HOD Family Newsletter

Dear HOD Families,

Thank you for helping to make our Open House such a success! It was heartwarming to see so many of our HOD family members filling the building and watching students proudly share their school spirit. Moments like these remind us that at HOD, we are truly One Family.

Now that we’re buzzing into the full swing of fall, classrooms are alive with excitement. Teachers and students are embracing our new math program with curiosity and diving deeper into our ELA modules. We are also so proud of the responsibility and respect our students continue to show and we are excited to have celebrated our first BEEs of the Month.

This month brings many opportunities to learn and celebrate as a community. We are honoring our custodians Mr. Gleason, Mr. Ulrich and Mr. Sheehan tomorrow for National Custodian’s Appreciation Day and wearing yellow for World Smile Day on Friday. Students will participate in fire safety lessons with the Norfolk Fire Department and October will end with our annual costume parade (details below).

We are also excited to have launched AIMM (Art, Integrated Technology, Music, and Movement), a collaboration among our art, music, physical education, SEL, and library teachers. Each Tuesday, one grade level participates in AIMM while classroom teachers meet in Data Teams to review student progress and strengthen learning.

Thank you for your continued support in making HOD a place where students feel connected, cared for and celebrated.

Best,

Kristen Giffune

Thursday, October 2nd

Happy Custodian Appreciation Day

Friday, October 3rd

🙂 🙂 🙂 World Smile Day 🙂 🙂 🙂

Staff and Students are Encouraged to Wear Yellow

Wednesday, October 8th

Noon Dismissal - Staff Professional Development

Monday, October 13th

No School

Friday, October 24

11th Annual Trunk or Treat

H. Olive Day School

(details follow in HOD News to Know )

Thursday, October 30th

Costume Parade

(details follow in HOD News to Know )

Thursday, November 6th

6:45 pm - Freeman Kennedy School

Screen Agers Presentation

(more information below in District News )

We’re excited to share the Halloween and Favorite Book Character

Costume Parade plans for this year!

Thursday, October 30, 2025

All month long, our teachers are on the lookout for students who are buzzing with Respect and Responsibility. At the end of the month, we create quite the buzz by drawing four lucky names from each grade level to be crowned our BEEs of the Month!

These special students are recognized over the loudspeaker, receive their very own BEE of the Month certificate, and are invited to a small celebration in the office. It’s a wonderful way to honor the kindness, pride, and positive choices that keep our hive shining bright!

Please take a minute to respond to the Music in the Home Survey from Mr. Eskeli.

Click the yellow bars below for more details.

Lunch Menus

Click on the bee for October menu

To help us return items quickly, please label sweatshirts, jackets, lunchboxes, and other belongings with your child’s name. This is also a great opportunity to remind students about BEE-ing responsible by keeping track of their things.

If your child is not feeling well, your pediatrician is the best person to consult about whether they can go to school. Common sense, con­cern for your child's well-being, and the possibility of infecting classmates should all contribute to the decision about whether your child should stay home. As a general guideline, keep your child home if:

• They have a fever of 100 degrees F or higher. They should remain at home until fever-free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medications such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
• They have had episodes of vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours.
• They have been diagnosed with conjunctivitis(Pink Eye). They may return 24 hours after the first dose of prescribed medication.

Below is a list of common health issues for your reference

Fever

A temperature of 100 degrees or higher is a fever. Children should remain at home fever-free for 24 ours without takeng Tylenol or Ibuprofen.

Vomiting/Diarrhea

Children should remain at home symptom free for 24 hours and are able to ingest fluids and food comfortably.

Coughs/Cold

If your child has discomfort from their cold symptoms, consider keeping them home. A continuous cough and/or continuous or green nasal drainage may need to be evaluated by your child's physician.

Conjunctivitis

Your child may need to be on an antibiotic for 24 hours after the first dose before returning to school or a note from your student's physician with other guidance.

Strep Throat

Children cannot return to school until 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotic is taken. They should feel well enough to return to school.

Suspicious Rash

Children with rashes that are suspicious should have them evaluated by a physician and be cleared to return to school.

Parents and caregivers are invited to participate and share ideas. Please visit the website for the latest PTO meetings and events.

Wednesday, October 1 at 7pm at 9 Thomas Mann Circle/ Zoom

Click on the button below for more information about the PTO!