Hoover Elementary School

Dear HES Families,

I hope you and your families are enjoying a #HAWKSOME weekend! To our HES Families celebrating Isra and Mi'raj this week---wishing you and yours a Happy Isra and Mi-raj!

Please take a moment to review the latest edition of the HES Family E-Blast below. New Updates include:

• Mrs. Gamble's Counseling Corner: February
• HES Spelling Bee Winner!
  
• Hoover's Got Talent!
• Valentine's Day Celebrations
• MLEA Summer Grant Scholarships
  
• Kids Heart Challenge at HES!
• HES Kids of Steel
• Schoology Tip of the Week
  

As a reminder, links to each edition of the HES Family E-Blast will also be archived under the Hoover Elementary School "Resources" section of your Parent/Guardian Schoology account.

Should you ever have questions about any of the information included in the Family E-Blast, please don't hesitate to contact me via email at ngiehll@mtlsd.net or phone at 412-276-7411.

Take good care...

Nicci Giehll, Ed.D

Principal

Tuesday, February 6

• Hoover's Got Talent Rehearsal: 6:00-8:00PM at JMS Auditorium

Thursday, February 8

• Hoover's Got Talent Show: 6:30PM at JMS Auditorium

Friday, February 9

• 12:00PM Dismissal for Students Grades 1-5
• AM & PM Kindergarten IN Session (follow typical schedule)

Congratulations to all who participated in this year's Spelling Bee! Our 4th and 5th Grade Finalists put their spelling skills to the test in our Hoover School Spelling Bee on Monday, January, 29th, in what was one of our most competitive bees! Congratulations to our winner, Yashica Asawa! We wish Yashica the best of luck as she moves on to the Regional Spelling Bee at Robert Morris University in March!

4th Grade

Amelia Koschik

Muslima Abdusamatova

Cora Rogers

Nirja Thiruppathi

Dhanuj Singasani

5th Grade

Yashica Asawa

Akshith Anandababu

Ilan Hamzic

Jaden Kadap

Eugene Signorelli

A special thanks to the HES PTA and Mrs. Adams for helping to organized this year's Bee. Thanks also to Mrs. Pitzer and Ms. Sholder for organizing the classroom bees and helping to officiate at our Hoover School Bee.

Our #HAWKSOME student performers will be showcasing their talents and personalities live from the Jefferson Middle School Auditorium on Thursday, February 8th, beginning at 6:30PM.

This year's show has been organized into two acts. During the intermission, performers and guests included in Act 1 will exit the JMS Auditorium, so that performers and guests included in Act 2 are able to enter.

As always, this year's performance will be live streamed on our HES webpage. Since there is limited seating available in the auditorium, we encourage our students and families to attend virtually in support of our student performers! The live stream also provides a great option for other family members and friends who may want to watch, as well.

Below are 3 ways you can access the live stream:

• Navigate to hoover.mtlsd.org-->Choose "About" -->Choose "Live Stream"
• Share this link: Hoover Live Stream
• Click the "HES Live Stream" button below

Then select the "Hoover Talent Show" option from the menu. "See" you all there on Thursday!

The HES PTA will not be hosting a Valentine's Day party this year. Instead, they will be planning a Spring Party just before our scheduled Spring Break. Students will still have the opportunity to exchange Valentine's Day cards with their classmates during the school day on February 14th. Your child(ren)'s homeroom teachers will provide more details about their plans for this celebration.

When preparing your child(ren)'s valentines, please remember that no candy or other food should be included or exchanged among students as a part of their Valentine’s Day celebrations. Families and students are encouraged to consider other non-edible alternatives. Below is a link with some fun ideas for “no candy” valentines for kids! Thanks very much for you understanding and cooperation!

36 No Candy Valentine Ideas

We also ask that parents/guardians please preview the cards and trinkets included in the packages that are purchased to ensure that they are age appropriate for our students.

Our school just kicked off the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge! Students and staff are excited to care for their hearts and minds, help kids with special hearts and learn lifesaving Hands-Only CPR!

If you haven’t joined our Kids Heart Challenge team yet, get started today! We need your help to reach our goal of 100% of families completing Finn’s Mission!

Here’s a sneak peek of this year’s Kids Heart Challenge! You’ll definitely want to check it out!

Here’s how you can help:

• Register: http://www2.heart.org/goto/HooverElementarySchoolPittsburghPA or download the free “AHA Schools” app.

• Complete Finn’s Mission: Watch the 2-minute Hands-Only CPR video featuring cardiac arrest survivor, Damar Hamlin, and watch a music video on the warning signs of a stroke (F.A.S.T.).

• Share with Family & Friends: Send messages via social media, text messages and/or email.

Help our class win the classroom challenge by registering and completing Finn’s Mission. We can create a community of lifesavers!

Registration is open for the Kids of STEEL program! If your child is interested in attending the morning workouts, deadline to register is THURSDAY FEBRUARY 29TH. Outside workouts will begin the week of March 4th. Click here for more details!

We're also looking for additional parent helpers for outside workouts! If you're interested, please email Shannon Harpst for more details. Please note, you will need to have your volunteer clearances to volunteer for this role. Additional information about clearances can be found here.

Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-25 school year will begin throughout the Mt. Lebanon School District on Wednesday, February 1, 2024. Children who reach the age of five before September 8, 2024 are eligible to enter Kindergarten in the fall. If you have a child or know of a neighbor who is eligible for Kindergarten, please complete the form linked below.

Now that the colder temperatures have arrived, please remember that we will be taking the students outside for recess as long as the weather remains dry and above the "real feel" temperature of 15°. While it is a family decision as to what each student wears to school, below are some recommendations that will help your child be "recess ready" this winter:

• Jackets are recommended when temperatures are forecasted to be below 50ºF
• Hats and gloves/mittens are suggested for even colder temperatures
• Boots and snow pants are needed in order for children to play in the snow during recess
• A change of clothes that can be kept in your child's locker is extremely helpful for when conditions get messy--this will save you a trip to the school should your child get wet or muddy at recess, and also prevents your child waiting in wet/dirty clothes while the dry items arrive

Just a friendly reminder, breakfast is available for students each day in the cafeteria at HES. Students who come for breakfast should arrive to school when the doors open at 8:25AM to allow themselves enough time to eat before the school day begins.

Now that we have settled into the school year, please take a moment to review the Elementary Student Handbook for this school year. The purpose of this document is to establish consistent processes, procedures, and practices across all seven elementary schools in the District. Should you have questions about any of the contents of the Elementary Student Handbook, please don't hesitate to contact Dr. Giehll

Volunteer Affidavits for Class Parties

Volunteer affidavits need to be signed on a yearly basis. Please stop by the main office to update this requirement for the 2023-24 school year.

Field Trips/Lunch Clubs

If you are planning to volunteer for a field trip or a winter lunch club, you will need to submit your clearances to the main office. For information regarding the district's policies for volunteering in our schools, please click the link the below.

Volunteering in MTLSD Elementary Schools

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the main office. Thank you for your continued support and involvement at Hoover!

The Mission of the PTA is:

• To make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

Hoover Elementary School PTA is:

• An organization that supports families coming together to support our children's education.
• An organization that focuses on how to enhance the experience of each and every child in our school.
• A way for parents and the community to create fun, learning opportunities beyond the day-to-day curriculum for our children.
• An organization that strives to support the community as a whole.
• An organization that embraces the unique attributes of all members of our community.
• An organization that WANTS and NEEDS your help and support!

JOIN THE PTA AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!

By joining the PTA, you help provide us with the financial support to make our events, projects, and activities possible. Your membership does not require any volunteer hours, but it does allow you the opportunity to sign-up for volunteer opportunities that fit your schedule.

1. Go to Membership Toolkit to create your account (or use last year's credentials if you were a previous member)
2. Choose the Family Membership which is $25 for the 2023-2024 School Year
3. Decide if you'd like to donate towards PTA activities for this year (this is optional, not required)
4. Sign up for Fall Family Night & order a pizza (or two!)

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Jennifer Boal
Hoover PTA President 2023-2024

Monday, February 12

• 4th Grade District Orchestra Rehearsal: 5:00PM at WES

Wednesday, February 14

• Valentine's Day (additional details provided by classroom teachers)

Friday, February 16

• HES Lunchtime Clubs, Session 1 Ends
• HES PTA Bingo Night: 6:00-8:0PM at MTLHS (Center Court)

Monday, February 19

• No School: President's Day (Classroom Management Day)

Wednesday, February 21

• HES PTA Meeting: 6:30PM at HES (Cafeteria)

Thursday, February 22

• 4th Grade District Orchestra Rehearsal: 5:00PM at WES
• 5th Grade District Orchestra Rehearsal: 6:15PM at WES

Monday, February 26

• HES Lunchtime Clubs, Session 2 Begins

Wednesday, February 28

• Elementary District Chorus Concert: 7:00PM at MTLHS (Auditorium)

Thursday, February 29

4th Grade District Orchestra Rehearsal: 5:00PM at WES

5th Grade District Orchestra Rehearsal: 6:15PM at WES

Friday, March 1

• Women's History Month Begins

Monday, March 4

• 4th Grade District Orchestra Rehearsal: 5:00PM at WES
• 5th Grade District Orchestra Rehearsal: 6:15PM at WES

Dr. Nicci Giehll

Principal

Hoover Elementary School

Mt. Lebanon School District

Email: ngiehll@mtlsd.net
Website: https://hoover.mtlsd.org/
Location: 37 Robb Hollow Road, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Phone: 412.276.7411