Hopewell's Happenings

A big thank you to everyone who helped us kick off the school year on such a great note! It was awesome to see so many parents and guardians at our First Day of School Ceremonies and Back to School Night. Your support really means a lot to our staff and students.

September was all about settling in and getting into the groove, and now we’re ready to keep that momentum going. October is packed with fun and meaningful events like PEACE Week, the Week of Respect, Fire Safety Week, Halloween, and lots of great activities from the PTO.

Be sure to check out the rest of this newsletter for all the details.

Parents, students, and staff have truly enjoyed looking back and celebrating the history of Hopewell Elementary! It was wonderful to see alumni and former staff return to help lead building tours during the Hopewell Harvest Fair. Community members were able to explore the halls, share memories, and experience both the past and present of our school. Many stories were shared and will soon be added to our new HES Memory Wall.

Scroll down to see a few snapshots from the day and get a glimpse of what our visitors experienced!

During September, students participated in our Kindness Kickoff and focused on the character trait of Responsibility. As we move into October, our focus will shift to Respect.

Week of Respect - October 6th - 10th

During the Week of Respect, our students will engage in CharacterStrong lessons, participate in Spirit Days, and enjoy school-wide activities that promote respect and kindness. It's an opportunity for them to learn the importance of treating others with dignity and consideration. View our spirit day calendar below.

Peace Week - October 21st-24th

Later in the month, from October 21st to 24th, we will be observing Peace Week. This is the week aimed at fostering a sense of peace and unity within our school community. Please wear Orange or Peace apparel on Thursday, October 23rd for our whole school meeting recognizing Unity Day.

Please use my website as a resource if you’d like to learn more about me or my role as the HES school counselor and how I can support your student. Please reach out if you need any assistance via phone at 609-737-4007 x7206 or email at ashleylarose@hvrsd.org

Join the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation for a Book Lovers Luncheon featuring author Brendan Slocumb on Sunday, November 16th from 11:30 AM–3:00 PM at Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Lawrenceville (formerly Greenacres Country Club).

Tickets are $75 plus a $2 service fee ($25 of which is tax-deductible). Sales open Sunday, October 5th — space is limited, so don’t miss out!

👉 Buy Tickets Here!

Picture Day is approaching fast! Irvin Simon Photographers will be at our school on October 24th to capture student photos. Shortly after Picture Day, photo proofs will be sent home with your children, along with details on how to place your orders. Get those smiles ready!

Hopewell Valley Regional School District is in need of substitute teachers and paraprofessionals. If you or anyone else you know is interested, please visit our Substitute Forms page on our website for more information.

The EcoPTO and HVRSD will be having a Book Talk on October 15 at 7 PM at Bear Tavern, on the subject of children and their technology obsessions and how to parent students in this age of technology.

Whether your goal is to prepare your child for a healthy relationship to technology or to curb unhealthy amounts of time spent gaming, How to Raise a Healthy Gamer will help you better understand, communicate with, and—ultimately—empower your gaming enthusiast to live their best life.

Even if you don't get to read the book before the discussion, you can participate. Please sign up HERE if you can make it on October 15 at 7 PM.

Kids grow out of their concert clothes so quickly! To help families, we are organizing a Concert Attire Clothing Drive & Swap. If you have gently used concert clothing (white tops, black bottoms, shoes, etc.) that no longer fit your child, please consider donating them. Families in need of new sizes will then have the opportunity to pick from the donated items.

We’ll share more details soon about how and when redistribution will take place, once we see what items we receive.

Thank you for supporting our students and helping make sure everyone is performance-ready!

👉 See the flyer here: Concert Attire Drive Flyer

Our annual Halloween Parade will take place on Friday, October 31st, from 9:15am to 9:55am. We encourage all HES Families to join us for the festivities! Please note that safety is our top priority. We kindly request that costumes are age-appropriate and do not include weapons or scary elements. Additionally, comfortable footwear is recommended for students to ensure their safety while walking during the parade. More information will follow in a separate communication as we near this date but see below for a picture of the parade route.

Parent-Teacher Conferences this year are scheduled for the following:

• November 3rd (afternoon and evening session)
• November 4th (afternoon session only)
• November 5th (makeups)

More information regarding specific times and locations will be shared later this month, but please mark your calendars. Thank you!

Link HERE for a HIB Explained presentation from Ms. Corrine Rutt, District Anti-Bullying Coordinator and Dr. Rosetta Treece, Superintendent

Caring for Our Kids: A Community Event on Student Mental Health Free and open to all parents, caregivers and community members!

Date: Saturday, November 15
Time: 10AM-12PM
Location: Hopewell Valley Central High School Community Room

Keynote Presentation: “Recognizing When Your Child Needs Support”

Join us for a morning focused on supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of students of all ages. This community event will feature a keynote presentation by a mental health expert offering practical tools for recognizing when children may be struggling—and how to help them cope and thrive. Free and open to all parents, caregivers and community members

The morning will also include access to local resources and community support services and providers, along with opportunities to connect with others who care about the well-being of our youth.

The event flier can be viewed here. RSVP is preferred but walk-ins are welcome! If you have any questions, please email the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance at hvmunicipalalliance@gmail.com.

Welcome to the Pennington Basketball Association’s 2025/2026 Travel Basketball season! We are excited to provide a travel program for those children interested in playing basketball at a competitive level. Please visit our website at http://penningtonbasketball.com or email us @ PenningtonBasketball@gmail.com for more information!

Free and Reduced Lunch Applications for the 2025-26 School Year are Due October 16

Free and Reduced Forms Can Be Found Here

As we continue to kick off a new school year, Freddy has been working closely with HVRSD's Climate Action Committee. They teamed up to provide five (5) simple Back to School reminders in the resource below.

To learn more about the HVRSD Climate Action Committee, use this link or email carolynmcgrath@hvrsd.org or scottbrettell@hvrsd.org.

HVRSD & ecoPTO is excited to announce a new volunteer role joining our room parent teams: the dedicated YEW Room Parent! This is a proactive step to support Youth & Earth Wellbeing (YEW) initiatives, recognizing that the health and wellbeing of students and staff is interconnected to the health and wellbeing of the planet.

Working closely with our traditional Room Parents (or perhaps as a current Room Parent taking on a YEW-specific focus), YEW Room Parents help our classrooms by bringing health-promoting initiatives to life, such as reducing barriers for outdoor learning; championing reusable party options; and sparking creativity with upcycled crafts (just a few examples). This supportive role helps our school community meet its Climate Action and Strategic Plan Goals and continue a sustainable and vibrant culture for all our learners!

Fingerprinting is required for all Room Parent roles. For more info or to get involved, reach out to your child’s teacher or Adria Dwyer directly.

Girls in Gear is back this fall at Hopewell Elementary. We’re a nonprofit dedicated to helping girls of all ages and abilities build confidence through biking.

Our Pedal Power and Learn to Ride programs will be held on weekends for girls ages 5 and up. Thanks to our no-questions-asked scholarship program, bikes and helmets are always available so that every child has the chance to ride.

We’d love to see your families join us—come pedal with us this fall!

1. Next PTO meeting is October 17 @ 8:45 AM in the Faculty Lounge or via this link: https://zoom.hopewellpto.org/
2. The Freddy's Pretzel Club store is reopened, will close on Monday, 10/6, order here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/freddys-pretzel-club
3. Save the Date for the K/1 Monster Mash (evening Halloween event for Kindergarten & 1st Grade families at HES): 10/24/2025 *more details to follow
4. Remember to order your school shirt! Please complete the order form, orders close today 10/3!!!

Griggstown Fundraisers:

Support Hopewell Elementary School PTO by participating in our Griggstown Farm fundraiser! Stock up on delicious pot pies and fruit pies—perfect for the upcoming holidays. All proceeds benefit the HES PTO and help support our students and school community. Link HERE for ordering information. Order deadline: November 6, 2025

Annual Appeal:

The HES PTO Annual Appeal is our biggest fundraiser of the year! While donations are welcome anytime, Annual Appeal gifts are especially needed in early Fall to set our PTO operating budget. No amount is too small - all contributions make a difference as we work together to support our children's education.

Suggested Donations:

· $100 per family with 1 student at HES

· $150 per family with 2+ students at HES

· $50 helps fund field trips and assemblies

· $25 helps fund classroom supplies

Please consider a gift to the 2025-2026 Annual Appeal Here

Please join AIR as they honor HES-own Brenda Pfau and HES therapy dog Yale in AIR’s Special Fundraiser to Support the HVRSD/AIR Therapy Dog Program.

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

6:00 - 9:30PM

Princeton Marriott At Forrestal

100 College Road East

Princeton, NJ 08540

For more information, full details can be found HERE!

On November 4, 2025 during the general election, the Hopewell Valley Regional School District will present a bond referendum to address practical and pressing building needs.

We want to inform our communities about this important vote, starting with these key facts:

• The bond referendum is packaged into two questions. Question 1 includes building needs such as HVAC, roofing, and security. Question 2 covers Bear Tavern and Toll Gate building additions.

• Question 1 must pass for Question 2 to be approved.

• If both questions are approved, the district brings home $20.2 million in state aid toward project costs. That funding reduces the amount needed from local taxes.

Save the date for an Oct. 9 Virtual Town Hall at 6 PM via Zoom Webinar on the referendum. Using this link to join, attendees can ask questions and hear from a panel of district leaders and professional consultants.

Stay updated on the referendum at our dedicated website, hvrsd.org/vote, and Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts.

• HES Dismissal Waiver Form
• HES Lunch Info
• HES School Calendar
• HES School Times
• HES Student Handbook
• HVRSD 2025-2026 District Calendar

• October 1st - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (7:50am)
• October 2nd - Yom Kippur - Schools/Offices Closed
• October 6th - 10th - Week of Respect & Fire Prevention Week
• October 6th - Fall Assembly - The Planet Earth Challenge
• October 7th - HTFD Visits HES for Fire Prevention Week
• October 8th - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (7:50am)
• October 9th - Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm); HVRSD Referendum Town Hall (Virtual - 6:00pm)
• October 13th - Schools Closed for Students - Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day; Staff Development; Board of Education Regular Meeting (6:30pm)
• October 15th - GrandPALS Reading to PreK & K; Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (7:50am)
• October 16th - Student Council Meeting (8:05am); Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• October 17th - Preschool's Field Trip to the Watershed; Kindergarten's Farm Day; PTO Meeting (8:45am)
• October 20th-24th - PEACE Week
• October 20th - Schools Closed for Diwali
• October 22nd - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (7:50am)
• October 23rd - Whole School Meeting - Wear Orange or Peace Apparel (9:00am); Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• October 24th - School Picture Day; PTO's Monster Mash for K & 1st Grade Students (6-7:30PM)
• October 28th - Newspaper Club Meeting (8:00am)
• October 29th - Vocal Ensemble Rehearsal (7:50am)
• October 30th - Debate Team Meeting (8:00am); Orff Ensemble Rehearsal (3:45pm)
• October 31st - Halloween (Parade 9:15am)

This section of our monthly correspondence is dedicated to posting our older community newsletters so that you can refer back to previous HES communication. We also recommend that you regularly visit our school's website to stay informed with the latest events and happenings at HES, including the Back to School Forms section. At this time, there are forms that still need to be returned. Please take a moment to review, print, and complete the documents found in this section.

Previous Newsletters:

• September Edition 2025
• Back to School Edition