Hicks Canyon Elementary: A Primer for Families! 

 

Welcome to HCE! This website is published by the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization)... NOT the administration of the school.

 

We are a group of parent volunteers - and one of our goals is to help make your Hicks experience as great as possible! 

 

See below for some frequently asked questions from new families - and then take a look around our website. You'll find LOTS of details about our programs, what the PTO does, and even a page with helpful links from school. 

 

We hope you'll get involved if you find something that interests you! We look forward to meeting you!

 

FAQs

 

How do I make sure I'm in the loop from the PTO? 

 

The SCHOOL will send you info through "Parent Square". The PTO does not communicate through that platform... we send emails directly. To make sure you are on the list... follow these steps: 

  • Click the "login" from the menu bar above.
    • If you are a RETURNING family- YOU ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT. Please do not create a new account. If you can't remember your login, click the "I forgot my password" link. Contact us at store@hickscanyon.org if you have any issues with login. 
    • If you are a NEW family - follow the steps to create your account. 
  • Once you are in - that menu option will change to "My Account"... click that. 
    • From here, you can update your contacts (we recommend having both adults in a two-parent home on the account!) 

    • On the next page, you'll confirm your student(s).
      • Double check that your student status is listed as "ACTIVE". If they are inactive... you won't get info.
      • When you complete the info about your student - select their GRADE for this year - but then select "unknown" for your student's teacher name... none of us know that info yet! Spoiler alert: we'll ask you to login AGAIN to confirm you info after teachers are assigned... we do upload a list from school - but sometimes it doesn't transfer.

How will I receive info about what's happening at school? 

 

We know... there's SO much info that comes out from the school and the PTO - that's why we want to make it as easy as possible for you to get the news you need. Here's what you can expect during the year. 

  • Emails: 
    • "Tails from the Bark Side" is an email that comes out every Monday from the PTO and includes a week-at-a-glance of the week ahead. They are archived on our site so you can catch past issues if you missed something. This is your BEST reminder to find out deadlines and events that are coming up THIS week.
    • "Hump Day Happenings" comes out Wednesdays from the PTO with some mid-week reminders. It also includes a heads up for NEXT week.
    • "Husky Howl" comes out Fridays FROM THE SCHOOL. This one comes to you through "Parent Square." Contact the school's front office if you aren't getting this one.
    • Your teacher will reach out to you directly with info regarding your class or child - usually through the Parent Square app. 
    • Your class's room parent (see below) will also send occasional emails highlighting things that are specific to your classroom. 
  • More places you can find info:
    • The PTO Website: Husky Happenings is always available - a summary of what's to come for the month.
    • The PTO also provides a hard copy calendar every month that goes home in your "Friday Folder". There's a QR code right in the corner of the calendar to get more details too! Post this on your fridge for easy access. 
    • The marquee out in front of the school highlights events coming up within the next 2 weeks. 
    • Social Media: Follow the PTO on Facebook and Instagram. We post mostly"stories" - so watch for those for reminders and information!  
    • Texts: NEW this year! If you OPT IN (through the account link described above)... you can receive text messages from the PTO! We will NOT be blasting texts all the time - just occasional reminders for important events/deadlines. We do NOT recommend relying on texts for info - it's meant to be for reminders only. 
    • The school sometimes puts reminders or news in the "Friday Folder" that will come home with your student each week. Be sure to check that between the worksheets and other materials that will come home in that folder. For example, this is where you'll get the order form for school pictures. 

Fun Fact:

PTO emails (and these website pages) are purposely more "text-based" instead of graphics sharing information. This helps ensure that our families can easily translate the content into their preferred language - which can't be done with images. 

 

What does a "Room Parent" do? 

 

Each class teacher selects a Room Parent (or 2!) at the beginning of the year. The Room Parent is responsible for: 

  • Coordinating (and collecting donations* from the families in the class to collectively help pay for):  
    • 2 class parties (one in December and one in May) 
    • 3 teacher gifts (one for their birthday, and one gifted during each of the 2 parties) 
  • Coordinating class volunteers as needed for class events throughout the year. 

  • Helping the PTO distribute information to the classes as needed. 

*About the donations for the class parties/teacher gifts: 

  • You'll hear from your classroom's room parent by early September - and they'll ask you for a donation toward the events/gifts described above. The suggested donation amount is $30/student.
    • Donations toward the class funds are optional. Every student in the class will still participate in the class parties, regardless of the amount given. 
    • Class parents may not accept any gift MORE than $50/student in the class to help pay for these events/gifts. If you wish to go above-and-beyond for your teacher, you are welcome to do that through your personal gifts - but not through the class donation. 

Please note that it is not the room parent's role to repeat all of the info the school or PTO sends out - we recommend relying on the avenues above for your "what's happening at Hicks" information. :) 

These parent reps are chosen by the teacher, not the PTO. Learn lots more about the role here - and talk to your teacher if you are interested! 

 

Q: Are all of the events and program the PTO available to students in all grades? 

The PTO is proud to host events and programs that benefit each and every student at Hicks... but not every event is designed for every student/grade. We have LOTS of "all school" events (including our Donuts with Loved Ones, School Dances, Book Fair, Husky Hustle, Bingo Night and more!) But there are also some programs or events that are "not quite yet" for our younger students - or "not anymore" for our older students!

Husky Happenings, our emails, and program landing pages on our website clarify IF a program is specific to a grade level. If it doesn't specify a grade level - it's for EVERYONE! 

 

Q: What's the rule about uniforms? 

 

A: Visit the school's handbook for the complete policy... but to sum up: the school encourages students to wear a uniform - which saves YOU both time and money and makes classroom learning much less distracting. 

 

The uniform consists of:

  • Bottoms: khaki or navy pants, shorts or skirts (girls also have the option of a "jumper" in khaki or navy)
  • Tops: red, navy, white, burgundy or grey polo

Husky Gear also counts as uniform clothing! 

  • Wednesday is Spirit Day: students are encouraged to wear their GRADE LEVEL shirt on this day. Don't have a grade level shirt? Any Husky Gear will do!  
  • Friday is Free Dress day: Jeans are allowed! Students still must adhere to the general TUSD dress policy. 

 

Q: How do I get more involved? 

Our PTO is made up of all volunteer parents. We'd LOVE for you to be involved! Come to a PTO meeting (or join us online) to meet some folks, sign up to help at an event, contact a committee lead of a program that interests you, or just come up and say hi at one of the events PTO is represented!
You can learn more about ways to get involved here. 

 

Have a question you wish we answered here? Let us know! 

 

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