Hershey Teachers, Parents, & Students,
As Principal of Hershey Elementary, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for another great year. I hope you had a wonderful summer, are recharged, and are ready to start a new school year! I am so delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with you and your child(ren). All signs point to another incredible and productive school year. We are indeed a joyous and caring community with the common goals of nurturing responsible, caring students and promoting high-level learning.
We are all excited to have students back in our classrooms and hallways, filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning. It is our mission to help every child feel welcomed, connected, and a part of our Hershey family. Additionally, we strive to challenge each student to grow in his or her academic abilities. At Hershey Elementary, we have great teachers who spend endless hours planning and creating lessons to engage our students in learning. Our teachers utilize research-based best practices and analyze academic data to determine current skill levels and to set goals for growth and improvement.
I am honored to have the opportunity to lead an elementary school with such a rich tradition of education! I have been dedicated to the field of education for fourteen years. I have worked with a variety of students throughout my time in education, including my past days as an elementary teacher and 7-12 assistant principal. I am excited to work with you as a partner in education. As your Principal, it is important to me that everyone who steps through our doors—teachers, students, parents, grandparents—are excited to be here! This attitude enables us to meet the challenges of academic excellence in a positive, fun, and nurturing environment.
Below, you will find important information that will help us prepare to transition into the 2024-2025 school year. Your commitment to ensuring that Hershey Public Schools remains a celebrated and successful school is awe-inspiring. I eagerly look forward to greeting students and families again. It remains an honor and privilege to serve as your principal. Together, I know we will make this school year one of growth and achievement for all children.
Educationally,
Jared Thomsen
Elementary Principal
(308) 368-5572
Empowering All Students to Reach Their Full Potential.
“Learn, Grow, Thrive - Hershey Public Schools”
Have Completed Our Online Registration Form for the 2024-25 School Year?
https://hershey.powerschool.com/public/home.htmlThe Parent PowerSchool Registration forms are now live for the 2024-25 school year. Please get this completed on or before August 20, 2024.
. All students enrolled at HPS for the 2024-25 school year MUST complete! You will only need the vision and physical form if you are coming from out of State or entering Transitional Kindergarten & Kindergarten Preschool students will need vaccine records along with a birth certificate. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the District Office Mon-Friday (8:00am-2:00 PM).
K-6 Lunch Times
- TK 11:00AM
- Kdg 11:10AM
- 1st 11:20 AM
- 2nd 11:30 AM
- 3rd 11:40 AM
- 4th 11:50 AM
- 5th 12:00PM
- 6th 12:00PM
*School breakfast/lunch prices for the 2024-2025 year are as follows:
Breakfast:
K-12 - $1.95
Adult/Guest - $3.00
Lunch:
K-5 - $3.55
6-12 - $3.70
Adult/Guest - $4.85
Extra milk - $0.55/carton
Extra Lunch Entree - $2.65
All parents are strongly encouraged to complete Free and Reduced Lunch Application (https://5il.co/kd7g), even if you are certain that you don’t qualify. We appreciate you taking time to complete this application.
Bus Information
Our 5 amazing bus drivers: Amy Newton, Christy Schmitz, Greg Hilton, Floydene Dressel, and Karen Ditch will be transporting your children for the 2024-25 school year. The district will communicate pick-up and drop-off times once the routes have been finalized.
My job is to make sure our bus drivers transport your children the safest way possible. If you ever have any questions or concerns with your bus route or incidents on the bus, do not hesitate to contact me right away. All of our bus drivers are properly trained and understand they have the most important jobs ensuring the safety of your child’s transportation.
In order to provide safe transportation to and from school on the school buses it is imperative that students strictly follow the rules of behavior as defined in the Student Handbook. Please understand the driver’s primary responsibility is the safe transportation of your children. He or she cannot be distracted by behavior problems while driving. Our buses are equipped with on-board cameras. Misconduct can create complications for our drivers and present a safety hazard on the bus. I will meet with students who are seen and/or reported in violation of these and any other rule of conduct on the bus and I will also notify parents of the behavior that must be corrected. Consequences for school bus misconduct may include restriction or suspension from bus privileges and other disciplinary measures up to and including expulsion from school. The following are the conduct rules for students riding the bus. Please review these with your students:
1. Standing while the bus is in motion.
2. Extending arms or objects out of windows.
3. Blocking aisles or emergency exits.
4. Harassing or bullying other students.
5. Using inappropriate language or gestures.
6. Eating or drinking on the bus without permission.
7. Damaging or vandalizing bus property.
8. Bringing weapons, drugs, or any other prohibited items on the bus.
9. Disregarding the bus driver's instructions.
10. Engaging in disruptive behavior that distracts the driver.
11. Smoking or vaping on the bus.
12. Fighting or physical altercation with other students.
13. Putting feet or belongings on the seats.
14. Exiting the bus at unauthorized stops.
15. Using electronic devices.
16. Engaging in any behavior that poses a safety risk to themselves or others.
17. Any other behavior that violates the school's code of conduct or transportation policies.
By maintaining respect for these rules, for the bus driver, and for other students we can ensure a safe and comfortable ride to and from school for everyone on the bus.
Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
A uniform, planned, and practiced response to any incident is the foundation of a safe school. Safe business. Safe community. The SRP is action-based, flexible, and easy to learn. It rationally organizes tactics for response to weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to personal safety.
The SRP’s development is ever-evolving, created with extensive collaboration between experts such as first responders, public safety, school, districts, and communities. Its tactics are data-driven, researched and based on experience and contemporary practices. More information can be found here: https://iloveuguys.org/The-Standard-Response-Protocol.html