The Hardy Herald Week 6- 10/08

1. 10/09- Columbus Day/ All Schools and Offices are Closed
2. 10/10 Student Holiday/ Staff Development- No school for students
3. 10/12- GO PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness - More Details Below
4. October 16-20: National School Bus Safety Week
   
5. 10/16-10/20- Homecoming Spirit Week- Details Below
6. 10/19- HES Beta Induction Ceremony
7. 10/20-Early Dismissal for Students @ 1PM- Smithfield High School Homecoming
8. 10/23-24- SMILE Mobile Dentist
9. 10/27- HES Fall Festival/ Truck or Treat
10. 11/3- Educational Foundation Black Tie Gala

The Have you Filled a Bucket assembly focused on the benefits of positive behavior and how to be bucket-fillers rather than bucket-dippers. They also discussed how to build healthy relationships and self-esteem between friends.

Please click on the letter below to be directed to the School Quality Profile Page.

Families can donate toys, volunteer, and request assistance from this link: https://smithfield-va.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/Default.aspx

Show your child's bus driver how much you care. A simple card or thank you can go a long way.

Don't forget your candy donations for Fall Festival!

Thank you to the parents who have donated via drop-off or Amazon!

We appreciate your support!

In-School Dental Care - No Cost To Your School

Smile Programs is an in-school dental program designed to address today’s dental crisis and keep children healthy. Our innovative model offers state of the art dental care to students in the comfortable and familiar surroundings of their school; keeping them in class and learning. Easy and convenient for parents at no cost to them*, and no cost to your school.

Many children sadly find themselves without affordable access to dental care. Our program uses the latest technology in portable equipment, bringing dental services directly to your school. We use our network of locally licensed dentists, hygienists, and assistants to provide high quality care to your students. Our program sets up a mini dental clinic directly in your school. Click here to sign up today.

Your Students Will Receive:

• Complete Oral Exam
• Cleaning
• Fluoride
• Sealants
• X-Rays#
• Fillings#
• Pulpotomies (Treatment of the nerve inside of a baby tooth)
• Simple extractions

• Oral Health Education
• A Report Card from the dentist
• A Free Toothbrush

Always stay up-to-date on the most recent school information. You will receive multiple Remind links from your child's teacher this year. The Remind link below is the Hardy Elementary School Remind link. This Remind link will inform you of bus information, school-wide events, weekly newsletters, etc. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you can receive essential school updates on your phone. Click here to sign up with the Hardy Elementary school code.

University of Missouri Rural Schools Study

Isle of Wight County Schools elected to participate in a Rural Schools Study with the University of Missouri for students in grades 3rd-12th. The purpose of the study is to help identify students who need support with paying attention, completing tasks, regulating emotions, creating positive peer relationships, and managing negative emotions like stress and worry. Additional information regarding the study is included in the attached letter below.

Participation in this research study is voluntary. You may refuse to allow your child to participate or withdraw your child from the study at any time. If you choose this option, please sign and return the attached letter below.

Thank you in advance for your support and please call or email me if you have any questions or concerns.

An elegant evening of enjoyment and glamour, our Black-Tie Gala promises an unforgettable night of exquisite cuisine and live entertainment by Nashville Nights! Click here to purchase your ticket.

1. All medication must be signed into the clinic by an adult. For safety reasons, students may not carry medication of any kind with them, including over the counter medication.

2. Nurse Myhr is finishing the chart audit of all students, which reviews immunizations, School Entrance Physicals and any health conditions that are mentioned. If you receive a letter home requesting information, please provide this to the clinic as soon as possible. Any questions can be directed to Nurse Myhr at rmyhr@iwcs.k12.va.us or by calling the clinic at 757-357-3204 ext: 33103.

Hardy Elementary School strives to maintain open and transparent dialogue with parents, employees, and citizens. The Let's Talk platform streamlines communications by connecting you with the school staff best equipped to answer your questions. You will receive a response within 2 business days.

Let's Talk! is not a replacement for phone calls or conversations. We look forward to hearing from you in the manner most convenient for you. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

Hardy families, words cannot express our immense gratitude and appreciation for your patience and flexibility during the first week of school. As you are aware, we are dealing with even more challenges this school year due to the number of parent pick-ups and our temporary traffic pattern. Our temporary bus and parent pick-up procedures will be in place until the bus loop is complete. This will be a lengthy process (2-3 months) due to demolition of the old school and construction of the bus loop. If you would like to place your child on a bus until this process is complete, please email your child's teacher.

In the meantime, we've adjusted the AM parent pick-up process to help move the line faster in the morning. Below are a few reminders for parents in the morning and afternoon:

• Never park or leave your car unattended for any reason.
• All vehicles must be turned off while waiting for student's to report to their car.
  
• Please help us keep the parent pick-up/drop-off line moving by displaying your car tag on the dashboard each afternoon for our staff to see clearly. For student safety, cars not showing this sign and vehicles with parents/guardians unfamiliar to our staff will be asked to park, and go to the main office to sign a child out.
• Once you have your child in the car, please remove the sign from your dashboard. This will alert staff that you have your child.
• Stay in one line and pull your car up as far as you can.
• Never pull around a car that is unloading. Cars passing other cars create situations that slow traffic down. Often the few seconds that may be saved lead to stops in traffic that lose time and create dangerous situations.
• Above all, please model cooperation, patience, and teamwork for your child/children in the parking lot and car line.

We are confident that this will be a fast learning curve since everyone did so well with a similar plan last year. Again, thank you for your patience and please know that our primary goal is to ensure your child is safe.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Matthew Summitt (Assistant Principal) at msummitt@iwcs.k12.va.us or Shante Denson (Principal) at sdenson@iwcs.k12.va.us should you have any questions or concerns.

You may also contact our School Office Manager, Ms. Sonia Bauza at sbauza@iwcs.k12.va.us, or Sandie Tollet at stollet@iwcs.k12.va.us or our Bookkeeper, Mrs. Miriam Arnett at marnett@iwcs.k12.va.us for questions regarding attendance, PowerSchool, financial needs, etc.

Important Updates Regarding School Attendance

Parent notes are limited to (5) per semester. Once you have exceeded the 5-note limit, additional absences will be marked as unexcused.

If you are out-of-zone and attendance is a concern, your child's attendance will be revoked. You will be required to enroll your child at their home zone school. Click here to read more concerning out-of-zone transfers.

Students who engage in a pattern of unexcused absences for less than a school day (early dismissal or late arrival) may be required to make up the missed instructional time at the Principal's discretion.

All parents must create or update their online PowerSchool account using the Parent Portal. You will use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to access student registration, update all student information, and complete required forms. This process replaces the paper forms sent home at the beginning of each school year. Your child’s teacher will have a copy of the parent portal letter with registration information.

How do I get started?

Visit https://www.iwcs.k12.va.us/apps/pages/powerschool and click on the PowerSchool Parent Portal login link.

From the Parent Portal:

1. Select the student you wish to register along the top

2. Select the Annual Student Updates and Agreements Icon on the left side for 2023-2024.

3. Agree to the terms and conditions

4. Click Begin Forms

Hardy Elementary is implementing a new systematic school-wide behavior program this school year. We are continuing our behavior expectations of Growth, Respect, Empathy, Accountability and Trustworthiness; however, we are specifically defining how these characteristics look in each location within the building (such as hallways, restrooms, offices, cafeteria, playground/school grounds, bus etc.).

• The G.R.E.A.T expectations document is based on a proactive behavior model approach which teaches the behaviors, reinforces and recognizes students who are able to model these behaviors and has systems in place to support students who have a difficult time or may present with more challenging behaviors.
• Behavioral expectations are clearly defined- GREAT- Growth, Respect, Empathy, Accountability and Trustworthiness- for various settings and taught to all students in the school.
• Every person who works in the school is aware of the behavioral expectations and works to ensure students are consistently getting the same message, regardless of the setting they are in or the adult they come in contact with.
  
• Individual support is provided for students not responding to the school- wide system. Our school has a system for developing plans for individual students who may have a difficult time and need more support in a school setting. Parents will be notified if their child is in need of the above support(s)

Active support by all stakeholders is imperative. The entire school community is needed in order to make this system successful. Our new behavior system is a building-wide behavior program for establishing a positive school culture.