Hartford Hurricanes 2026-2027

Dear Hartford High School Students, Faculty, Staff, Parents, Caregivers and Families,

Welcome to the start of the school year! I hope your summer has been filled with rest, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones.

I am deeply honored and thrilled to introduce myself as the new Principal of Hartford High School. Over the past few months, our dedicated custodial, facilities, and administrative teams have been hard at work getting the building spotless, organizing logistics, and planning for a fantastic year ahead. I want to extend a special thank you to our incredible summer buildings, grounds and custodial crew -- Allison, Jamie, Lisa, Matt, Marsha, Shelby, Troy and Jeff. This week, we are excited to welcome back our incredible educators for pre-service learning, collaboration, and prep work to ensure we are ready to support your children from day one.

As I step into this role, my focus is centered on listening, learning, and being an active, visible presence in our school and local community. I firmly believe that strong relationships are the foundation of a thriving school. You can count on seeing me regularly in our hallways, visiting classrooms, and cheering on our students at games, performances, and co-curricular events.

Working alongside our talented staff and inspiring young people is a privilege, and I am fully committed to cultivating an environment where every student feels valued, challenged, and empowered to succeed.

📅 Key Dates to Share

To help your family navigate the upcoming transition, please keep these key dates on your radar:

• Week of August 17: Educators start to return for Pre-Service planning, prep and learning!

• Thursday, August 20: 9th Grade Orientation (Welcoming the Class of 2030!)

• Wednesday, August 26: First Day of School for Returning Students (Classes begin for all students)

• Sunday, August 30: Senior Parking Spot Painting (Seniors, check your email)

By now, you should have received your back-to-school information in the USPS mail. If you have not received the following information, please contact Robin Martin and we will send you another copy (or you can access most through the links below).

• 9th Grade Link Crew Orientation (for 9th graders only) Flyer
• 10th-12th Grade New Student Orientation (for new students only) Flyer
• VTCAP assessment results (for School Year 25-26. 9th and 11th grade only)
• Welcome Back Letter and At-A-Glance Informational Flyer

Thank you for trusting us with your child's education and growth. It takes a true partnership between school and home to help our students thrive, and I look forward to meeting and collaborating with you this year.

My best,

Amy Molina

Principal, Hartford High School

• Flynn Playing Fields Performance - Saturday, September 12th at 6:00pm.

• Hartford High School Open House - Wednesday, September 16th at 6pm.

• Picture Day - Thursday, September 24th - Stay tuned for more information.

To Learn about clubs offered at Hartford High Schools during 5th block click here!
(List will be updated throughout the year)

A greater number of Vermont youth want to participate in the governance of their schools, and an increasing number of previously adult-only boards are soliciting youth involvement. Vermont school boards benefit from the creative thinking, point of view and type of questions that youth voice brings to the table, and youth representatives gain leadership skills and valuable life experience. Students who are interested in an application or to learn more about this opportunity to serve on the HSD School Board, should see or email Roy Hathorn (hathornr@hartfordschools.net).

The Vermont State Youth Council is now accepting applications from youth (ages 11-18) from Essex, Grand Isle, Rutland, and Windham counties to fill the Council’s current vacancies. These are 3-year terms during which youth meet regularly with the goal of crafting state policy recommendations they’ll present annually to the governor and Vermont Legislature.

Make sure the youth in your life know about this incredible opportunity to have their voices heard on matters important to youth, like climate change, education, equity and anti-racism, youth mental health, and youth voice. Visit the State Youth Council website for more info and the application.

Hello Hurricane Families!

Happy first week of fall sports! The fall teams are up and running which means the first day of school is right around the corner. I wanted to take this time to direct your attention to the student athlete Code of Conduct. Please review the Code with your student-athlete to make sure they (and you) are fully aware of the expectations before the first day of school. In addition, I will host a Code of Conduct Q & A in the HHS Auditorium at 7:00 on August 24th. I will review the Code of Conduct at that time and answer any questions you might have. You are also welcome to send me your questions via email anytime…or simply stop me if you see me at your child’s scrimmage / practice this pre-season. These are essentially the same rules we have had for many years and that we review at our pre-season student-parent-coach orientations but they are, much like the new cell-phone policy and other school rules, being defined more clearly and followed more consistently. Our overall goal of all of our students being good humans has not changed. We just want to re-emphasize that we are striving for our student-athletes to be at school on time, to be in class for the entire block, to focus on learning while in class, to behave in a kind, compassionate, and respectful manner, and to take responsibility for their actions. Wearing the Swirl is a privilege and an honor and we take that responsibility seriously.

And, while I have your attention…it is a good time to remind everyone that we expect our students to drive safely especially when on campus. Parks & Rec is still operating the Ventures camp as well as the Sherman Manning Aquatic Facility which means there are younger children and pedestrians all over campus. Drive safely and stay alert around those corners! We also want to be excellent neighbors to our abutting landowners throughout the fall season (and beyond). The road past the athletic fields along Highland Ave is not a racetrack and there is a stop sign by the bus barn.

It has been great to see everyone these past few days! Keep up the good work with your pre-season and I hope to see you all at 7:00 on the 24th (if you have questions about our Student-Athlete expectations) and/or when school opens on the 26th!

Jeff Moreno

Athletic Director

Hartford High School

• Have you moved? Phone number or Emergency Contact changes needed? Please log into Infinite Campus to update your demographics. Please contact Rena Burnett if you need assistance.

Link Crew is excited to be entering its second year! Link Crew is an internationally recognized mentorship program that capitalizes on the excellent leaders right in our own building. Rather than hire out guest speakers, the Link Crew program allows us to train a group of juniors and seniors to be the best leaders they can be for our new freshmen. Juniors and seniors are trained at the start of the school year, lead orientation for incoming students, and participate in biweekly mini-courses to continue sharpening their leadership skills. Freshmen participate in a high quality orientation to welcome them to the school, and have frequent academic and social follow-ups with their Link Leaders and small group of ninth grade peers throughout the year. Our whole school community (students, staff, families, teams, clubs, etc.) benefits when everyone feels a strong sense of belonging.

Today, Monday 8/17, our new cohort of Link Leaders will begin their intense 2-day training. Orientation for incoming 9th grade students will take place on 8/20. School for all students at HHS begins on 8/26 and we are so excited to get this year rolling!

Boom Boom!

Kara Garrow, Rebecca Whitney, and Hannah Romeo

HHS Link Crew Coordinators

Who: Everyone in HHS Concert Band

When: Friday 8/21 and Monday 8/24 from 3:00-5:00 PM

Where: HHS Band Room

What: Bring your instrument! We will learn some pep tunes, play games, and have ice cream!

Pep Band Dates for Fall ‘26 (pizza at 5:45 PM, game at 7 PM - except for 10/15):

• Friday 9/25

• Friday 10/2

• Thursday 10/15 (4:45 PM call, 6 PM game)

• Friday 10/23

• Play-offs TBD
  

Students receive pizza dinner and community service hours for performing with the pep band!

Questions? Contact Danielle Conerty at conertyd@hartfordschools.net.

During the week of August 3, we hosted 84 campers and counselors spanning from grades 6-12 for the 14th annual Hartford Performing Arts Camp! This year's show was "Awful Ogre's Awful Day" and featured musical theater, band, drumming, ukulele, A Cappella, poetry, and more.

See you next summer, HPAC!

Who knew chemistry could be so magical?

I had the wonderful privilege of joining our amazing RRC summer program students for a day this summer. Our coordinator, Heather Obar describes the summer camp as a “fantastic, low-pressure space to build real-world communication skills while hanging out with friends,” and I felt that joy and connection the moment I walked in!

We explored the fascinating world of photography by creating cyanotypes (sun prints). We watched chemistry in progress on the exposure tables, using nothing but daylight and foliage students had gathered to create these beautiful blue works of art.

A huge THANK YOU to the students for inviting me in to be part of their project and for helping me through the process. It truly made my morning, and their creativity was inspiring! I also want to express my gratitude to the faculty and staff who worked throughout June and July to provide these rich, supportive experiences for our young people.

If you want to try this "sun-printed magic" at home, here is a fantastic at home guide!! https://www.diyphotography.net/how-to-make.../KEGA

**P.S. If you want to learn more about the Regional Resource Center, check out their website at https://hsdvt.com/rrc2

As summer comes to a close, I want to take a moment to highlight the wonderful summer resources available through the creative partnerships HSD has fostered with Hartford Community Coalition (HCC) and the Hartford Parks and Recreation Program (HPR). During the summer, school staff may be on break, but Hartford Parks and Rec is running on overtime, providing quality youth programming to include the Ventures summer camps weekly that support and entertain hundreds of youth based right out of the HSD campus. They also provide weekly teen pool party evenings that allow youth 11-17 free access to the pool and weekly connection in a safe and fun environment. Check out upcoming fall programming options from the HPR.

HCC provided a record number of summer meals to youth this summer throughout the Upper Valley through their "Take a Bite Out of Hunger" Program that provides free breakfast and lunches to youth in the Parks and Recreation camps, Vermont Housing Authority communities, and for pick up for any family requesting the assistance. HCC also co-hosted teen pool parties, and provided movie nights for youth and families as well.

Lastly, I was able to join the ice cream socials, where anyone could attend to receive free ice cream from KC Moore ice cream, and visit with HSD staff, HPD community outreach, and HCC staff.

Moving into September, we will be partnering with HCC to provide awareness activities for September to include 9-8-8 day.

We are very lucky to have such robust community partnerships to help support youth year-round! For a list of summer resources, feel free to check out this resource.

Janet Potter,

Student Assistance Provider (SAP)

HMMS

🚲 Do you DRIVE, WALK or RIDE to HHS? If so, please check out this resource and reminders about how to do them all safely! 🛴

No time to read the whole thing?:

• Bike (including E-Bikes) and Scooter riders - Please wear a helmet and obey all traffic laws.
• Be very careful walking, driving or riding through the parking lots. Slow speeds save lives!

Join us on Saturday, September 12 at 6:00pm for the Playing Fields Project at Hartford High School. Playing Fields is a free back-to-school celebration presented by the Flynn and the Hartford School District. Bring your friends and family to Alumni Field for an awe-inspiring evening of large-scale puppetry, featuring Sea Fantasy – The Pearl, created by Plasticiens Volants, an exciting and dynamic street theater troupe from France.