HOWL January 23, 2012

From Your Principal:
This is just a short note to wish you all a wonderful and “snow free” week.  This
winter weather has been “interesting” to say the least.  We’re all hoping for week
without any weather interruptions.  That being said, please don’t forget that we
have an Early Dismissal Day on Tuesday, February 7.  Dismissal for all will be
at 12:50.  It is a Professional Development Afternoon for all staff.  Thank you
for all of your support in making sure that this is included in your plans for that
week.

Have a wonderful day.
Mr. Arnone

A BIG THANK YOU!
We would like to thank you for the great success in this years fundraisers.  Specifically
we want to thank all the family for donating their childrens stuff for the first
Holland Hill Tag Sale.  Thanks to you we were able to raise over $3,000 for the
school.   We still have more fundraisers that are important to the school and we
want to encourage all of you to get involved in the upcoming readathon.  Its a great
way to get your children excited about reading and fundraising helping the school.
These fundraisers help us give money back tot he class rooms, offer your children
the summer reading program in the library, subsidize field trips and bring in top
talent for cultural enrichment assemblies.  The more we raise the more your children
will benefit.  Thanks again.

This Week…
Tuesday     Jump Rope Club 7:45 am
Talent Show previews
Thursday     Jump Rope Club 7:45am
HH Heroes
Friday       Talent Show previews
Read-a-thon starts

Holland Hill Heroes
Thursday, Jan 26th  2:45pm
Holland Hill Heroes will be working on a special initiative called Project Night
Night.  This organization is a national effort to make the lives of children living
in shelters more comfortable.  We will be making blankets for them and including
totes and books for those who are newly arriving at the shelter.  The local shelter
is in Milford, CT and at this point they are receiving families daily.  Please help
fill someone’s bucket in a very special and worthwhile way. Please use the form to sign up. Any questions please
contact Maria Lapreay  at mjlapreay@optonline.net.

Holland Hill 2012 Talent Show – Auditions THIS Week!
Jan 24th & 27th
Do you have a hidden talent? Can you sing, dance, juggle or just plain perform?
Auditions for the Holland Hill Talent Show are on Tuesday, January 24 if you don’t
need a piano and Friday, January 27 if you need a piano.  Send in your form today!

Holland Hill Game Night This Friday
Friday, Jan 27th  6pm
Bring your favorite board game and play it in the library with friends or particpate
in a school wide BINGO game in the APR for some fun prizes! Come one, come all Friends
and family.  Pizza and bottled water will be available for a small purchase!  There
is no admission fee to this event!  Come relax and have a good time!  You can even
get a head start on your reading for the readathon in the library!  We hope to see
you there!!!

Readathon is almost on!
Friday, Jan 27 – Friday, Feb 3
Today your child(ren) will come home with the 2012 Readathon Packet. We hope that
everyone will get involved this year and seek sponsor donations from family and
friends! This year’s theme is Spark an Interest in Reading, and the grand prize
for the most money raised is an Amazon Kindle Fire E-Reader! New this year: a grand
prize for the most minutes read, as well: an older model Kindle!
Please have your child decorate the book cover flyer that is in the packet and send
it to school by Friday, 1/27, so we can decorate the APR. The readathon kicks off
this Friday, 1/27 and runs through next Friday, 2/3. This is our biggest fundraiser
of the year, we hope that your children are excited about earning money for our
school through reading! Questions? Contact Tracie Haner Valentino.

Box Tops Football contest has begun!
Holland Hill is having a Box Tops Football contest, please read the attached flyer
for contest details. We need all your Box Tops so empty your cupboards.
Box Tops are worth 10 cents each for our school when we redeem them at Box Tops
for Education. Cut and glue your Box Tops to the collection sheet and send them
into your teacher once you have collected 10. You can also send them in a Zip loc
bag, but make sure the teacher’s name is on the bag. The collection sheets can be
printed off the PTA website
The winning grade will win an extra recess and popsicles.  Which grade will win
the prize?

Be part of the Barrage experience!
Saturday, January 28th   7pm
The Fairfield Music Department is very excited to host Barrage. This magnificent
educational outreach hands-on performance will take place on Saturday, January
28 at 7 pm at Fairfield Warde High School Auditorium. You will be amazed with this
touring ensemble’s high energy, talent and inspiration. The workshop will give all
students a vision of what is musically possible and you won’t want to miss our Fairfield’s
5th grade, middle and high school orchestras share the stage with Barrage. Don’t
wait-tickets are selling fast. To reserve your Barrage Workshop Performance tickets,
email barragetickets@gmail.com. Adults-$15/students $10 To learn more, visit www.barrage.org

Tae Kwon Do Fundraiser
Deadline: Jan 31st
IF YOU DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR THE TKD FUNDRAISER FOR JANUARY, HERE IS
YOUR CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR FEBRUARY
(AFTER VACATION) NEW MEMBERS ONLY!
Take advantage of an exciting World Champion Tae Kwon Do offer that will save you
money and earn donations for our school! World Champion Tae Kwon Do is offering
the Holland Hill students a 6 week program (that meets 2x/week) for $60!! This is
a $189 value that is being offered to Holland Hill for $60/ student. With every
child that signs up with World Champion, they will donate back the $60 to the school
PTA!
Sign up now! This is a fabulous deal and Tae Kwon Do offers so many positive things
for your children:
* Keeps your Children active in the Winter
* Instills Discipline and Self-Esteem
* Teaches valuable Life lessons & self defense skills
* Builds Confidence and Essential Tools needed for Success in School
* Your children stay fit and have fun!
* Helps your School
If you are interested in this great offer, click here for sign up form, fill out
and send check made out to HH PTA through backpack to the Holland Hill PTA mailbox
by Jan 31 to start on Feb 27.
Thank you!!

Family Fitness and Fun Night
Thursday, Feb 9th
Wonder what fun games your kids are learning in PE?  What is the game Fruit Salad?
Come join us for a night of fun physical activities designed for children to play
together with their families!  Family Fitness and Fun night will be held on Thursday,
February 9,  2012.  Sign-up is required, just PRINT the attached sign-up form and
waiver/code of conduct and return in an envelope marked FFFN by Tuesday, February7th.
Please read the attached flyer for important information and times for this great
event.  Join Ms. K, Mr. Arnone and the Wellness Committee for a night of Fitness
Fun!
*Please note: For safety reasons this event is open only to Holland Hill students
and their parents.  Siblings not at Holland Hill may not participate.  This is NOT
a drop-off event.

Holland Hill Budget
We want to encourage all parents to have a voice in regards to the Holland Hill
School budget. There will be another budget meeting on 4/23/12 at the Board of Ed
building in Fairfield CT.  We also encourage you to reach out to the RTM members
as soon as possible in our Holland HIll district letting them know if you have
any concerns or if you support the budget changes.  You can see a detailed list
of the Holland Hill School budget by clicking here.
You can find the RTM members on page 4 of your Holland Hill Directory or you can
also find their names on the Town website (look for District 8 or 10 RTM Members).  Your
voice counts so please speak up.

Holland Hill School Directories Still Available!
If anyone still needs a directory, please contact marissa_christina@yahoo.com.
You can sign up to be a PTA member and the directory is free!  Visit our website
for the PTA membership form.

Jump Rope Club
Tuesdays and Thursdays    7:45am
Our famous Jump Rope Club is still going strong! This is a “come as you want” open
jump rope session for ANY student who would like to come! All you need is a signed
permission/waiver form (students need this BEFORE they are allowed
to participate) and sneakers. Parent volunteers are encouraged and welcome–it’s
a great start to your day, as well as your kid’s! Every Tuesday and Thursday before
school from 7:45AM to 8:00AM in the gym.

Buy a Brick
Thank you to all who have purchased a brick for the walkway so far! Brick sales
are still ongoing, and are now priced at $50 for your first brick, and $40 for each
additional brick purchased. You can have your brick engraved with any message: your
child’s name and graduation year, your family name… the possibilities are endless!
Click here to download the form to purchase your brick. All profits go to our PTA–order your custom “piece of HH” today!
If you paid for a brick at the singalong, but haven’t turned in the form yet, please
be sure to note your form of payment on the form itself. Thanks! Any questions,
please contact Tracie Haner Valentino

Box Tops Football contest has begun!

Holland Hill is having  a Box Tops Football contest, please read the attached flyer for contest details.  We need all your Box Tops so empty your cupboards.

Bos Tops For Education Box Tops are worth 10 cents each for our school when we redeem them at Box Tops for Education. Cut and glue your Box Tops to this collection sheet and send them into your teacher once you have collected 10.  You can also send them in a Zip loc bag, but make sure the teacher’s name is on the bag.  See the collection sheet for full instructions. Which grade will win the prize?

HOWL January 16, 2012

From Your Principal:

A Happy Monday to you all.  I hope that you enjoyed your long weekend.  It came
at just the right time for our family.  It was packing time for our son, Timmy.
He is on his way back to college in Boston.  Though he left us many “things to
remember him by”, we are already missing him.  Our other son, Chris, is in his senior
year in high school and he used the time to study for his midterms.  It’s been a
busy weekend for us all.

Regardless of what you were able to accomplish, it was still a time to recognize
the impact of the work of Martin Luther King Jr. on our world.  His work of over
forty years ago helped change the world for us and our children…and his teachings
and example will hopefully influence generations to come.  The day off was lovely,
but we all know that it meant more than just time off.
We have had some wonderful events happening this past week.  It included this past
Saturday’s Family Skating Night.  We thank you all for supporting this special event
and to all who made it happen for our families.

This week includes important events as well.  Our PTA meeting/Parent University
is on Thursday, January 19, at 7:00 pm.  We will use the Parent University segment
of the meeting as way to inform you of the three test that have been going on in
Grades 2-5-the Naglieri and CoGATs, as well as the upcoming CMT’s for Grades 3-5.
Our presenters will be our Language Arts Specialist, Mrs. Griffin, our Math Science
Teacher, Mrs. Mackenzie, our Gifted Teacher, Mrs. Ferrara and me.  We will focus
on what the tests assess, how we use the information as well as examples of the
parent reports that will be coming home to you.  We hope you find this topic a
useful one and we all appreciate the effort you make to attend.  As always, babysitting
is available thanks to the support of our PTA and to our Holland Hill staff members
who will be there to watch the children.

Enjoy your week.

Mr. Arnone

 

This Week…
Monday     No School – Martin Luther King Day
Tuesday     Jump Rope Club 7:45 am
Thursday     Jump Rope Club 7:45am
PTA Meeting 7pm
Friday       School Store

 

PTA General Meeting
Thursday, Jan 19th  7pm   HH Library
PTA General Meeting will be held on Thursday January 19th at 7pm in the library.
The meeting will start off with our Parent University; If you have ever wondered
what the CogAT, Naglieri and CMT tests really can tell you about your children then
join our Language Arts Specialist, Erika Griffin, Math Science Teacher, June McKenzie,
Gifted Teacher, Sheila Ferrara and your principal, Frank Arnone to find out.  As
always babysitting is available for children 3 years old through 5th grade. We
are looking forward to seeing all HH PTA members there. We value the ideas and participation
from the HH parents  and want to make the 2012 school year a great one!  Click here to sign up for babysitting

 

Little League Registration
Wednesday, Jan 18th & Thursday, Jan 19th
On Wednesday, January 18th and Thursday, January 19th Fairfield National Little
League will be registering players for the 2012 Spring season. Registration will
take place at a new location – Fairfield Warde High School cafeteria from 7:30pm
to 9:30pm each day.

 

School Store
Friday, Jan 20th
Happy New Year Holland Hill! Time to mark your calendars and save your money the
next school store will be Friday January 20, 2012. As the new year brings many
new things for each of us to look forward to the school store also has some new
and exciting items. If there are any questions please email Michele
or call 203-913-5308 and we can always use volunteers to help our shoppers any time between 10:30 and 12:45.

 

Talent Show Previews
Jan 24th & 27th
it’s Show Time Again, time to get your acts for the show ready for previews for
Jan 24th and 27th.  Please see the attached flyer for all the information.

 

Holland Hill Family Game Night
Friday, Jan 27th  6pm
Save the date! Holland Hill Family Game Night January 27th 6pm!  Bring your favorite
board game or particpate in a school wide BINGO game for some fun prizes! Come one,
come all Friends and family.  Pizza and drinks will be available for a small purchase!
There is no admission fee to this event!  Come relax and have a good time!

Readathon: Spark Your Interest in Reading!
Friday, Jan 27 – Friday, Feb 3
The Holland Hill Readathon is back! This year, the prize for raising the most money
will be a Kindle Fire E-Reader! There will also be prizes for most minutes read,
as well as classroom prizes! Packets will be handed out in 2 weeks, on Monday,
1/23, and the readathon will start Friday, 1/27, and continue through Friday, 2/3.
This is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year–the funds that we raise during
the readathon go to support programs like field trips, author visits, teacher grants,
summer library hours, and so much more! So let your friends and family know that
you’d like them to sponsor you during our 2nd Annual Readathon!

Barrage
Saturday, January 28th   7pm
Be part of the Barrage experience! The Fairfield Music Department is very excited to host Barrage. This magnificent educational outreach hands-on performance will take place on Saturday, January 28 at 7 pm at Fairfield Warde High School Auditorium. You will be amazed with this touring ensemble’s high energy, talent and inspiration. The workshop will give all students a vision of what is musically possible and you won’t want to miss our Fairfield’s 5th grade, middle and high school orchestras share the stage with Barrage. Don’t wait-tickets are selling fast. To reserve your Barrage Workshop Performance tickets,
email barragetickets@gmail.com. Adults-$15/students $10 To learn more, visit www.barrage.org

Tae Kwon Do Fundraiser
Deadline: Jan 31st
IF YOU DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR THE TKD FUNDRAISER FOR JANUARY, HERE IS
YOUR CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR FEBRUARY
(AFTER VACATION) NEW MEMBERS ONLY!
Take advantage of an exciting World Champion Tae Kwon Do offer that will save you
money and earn donations for our school! World Champion Tae Kwon Do is offering
the Holland Hill students a 6 week program (that meets 2x/week) for $60!! This is
a $189 value that is being offered to Holland Hill for $60/ student. With every
child that signs up with World Champion, they will donate back the $60 to the school
PTA!
Sign up now! This is a fabulous deal and Tae Kwon Do offers so many positive things
for your children:
* Keeps your Children active in the Winter
* Instills Discipline and Self-Esteem
* Teaches valuable Life lessons & self defense skills
* Builds Confidence and Essential Tools needed for Success in School
* Your children stay fit and have fun!
* Helps your School
If you are interested in this great offer, click here for sign up form, fill out
and send check made out to HH PTA through backpack to the Holland Hill PTA mailbox
by Jan 31 to start on Feb 27.
Thank you!!

5th Grade Pasta Dinner Fundraiser
March 1st
Save the Date!
2 seatings:  4:30 and 6:45
More details to follow

SUMMER CAMP OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, March 24th  7-8:30pm
Please join us for a unique opportunity to meet and explore
many of the finest summer camp and activity opportunities in the area – all conveniently
located under one roof inside the OHS auditorium! To assist you with your summer
plans for the kids, we have invited a variety of camp providers, from sports to
theater and everything in between, to come and share their offerings. This PTA
sponsored event will take place on Thurs, Mar 24th from 7-8:30 PM at the OHS APR.
Click here for flyer. Any questions, please email Lisa Kilgallon

Jump Rope Club
Tuesdays and Thursdays    7:45am
Jump Rope Club is going great, but could use some Tuesday morning parent volunteers.
It’s only 15 minutes, from 7:45-8:00, and it’s great fun. Tasks include twirling
jump ropes, laughing and generally having a good time.
If your child hasn’t been to Jump Rope Club yet, it’s a “come as you want” open
jump rope session for ANY student who would like to come! All you need is a signed
permission/waiver form click here
Students need this BEFORE they are allowed to participate) and sneakers. Every Tuesday and Thursday before school from 7:45am-8:00am in the gym. Please note: there will be
no Jump Rope Club on Tuesday, 1/17 due to the Reflections breakfast.

Buy a Brick
Thank you to all who have purchased a brick for the walkway so far! Brick sales
are still ongoing, and are now priced at $50 for your first brick, and $40 for each
additional brick purchased. You can have your brick engraved with any message: your
child’s name and graduation year, your family name… the possibilities are endless!
Click here to download the form to purchase your brick. All profits go to our PTA–order your custom “piece of HH” today!
If you paid for a brick at the singalong, but haven’t turned in the form yet, please
be sure to note your form of payment on the form itself. Thanks! Any questions,
please email Tracie Haner Valentino