Henry's Helman Herald

Dear Families,

Amazing to be looking at our final week of school this year. What a fun and special year it has been. One of the highlights of the week is the Rotary Club very generous book give away to our 2nd and 3rd grade students. Kiwanis Club, earlier in the year, also provided books for our Kinders and first grades as well as the 4th and 5th grades.

We look forward to all the fun at the Watermelon Olympics next week! Sign up to help with this fun event that will take place from 1-2:40 on Monday. Please review the available slots and sign up! It is thanks to the generosity and support of our families that we are able to continue having so many memorable events here at Helman.

The last day of school will be on June 5 with an early dismissal at 12:30. Please join us for the family picnic that day. The schedule is as follows:

K/1 - 11:30 - 12:05

2/3 - 11:40 - 12:15

4/5 - 11:50 - 12:25

Please check in with teachers if you would like to take your student home before the 12:30 dismissal time on the last day of school.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Susan Hollandsworth

Watermelon Olympics

Our annual Watermelon Olympics will be held from 1:00-2:40pm on Monday, June 1st in the gym and out on the field. There will be many stations with activities that students will participate in. We need adult support to continue this fun, end of the year tradition. Please review the available slots and sign up if you are available. You must be a district cleared volunteer. Thank you!

Library Books Due

As of today all library books are due back to the Helman Library. If you have any books to replace, please bring your replacement book to the office at any time.

Run Club

The Run Club 25/26 season has come to an end! What a fun year!

We had 3 students run over 100 miles, congrats to Orion Teasley, Teddy Kalemkeris, and Maddox Simpson. We had over half of the school run more than 5 miles this year.

A parent created a new logo and made stickers and totes! Thank you Jon Smith!

We had so much fun at the first annual Run Club after dark event! And Juliana’s 5th grade class are the undefeated champions in the class to class lap competition!

Phoenix HS is putting on 3 all comers meets in June for all ages . Check out the schedule below. Free and everyone earns ribbons!

Lunch Menu Changes

We have a couple upcoming menu changes to note.

Monday, June 1 - Spaghetti with Sauce and Garlic Toast

Tuesday, June 2 - Chili and Corn Bread

Choir

Meets Mondays from 2:50 - 3:50 in the music room.

Family Picnic on the Lawn: Bring a picnic basket and join us for lunch.

K/1 - 11:30 - 12:05

2/3 - 11:40 - 12:15

4/5 - 11:50 - 12:25

Upcoming School Closure Days

June 5 - final day of school 12:30 release

Please visit the lost and found outside the office anytime to claim lost items! Smaller items (pictured) can be claimed in the office. All items will be donated on June 5.

If you are ever curious about school policies and would like to review the Helman Parent/Student Handbook, please navigate to our website where you will a link to this year's information. Find out about the toy policy, sweets, cell phones, apple watches, and more by clicking here

Beginning on January 1, 2026, student personal electronic devices must be powered off and securely stored from the time students enter the school campus until they exit the school campus. Personal electronic devices may be kept by students in backpacks, as designated by each school, but personal electronic devices are not to be stored on the student’s person or in the student’s clothing during regular instructional hours. This includes apple watches, cell phones, and earbuds. Exceptions will be made for medical needs or as directed by an IEP.

https://www.ashland.k12.or.us/page/school-nurse-and-student-health.

Also, when your student is absent for any reason, please notify the office and the teacher of their absence. You can email the office at HelmanOffice@ashland.k12.or.us.

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

Food backpacks have started, but it is not too late to sign up! 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 Diane Berry at Diane.Berry@ashland.k12.or.us if you would like more information about the program.

We’re excited to share a new 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