Henry's Helman Herald

Conference Entry Point

Thank you for coming to conferences. Helman will have one point of entry only this year through the main gate by the office. All other gates will remain locked. We will have plenty of parking in the 3 different front parking areas.

Talent Show

Please return forms by November 16. The Talent Show will take place on January 29.

Dress for Outdoor Recess

Reminder to please dress your student for the weather as we are typically outside for recess regardless of temperatures and light precipitation. Check lost and found as well since layers get taken off and left behind.

No Dogs on Campus

Reminder that dogs are not allowed on campus unless they are a service dog. Thank you!

New activities for students this year

Art Wednesdays: Opportunities for classes to learn interesting art techniques; work with clay projects and glazes, and other art mediums lead by Kari Smith. Lawson and Kari are excited to a clay project with all K-5 students. Please sign up to help if you are able to join us!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4BACAD22AAF94-66752470-helman

Social opportunities: Dragon Lunch Bunch with Susan Hollandsworth and Kari Smith. Every student will have the opportunity to join a lunch bunch session throughout the year.

5th Grade Student Leadership Opportunities with Principal Susan: Ideas students are exploring- creating videos about Helman, placing mini library boxes around the school, running assemblies, gardening projects and other ideas proposed by our 5th grade students.

Walk & Roll Wednesdays

Let’s support an active lifestyle by walking, biking or rolling to school between 7:50-8:15 am on the first Wednesday of each month. If you live too far, park and walk partway or do a few track laps with the run club. The first Walk & Roll will be October 7th. Meet us on the back side of the gym for snacks, prizes and fun.

Helman Running Club

See you on the track for regular run club every day before school 7:45-8:15.

Helman Choir

Choir for 3rd/4th/5th grades will be Mondays after school 2:50-3:50. Ms. Amy hopes to see you there! Signup forms are available in the office.

Upcoming School Closure Days:

October 29 - 30 - No School: Conferences

November 11 - No School: Veterans Day

November 25-27 - No School: Thanksgiving Break

December 21-January 1 (classes resume January 4) - No School: Winter Break

Please visit the lost and found tables outside the office to look for missing items, particularly during the months when the mornings are cold and afternoons get warmer. Pictured are lost and found items that are in the office.

Helman School is designated as a school-wide Title I school. We receive funding to support children with extra reading and / or math intervention, parent education, and instructional materials. For more information please click on the link and view a power point presentation that shows the many other areas that Title I funding provides support in both academics and social emotional learning.

Helman Title I Parent Meeting 2026-2027.pptx

Helman’s new Creation Station opened for morning recess this week. This space is located in Kari Smith’s classroom (room 7) and is a place where all students are invited to engineer and build their own creations in the maker space, play games and build with Legos or marble ramps on the open carpet area, read and relax in the cozy corner, put on a puppet show, or work on a big puzzle at the puzzle table. It’s been fun to see kids connecting and creating together!

There are some supplies we could use on an ongoing basis. If you ever have any of the following things to donate, please drop them in the box in the office anytime.

• Cardboard tubes: toilet paper, paper towel, etc.

• Clean, plastic containers: yogurt, applesauce, etc.
• Straws
• Popsicle sticks
• Masking tape
• White glue (Elmers)
• Sharpies (all sizes and colors)

Parents, help us capture every memory for the 2026-27 Yearbook! We are looking for high-quality photos of:

• Field Trips
• School Events & Assemblies
• Candid moments around campus

Drop your best shots at helmanyearbook@gmail.com so we can feature your students! Thank you!

Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) is a statewide voluntary reading motivation and comprehension program. The mission is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, to broaden reading interests, to increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and to promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students. Think of it as a book club meets Jeopardy, where all the kids are reading the same set of books and discussing them with friends and then battling other teams by answering trivia questions about those books.

At Helman, we rely on parent/guardian volunteers to coach teams of 4-5 students. Teams generally meet once a week outside school hours starting in November and continuing until our school battles in February. Battles will take place on February 17-19 with the final battle on February 19.

Helman has a proud history of OBOB successes. In recent years quite a few Helman teams have gone on to compete at the state tournament. Feel free to contact Claire Clooney with any questions.

This program is supported through the Ashland Elks Lodge #944, ACCESS Rogue Powerpack Program, and our PTA.

The Weekend Food Backpack program provides a weekend supply of food for Helman students who need extra support. This program is designed to increase a child’s access to healthy meals and snacks over weekends and holidays. It is provided free of charge to families that enroll. .

Backpacks are packed by PTA volunteers and distributed every Friday. If you believe your child could benefit from this program, please fill out the form at this link or contact Kari.Smith@ashland.k12.or.us if you would like more information about the program.

Meal calendars can be found at: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/page/nutrition-services

We are so grateful for the help many of you provide in our classrooms supporting our students. Please share with others who may be interested in helping out with activities, as all volunteers must fill out the Ashland School District Volunteer paperwork and be approved, in order to help out with projects or activities in the classroom and the school. This link provides details of some responsibilities expected of volunteers. As you scan down the information, also note in particular the phrase regarding non-discrimination. As a community we hold dear to our hearts the tenet that every student belongs at Helman and will be treated with the utmost respect and love. We are fortunate to have such a caring community that surrounds our children with kindness, happiness, and joy.

https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/page/volunteer-in-the-schools

We’re excited to share a tool that will make transportation easier and more transparent for our families. My Ride K-12, the district’s new bus tracking app, works directly with our routing system and lets parents and guardians see their student’s bus location in real time. You can also view when your student loads and unloads from the bus.

The app is secure, easy to use, and only accessible to parents/guardians who have their student’s ID number.

Getting Started:

1. Download My Ride K-12 from the app store.

2. Create an account using your email and password.

3. Check your email and confirm your account.

4. Sign in and select Ashland School District 5.

5. Add your student by entering their student ID number, then tap “Add Student.”

6. In the app’s Settings, you can adjust language and font size, and turn on features like Notifications, ETA Early/Late Alerts, and ETA Reminders.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out. We’re excited to offer families this real-time transportation support!

7:50 Students may arrive at school, supervision provided in the library and on the playground, breakfast is available (free to all!) in the cafeteria.

8:15 First bell rings, students go to class

8:20 Second bell rings, class begins and students should be in their classrooms

2:50 Daily dismissal Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

Helman Elementary School

Main Office: Arianna King

Website: https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/o/hes
Location: 705 Helman Street, Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: 541-482-5620