.
.The District does not endorse or recommend specific tutors; however, a list of people providing tutoring services is available.
Kids Eat Free
June 14, 2019 By
KIDS EAT FREE THIS SUMMER
By Lesli Mueller, Director of Child Nutrition
Hutchinson Public Schools, Common Cup and Hunger Free McLeod are partnering up again to make the Summer Food Service Program possible in our community. In 2018, the USDA program provided more than 1.5 million nutritious meals and snacks to children during the summer when school was not in session. Park Elementary and Hutchinson Middle School serving sites served 6,371 of those meals.
Ever since 2012, when the first summer feeding program started here in Hutchinson, the number of meals served to kids has increased year after year and there continues to be a need. Children this time of year look forward to school getting out to enjoy what summer has to offer them, but it can be a hardship to families who do not have access to school meals. That is why the summer feeding program is so important to the Hutchinson area. A child’s need for good nutrition plays a valuable role in helping them to learn, grow, and stay healthy. The Summer Food Service Program provides free lunch to any child up to 18 years of age. There is no income requirements or registration. Children can eat as many days as the summer feeding program is in service.
All delicious meals are served by the food service staff at Park Elementary and Hutchinson Middle School, Monday–Friday. Park Elementary serves lunch June 17–August 16, 2019 from 11:30 am-12:30 pm in the Cafeteria. Hutchinson Middle School serves their lunch June 17-August 2, 2019 from 11:15 am-12:45 pm in the Commons area. Both serving sites will be closed July 3-5 for the 4th of July holiday week and Park Elementary will be closed August 5-7 due to training conference for food service staff. Parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to eat with their children as another opportunity for family time. An adult lunch is at the affordable price of $4.25 for a well balanced meal. Parents, community groups, businesses and anyone in the community we welcome you to volunteer and show your support of this wonderful program by assisting school food service with some small duties in the cafeteria around the serving times. Without the support of volunteers the summer food program would not run as smooth towards being successful in serving kids and families. For more information on volunteering please contact Jennifer Wicklund at jenwicklund@gmail.com or 320.583.9929.
Kids, teens and adults will all enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables daily. A copy of the menu is shown below filled with some of the favorites from the school year. These well nourished menus give kids energy to play and learn throughout their summer. By participating in the summer feeding program working parents can be assured their children are enjoying a well-rounded meal that is not filled with empty calories. Children, their friends and families gathering to either feeding site can benefit from the program in a variety of ways that adds to a strong community in Hutchinson.
Summer Menus
It Is About You!
April 29, 2019 By
At Parks, Recreation and Community Education, It Is About You
By Dolf Moon, Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Education
Even with cool temperatures, summer is right around the corner. The PRCE brochure is out and has plenty of opportunities for you and your family. We look forward to seeing your family at the Hutchinson Aquatic Center this summer. Your kids may be interested in the four free Passport to the Parks opportunities included in our brochure. We also have a variety of sports camp offerings led by the Tiger Coaching Staff.
This summer you will want to take advantage of our many community playgrounds. We encourage you check out our parks, trails and fitness park information at www.ci.hutchinson.mn.us or maybe even try geocaching. Perhaps consider registering for our new Youth Camps located at Rotary Park.
The PRCE Department offers a wide variety of educational and recreational opportunities to district residents. The uniqueness of the program starts with you. If you have an interest and do not see a program that meets your needs, let us know. We will try to arrange a program. If you have a skill, you would like to share with others, give us a call. We are currently putting together the fall/winter brochure
PRCE reaches out to the entire community whether you are a parent with a preschool child (Early Childhood Family Education), a student taking a program after school, participating in Middle School athletics, an adult in a class or league, a senior citizen dropping by our center there’s something for all ages. PRCE also provides Adult Basic Education opportunities. Whether you dropped out of high school, are looking for a new job or trying to receive your GED, we can help. If you are looking to use a facility, a park shelter or a ball field, we can help.
Parks, Recreation and Community Education understand that “community” extends from neighborhoods to the world. We are flexible enough to meet the needs of a fast-changing society. We can extend the reach of education and bring people together in a common purpose. We like getting people involved in our schools. We can become partners in addressing community needs. We do this by offering a scope of activities and services that evolve with new generations of people and technologies, making the community a learning center open for people of all ages.
Parks, Recreation and Community Education reaches out to be inclusive. Every day it proves that the community and our schools, working together, can be greater than the sum of their individual parts.
Tour HHS – 4/25/19
April 22, 2019 By
Tour Hutchinson High School April 25, 2019
The Hutchinson High School will be open to the community for self-guided tours on Thursday, April 25, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm. Members of the Board of Education, high school students and staff will be available to visit and answer questions.
Click Here to View the Hutchinson High School Video Tour
Courtesy of HCVN, Hutchinson Community Video Network
Click Here to Access the Work Zone Camera
The Importance of Early Intervention
April 22, 2019 By
By Lisa Kraft, Director of Special Services
Early identification of developmental concerns in infants and toddlers can significantly improve outcomes for children, families, and communities. Early physical, social, and emotional development provides the foundation for language and cognitive skills. During the first three years of life, a child’s brain is the most flexible in their ability to learn and change. Therefore, early intervention is the most effective when provided earlier in life.
Help Me Grow Minnesota (http://helpmegrowmn.org) is a statewide system of collaboration to best identify infants and toddlers who are in need of early intervention services. The website also provides valuable information to families regarding developmental milestones. Physicians, hospitals, parents, childcare providers, public health, social service and others can refer a child to Help Me Grow. This referral is immediately forwarded to the appropriate school district. The district will contact the family to arrange for a screening or evaluation to determine if a child is eligible for infant and toddler intervention or preschool special education services.
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) for infants and toddlers in the Hutchinson Public Schools provides early intervention to children who show developmental delays in the areas of cognitive development, speech and language, motor skills, adaptive skills, vision or hearing loss, or social and emotional skills. Trained ECSE teachers and specialists work with the parents and the child to meet developmental and educational goals through an Individual Family Service Plan. These services are delivered to the child primarily in his or her home or place of childcare.
How To Make a Special Education Referral for an Infant or Toddler
If you have concerns about an infant or toddlers’ development or if your child was born with a significant medical condition you can make a referral. Visit the Help Me Grow Minnesota website (http://helpmegrowmn.org) and click on Refer a Child to complete the referral process. As well, a referral can be made directly to Hutchinson Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education Department at West Elementary by calling 234-2619. The ECSE team is ready to help you and your child work toward meeting developmental milestones. If you have any further questions about early childhood special education services in Hutchinson Public Schools please contact Lisa Kraft, Director of Special Services at 234-2618.
Early Childhood Screening – Canceled
April 10, 2019 By
Early Childhood Screening on Friday, April 12, 2019 has been canceled. Please go to the the Early Childhood Screening page to reschedule a new time.
2019-2020 Academic School Calendar
April 9, 2019 By
The 2019-2020 Academic School Calendar was approved by the Board of Education on April 8, 2019.
Click Here for the 2019-2020 Academic School Calendar
Outdoor Play
March 25, 2019 By
The Benefits of Outdoor Play for a Child’s Brain and Body
By Anne Broderius, Principal, West Elementary
Now that the weather looks like it has finally turned the corner and warmer temperatures and sunshine are on the way, it’s exciting to think about children and adults enjoying more of the outdoors once again. Play is important for a child’s healthy brain and body development and it’s through play that children engage and interact with the world around them. Children explore, take risks, experiment, develop fine and gross motor muscle memory, problem solve, discover, and use imagination all through play. Outdoor play takes children away from excessive TV and computer or video games which has become all to common a form of play. Outdoor play provides an opportunity for important physical activity and children moving their bodies in a fun way that supports many areas of development.
It’s important to encourage different kinds of play. Physical play should be encouraged with opportunities at outdoor playgrounds, lawns, and sidewalks for walking, running, climbing, skipping, rolling, jumping, and biking. These types of play help children develop gross motor skills, balance, and coordination. It’s important to encourage rolling, crawling, climbing, and swinging. Do you remember being a kid and rolling down a hill, playing on a swing set, or riding bike all day long?
Another type of play is constructive play. Constructive play allows children to be creative with all kinds of objects. See how creative children are when given some random materials like wood blocks, pvc pipe, balls, string, boxes, and canisters. Do you remember how much fun it was to play with an old cardboard box as a kid? Sometimes children have more fun with the empty box than with the item that came inside of it.
Children needs lots of opportunity for social play. Providing children a chance to play with other children similar in age is important for development. Through social play, children learn how to share, cooperate, take turns, and express emotions. It’s important an adult is close by observing and supporting the play as needed. This provides the adult a chance to intervene should children need help with a conflict. Remember to only intervene if necessary as children need opportunities to practice problem solving and resolving conflict independently too.
Games with rules are important as they help develop cognitive and social development. In addition, games with rules provide a chance to practice cooperation, negotiation, and competition. Children have fun making up the rules to familiar games or even games they create on their own. Adults should encourage, support, and have fun with whatever rules the child comes up with. Remember to balance the amount of games with rules with plenty of free or unstructured play. Follow your child’s lead on this. Some children prefer one type of play over another.
Finally, outdoor play helps to reduce the spread of infections, and improve the immune system just by being in the fresh air. Being outdoors is healthy for all of us. Research shows that exercise helps burns calories, strengthens muscles, and builds healthy bones. Being outside also provides our bodies with a natural way to build up our vitamin levels and lessens the likelihood of developing chronic diseases.
Play is an important and critical part of childhood and offers so many important developmental benefits. Play is how our children learn. Playing with our children is a great way to engage with and enjoy each of them. Children who are encouraged to play outdoors are more likely to become an adult who enjoys being active in the outdoors. Ask any adult who enjoys hiking, gardening, biking, or jogging when they got started. More than likely they will share a story about a parent or positive role model who supported, modeled, and encourage play and physical activity.
If you’d like to learn more about the importance of play, please join us from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30th at the Hutchinson High School Auditorium for an adult forum from the Jeffers Foundation about Nature Play. For more information, contact West Elementary at 320-587-4470.
Help Your Children Branch Out
March 11, 2019 By
By Dan Olberg, Park Elementary Principal
One of the beliefs we have at Park Elementary is that everyone is a scientist. We are trying to break the stereotypical image that our students have regarding scientists. Scientists are not just those who dress up in a white lab coats and wear safety glasses all day. Scientists are farmers, cooks, hairdressers, construction workers, and much more. So when a student brought up the fact that moms and dads are scientists, I started to think about how true that statement is – especially as we know more about the brain and how it functions early in life.
Scientifically speaking, if there was one part of the brain that is more important to the intelligence of a child it would have to be the cerebral cortex. That’s where higher cognitive processing occurs. As children learn new things they are essentially changing those neurons, or nerve cells, their structure, and the chemistry in their cerebral cortices.
Human beings get an explosive growth of dendrites in the cerebral cortex, like branches, in their first 8 to 10 years of life. These branches link knowledge and experiences together. Think of it as a tree with branches and leaves. The leaves hold pieces of information and the branches link the information together. As long as new experiences and knowledge continues to filter in, the branches grow and sprout new leaves. Naturally, there is a rapid growth of branches in these early years and it peaks at about the age of 10 when it slowly starts to decrease. At this point the branches that haven’t made connections die off. This process is called pruning. That’s why there’s so much interest today in those first 10 years of life.
So we need to ask ourselves as scientists some very important questions. How can we give children the best experiences for maximum growth? What activities are our children doing that foster brain growth? What activities are our children doing to stifle or limit the growth? What are we doing as parents to engage our children in life experiences? Those questions are not hard to answer; however, acting on them can be more than difficult at times.
So the students had it right, parenting is part science. Our guidance through these important years is scientifically important. The most exciting discovery about all this research is that education should continue for a lifetime. The brain’s capacity for learning and change is limitless, depending on our willingness to seek new experiences and opportunities. Our “trees,” as well as our children’s can continue to fill out and expand with a wide variety of real-world and academic activities. “Branch out” and support children’s continued brain growth.
