Thomas W. Hamilton Elementary

Welcome to Hamilton!

Dear Hamilton Families,

We hope you have all been enjoying the summer weather and have made memories with family and friends. With a few weeks left to enjoy the weather and time at home, there are also many things to look forward to as we prepare for another fantastic year at Hamilton. The excitement of meeting new teachers and friends, discovering a new favorite book, learning a new instrument or song and enjoying our playground are all on the horizon.

As I begin my first year in my new role of interim principal, I promise to continue to honor and preserve the culture and community that has been built by our staff, students, and families over the years. I will continue to support the overall vision of the district and our school. I look forward to working with families, school staff and teachers in order to help our students build the skills necessary to have a successful educational experience and to be productive members of our community.

I want to take this opportunity to share with families some goals I have for the 2024-2025 school year:

Continuing to build relationships with families, staff, and students through open communication and being present at all school events
Support staff as they provide high quality instruction so that ALL students individual needs are met across school environments
Ensure that Hamilton continues to be an inclusive environment where all members of the community feel like they belong and have a strong foundation of social/emotional skills

All of our successes at Hamilton can be attributed to our committed staff supporting our learners in the building and our amazing families who reinforce expectations. This collaborative effort from all stakeholders will continue to set the stage for success. I look forward to working with you and your children throughout the school year!

Classroom Assignments

To view your child’s classroom placement, please log on to the Aspen portal on or after August 23rd. Detailed instructions for logging in can be found at this link.

Enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Parent Council

A large part of what makes our school community such a great place to be is the strong Parent Council organization. This is for every Hamilton parent to get involved in, whether on a small or large scale, working to bring experiences for our students that go above and beyond general school offerings.

Please consider lending a hand to this dedicated organization.

Monthly meetings are held via Zoom. Please join us whenever it fits in your schedule. No need to even turn your camera on! Each meeting we will discuss ongoing initiatives and upcoming events.

Our Parent Council President, Nicole Jones, can be contacted at twhpc1@gmail.com or on Facebook

Message From the Nurse

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I am sending this request out now to allow for ample time to collect the proper documentation for the start of the 2024/25 school year. Our school district requires that the following forms must be on file in your child's health record before we begin to give ANY medicine at school:

1. Signed consent by the parent or guardian to give the medication: Please complete and sign the

the linked consent form and return it to me via fax, email at

stephanie.flaherty@weymouthschools.org, mail or in person at the start of the school year. All

incoming 6th-grade students should forward their

documentation to Aimee Hanrahan, M.Ed., BSN, RN, Dee Murphy, MS, BSN, RN or Kate Riley, NP

at Chapman Middle School.

2. Signed medication order: The written medication order form should be taken to your child's

licensed prescriber (your child's physician, nurse practitioner, etc.) for completion and returned to the

school nurse. This order must be renewed as needed and at the beginning of each academic year.

3. Medication drop off:. Medication should be delivered to the school in a pharmacy or manufacturer-labeled container by you or a responsible adult whom you designate along with the proper documentation. Please DO NOT send medication in with your child, all medications must be dropped off by an adult directly to the nurse.

Please ask your pharmacy to provide separate bottles for school and home. No more than a thirty-day supply of the medicine should be delivered to the school.

All medication MUST be dropped off with the doctor’s order and/or an Allergy/Asthma action plan.

4. Emergency Bus Form: Please complete and return this form if your child intends on taking the bus and has a history of allergic reactions (Epi-pen order), Asthma, Diabetes, Seizure Disorder, or any other medical history the bus driver should be aware of.

Side Notes

5. Current Physical Exams: A current physical within the last 12 months must be sent in for all new students and students entering grades Kindergarten and Grade 4.

6. Immunizations: All students must be up to date with immunizations per Massachusetts guidelines.

Stephanie Flaherty, Hamilton School Nurse 781-335-3552 (phone) 781-335-3552 (fax)

Important Information & Reminders

School Hours

The Elementary School day begins at 9:05 and ends at 3:15. It is very important that your child is here before 9:05 as structured learning time starts immediately after the second bell.

First Bell 8:55 A.M.

Late Bell 9:05 A.M.

End of Day 3:15 P.M.

Children should arrive at school no earlier than 8:50 A.M. If needed, the before and after school program is available for daily and weekly attendance.

Transportation Services

Bus application as well as payment info and updated routes can be found here.

Bus dismissal times will vary at the beginning of the school year, so please plan accordingly. The best way to know when your child has left the school on the bus is to monitor our website or follow us on Hamilton Happenings

Children's Treasures

Please help us keep personal belongings safe. Often children want to bring a special toy or gift to school to show other children. At times, these items are lost or broken. We are unable to be responsible for the loss of these items. If a child brings an expensive item to school, the school cannot be responsible for its safekeeping (i.e., expensive headphones). Please encourage your children to leave these items at home.

Attendance / Vacations

When a child is absent, please call the school by 9:15 am and provide a note upon return.

Massachusetts law requires compulsory attendance for all students. Chapter 76, section 1 of the Massachusetts General Laws requires all children between the ages of six and sixteen to attend school. The school must uphold state laws relative to student attendance. We strongly discourage family vacations or trips abroad when school is in session. In addition to violating the attendance law, family vacations or trips abroad interrupt the educational process of each course in ways that make-up work cannot reverse. As such, Weymouth may need to file in the juvenile court or un-enroll the student from the Weymouth Public Schools for extended trips.

Please note that teachers are not required to provide work in advance. However, they will work with you and your child to ensure that their needs are met.

Lost and Found

Each year we donate unclaimed items left behind by children to charitable organizations. Everything from jackets, book bags, and sneakers can be found in our collection. Please help retain your child’s belongings by putting your child’s name inside so we may return them to the rightful owner.

Breakfast and Lunches

Children may bring lunch or purchase lunch in our cafeteria. Milk is available daily to purchase as well. Please refrain from dropping off special lunches for students, i.e., McDonald’s. This requires additional tasks for others and may make other children feel bad that they do not receive a special lunch. A child will never be left without lunch. If forgotten, we will provide lunch. Additional information, including pricing and menus, can be found using the Food Services link.

Breakfast is available each morning from 8:50 - 9:05. For the 2024-2025 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free. A la carte snacks and milk (separate from meals) do require payment.

Early Dismissal

Please send in a note when dismissing your child. This helps to remind the office and the teacher of when during the day this will occur. Please do not dismiss your child early to avoid the traffic. This is disruptive to the classroom when teachers are assigning homework, passing out notices, or completing other necessary tasks. When a child is dismissed by someone other than a parent/guardian, we require identification and a signature for release.

Regular Dismissal

Please send a note to the school if your child is changing their regular routine of dismissal. This includes walkers, after-school care, and the bus. Do not leave this responsibility to your child. If a note is not received, your child will follow their routine for the specific day of the week.

Consistency

We, as adults, are flexible and can change our routines at any given moment. However, children at this age are still dependent on routine and consistency. Bedtime, meal times, and school time help to provide stability while learning and growing. Children who are unsure of what is going to happen at the end of the day worry and become anxious. Please help your child by maintaining a routine at dismissal time. Additionally, please be sure they are on time every day.

Off to a Good Start

Research shows that having a good breakfast helps children to perform at their best. Therefore, we strongly encourage all children to have a healthy breakfast. Often children come to school without the benefit of a good breakfast and struggle through the morning. We do provide breakfast at Hamilton. Also, a snack helps to keep the momentum going. In addition, a good night’s sleep is undoubtedly in order on school nights.

Before and After School Activities

Before and after-school activities are great opportunities for children to participate in new and exciting programs. We encourage all children to join clubs, sports teams, or other enrichment programs when they are offered. However, we strongly suggest that a calendar of these events is posted and reviewed weekly so that children know what days these special events occur and who will be picking them up.

Hamilton will likely run enrichment programs before and after school at various times throughout the school year. Programs may include Active Kids/Active Minds, music, science, MCAS prep, homework support, drama, computers, and Legos, to name a few. Please watch for information regarding these programs.

Birthdays

Due to allergies and wellness policies, we ask that families do not send in food items to celebrate birthdays. You are more than welcome to come in and read a story (or similar) to your child’s class in honor of their birthday. Lastly, please do not send invitations to be passed out unless all of the class is included.

Volunteers

Volunteers are appreciated when needed in our classrooms, etc. If you are interested in volunteering in some capacity during the school day, please let us know. Parent Council always appreciates volunteers to enhance students’ school experiences. The principal will need to approve all in school assignments before starting. All volunteers must have a completed CORI & SORI form on file with the school department and in some situations fingerprinting (SAFIS).

Medication Policy

The Weymouth Public Schools Health Services Department encourages that medication is administered before and after school, if possible.
When medication is needed during school hours, there must be a physician’s order and a parental permission form with the medication in the prescribed container, or it cannot be given.
Medication must be delivered to the school in a pharmacy or manufacturer-labeled container by the parent, guardian, or responsible adult. (Medications are not accepted in such things as plastic bags.) Children are not permitted to bring medication to school.
Please contact Mrs. Flaherty, our school nurse, for the proper forms, which must accompany all medications.

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

Morning Drop-Off

All student will enter through one of the front doors and report immediately to their homeroom classrooms.

When dropping off by vehicle: (Morning Drop-off Procedures)

We encourage using the rolling drop off system

If you choose to drop off on Union Street, please:

Do not use private driveways to turn around after drop off or pick up.
Children should NEVER cross Union Street without the crossing guard or parent.
Please have children exit cars on the passenger side and proceed to the crosswalk.

Afternoon Pick-Up

All walkers and students being picked up (except kindergartners) will be dismissed through the front entrances. Grades 3, 4, and 5 through the main door, and grades 1 and 2 through the door to the left when facing the building. Kindergarten will be dismissed to their family through the kindergarten playground side door. For Grades K-2 please approach the door so that staff can ensure your child is reunited with you appropriately.

When picking up by vehicle: (Afternoon Pick-up Procedures)

You can access the pick-up line (playground side) between 3:00 and 3:05. Please drive around the back of the building. There will be cones set up on the playground side of the building where you will form a line with other cars. We ask that you leave your vehicle and meet your child (children) in front of the school, where all children are dismissed (kindergartners will be dismissed from the kindergarten playground side door). As an extra precaution, remind your child that if they don’t see you for pick up, they need to return to the main office with their teacher.