Dear Hutchings Community,
I want to share an online resource that our new counselor, Kristen Hogan, brought to Hutchings this year. (I hope I'm not taking a future Counselor's Corner topic by sharing this!) It's called "The First Five" and many of our staff members have already used it to connect with their students.
"The First Five" is a collection of predictable activities that can get people talking, thinking, and collaborating together. The activities include a "Mindfulness" activity to think about different strategies we can use throughout the day, a "Quick Connect" to encourage dialogue and debate in a nonthreatening way that can help classroom culture, "Questions" to see what connections can form in a class, and more. And it's like a newsletter because the activities in today's "The First Five" are different than yesterday's. The types of activities are the same, but the content changes.
In theory, a teacher might make a routine and start every class period with one of the activities here. That would be powerful. But certainly, there's no reason to limit human connections to only the first five minutes of the day.
In fact, I'll challenge you to take some time today or this weekend to use one of today's activities to connect with your Huskies at home: The First Five for October 20
My own kids love looking over these with me and, for any older siblings and Hutchings alum, there's a different version of "The First Five" geared for students in grades 6-12.
The Hutchings staff is really great at connecting with their students, but it also helps to have excellent tools to facilitate connection-making. I'd challenge anyone to take ANY five minutes (they don't have to be the first!) and build connection and conversation time this weekend. Have fun!
Sincerely,
Ben Malecki
Principal
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District Updates:
Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal
On Tuesday, November 7, our community will vote on the Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal. If approved, the bond proposal would provide $258 million for improvements to our district, with approximately $5.4 million for our school, while expecting to maintain the current tax rate of 5.5 mills. If approved, the bond proposal would provide funds to continue our 1:1 device program and innovative classroom technology to enhance our students’ learning experience. If approved, the bond proposal would also replace our old, outdated furniture with new modular furniture to facilitate both independent and group work. Please take a few minutes to visit https://bit.ly/3qK4TUq to learn about the upgrades Hutchings would see if the bond is approved. To learn more about the bond proposal, please visit HowellSchools.com/Bond. Please remember to vote on November 7 on the Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal.
Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal Informational Meeting
On Wednesday, October 25, at 5:30 p.m., the district will host an informational meeting on the Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal. This meeting is an opportunity for families and the community to come and learn about the bond proposal and to ask any questions they may have about it. The meeting will be held in the District Office Edinburgh Room at 411 N. Highlander Way.
Christmas Elf Holiday Giving Program
Howell Public Schools has been invited to participate in the 16th Annual Christmas Elf Holiday Giving Program. The program aims to provide holiday gifts for children in need throughout Howell Public Schools, Brighton Area Schools, and the Livingston Educational Service Agency. Last year, the program supported 369 children and 95 families across the three districts. As we prepare for the 2023 Holiday Season, the Christmas Elf Holiday Giving Program is seeking sponsors. If you would like to help support this program, please visit https://bit.ly/3RU0Q34 to sponsor a student or visit https://bit.ly/3QbZGyk to make a monetary donation. To learn more about the Christmas Elf Holiday Giving Program, please visit https://bit.ly/3vyk3tS.
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Counselor's Corner:
As we wrap up our first quarter, this is a great opportunity to chat with your kids about their experiences. Ask them what's been going well lately - whether it's about school, family time, or anything else. Encourage them to share the highlights of the past few months. It could be a fun project they worked on, a new friend they made, or an exciting discovery. These conversations can help you celebrate the good times and strengthen your family bonds.
As you chat with your kids about their recent experiences, it's also a good time to ask if there's anything they wish could have been better in the first quarter. Maybe there were some challenges or moments they found tough. It could be related to schoolwork, friendships, or even just the daily routine. Let them know you're here to listen and support them. These conversations can lead to valuable insights, helping you understand their needs and make positive adjustments together as a family.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kristen Hogan
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Our Husky Hustle Fun Run is on for Monday, October 23rd! Grade levels will Hustle at the following times:
- BK/K begin at 12:00
- 1st grade at 12:30
- 2nd grade at 1:00
- 3rd grade at 1:30
- 4th grade at 2:00
- 5th grade at 2:30
Families are welcome to attend. Remember the entrance off Latson Road will be blocked as that will be our course. Parents will be directed to use the entrance off Bigelow to keep our Husky participants safe!
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More information about the Husky Hustle:
- We could still use help from parent volunteers. Here's the Husky Hustle Parent Volunteer Sign-Up (and we're working on some help from high schoolers, too!)
- We've already raised $14,000! Thank you for your generosity! If we keep getting closer to our stated goal, then not only will we get our Climbing Wall, but it will be easier to fund great learning experiences and field trips. Here's the Husky Hustle Fun Run page to check our progress and make a donation.
You can email our PTO: [email protected] or visit their Facebook page!
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And don't forget... Trunk-or-Treat is nearly here!
The Hutchings PTO is putting on our Trunk-or-Treat for Sunday, October 29th!
Here's the information!
If you'd like to offer your trunk for the festivities, here's the place to Sign Up! So far we have 17 stops for all Trunk-or-Treaters!
Thanks for all of your generosity, Hutchings community!
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