start the year off with new Hawley Spirit Wear. Perhaps you have outgrown an item or just want to treat yourself to something new.

The PTA will be selling Hawley Gear until 9/13. Here is the link if you would like to order!

Ice Cream Social

The Hawley PTA Ice Cream Social is one of the best event launching a new School Year. It brings Teachers, Staff, Parents and Students together.

Staff scoops ice cream and helps students make Sundaes. Students play with friends while parents meet each other and socialize.

The Ice Cream Social is Tues, 9/15, 6:00-7:00 PM. Click HERE to RSVP and for more information.

Mum Sale

Each year, the PTA sells huge beautiful colorful mums to celebrate Fall. You need to order by Tues, 9/22 with a school pick up on Tues, 9/29.

Click HERE to order and for more information.

~ Summer Readers ~

Each Summer, students are provided with Summer BINGO. This is a fun way to keep reading skills sharp over the Summer. Students kept track of the completed activities and turned them in. Those that completed them all will get to have breakfast with me and we will announce those students shortly. Below are all the students that participated and received Certificates.

Congratulations to all the hard work done by students this Summer!

~ Dates to Remember ~

Wed, 9/9: Open House, Grades 3 & 4, 6:00-6:25 Presentation in the gym, 6:30-7:30 Classroom Presentations.
Thurs, 9/10: Open House, Grades K-2, 6:00-6:25 Presentation in the gym, 6:30-7:30 Classroom Presentations.
Tues, 9/15: Ice Cream Social, Gym & Playground, 6:00-7:00 PM
Mon, 9/21: No School, Yom Kippur
Wed, 9/30: Specials Open House (more info to come)
Mon, 10/5: No School, Professional Development

Out of the Mouths of Babes.....

Mr. M was going to every classroom welcoming everyone back to school.

When he got to Grade 1, he shared how it had been going.

" When I said Good Morning Grade 4 they responded 'Hmmm Mmmm' "

" When I said Good Morning Grade 3 they responded 'Good Hmmm' "

" When I said Good Morning to Grade 2 they said 'Good Morning' but very unenthusiastically "

A first grader noted, " It is getting better as you go younger "

To which another replied, " Watch out, Kindergarten is going to jump through the ceiling. "

The Hawley School Website

Our School Website contains a tremendous amount of information and has the answers to most questions, PLUS, a staff directory/emails, handbooks, lunch account information, volunteer forms, previous Newsletters and more.

Click Here to check it out!

Our School Handbook

Our School Handbook is also a terrific place to get answers or clarity. Everything is carefully explained and there are also links to corresponding Board of Education Policies if needed.

Our Handbook is on our website under Resources or you can click HERE.

Christopher Moretti

Inspired Hawley Principal

Email: morettic@newtown.k12.ct.us
Website: https://www.newtown.k12.ct.us/HAWElem
Location: 29 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT, United States
Phone: (203) 426-7666

What's Happening??!!