THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOL ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH DUE TO ELECTION DAY
HUNKING’S 4TH ANNUAL FEAST: Save the date, Thursday, November 20th, 5pm-7pm. Come one and come all!! It is our 4th annual feast and we are hoping to share a meal with our entire Hunking community. Please stay tuned for communication with sign-up information.
Hunking 1K Food Drive
Please join the first annual Hunking 1K Food Drive the week of November 17th!!! Our goal is to collect ONE THOUSAND FOOD ITEMS (1K!!!). More details will be released, but this will be a huge competition with classrooms competing to bring in the most food! Give family and friends a heads up that we will be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to Open Hearts in Haverhill! Let’s see what classroom brings in the most items to benefit our community during these tough times!!!
HUNKING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY: There are only a few more days to have your voices heard. We hope that each family will take the time to help inform us here on how we are doing. We will keep the survey open until the end of the day this Sunday, November 2nd.
At this time, we have had a total of 311 responses, which is great, but in a school of 1,100 students, we know there are many more of you that we would like to hear from as well.
We have promised that the grade level with the highest percentage of families completing the survey will win a prize/incentive.
Our Site Council (which is a combination of parents/family members & Hunking staff) will analyze and use the data from this survey to make necessary improvements throughout this year and moving into next year, and share them all with you.
Thank you in advance for your support with this.
English Version:
Spanish Version
Portuguese Version
Haitian Creole Version
Hunking Fun Run: We’re halfway through our Fun Run fundraiser and the support has been incredible—thank you!
As a school, we have raised over $11,000 and are about 57% to our goal!
If you haven’t signed up yet, don’t worry…there’s still time to get involved!
- SIGN UP your student(s) on MyBooster.com.
- SHARE with your family/friends using the SHARE tools on MyBooster.com.
- GIVE a donation.
Reminder: Our Hunking Bobcat Fun Run is coming up on November 6th! We can’t wait to celebrate with you. If you want to come and cheer on your student(s), the event schedule is below:
- 8:45-9:30am – 7th & 8th
- 9:40-10:15am – K-2
- 12:45-1:30pm – 3rd & 4th
- 1:40-2:25pm – 5th & 6th
Thank you again for supporting our school!
LOST AND FOUND! It’s the end of the month which means all lost and found items will be donated Monday. There are many coats and sweatshirts. Please have your child check if they didn’t come home with something.
Theme of the Month: For the month of October, we will be celebrating the theme of Respect here at Hunking. Respect is to hold something or someone in high regard, showing honor, esteem, and admiration for their inherent value, worth, or qualities. It involves demonstrating care, consideration, and attentiveness to their feelings, needs, and boundaries, even if you disagree with them. True respect, particularly self-respect, fosters an environment of empathy and understanding, allowing for individual differences and a space to make mistakes without judgment. You show respect by listening actively and thoughtfully, acknowledging others’ viewpoints, respecting personal boundaries and property, and communicating with kindness and courtesy. Key actions include apologizing for mistakes, showing gratitude, being punctual and reliable, offering help, and standing up against disrespectful behavior toward others.
Food Services has changed the menus this year. When you go to https://www.fdmealplanner.com/, and type in “Hunking” for the school location, you will see a WEEKLY menu. You will see the main lunch and other options available for the day. You will still be able to filter according to food allergens. Any questions, please contact Food Services at justin.hodgkins@haverhill-ps.org.
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS:
Haverhill SEPAC:
Food Pantry Info:
Resource Guide:
2025 updated resource guide 10-29
Spanish-Resource Guide ENGLISH March 2024-2025_Al-Camila_updated (2)
PTO NEWS:
*Chocolates continue to be sold for $1 during lunches on Fridays
*Our next PTO meeting is also scheduled for Thursday, November 6th from 5:30 to 6:30pm at Hunking!
Babysitting is available, please bring a friend and join us!
SKI BRADFORD: The Hunking Ski Club will start on Friday, January 9th for 3rd – 8th graders on Friday nights from 5-9 p.m. (weather permitting). Get your enrollment forms at the school office as they are due back by Friday, November 14th.
NEWS FROM GUIDANCE
Terri Carney, School Counselor, grades 5-8
⭐If you are in need of food assistance resources, please access this folder with local resources. Local Food Resources
Hunking 1K Food Drive
Please join the first annual Hunking 1K Food Drive the week of November 17th!!! Our goal is to collect ONE THOUSAND FOOD ITEMS (1K!!!). More details will be released, but this will be a huge competition with classrooms competing to bring in the most food! Give family and friends a heads up that we will be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to Open Hearts in Haverhill! Let’s see what classroom brings in the most items to benefit our community during these tough times!!!
Important for Parents of 7th Graders!!
Each year we administer Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) within our schools. This year at Hunking, we will administer the screening to Grade 7 on November 17th and one additional day if needed. SBIRT is a confidential conversation between a student and a trained adult about substance use. Participation is voluntary and parents/guardians have the right to opt their child out of participating. Additionally, on the day of the screening, students will also have the ability to opt out if they choose. Please use this form if you DO NOT want your student participating in SBIRT screening. Please complete this form by November 7th, 2025.
Family Night at HHS!
- Grades 6-8 Families! December 4th is family night at HHS from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Parents of 8th Graders: Planning Ahead, High School Options:
HHS
- HHS Career Technical Education (CTE) will begin accepting applications on November 1st. HHS CTE Application
- HHS Classical Academy is accepting applications. The deadline to apply is January 17th, 2026. Classical Academy Application
WVT
- The application window opens on November 1st WVT Application
- Open house for 8th graders and families is on November 2nd from 1-4
- WVT tour for students is Dec 11th. Look for permission slips closer to the field trip.
- WVT has announced they will have a straight lottery system for admissions.
Essex North Shore
- There are 7 programs that Haverhill students may apply to
- Application window opens November 1, 2025 and closes on January 10, 2026
- Essex Open House is November 22nd Registration Required, go to website
- Essex will have a straight lottery
Other high school info:
- Private school application windows open early
- If you are planning to attend a private school for 9th grade, be sure to look at their websites for important information about applying and deadlines
For all parents and caregivers!
Massachusetts Partners for Youth has a wonderful resource! Check out the Parenting Solutions Library! https://peaceathomeparenting.com/mpy-solution-libraries/
EDUCATIONAL HAPPENINGS:
ML News:
Holidays Around the World
November 1st-2nd
El Día de los Muertos (day of the Dead)
El Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that honors and remembers loved ones who have passed away. Families welcome back the spirits of their relatives for a joyful reunion filled with food, music, and celebration. It’s a beautiful tradition that celebrates life, love, and remembrance.
Grade 6: Grade 6 had a busy week! On Tuesday and Wednesday the Haverhill Public Library came to visit us. They are ensuring that every Haverhill student has access to a library card and they let students know of the wonderful activities and resources at the library.
On Thursday 10/30 we celebrated finishing A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park by having Peter Nhainy, a Lost Boy of Sudan, present his documentary, tell his story, and answer lots of questions from the students. Grade 6 students were an excellent audience and had insightful as well as thoughtful questions for Mr. Nhainy.
Grade 8: Penny Wars have come to an end! Thank you to everyone who’s supported our 8th grade. The winning homeroom will be announced next week (after lots of coin counting!). These funds will help to cover costs for transportation to The Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport for our 8th Grade December 22nd field trip to see The Nutcracker Panto!
Today was Fun Friday on the 3rd floor! After watching the lower school Costume Parade and working hard through core classes, student pairs competed in a cup challenge with the winning pair in each homeroom competing in a pumpkin toss! We ended the day with a prize raffle and deciding on homeroom colors for our Fun Run in November.
We worked hard to earn all this fun! Civics classes are in the midst of writing their first DBQ (Document Based Question), ELA is working on “The Lottery” extended writing task (now a homework assignment) and reading “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs in class. Science has prepared diagram notes for a test on Plate Tectonics, and in math
NEWS FROM OUR NURSES: A friendly reminder that we have many students with dietary restrictions / allergies. Please do not send in snacks / treats without checking with your child’s homeroom teacher and/or the health office first.
We have started vision and hearing screening with our lower school students. Next week we will finish the 4th grade screenings and start 5th grade vision screenings. Please ensure your child wears their glasses to school (if they need them). We will be sending home referrals for any child who has trouble seeing or hearing. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
If your child will be participating in any sports this year, they will need a current physical in order to play. Our fax number is 978-274-1944 if you would like the doctor to fax it to our office.
ATHLETIC NEWS:
In order to participate in any Hunking sports a current physical exam (done within the last 12 months) needs to be provided to the health office. This is a Haverhill Public School policy.
Soccer: Congratulations to both teams on reaching the City Finals on Tuesday – an incredible accomplishment for our soccer program. Each squad should be proud of their phenomenal seasons from start to finish. The girls team completed their undefeated run by capturing the City Championship, while the boys team showed tremendous heart and determination, narrowly missing out on back-to-back titles.
Cross Country: As our 2025 season crosses the finish line, we want to thank all of our incredible parents and runners for another amazing year! Coaching this team has been such a privilege for Coach Melyssa and I. We’re especially proud to celebrate that your girls team are this year’s District Champions! Their hard work, determination, and team spirit truly set the pace for the season. Thank you for going the distance with us, we couldn’t have done it without your support!
Your kiddos BIGGEST fans,
Coach Law and Coach Mel
Girls Basketball Tryouts: Grade 6-8 Girls basketball tryouts will be held on November 3rd and November 6th from 3:30-5:00. In order to try out students need to have a physical on file with the nurses office before the try out. The final team will be determined after the second tryout.
CLUB NEWS:
Music Dept: Check out all the events coming up in the music dept this month!
Hunking Music Winter Events Flyer 2025 (3)
Guitar Ensemble: We will continue to meet on Friday afternoons from 2:45-3:30. We are making great progress on our performance pieces and look forward to seeing you at the “Gumdrops and Guitars” recital on Friday, December 19th from 3:30-4:30. Please reach out if you have any questions. Mrs. Fairbrother (kfairbrother@haverhill-ps.org)
Mentor/Mentee:
Chorus: Chorus will continue with our usual schedule next week, however there will be no Lower School rehearsal on Tuesday Nov 4th due to the professional development day.
Tri-M: Tri-M had their first official meeting this past Wednesday. Any student interested in joining Tri-M should grab a permission slip and welcome packet from outside Room #127 and sign up for an audition. Auditions will be Nov 3rd, 5th, 6th, & 10th after school. Please see Ms. Avalos with any questions.
Student Council:
- Monthly Meeting and Events Schedule can be found here. We add to this schedule as new events or dates are finalized, so please check it often.
- Friday November 7th all 7th and 8th grade members will be meeting after school until 3:30 pm in room 300. We will join the NJHS meeting to discuss leadership opportunities.
- Wednesday our council toured the State House in Boston and met with our Haverhill Representative Andy Vargas. Vargas answered all our questions and inspired our students to think about not “what they want to be” but “what they want to do” with their lives. He noted the impact Ms. Curry and the Haverhill VIP program had on him as a student, learning that he had a voice and could make positive change in his community.
NJHS: The NJHS calendar can be found here. If you are preparing to host an upcoming event or holiday consider buying Rolls and Butter from Texas Roadhouse to support NJHS. Use and share this link 11/1-11/8!
Lego Club: Lego Club will begin in November
Model UN: Model UN meets weekly on Thursdays from 2:55-3:45 in Room 211. We’re currently looking for a few enthusiastic 6th grade students who are interested in learning about current world issues, strengthening their public speaking and leadership skills, and taking on new challenges to join our Model UN team. Feel free to reach out to Mrs. Seed at kristin.seed@haverhill-ps.org for more information.
Technology Resources:
DESE Learning Standards for Families: learning benchmarks for math and ELA per grade level.
Technology Webpage: How to Access Parent Portal (PDF), Google Classroom, Parent controls (Qustodio), and basic iPad and Chromebook usage tips.
Remind app: How to download and use Remind to communicate with teachers.
ODDS & ENDS:
-Please make sure that your student(s) are coming to school daily with a fully charged Chromebook.
HPS has chosen School Device Coverage (SDC) to ensure the Chromebooks that students have been issued. The cost of coverage for the year is $20 and includes accidental damage, loss, fire, and theft. As of right now, families have the option to sign up during the month of September (we will let you know if it extends). After sign-up closes, only new students will be given a special code to sign up at registration. The HPS website (under technology) explains SDC and has instructions on how to sign up online.
-Please make sure that you are sending your student(s) with a water bottle. We have a limited supply of cups, and we do not have access to water fountains, only water bottle filling stations.
SCHOOL POLICIES: Please click on the link below to review Hunking policies, including cell phone and pick up & drop off procedures:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u0UOrpoO9vRnMMJuYpeJmaSGKcywt29SX94AQmSHFzQ/edit?usp=sharing