Principal’s Post

Dear Families,

Hello, December!  The first week of the month was certainly a busy one, as our students completed the i-Ready Reading Diagnostic and literacy tasks.   They did their best, and we have valuable information about their reading progress that we will share once all make ups are completed.  Looking ahead, our students will be completing the i-Ready Math Diagnostic next week.  Report Card were posted to the student portal tomorrow.  You can view your child’s progress by logging in at your convenience, and if you need any directions or support on how to access the portal, please click on this link: https://www.haverhill-ps.org/technology/athome/portal/.

Our students are currently participating in the second i-Ready® Diagnostic of the school year, which is a critical benchmark for understanding your student’s growth and is why it’s so important they put forth their best effort.  These results allow us to better support them in achieving their growth goals for the year. i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year.  It allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.  The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs.  Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question; for example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones.  The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning.

To help our Superstars, we can prepare and motivate them to put forth their best effort.  Please make sure they get a good night’s sleep and eat breakfast in the morning.  Also, let them know you’re excited to celebrate their progress, and take a moment to talk to your student about why the second Diagnostic is important.  You can share that the second Diagnostic helps them find out how much progress they’ve made since the beginning of the year, and it allows us to celebrate their accomplishments.  Encourage them to try their best and not rush, but also not to spend too much time on a question.  Finally, remind them that the questions on the Diagnostic change based on their answers, so they will see some questions they don’t know, and that is completely okay- they just need to try their best.

As we welcome December, we are excited to introduce our new Superar theme:  empathy.  Empathy is the ability to truly understand and share the feelings of another person.  It means being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.  When our students practice empathy, they are learning to listen actively, notice non-verbal cues like facial expressions, imagine what another person might be feeling, and respond with kindness and care based on that understanding. Developing this skill is fundamental to creating a supportive, inclusive, and positive school community, and we will be focusing on teaching and modeling it throughout the month.

Thank you once again for your continued support and commitment to your child’s education and our school community.  Your encouragement and involvement play a crucial role in your child’s success!  The reading logs were due this week, and I thank you again for your commitment and support with reading every night to and with your children!

Sincerely,

Jen Rubera

Principal

Superstar Reading at Home Resources

• https://lote4kids.com/us-haverhill-public-library/  The Haverhill Public Library offers this wonderful resource with books in multiple languages!
• https://storylineonline.net/library/  Storyline Online
• Vooks Storybooks YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@VooksStorybooks
• Digital Reading Log:   https://forms.gle/bshU4hcReq2WGJ8r5
• Paper Log Passed out to Students: Traditional Paper Reading Log

Empathy Picture Books

Reading picture books is one of the most effective ways to introduce complex emotional concepts like empathy to young children.  We encourage you to explore some of these wonderful titles together this month.  These books offer beautiful ways to open discussions about kindness, perspective-taking, inclusion, and celebrating differences:

• The Paper Heart by Sally Reichert

• Empathy is Your Super Power by Cori Bussolari, PsyD

• How Wonderfully Odd! by Rory Haltimaier

• Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev

• A Friend Like Simon by Kate Gaynor

• The Conversation Train by Joel Shaul

• When We Are Kind by Monique Gray Smith

• Big Bear Was Not The Same by Joanna Rowland

• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfield

• We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio

• Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

• Hey, Little Ant by Phiullip and Hannah Hoose

• The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

• Why Does Izzy Cover Her Ears? Dealing With Sensory Overload by Jennifer Veenendall

• Arnie and His School Tools Simple Sensory Solutions That Build Success by Jennifer Veenendall

Community Resources

We recognize that the need for support may extend to our own school families.  If you or your family could use a little extra help or support with food, clothing, or other resources, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can contact our School Adjustment Counselor, Cherie Rousseau, or myself, directly. We are here to help in any way we can.  Additionally, there is a wide network of support available right here in the Haverhill community.  Whether you are seeking immediate crisis support, need assistance with housing, or are looking for therapeutic services for a family member, the HPS Community Resources web page highlights essential resources designed to help.  Please click here to view the HPS Community Resources Page.  If you are still unsure of what resources you qualify for or where to go, please contact Community Action in Haverhill at 978-373-1971.  They have bilingual staff and are excellent at connecting families to the right assistance.  Your well-being and the well-being of our Superstars are what matters most.

School Attendance:  Your Presence is Powerful!

Please click on the pictures below to see the attendance rate for this week.

To view weekly and monthly attendance data, please click here.  You can also view other data that is shared with all stakeholders in regards to attendance, behavior, course performance, and family engagement.

Mark Your Calendar!

Please visit https://walnutsquare.haverhill-ps.org/events/   or view the calendar on Parent Square to stay informed about important dates and events!  You also have the opportunity to subscribe to the Walnut Square calendar to get updates right on your device!

November 2025

 Wed 11/26 • Early Release – All Students

 Thu 11/27 • Thanksgiving Break

 Fri 11/28 • Thanksgiving Break

December 2025

 Tue 12/2 • PreK – 8th Grade Report Cards Issued – 1st Trimester

 Tue 12/23 • Early Release – All Students/Staff

 Wed 12/24 • Winter Break

 Thu 12/25 • Winter Break

 Fri 12/26 • Winter Break

 Mon 12/29 • Winter Break

 Tue 12/30 • Winter Break

 Wed 12/31 • Winter Break

January 2026