Northwest Elementary School

Hutchings Herald

March 3, 2023

Dear Hutchings Community,

 

This week, I heard first grade students throughout the building describing  March weather (in like a lion, out like a lamb). The weather right now is certainly lionesque. The snow is falling outside and likely wont' stop until the morning. I hope you're able to enjoy some snowy winter fun this weekend before the winter weather is gone, and spring arrives.

 

Speaking of March, it's Reading Month everywhere. I wanted to share out some of my favorites in case you're looking for suggestions for your Husky readers.

 

I started to read sports biographies as my interests shifted to nonfiction books in fourth and fifth grade. I was baseball crazy at the time. I also began reading Calvin and Hobbes comic collections around fifth grade and have passed on my love for those to many students and my own kids. Two young adult novels that brought me plenty of joy that I discovered later in life were Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan and Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.

 

If you want to enjoy chipping away on a chapter book with you kids (a la The Wild Robot), I always find joy revisiting Charlotte's Web and all of The Encyclopedia Brown mysteries. Don't forget that The Wild Robot has a sequel, too.

 

Some of my favorite pictures books are Julia Donaldson's books: The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child, and Room on the Broom are ones I've liked revisiting with my own children. In second grade, I'm sure I broke some copyright laws when I tried to write my own Frog and Toad stories to add to that collection, too. I could look at Cars and Trucks and Things That Go for hours, too.

 

While I hope you enjoy some of the snowy winter weather this weekend, I hope you consider cozying up with a book. For the next month, you'd better believe I'll be asking your Husky readers what they've been reading, too.

 

Have a wonderful weekend! Hopefully we get more 'lamb' weather soon!

 

Sincerely, 

 

Ben Malecki

Principal

District Updates:

 

National School Breakfast Week is March 6-10

To encourage more families to take advantage of the healthy choices available with school breakfast, Howell Public Schools will celebrate National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) during March 6-10, 2023. The NSBW campaign theme, “DIG IN to School Breakfast,” reminds the entire school community that healthy breakfast options are available at school to provide students an energizing start to the day. Busy weekday mornings make it a challenge for many families to find time for a healthy breakfast. Fortunately, our Food Service Department offers nutritious school breakfasts, complete with fruit and low-fat or fat-free milk, to ensure students are fueled for learning every school day. To view our school’s breakfast menu, please visit http://bit.ly/3ENeVYD. 

 

Have You Checked out ParentGuidance.org Yet?

The Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA) has partnered with ParentGuidance.org to provide a new resource to families in Livingston County. Through this partnership, ParentGuidance.org will offer a wealth of free resources to each family with a child attending school in Livingston County, including on-demand courses that parents can access to help support their child, on-demand self-help courses for parents and access to an individual parenting coach for up to 30 minutes each week. To learn more about the program, please visit https://bit.ly/3UqDjEZ. 

 

Got Art Exhibit Opens Next Week

Got Art is an annual art exhibit of county-wide student artwork. Art instructors promote learning in various mediums to enhance our young people's artistic talents. Got Art is our way to encourage the talents of students throughout Livingston County. The secondary show opens on March 7 and runs through March 12. The elementary show begins on March 14 and runs through March 19. Got Art is open to the public and free of charge from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday.  The artwork will be on display at The Opera House in downtown Howell.

 

Do You Have an Incoming Begindergarten or Kindergarten Student?

If you have an incoming begindergarten or kindergarten student, visit HowellSchools.com/KDG to learn more about our begindergarten or kindergarten programs and enroll your child for the 2023-2024 school year. On Thursday, March 16, from 6–7 p.m., our school will host a Begindergarten and Kindergarten Information Night. At this event, families will learn about the school, meet the principal and begindergarten and kindergarten teachers, and tour the school. 

 

New Dual Language Immersion Applications Due March 24 

The application deadline for the district’s new Spanish Dual Language Immersion program, Academia Bilingüe at Three Fires Elementary is Friday, March 24. For the 2023-2024 school year, the program will consist of one kindergarten and one first-grade classroom. A dual language immersion program sets all students on a path to being future-ready. In the program, students will learn to think, read, write, and communicate in two languages. To learn more about this exciting opportunity or to complete an application, please visit HowellSchools.com/DualLanguage.

Upcoming Dates

Spring Parent - Teacher Conferences are this Thursday, March 9. Please contact your child's classroom teacher with any questions!

Our March PTO Meeting is this Wednesday, March 8 at 6 pm! We'd love to see you in attendance!

Tail Waggin' Tutors returns to the Howell Carnegie District Library! Stop in and get some books for Reading Month while meeting some trained therapy dogs from 6 - 7 pm.

Hutchings Elementary School

3503 Bigelow Rd., Howell, MI 48855

Phone 517.540.8081 | Fax 517.234.60