Week 19, Sunday, January 12, 2024 We hope you had a wonderful winter break, enjoying quality time with your families. Now it's time to get back into the school routine! As we start the new year, it’s important to make sure your student arrives at school on time. If your child will be absent for any reason, please notify Mrs. Huerta by calling (616) 494-2600.Also, a reminder that breakfast and lunch are free for all students. We encourage you to take full advantage of these offerings!Here’s to a fantastic 2025. Let’s make it a great year!‘25-’26 HLA Sibling Enrollment It’s hard to believe that we are already getting ready for the ‘25-’26 school year. Please look carefully at the dates below . Big Opportunity Night This event is geared towards new families wanting to tour the school and meet kindergarten teachers. (attendance is not required) Sibling applications due on Wednesday, February 5 Open enrollment applications due on Wednesday, February 19 Lottery will be held at 10:00am, if needed on Wednesday, February 26If you have any questions, please contact the HLA office at 616-494-2600HLA Sibling Application for the '25-'26 School YearHLA Student Interest Form '25-'26 School Year(new families, non-siblings)Boys & Girls Club Information |Here are some upcoming dates to be aware of:Monday, January 20th- club closed for MLK dayThursday, March 13th- club closed for event (some students may be included, by invitation only. We'll provide details closer to the event)April 7th-11th- Spring Break. Club open Monday-Friday from 9am to 3pm. No transportation providedMay 23rd- last day of club before summer shutdownMay 26th- June 6th- club closed for summer shutdown June 9th- club reopens for summer programmingSNOW DAY policy: if HPS has a snow day, we will plan on being open from 9am-3pm. You can encourage families to check our Facebook page to stay updated.COACHES STILL NEEDED! - Spring 2025 Total Trek QuestWe are excited to offer these programs to our HLA 3rd-5th grade students again this spring, but we need volunteer coaches to make it happen! We are in need of coaches for both programs. Coaches receive discounted registration fees for their student(s)! For more information about these coaching positions, see here: TTQ. Community Action House Free Tax Preparation Assistance AvailableNeed help preparing your tax return this year? Community Action House’s VITA program provides no-cost assistance with tax filing. Visit here to determine if you qualify and to schedule an appointment, beginning January 15.December Attendance Data + Important RemindersWe celebrate that in the month of December, 84% of our HLA students attended school regularly! We hope to increase that percentage every month so that more students are consistently here at school, ready to learn. We also want to congratulate Maestra Holland-Anderson’s class for winning our attendance incentive last month with 97% attendance. Thank you to the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District REMC 7 for sponsoring December’s attendance celebration! Please continue to call in absences to the office, schedule appointments during breaks or after school hours whenever possible, and encourage your child to wash their hands and cover their cough to prevent sickness. Not sure whether to send your child to school when they have mild symptoms? Check out this great resource from our school nursing team. Please reach out to our Community Coordinator, Ashley Golin (agolin@hollandpublicschools.org) if there are any barriers to attendance that we can help address. Girls on the Run | Spring 2025 Registration is Still Open!Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an afterschool program for 3rd-5th grade girls that incorporates training for a 5K run (scheduled for May 31) and other physical activities along with a life skills curriculum that is “designed to enhance girls’ social, emotional and physical skills and behavior to successfully navigate life experiences.” Practices will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:15-4:30 pm, beginning March 11. See here for more information. Scholarships are available to help with registration fees. To register your student, visit https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/2025OttawaprogramK-2 Literacy TutoringDoes your child need extra support in reading or writing? Mrs. Matiana Roa, a former HLA teacher, offers one-on-one literacy and Spanish tutoring to students in grades kindergarten through 2nd grade. See here to learn more about what services she provides and how to get started. Tienda PODER | Volunteers Needed Every Week!We are in need of volunteers to help run HLA’s PODER (“POWER”) Store! Every Friday, the PODER Store visits several classes for 20 minutes so that students can buy a prize with their PODER tickets. Students receive PODER tickets throughout the week for following our behavior expectations. We need 1-2 volunteers for each time slot. If you are interested in volunteering, you can sign up here. If you’d like to help, please be sure to also fill out Holland Public’s volunteer form before visiting. Thank you for your consideration!Total Trek Quest | Spring 2025 Registration is Still Open!Total Trek Quest (TTQ) is an afterschool program for 3rd-5th grade boys that “combines the physical activity of training for a 5K run (scheduled for May 10) with a curriculum that focuses on learning to set goals, building strong relationships, and making healthy choices… to encourage positive mental health and wellness while also preventing high-risk behaviors.” Practices will be on Mondays at 3:15-4:45 pm and Wednesdays at 2:15-3:45 pm, beginning March 3. See here for more information. Scholarships are available to help with registration fees. To register your student, visit https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/AOSpring25. Upcoming Events: We’ll keep you updated as new events are added because your involvement is important to us. Stay tuned for our calendar of events, and we look forward to having you join us!Upcoming Events Math Carnival, Thursday March 20, 6:00-7:00 pmGlow Dance, Friday April 18, 6:00-8:00 pmTalent Show, Friday April 25 (during the school day)3rd - 5th Grade Spring Music Concert, March 25Choir concert for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students at Holland High School’s Performing Arts Center.3rd: Arrive at 5:40, Perform from 6:00 - 6:254th: Arrive at 6:10, perform from 6:35 - 7:005th: Arrive at 6:45, perform from 7:05 - 7:30Fifth Grade Graduation, Wednesday May 28, 6:00-7:00 pmField day, Monday, June 2 (during the school day)Winter Benchmark Assessment We are preparing to begin benchmark testing starting next week. Below, you will find the schedule with the test dates and times. It is essential that students get a good night’s sleep, have a nutritious breakfast, and most importantly, arrive at school on time.Benchmark testing is crucial as it provides the information needed to differentiate instruction and tailor it to meet the needs of your child. Please remind your child to take their time and focus solely on what is on their screen. This is not a race, but an opportunity to celebrate areas of growth and identify the next steps in their learning.Thank you for your continued support in ensuring your child’s success.Wednesday, January 15, Reading Spanish (K-5th)Wednesday, January 22, Math (K-5th)Tuesday, January 28, English Reading (3rd-5th) Winter Clothing ReminderPlease send your student to school with all of their winter clothing every day. This includes a coat, snow pants, winter boots, hat, and waterproof winter gloves. Our school collection of extra winter clothing is limited and is intended to be used only as needed. All students go outside for recess during the winter months. If you are in need of assistance with getting winter clothing for your student, please reach out to our Community Coordinator, Ashley Golin, at agolin@hollandpublicschools.org. If your child has outgrown their snow pants, winter boots, or waterproof gloves and you would like to donate those gently used items to HLA, please drop them off at the main office for Mrs. Golin.