In the midst of all the weather stops and starts we had over the past few weeks, we were so glad that our weather cooperated on Friday, February 20 to celebrate National PTA's Take Your Family to School Week with our annual Parade of Readers (POR) Kickoff Rally and Parade. It was once again one of our most exciting events of the school year.  We had nearly an equal number of students, family members, and community parade participants - a fantastic turnout with about 300 people present. Our 1st Graders are now ready to Read, Read, Read!  Special thanks goes out to all of the volunteers that helped, and especially to Natalie Davis and Kerrie Shepperd for Co-Chairing the event. We also thank all of the sponsors for the program. The POR brings together so many from our community and that's one of PTA's six Family-School Leadership standards - Collaborating with the Community.  

This week, we have our second annual Reading Fair on Tuesday, March 3 from 6:00-7:30 pm in the HCES Library. The PTA will share just a few short announcements over the sound system. A big thanks goes to Dr. Pam Barnes and Librarian Mrs. Suzan Ellett for planning this event. We also thank National PTA and the AXA Foundation for helping to support the event through the grant that we received for Take Your Family to School Week. Another exciting event this month includes Career Day on Friday, March 13, and this is also a 1/2 day for our students.  This is another great way that our school involves the community as visitors come in to talk about their careers.  

A new 2015-2016 PTA Board will be voted on during the Arts Night & PTA Meeting on Tuesday, April 21.  We are currently seeking the below Board positions for next year, and encourage everyone to consider these positions - even if you work during the day.  We will find a convenient time for all of us to meet, or rotate the meetings to accommodate work and family schedules. The positions needed include: 

1st VP Academic Support (1 year position)  

Secretary (1 year position)

2nd VP Membership (2 year position)

3rd VP Sales & Fundraising (2 year position)

4th VP After School Enrichment (2 year position)

5th VP Community Partners (2 year position) 

Please contact a member of our Nomination Committee if you are interested in one of these positions:  Lori Cribbet, Amy George, Christina Guyette, Cindi Williamson, and Karen Woodington. 

Please keep the MacMurray family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through a difficult time with daughter Sydney - one of our dear HCES students.  Please see your Room Parent emails for information on how you can help the family.  

What an interesting month this has been! February held many exciting events including several weather delays. I hope you were able to enjoy the snow with your family. Our teachers and students have been working hard to make up the lost instructional time. Technology has been a great tool to allow learning to still take place even when the weather doesn't cooperate. Thank you for your patience and understanding as students may do a little more at home to maintain our academic gains.

Our annual Parade of Readers kick-off was also held in February. This reading celebration is always a phenomenal event. Thank you to our sponsors and parents who make this event successful. The chains have begun to drape the first grade hallway and reading magic is in the air! We look forward to our upcoming guest readers each week and the continued excitement around the school.

The month of March continues with many reading activities and special events. On Tuesday, March 3rd Hampton Cove Elementary will host a Reading Event Night. This night is sponsored by our PTA and will be a "come and go" event. Students and family members are invited to attend between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. All students in grades second through fifth will create a project board displaying a book of their choice with a writing extension. The projects are beginning to trickle in and they are very creative. Kindergarten and first grade students may dress up as their favorite book character.   Please join us for this interactive event and celebrate Dr. Suess's birthday.   There may even be a few special appearances from the Cat in the Hat himself! Special treats will also be provided to students and siblings who attend.

As our third quarter comes to a close, students will take the Schoolnet Benchmark tests the first week of March. Students will be assessed in the areas of reading and math. School pictures are also around the corner. Individual student pictures will take place on Wednesday, March 11^th. Information was sent home in the Wednesday folders last week. Hampton Cove Elementary will also host our annual Career Fair on March 13^th. For this special event, we welcome community members from across Huntsville to share career experiences with our students. Each grade level will rotate through four stations of speakers and engage in interactive learning experiences. This day will also be a ½ day for students. Students will be dismissed at 11:30.

Finally, March brings a well-deserved break and the beginning of spring. Our break will take place March 23^rd through 27^th. Whether you travel or enjoy the city of Huntsville, I hope your time away is relaxing and memorable. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact me at autumn.bray@hsv-k12.org or 256.428.7180.