Happy Holidays from Hudson Schools

While a White Christmas is unlikely at this point, it is evident the spirit of the holidays fills the air. Our students and staff alike always enjoy this season. Each year, I like to remind the staff right before Thanksgiving that this run up to the holidays will go quickly, and that it is among the most delightful times of the school year. The decorations in our hallways, the fun activities that have been planned by the classroom teachers with the support of the PTO, the holiday concerts, and even our student section at basketball games! This time of year, amidst the twinkling lights and joyous celebrations, is also a time for reflection and appreciation. We see it in the faces of our students, brimming with excitement for the break yet mindful of the lessons learned and friends made. We witness it in the dedication of our educators, who tirelessly nurture potential and celebrate every milestone, big and small. And we experience it in the unwavering support of our community, a constant source of strength and inspiration.

Looking back on this year, we are filled with pride in the countless achievements of our students. We watched young students improve their reading skills, budding artists paint breathtaking landscapes, and aspiring writers craft stories that captured our hearts. We celebrated athletic victories, academic triumphs, and acts of kindness that lit up our hallways. Each moment, each success, each challenge overcome – these are the bricks and mortar that shape our future, built with care and a shared commitment to excellence.

However, the tapestry of education extends far beyond the four walls of our classrooms. It thrives in the warmth of family support, the dedication of community volunteers, and the collective belief that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, has the right to a robust and well-rounded public school education. This holiday season, let us remember the transformative power of togetherness. Let us embrace the strength of our community, cherishing the traditions and values that make us unique. And let us continue to invest in the future, fostering curiosity, compassion, and a love for learning that will illuminate the path for generations to come.

As the year draws to a close and our time with students grows short, I wish all of you a holiday season filled with peace and joy. May the holidays bring time for rest, reflection, and renewal. We all look forward to welcoming you back in January, ready to write the next chapter of our journey together.

Fostering Healthier Habits: A Look at our School Wellness Policy

In the Hudson Community School District, we believe that health and well-being are essential foundations for student success. That's why we've implemented a comprehensive school wellness policy that promotes healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and a positive learning environment. This policy guides our efforts to create a school culture that supports lifelong wellness behaviors.

Our policy articulates the belief that a healthy learning environment is critical to academic success. By providing our students with nutritious meals, opportunities for physical activity, and resources that promote healthy living will empower our students to develop lifelong wellness habits. To help us realize these aspirations, the District has outlined several goals.

1. Offer nutrition education at each grade level as part of a sequential and comprehensive program that is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote their health.
2. Promote fruit, vegetables, whole grain products, low fat and fat free dairy, health food preparation methods, and health enhancing nutrition practices.
3. Emphasize caloric balance between food intake and physical activity.
4. Provide physical education, recess for younger students, and encourage classroom teachers to provide short physical activity breaks. 
5. Encourage parents to pack healthy lunches and snacks, refraining from including beverages and foods that do not meet the established nutrition standards for individual foods and beverages.
6. Provide for parents a list of foods and beverages that meet nutrition standards for classroom snacks and celebrations.
7. Ensure that all meals served through the national school lunch program conform to the minimum nutritional requirements and that they be served in clean and pleasant cafeteria settings, while offering a variety of choices. 
8. Finally, to encourage our concession stand to offer healthy options that meet Smart Snacks guidelines.

It is important for us to ensure this policy is up to date and effective. To do so, the policy is reviewed every three years. That review includes an analysis of our progress on the aforementioned goals articulated above, as well as any recommendations to the school board for approval. To facilitate this work, the district has appointed a committee that represents a cross section of our stakeholders. Our policy is scheduled for review in the spring of 2024 with recommendations presented to the school board for consideration in June of 2024.

Additionally, we encourage feedback from parents, students, staff, and the entire community in this effort. Great things can be achieved when working together to promote healthy habits in our schools. These efforts can create a healthier generation of students who are ready to succeed in school and in life!

For more information about our school wellness plan, visit the Wellness Page on our school website. We encourage everyone to get involved in making our schools healthier places for us all. 

In loco parentis

By now, you have probably had a chance to view our latest video. You can check it out here if you haven't had a chance to see it yet. The first district wide video we shot a little over a year ago was scripted so we knew going in what the theme would be. This second video was interview style, and while we didn't know what the theme would be, I did have a chance to articulate a vision in the pre-production meeting. 

"Let's focus on academics. I would really like to emphasize and stress our attention to reading instruction in the elementary school and our commitment to career and technical education in the high school."

Imagine my surprise when the video didn't actually do that. Obviously had it been a scripted shoot like the first one we would have had much more control over the final product. We deliberately chose not to do that this time because of the pure fact we wanted something different and less rehearsed. Instead, it took on a life of it's own. And I couldn't be more pleased with the end result. 

We didn't talk about our reading scores. And while there was general excitement about the construction project and growth we are experiencing, that didn't seem to be the most important point the interviewees wanted to share. From our students, they talked about their teachers. 'They really all want what's best for you, and that is nice to see'. The staff, other hand talked about the students. 'When a student that has graduated reaches out to you, that puts a smile on your face [to know] that you've had an impact on them'. It is very apparent then, that the most important point of emphasis isn't in the programming or the bricks and mortar: it's the people. Our school is like a family and many come to view these hallways, classrooms, commons, and gyms as a second home. Hopefully our viewers come to understand, maybe a little bit better how much genuine love their is for the students who attend this school. Indeed it is apparent this feeling is reciprocated by the students who grace our hallways daily!

In loco parentis is the Latin term for 'in the place of a parent'. I first came across that term in graduate school when I was taking a course on school law. I know what you are probably thinking, 'why on earth would you subject yourself to that'. Nevertheless, the connotation refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to use discretion and act in the best interests of their students, to partly take on the role and responsibilities of a parent. Indeed during the course of the school day our teachers do act in loco parentis. But they don't do so because of a legal requirement. Truth be told, I'll bet if you asked they wouldn't even be aware of this term. I wasn't until I took that grad course. They do so from a position of love.