Park Newsletter

Hello Park Families,

It's hard to believe we had four snow days last week! I hope you were all able to stay safe and warm reading some books together. It was such a treat to have your children in our classrooms and hallways again on Friday.

Tomorrow evening we would love to welcome all incoming kindergarten and pre-kindergarten families to Park Elementary at 6:00pm for our Kindergarten Showcase. If you or someone you know has a child who will turn five before December 1 this year, please join us to find out about our Kindergarten programing. Our kindergarten teachers and I will be available to answer any questions you have about kindergarten and pre-kindergarten. It's hard to believe we are talking about enrollment for next Fall already, but we can't wait to welcome our next group of Park students! Please join us!

Don't forget we also have our Park Family Math Night next week Thursday evening, February 6, at 6:00pm. For this event, we'll be introducing you to our new Bridges Math curriculum, icluding a sample Number Corner and Math Work Places. Each family will get to take a sample Work Place home with them as well! This event is intended to be hands on with your Park student. We will have some of our Hudsonville High School National Honors Society volunteers at school to play with any younger siblings during this Math Night if that would be helpful to you. We can't wait to see you there!

Mrs. Stefanich

PreK/Kindergarten Enrollment Information 2025-2026 School Year

Welcome to Hudsonville Public Schools. We are thrilled you have chosen HPS as the destination for your child’s education. We value parent partnership immensely, and we are excited to begin the journey of education with you and your child.

Step 1 - Enroll online

Online registration for prekindergarten and kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year will be available on our website (www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org) beginning on January 13, 2025. To be eligible, children must be five years of age on or before December 1, 2025. Please complete the online enrollment prior to the PreK/K Showcase hosted by each of our elementary school principals on January 28, 2025 at 6:00pm.

When you are completing the online registration, you will be required to upload the following documents. Please refer to the Enrollment tab for more details.

❏ Original birth certificate with raised seal

❏ Photo ID of parent or guardian registering student

❏ Proof of residency (i.e. utility bill, tax statement, house buy/sell agreement, lease agreement)

❏ Health Appraisal Form which includes dates of immunizations and vision/hearing testing (due by August 15, 2025)

❏ Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (completed within six months of the first day of school). CLICK HERE to download the form for your dental office to complete or attend one of the Ottawa County Health Department clinics to be held within the district. CLICK HERE for a flyer with dates and location.

Placement Preference

The online registration will include a place for parents to indicate their PreK/K placement preference. Final placement determinations will be made after Step 3, Kindergarten Screening Process, noted below.

North and south elementary school PreK locations will be determined prior to the start of the school year.

Step 2 - Attend the PreK/K Showcase on January 28, 2025 at your child’s home school building at 6:00pm.

The event will be hosted by each building principal and offer important information regarding preparation for prekindergarten/kindergarten. Some topics included are; the differences between our prekindergarten and kindergarten programs, registration details, what to expect regarding our lunch program, and transportation.

Park Elementary - Principal MacKenzie Stefanich, mstefan@hpseagles.net

Oral Health assessment was new this year for the State of Michigan along with a Health Assessment an Oral is Health assessment is also required for your child to enter school. Please see scheduled clinic times in the letter below for your convenience.

Oral Health assessment was new this year for the State of Michigan. Along with a Heath Assessment an Oral is Health assessment is also required for your child to enter school. Please see scheduled clinic times in the letter below for your convenience.

Oral Health assessment was new this year for the State of Michigan. Along with a Heath Assessment an Oral is Health assessment is also required for your child to enter school. Please see scheduled clinic times in the letter below for your convenience.

Oral Health assessment was new this year for the State of Michigan. Along with a Heath Assessment an Oral is Health assessment is also required for your child to enter school. Please see scheduled clinic times in the letter below for your convenience.

We are entering a HUGE season of growth for our learners, so this is coming at the perfect time! Help your child celebrate the growth happening in their brains by helping them learn even more about how their brain works. Check out some books together, like My Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak to learn about this amazing organ!

Very soon you will be seeing information from the American Heart association regarding the Kids Heart Challenge. This is a fundraiser that we participate in every year here in Hudsonville. All students K-4 will be participating in the challenge during their normal PE classes. Fundraising is optional but many of our students seem to really enjoy helping others and earning rewards for both our school and earning small thank you gifts for their effort. Parents just have to sign their children up and download the app to keep track of their progress. The actual event will take place the week of Valentine’s day and fundraising will continue for the whole month of February.

Visit http://www2.heart.org/goto/ParkES to get started!

During the winter months it can be challenging for students to remember the specials schedule and this can lead to problems with students having their gym shoes. The best way to handle this is to leave a pair here at school. I do have loaners but not having shoes will still impact a student’s participation grade. Thank you for your attention to this. Let’s have a great winter and make sure our Little Eagles are ready to do their best and be safe in the gym! I post the weekly schedule on the PE Facebook Page- https://www.facebook.com/HPSParkPE

-Brad Beimers

Physical Education

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• Tuesday, January 28 @6:00: Kindergarten Parent Information Night (for any incoming Pre-K and Kindergarten parents)

• February 6 @ 6:00pm: Park Elementary Family Math Night

• February 10 and 11: No School - Winter Break

• March 4 and 6: Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conferences

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-PPC is looking for volunteers for our Spring Book fair, March 3-7! We will have day and night shifts to choose from. We are very flexible with times. Sign up below:

https://signup.com/go/QkOFUTY

- Join us for our next Parent Club meeting at 9am on Feb 12! We will be meeting in the staff lounge and discussing events for the rest of the year.

https://www.facebook.com/ParkParentsClub?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Open House:

Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Early Childhood Center, 5535 School Ave. (main entrance off Madison Ave.)

This is a chance to gather information about our programs, meet staff, and visit the Early Childhood Center. There is no formal presentation and children are welcome.

Programs:

• 3 Year Old Preschool

• 4 Year Old Preschool, including 4 Year Old “PreK for All” FREE Preschool

• Before/After School Care

• Summer Care

Online Registration:

Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.

Registration link at hudsonvillepublicschools.org under “Schools/Early Childhood Center”

A $50 fee per child is due if enrolling in a tuition-based program.

For more information, please email eccoffice@hpseagles.net or call the Early Childhood office at 616-797-0842, ext. 1.

See the new opportunites. link

Calling all Kindergarten and 1st grade girls ~ Learn all about Daisy Girl Scouts!
Get ready to go on epic adventures, try new things, and have a
blast with your Girl Scout friends by your side!

Thursday, January 30 - 6-7 pm

Georgetown Township Public Library

Meeting room AB on 2 nd Floor

1525 Baldwin St.

Jenison, Mi 49428

Parents and caregivers are invited to learn about volunteering as Troop Leaders, while girls can learn about Girl Scouts and earn their first patch.
Girl Scouts are for K-12th grade.
Need more information or can’t attend?
Email: bgatchel@gsmists.org
Call: 616-888-3858

Saturday, March 8, 10 am - 12 pm

Hello! I'm a professor of elementary math education at Hope College. I'm excited to announce we are hosting a Family Math Fun Festival on Saturday, March 8, 10 am - 12 pm on campus that is free and open to families with children in Grades K-8. Our festival features a wide variety of interactive low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that will engage families in creative problem solving that won't even feel like mathematics! We'll also be giving away goody bags to all participants with math games and other school supplies.

Hudsonville Little League 2025 Spring Registrations are Open!

Visit www.HudsonvilleLittleLeague.com for more information.

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Calling all Kindergarten and 1st grade girls.

Learn all about Daisy Girl Scouts!

Get ready to go on epic adventures, try new things, and have a blast with your Girl Scout friends by your side!

Thursday, January 16

6-7 pm

Padmos Public Library

2445 Riley St., Jamestown, 49427

Parents and caregivers are invited to learn about volunteering as a troop leader while girls can learn about Girl Scouts and earn their first patch.

Girl Scouts are for K-12th grade.

Need more information or can't attend?

Email bgatchel@gsmists.org

Call: 616-888-3858

Hudsonville Cub Scouts:

Have you been looking for a place where your child can make new friends, learn new skills, and have fun while doing it? We’ve got the perfect solution! Pack 3149 invites you to check out our Cub Scout Pack, open to all kids in grades K - 5.#AdventureOn with us on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Thursday evenings from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM throughout the school year at Jenison Christian Church. Meetings begin September 5. Contact Alison Freas at cubscoutpack3149@gmail.com, (616) 566-9332 or check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552387915964

Parents, please review our district wide Student/Parent Elementary Handbook. This is new this year and is full of great information that may answer many questions. Please take a look and let me know if you have any specific questions regarding this handbook. Some notable items are listed below:

• Student dress code prohibits clothing promoting alcohol, violence, etc. Additionally, dress code prohibits bare midriffs, sides, or backs.
• Cell phones and smart watches are not allowed at school. They need to be powered down and in backpacks during school hours.

• School begins at 8:45 a.m.

• Parent drop off: no earlier than 8:35 a.m.

• School ends at 3:45 p.m.

• Office hours: 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Did you know that we accept doctors notes when your child returns from an appointment? If your child has an extended illness or attends an appointment and the absence is accompanied by a doctors note the absence will not be flagged as truant. Under Hudsonville Pubic School guidelines if a student is above a 10% ratio of absences at any point during the school year a truancy (attendance) letter will be sent home. A doctors note makes it so the absence is not counted as part of that 10%.

In order to receive text messages from Park and HPS, you will need to Opt-in. Please see this link to Opt-in to text messages so you don't miss any important information.

How do recipients opt-in to receive text messages?

1. Text “YES” to 68453 from each phone or device from which they wish to receive texts.
2. Confirm that your phone is on file at your school

How do recipients opt-out of receiving text messages?

Recipients not wishing to receive text messages to a particular number can simply do one of the following:

1. Don’t opt-in, and don’t reply to the opt-in invitation message.
2. Text “STOP” to 68453 at any time.
3. Opt out online at http://schoolmessenger.com/txtmsg
4. Request that the SchoolMessenger system administrator adds the number to the account’s phone number block list.