Week Ahead-October 23, 2026

Dear Families,

My heartfelt thanks to all of the families for supporting our Field of Flags for Veteran's Day. Our students are currently learning about Veterans Day, and we are focusing on making the concept meaningful by connecting them with the veterans right here in our families and community. If you missed our Veterans Day display in the main hallway during conferences, don’t worry, it stays up all year! We believe the sacrifices and contributions of our veterans deserve year-round recognition. Be sure to also check out the wonderful projects some of our families submitted honoring veterans. These can be found in the display case across from the LRC.

A huge shoutout to our families and volunteers who created a fantastic bookfair experience for our students and families. It was an exciting week in the library. Many thanks for Rosanna Rosenthal & Nell Ryder, the Book Fair Co-Chairs who led this event. We are so grateful for our PTO members who support us in so many ways.

Have a wonderful weekend.

The Town Library has requested that families be mindful that the parking lot near the library is used for library patrons, town hall, as well as some school staff parking. Library patrons and library staff are having difficulty finding parking in the afternoon, and some cars are being blocked into their spots. Please remember that our Walker Pickup for dismissal is intended only for families who live within walking distance of our school. Please do not park and walk to Walker Pickups.

If you are using the playground after school, please select Parent Pick-up/Car Line and drive through the Car Line. You can then park in a space with white dots in the Town Library parking lot. These white-dot spaces are designated for HES staff and will be open for your use after school dismissal. There will also be spots available in the HES main parking lot after dismissal.

We are working hard to be good neighbors to our Town Hall and the Town Library and want to preserve the walker option for dismissal with your help.

Hurlbutt Elementary School’s Early Learning Center (ELC) offers services for Weston’s preschool students with disabilities. Since there are no general education preschool classes in the school district, we have developed an integrated program to include peer models. The ELC is open only to Weston Families. The program runs five days a week, 8:30 am - 1:15 pm, with parents expected to provide transportation. To participate in the ELC, children must be 3 or 4 years old on or before September 1, 2027, and toilet-trained. Positive peer role models are children who demonstrate age-appropriate social, communication, and play skills and can serve as positive examples for their classmates. These children show an emerging ability to follow classroom routines, participate in group activities, interact positively with peers, share materials, take turns, and respond to adult directions. Peer models provide natural opportunities for social interaction, language development, cooperative play, and learning within an inclusive preschool environment. The anticipated cost for the program is at least $9,277, and the final amount will be shared with families in the Spring of 2027.

Applications for Hurlbutt Elementary School’s Early Learning Center (ELC) are now available on the Hurlbutt Elementary School website. To locate the application, click on the “Academics” tab, then “Preschool,” where you will find the link to the Preschool Application. You can also access the application directly at this link: ELC Application.

We are accepting applications from October 23, 2026 through November 20, 2026 (closing at 3:00 p.m.). If we receive more applications than available slots, a lottery will be conducted on November 24, 2026. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after the lottery if additional spots remain open in the program. Students who are currently enrolled in the 3’s class do not need to reapply for the 4’s class. Students currently in the 4’s class who are not age eligible for kindergarten next year do not need to reapply. Students who are already in the program remain in the program until they are age eligible for kindergarten.

An in-person informational Open House will be held on November 11, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Please RSVP to alisonbrett@westonps.org if you are interested in attending.

We are excited to share that Hurlbutt will serve as a test center for the 2027 Math Kangaroo Competition, the world’s largest math contest for students in Grades K–12. The competition will take place on Thursday, March 18, 2027 here at HES for our K-2 students @ 9:00 AM.

Math Kangaroo is a fun and challenging opportunity for students who enjoy problem-solving and want to stretch their mathematical thinking. All preparation for the contest is done at home, and students will have the opportunity to take the official contest assessment at school.

Key Information

Registration Deadlines:

• Regular registration: December 31, 2026 ($20 fee)
• Late registration: January 1, 2027 – February 1, 2027 ($35 fee)

About the Competition

• 75-minute multiple-choice test
• (sample items from previous competitions can be found here)
• 24 questions (Grades K–4)
• 30 questions (Grades 5 and up)
• Winners posted by June 1; top scorers may be invited to an awards ceremony

Once registered, students gain access to sample questions, video solutions, and other preparation materials.

How to Register:

1. Go to: MATH KANGAROO REGISTRATION PAGE
2. Log in with your login and password or establish your user account if you are new.
3. Click on the tab By Invitation.
4. Copy and paste this code in the field Invitation Code: CTWESTO0002001@2027MC
5. Do not share the code.
6. You are ready to register. Screenshot tutorial here: Registration for Private Center.

Once your child is registered, you can enjoy free Math Kangaroo video solutions and access full questions and solutions sets with 50% off. Remember- preparation for the competition is done outside of school hours for those students seeking a challenge. After registering, students can access free video solutions and discounted question sets for practice. Instructions on how to find the discount code HERE.

Important: After receiving your confirmation email, please review it for accuracy. For any corrections, update your registration or contact info@mathkangaroo.org.

If your child enjoys rigorous math challenges, we encourage you to talk with them about participating. We look forward to supporting our students in this exciting enrichment opportunity!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Kelly DelVecchio

Math & Science Curriculum and Instruction Leader, HES

We are pleased to invite you to our annual parent & guardian math workshops! Our goal is to help you understand the math your child is learning and allow you to better support their learning at home. These sessions will be interactive and hands-on, so come excited to learn some new ways to think about mathematics!

• Kindergarten: Tuesday, December 1st, 9:15-10:30 AM
• 1st & 2nd Grade: Thursday, December 3rd, 9:15-10:30 AM

Reservations are needed and space is limited, as we need to know how many sets of materials to prepare. Please note the sessions are grade-level specific. If you have students in both grade bands, you can sign up using both forms or pick one of your choosing.

Please respond via Google Form below by November 17th.

• Kindergarten SIGN UP HERE
• 1st & 2nd Grade SIGN UP HERE

If you have any questions please reach out. We look forward to seeing you!

kellydelvecchio@westonps.org

Math & Science CIL at HES

The Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) is hosting its Annual Billboard Recycling Contest with this year’s theme:

“I RECYCLE! DO YOU?”

*All entries must be completed on the official template and returned to your teacher or school main office by Monday, November 16, 2026.*

HHRA Contest Link

Students are invited to create artwork that inspires our community to take action, protect our environment, and practice proper recycling. Winning designs earn cash prizes and will be featured on regional billboards, giving local students a chance to see their artwork displayed for thousands to see! Official templates HERE, and contest guidelines are available through this HRRA link.

Let’s show our community how our school recycles right!

Students may ask their teachers for the proper template or click this link and print a copy of the HRRA template. We are looking forward to some great art!

If you have any questions please contact Michael Aitkenhead (contest district coordinator) at michaelaitkenhead@westonps.org.

Official Template

Rules

During LRC time this week, students explored some of the wonderful magazines that can be borrowed. We discussed ways to have fun with the puzzles and games without making marks in the magazines.

If you see a plastic sheet with borrowed magazines, this is why they brought it home. The sheet can be placed over any puzzle or game, and an Expo dry-erase marker can be used on the plastic sheet. Thanks for helping to reinforce this at home.

Sharon Rodko, Librarian

Please use School Dismissal Manager to inform us of your child’s dismissal plans (linked below):

• Early Dismissal Days: ALL dismissal plans must be updated before 10:00 a.m.
• Regular Dismissal Days: ALL dismissal plans must be updated before 1:00 p.m.

Note: Move and Learn, Future Builders, Sports & Fitness, and Powerful Play have separate dismissal options. All other programs fall under Parks & Rec. Please specify the program in the notes section.

• Early Pickups for Appointments: Please select "Leaving Early Coming Back" or "Leaving Early, NOT Coming Back" in Dismissal Manager if your student needs to leave for an appointment.
• Car Pickups: Please remember to specify which adult is picking up your child in Dismissal Manager's Parent Pick-up/Car line option.
• Students Riding the Bus Home With a Friend: When selecting "Exception" in Dismissal Manager, it will ask if it is the student's normal bus. *Please type Yes/No and also include the friend's full name and bus stop that they are going home with.* Please consider the student's age and ability to handle this privilege. Please do not have more than two students ride home with your child for an activity or playdate. Many of our buses have full routes, and buses cannot accommodate large groups of students on the routes. All dismissal plans must be made prior to the school day. Unexpected changes to student plans cause anxiety for our students and disrupt the school day.
• Weather-related or other program cancellation communication will come from the individual program groups. Please keep an eye on your email, especially if the weather is not favorable to outside activities. You will need to update student Dismissal Manager plans before 1:00 p.m.

• Kindergarten students must be met at the bus stop by a parent or caretaker. If no one is there to meet a kindergartener, the bus driver will bring the child back to school. The school will call home so the child can be picked up at school by a parent or a neighbor or a babysitter who has been designated as an emergency contact on the emergency information form.
• 1st and 2nd grade students: Per the Board of Education policy, the bus drivers will drop off 1st and 2nd grade students even when an adult is not present. Bus drivers will not force a child to get off the bus if the child is uncomfortable or worried. They will return them to school and a parent/guardian will be contacted.

Students will order lunch in their classroom when the teachers take lunch counts at the beginning of the day, so our chef knows how many to prepare. Students are able to purchase these additional food items during their lunch time. Please continue to have a conversations with your child about your expectations as a family for these purchases. We also recommend checking your account balance and purchases on a regular basis.

"Snacks": Our students refer to these items as "snacks," and these supplementary food items should not be considered as meals. Please consider what your expectations are for your child and begin to share them with your student in conversations.

Recommendations:

• Clarify Expectations: Children at this age benefit from direct, simple language, such as:
• "You may buy one cookie on Tuesdays only."
• "You may choose one snack item after you eat your lunch."

• Distinguish Drinks: Please note the different milk and drink options. Clear language with these choices helps students, such as:
• "You may only purchase the regular milk. You may not purchase juice."
• If you child is buying a school lunch, it comes with water, milk or chocolate milk. Organic milk can be purchased for an additional cost.
• Avoid Food Sharing: We instruct our students to not share food or buy food for other students. You can help us by reinforcing that expectation.

• Check Your MySchoolBucks Account: We recommend you check your MySchoolBucks account at least once a week to review your student's purchases and lunch balances. Students with negative balances will not be able to purchase a la carte items. Students are always able to buy lunch even when their balances are negative.

• November 20: ELC Preschool Application Lottery

Closes at 3 p.m.

• November 25-27: Thanksgiving Recess/No School

• December 1: Kindergarten Parent & Guardian Workshop
• December 2: Picture Make-Up Day
• December 3: 1st and 2nd Grade Parent & Guardian Workshop
• December 23: K-12 Early Dismissal

• HES Home Page
• Weston Public Schools
• School Dismissal Manager
• MySchoolBucks
• Power School