Home of the Hickory Huskies

Hickory Elementary School is committed to creating a learning community where

students reach their academic potential, have no limits to individual success and
contribute meaningfully to society.
Volume 10, Issue 2
October/November 2014

Notes from the Principal:

Hello everyone, what happened to fall? We went directly into winter, Wow! With colder temperatures upon us
please remind your child to wear a coat to school. If it becomes warmer at lunch time they can take it off when they
play outside, but will have it when they depart at 3:00. Outdoor recess will continue as long as the temperature
stays above 32 degrees. We also have to take into consideration the wind chill, so if it is 37 degrees and a windy
day it may be an inside recess.

Parent/Teacher Conferences A heartfelt thank you to everyone that attended our recent conferences. A
special thank you to the students that also participated and assisted their teacher in this conference. If you
have not been able to speak to your childs teacher it is not too late! Give the school a call and set up either
a face-to-face time, or a telephone conference. Our goal is to have 100% participation in conferences.
ALSO, remember that we will conference again in late January or early February, during this conference the
student will take the lead.
st
Report Cards Report cards will be coming home with the students on the afternoon of November 21 .
Transition has been made to the standards based report. Teachers entertained questions and comments
during conferences. But if after viewing the report card a question or two pops up in your mind so not hesitate
to give the school a call!
Toys for Tots If you are interested in participating in this program, sign-ups are still being accepted, and
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can be made until December 13 . The deadline is earlier this year, so sign-up now!
Home Technology Survey Look for this brief survey that will be coming home around 11/20. As we begin
to encourage students to log-in at home for RazKids, Reading A-Z and STRIDE Academy we want to make
sure that our students have internet capability in their homes. Please answer the questions and return it to
school.
SIP (School Improvement Plan) Each year every school in Washington County is required to meet as a
team and create a SIP. The purpose of this document is to look closely at the progress of the school during
the previous year and plan for the next. Hickory is a Title One School, so there are certain requirements
under Title 1 that we need to take into consideration. One of these that I would like to highlight is that being a
parent or guardian of a child that attends Hickory, or any other Title 1 school you have a right to know the
qualifications of your childs teacher. If you are interested in learning more about this please contact Mrs.
Kerry Walent at the Center for Educational Services. Her telephone number is 301.766.2936.
Books for Babies Green pledge sheets were sent out last week for this program. All pledges and money
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need to be returned to school by December 5 . Hickory will receive prizes for the top three book readers.
Everyone that participates will receive a coupon for a free pan pizza at Pizza Hut. All proceeds from this
campaign will go to Meritus Medical Center for the purchase of books that are given to Moms at the delivery
of their child. Please help as you are able.
Battle of the Books Mrs. Nase and I are again sponsoring a Battle of the Books Team. This competition is
open to all readers in fourth and fifth grade. The only requirement to be part of this team is that you like to
read. The team will consist of 8 readers, the first to return their permission slip will be on the team. Do not
miss out we can only take eight!!
PTA We are very, very lucky to have such an active PTA at Hickory. They are passionate about supporting
our students and have many fun filled activities scheduled for the next few months. PTA is still accepting
membership, the cost is only $6.00 per adult.

Thank you for everything that you do to support and encourage your childs learning at Hickory, from making sure
that they are on time to school to remembering teachers with notes of encouragement and little treats. Its
because of them and for them that we are all here!

Denise Kuhna

Martins A+ School Rewards Program

The beginning date for the Martins A+ school rewards program was October
th
6 . You will have the opportunity to earn cash through Stop & Shop A+
School Rewards Program. If you havent registered your bonus card with us
please be sure to register your card to benefit Hickory Elementary School
using ID #00072. You do not need to re-register your card if you registered for Hickory last school year.

Student Attendance
Attendance is extremely important and is linked to higher student achievement. Research has shown that students
who attend school regularly are more actively engaged with classroom activities and tasks. They tend to do better
on class work, homework, and assessments. If your child is absent from school, make sure to send a note to
school the next day explaining their absence. When a child misses 12 or more days they must have a doctors note
for their absence to be excused.
We want to recognize the students for perfect attendance. This is done on a daily basis through a contest. The
students will work together to earn a popcorn party based on perfect attendance by the class. Mrs. Vantz will bring
the popcorn machine to the classroom and pop the corn for the students to see and eat!

Student Incentive Program

Perfectly Popped Attendance
Grade 4, Mrs. Alkires class had the highest attendance percentage for the
month of October with 98.70%. Congratulations!
Students with perfect attendance for the month are recognized with a certificate and
pencil. Those students with perfect attendance for the month of October were:
Note: Perfect attendance is based on the student being at school every day during
the month.

PreKindergarten: Grant Bloyer, Frank Burrell, Jonathan Grogg, Braiden Lowery, Jonathen Manning,
Vincent Nguyen, Clara Pennington, Adam Smith, Adellyn Turner, Maurice Burrell, Xavier Conley, Angela
Hughes, Ian Hutzell, Jeremiah Joia, Jakayla Placko, William Romero Orellana, Titus Wilson
Kindergarten: Jordan Bare, Payton Footen, Karen Lopez Castillo, Seth Malatt, Olivia McDaniel,
Vivianne Mohamad, Ben Junior Normil, James Peeble, Koltin Sims, Maddox Wood, Annabelle Hutzell,
Logan Line, Sophie Rudisill, Kollen Sims, Belyn Wetzel, Evelyn Wise
Grade 1: Aeriela Brady, Gavin Cook, Mariah Minnick, Alyssa Spong, Santos Castillo, Gabriela Coates
Russell, Ariana Conley, Laila Houck, Damon Kesler, Benjamin Luemen
Grade 2: Ericka Amaya Lopez, Amasia Blakney, Eric Castillo, Abygail House, Cara Hughes, Jimmy
Manion, Hailey Mason, Nicholas Minnick, Jonathan Peebles, Shane Rawlings, Talor Smith, Mason
Stranathan, Ticcara Sumlin, Daphne Wang, Lillian Wise, Fredis Castillo, Matthew Detrow, Erin Duffy,
Isaiah Joia, Ameerah Kadir, Dylan Kesler, Riley Lane, Tessa Linetsky, William Logan, Abagail Luemen,
Olivya Menowsky Davis, Josiah Minnick, Addie Nixon, Charles Wible, Jr.
Grade 3: Nicholas Anderson, Brian Bernal Pineda, Marquet Brown, Layla Kadir, Skyler Knox, Yesica
Laureano Cruz, Danh Mai, Brithney Paniagua Menendez, Khalea Pointer, Kane Taylor, Elijhah Blakney,
Gary Butts, Jr., Ansley Glover, Xavien Houck, Alex House, Corry Nelson, Bryanna Santiago, Dylan
Shores, Preston Smith, Nathan Tucci
Grade 4: Kristian Holloway, Brianna Koontz, Nicole Reyes, Kayleigh Bare, Anthony Blakney, Taylor
Bryan, Joel Castillo, Noah Cauffman, Blake Crum, Shiann Kinna, Ian Lane, Amara McDaniel, Elizabeth
Pierce, Catherine Wible
Grade 5: Carlos Amaya Lopez, Corrine Carrazco, Blanca Castillo, Maleena Hawkes, Joseph Horner,
Samuel Kline, Elizabeth Likely, Donye Menowsky, Caden Ringler, Caiden Wetzel, Justin Ahmadian,
Glenford Creary, Wilber Flores, John Hubbard, Efrain Santiago, Torieana Sumlin

Parents,
We are excited for a new year with our Character
Counts program. This year due to the increase in student
numbers and lack of space, we will no longer having our
bingo celebration in the afternoon. Instead we are
implementing the Golden Table in which your student
will enjoy an ice cream sundae with their lunch at a special
table in the cafeteria. In addition, they will be recognized in front of their peers as being outstanding citizens of
the month!
So that we can work together in strengthening the character of our students, we want you to be aware of the
values we will be encouraging and learning about as we implement our program - CHARACTER COUNTS!
September:
October:
November:
December:
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:

PK
K
1
2
3
4
5

Hawkins
Eshelman
Buhrman
Gross
Holsinger
Cox
Metz

Respect
Responsibility
Gratitude
Kindness
Self-Control
Tolerance
Motivation
Honesty
Trustworthiness

Responsible Students for October

Navaeh Dorman
Poole
Adellyn Turner
Deanna Heagy
Thomas
Annabelle Hutzell
Benjamin Luemen
Bowen
Makayla Heagy
Tessa Linetsky
Rodgers
Talor Smith
Makyrah Clyburn
Frevert
Gary (Junior) Butts
Laniah Macklin
Alkire
Abagael Esser
Alexis Heagy
Shank
Blanca Castillo

PTA News
Like us on Facebook! Parent please visit and like our Facebook page (Hickory Elementary School) so
that you can stay up to date on events and things happening within our school. We will be posting PTA
minutes, events happening within the school, and even special things happening within your childs
classroom and or grade level.
The next PTA meeting will be on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at 5:30 p.m.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Wolfgang fundraiser. Wolfgang orders will be available
for pick-up the first week of December, exact date is yet to be determined but information will be sent
home with participating students. Amount sold was $8,038.55, PTA will receive 40% of that amount as
profit.
Also, your support was greatly appreciated for the Chuckie Cheese fundraiser. A profit is unknown at
this time.
The next restaurant fundraiser will be on Friday, December 19, 2014 for Dominos Pizza.

Hickory Elementary School

Calendar of Events
2014-2015
Tuesday, November 18th
Wednesday, November 19th
Thursday, November 20th
Friday, November 21st
November 26th 28th
Thursday, December 4th
Tuesday, December 9th
Wednesday, December 10th
Thursday, December 11th
Monday, December 15th
Friday, December 19th
Thursday, January 15th

Gr. 5 Band Concert Practice @ FRE, 6:00 p.m.

Parent Visitation Day
Picture Make-Up Day
Report Cards Sent Home
Schools Closed, Thanksgiving
Gr. 5 Band Concert @ WHS, 6:00 p.m.
PTA Meeting @ 5:30 p.m.
Bookmobile
Math Night @ 6:00 p.m.
Geography Bee @ 9:00 a.m.
PTA Dominos Pizza Fundraiser
McDonalds Teacher Night PTA Fundraiser

Good News Club is on Mondays after school. It will run through April 20, 2015.

Schools are closed November 26th November 28th

for Thanksgiving Break.

BREAK
Schools are Closed December 24th January 2nd
(Schools and Central Offices Closed)
Students and Staff will return, Monday, January 5th