Family Newsletter | August 20, 2025
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Dear HES Families,
We can't wait to see all our students next week! Please be sure to read the information below about arrival and dismissal, lunch, and school supplies, and fill out the Dismissal Form by August 25.
Bus routes for the upcoming school year are now available on our website or by clicking HERE. Start times for each bus route are listed along with the address of each stop. If you do not see your exact house number or if your stop is missing, please know that stops are often consolidated to provide more efficient transportation. If you have any questions regarding the bus routes please contact Dee Bus by phone (978-425-4706 x3190) or email (sandram68@concast.net).
This week in Storytime with Dr. K and Mrs. Sturgis we are reading Only One You by Linda Kranz. Click HERE to watch!
Enjoy these last few days before school starts. We are here to help everyone have a smooth beginning to the year!
Rebecca and Hilary
Dr. Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Principal
Mrs. Hilary Sturgis, Assistant Principal
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Upcoming Dates
Monday, August 18-Friday, August 22: Gear Up for Kindergarten Sessions 1&2
Friday, August 22: Mrs. Newbould Meet and Greet (K)
Monday, August 25: Dismissal Form Due
Monday, August 25: Grade 1 Popsicles on the Playground, 2:30 pm
Monday, August 25: PTO Kindergarten Popsicle Party, 4:00 pm
Tuesday, August 26: Grade 2 Popsicles on the Playground, 2:30 pm
Wednesday, August 27: First Day of School for Grades 1-5 and Half of Kindergarten
Thursday, August 28: First Day of School for Half of Kindergarten
Monday, September 1: NO SCHOOLTuesday, September 2: First Day of School for PreK
Tuesday, September 9: Picture Day -- more information coming soon!
Wednesday, September 17: Half Day, Dismissal at 12:15 pm
Thursday, September 25: Curriculum Night, 6:00-7:30 pm
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School Announcements
Arrival
The school day begins at 9:00 am and students are welcome to enter the building starting at 8:45 am. We strongly encourage everyone to arrive on time to ensure a smooth start to the day. After 9:00 am, parents/guardians must bring their child to the main office and sign them in.
BUS: If your child takes the bus, please note the time that the bus route begins and plan to be at your stop a few minutes early for the first few days.
WALKERS: Walkers may enter through our main door or door C-2 on the Mass Ave. side of the building.
CAR DROP OFF: Car drop off starts at 8:45 am. Students should stay in their cars until our staff members are present. Please note that cars should only enter our parking lot from Mass Ave. Other entrances are closed to traffic during arrival and dismissal (see map below). Please wait in the car line until you are directed to pull up along our front sidewalk (see map below). Once your child exits the car, stay in the car line until the car in front of you leaves. Do not pull out of line or attempt to pass cars in front of you.
Dismissal
Please fill out this dismissal form to let us know how your child will typically get home from school this year. Please fill out a separate form for each of your children by August 25. Contact Jess Reynolds (jreynolds@psharvard.org) in our main office with any questions. BUS: Registration was required as of early July to ride the bus. Please contact Jessica Reynolds at jreynolds@psharvard.org if you did not register but would still like to ride the bus. Depending on bus routes and ridership, the bus company may not be able to accommodate late requests.
WALKERS: Walkers are dismissed either from door C-2 to walk across the street to the Harvard Public Library OR from the main office door A-3 to walk down Fairbank Street. Dismissal from door C-2 is only available to students in grades 3-5 & their accompanying younger siblings. Parents of PreK-grade 2 students who would like them to walk home are welcome to walk to pick their students up at the main office door. We do not have staff monitoring student walkers across the street.
CAR PICK-UP: Students being picked up by car will be dismissed in groups from the Main Office door. Please place your school issued placard in the window for staff to see (distributed at the beginning of the year). If you do not display the placard you may be asked to provide ID before taking your child.
DISMISSAL CHANGES: Day-of dismissal changes require notifying the main office before 2:30 pm. Please email both your child's teacher and hesabsence@psharvard.org with your 'day of' dismissal changes as soon as possible.
 School breakfast and lunch are free again this year. Students can get a bagged breakfast as they enter the building in the morning to eat in their classroom. Students in grade K-5 eat lunch in our cafeteria at assigned times. Full day preschool students eat lunch in their classrooms.
- At lunch, students can choose from the daily hot entree as well as salads, sandwiches, bagels, and more. Second servings cost $4.00 and are billed to the student's MySchoolBucks account. Lunch menus are posted on the HES website or you can use the link at the top of this newsletter.
- Students are always welcome to bring a lunch from home. Lunches for students in grades K-5 may contain nuts, but may not be eaten at the allergy-free table.
- Students should bring a snack every day that is nut free. All of our classrooms are nut free.
If you would like to drop off your child's school supplies before the first day, we will have a table set up in our lobby on August 25 and 26. Please label the supplies with your child's name and classroom teacher. Please know that you will not be able to go up to your child's classroom as our teachers will be busy getting ready for the first day. First and second grade families can also bring their supplies to the Popsicles on the Playground. Of course, students are welcome to bring supplies on the first day, and if you ordered school supplies, they will be waiting for your child!
This year's school supply list can be found on our website. For financial assistance, please fill out this form. All requests for financial assistance are kept confidential.
Please join the PTO for the 3rd Annual Harvard Schools PTO Pickleball Tournament on Sunday, September 14th from 8:30 to 3:00 pm at the Bromfield courts! Open to all ages and skill levels. Registration closes September 7th or when all spots are filled so grab a partner and sign up today for this fun and casual round robin into elimination style tournament. In addition to supporting a great cause, bracket winners will take home prizes including pickleball gear and swag from our sponsor the Marcus Lewis Tennis Center. Register now at harvardpto.org. Questions to danakoliver@gmail.com.
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Community Announcements
Superstar Productions is excited to announce the fall musical, Press Start! Press Start transports us inside the bright, pixelated world of video games. When the famous characters we know and love run out of lives, they decide to put on a musical fundraiser that will help them raise gold rings and play on. Through hilarious and heartfelt musical numbers we see the heroes, villains and sidekicks like we’ve never seen them before. Rehearsals takes place September through November on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm.
Registration opens on Monday, August 11th at 7:30pm on our website: superstarproductions.org under the Registration tab
Registration fee: $445
 Harvard Youth Lacrosse fall program registration is open for in town and travel programs that start around September 12. Visit our website for more information: https://harvardlax.org/registration/
Fall Baseball and Softball Registration is OPEN for rising grades 1-6. The Fall season is focused on building and refining skills while advancing player understanding of game. Sign up @ https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/486720. Scheduling is very accommodating to youth soccer.
Softball will be offering practice for the remainder of the summer at Ann Lee's Field - Wednesdays 5:30-7:00 pm for players 9-12 years old. We will give the players opportunities to practice hitting, fielding and throwing in a purely instructional setting.
 Click HERE to learn about all the events for children happening at the Harvard Public Library!
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HILDRETH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Dr. Rebecca Katsh-Singer, Principal
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| 27 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard MA, 01451 | (978) 456 - 4145 |
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