Hershey Panther Families and Friends,

As March arrives, we welcome the season of renewal, growth, and fresh beginnings. The days grow longer, the sunshine feels a little warmer, and signs of spring begin to bloom all around us. This month reminds us that change can be beautiful, and just like nature, our students continue to grow, learn, and thrive with each passing day.

March also brings exciting opportunities for celebration and reflection. From Read Across America Week to St. Patrick’s Day, we embrace moments that spark curiosity and joy in learning. As we shift toward the final stretch of the school year, it’s incredible to see how far our students have come—both academically and personally. Their hard work and perseverance continue to inspire us, and we look forward to watching them finish the year strong.

Spring is also a time of renewal for our school community. It’s a season to embrace new goals, fresh perspectives, and positive momentum. Whether through acts of kindness, a renewed focus on learning, or simply enjoying the energy that spring brings, let’s continue to support and uplift one another.

Here’s to a fantastic March filled with growth, excitement, and new possibilities! Thank you for your continued partnership in helping our students succeed.  Go Panthers!

Jared Thomsen

Elementary Principal

📞 (308) 368-5572

📧 jared.thomsen@hpspanthers.org

Empowering All Students to Reach Their Full Potential.

"Learn, Grow, Thrive - Hershey Public Schools"

03.02.26 - Dr. Suess' Birthday

03.02-03.06 - Read Across America Week - Dress up

03.02.26 - Blood Drive (HHS)

03.04-03.07 - Girl's State Basketball Tournament

03.08.26 - Daylight Savings Time (Spring Ahead)

03.09.26 - Present Student of the Month (March)

03.09.26 - Fire Drill

03.10.26 - Tornado Drill

03.11.26 - ROAR Assembly 

03.11.26 - 11:30 Student Dismissal (In-Service)

03.11.26 - End of Q3

03.11-03.14 - Boy's State Basketball Tournament

03.12.26 - No School PK-12 (Spring Break)

03.13.26 - No School PK-12 (Spring Break)

03.16.26 - Start of Q4

03.17.26 - St. Patrick's Day

03.16.26 - Q4 Starts

03.19.26 - HPS Elementary Personality Pictures + PK Grad Photos (Nebraska Portraits)

03.19.26 - 2:43 Early Dismissal PK-12

03.19.26 - Parent Teacher Conferences (4:00-8:00 PM)

03.20.26 - No School PK-6

03.20.26 - Parent Teacher Conferences (8:00-12:00 PM)

03.21.26 - Prom (Grand March 4:30)

03.23 - 03.27 - HELP Club Online Auction

03.27.26 - Bus Evacuation Drill (AM)

04.01.26 - April Fool’s Day

04.02.26 - Spring Testing Pep Rally (TBD)

04.03.026 - No School Easter Break

04.06.26 -No School Easter Break

05.01.26 - Senior’s Last Day

05.04 - 05-08 - Teacher Appreciation Week

05.06.26 - Seniors Walk Hallway (3:00)

05.08.26 - Bump-up Day

05.18.26 - AM+PM PK Graduation (2:00-3:00) 

05.19.26 - Elementary Field Day (12:30-3:30)

05.20.26 - Student’s Last Day of School (11:30 Dismissal)

TK-6 HPS February Student of the Month Nominees

This month, we take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our incredible students. Through the Hershey Public School Student of the Month program, we recognize those who go above and beyond—students who exemplify kindness, dedication, and a positive attitude in everything they do.

From September through April, teachers nominate students who consistently demonstrate qualities such as hard work, respect, and a commitment to making our school community a better place. These nominations highlight students who shine as leaders, friends, and learners.

Congratulations to all our February classroom nominees! Your efforts, positive attitude, and dedication to excellence set a powerful example for your classmates and our school as a whole. We are so proud of each of you!

Hershey Public Schools is proud to congratulate our February HPS Student of the Month nominees—students recognized by their classroom teachers for consistently modeling Respect, Ownership, Attitude, and Responsibility across our classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, and playground. This recognition is sponsored by the district and celebrates Panthers who set the standard every day.

🎉 February Nominees

TK: Barrett Sneed

KJ: Easton Alvarez

KM: Hayes Mogus

1J: Quinn Brittenham

1W: Dawson Star

2H: Axel Staab

2S: Hadley Gill

3K: Jaclyn O’Brien

3KO: Corbin Tobiasson

4A: Hattie Ryan

4H: Locklyn Beller

5B: Gabriel De Marcos Mendez

5T: McKinley Wolfskill

6C: Parker Sullivan

6M: Jax Pierce

TK-6 HPS February Student of the Month: Gabriel De Marcos Mendez

We are proud to recognize Gabriel De Marcos Mendez as our HPS February Student of the Month!: Gabe is our Student of the Month because of his ability to show kindness and care for everyone around him. He always follows directions, is a great friend to others, and makes our classroom a positive place to be. Gabe is also willing to try new things all the time and never gives up when something is challenging. We are so proud of his positive attitude and the example he sets for our class! Congratulations Gabriel, we are proud of you! 

What's Happening in February Photo Slideshow!

Regular attendance and arriving on time are key to student success. When students are at school each day and ready to learn, they build strong routines, feel more connected, and make greater academic progress.

⏰ Tardy Bell: 8:15 AM
Students are considered tardy if they arrive after the bell rings, so we encourage families to plan for drop-off and getting into the building before 8:15.

🚗 Drop - Off & Arrival Expectations

To keep our morning traffic moving safely and smoothly, please follow these procedures:

Use the designated drop-off areas:
West Crushed Rock Lot
South Gravel Lot
South Paved Lot
Activity Center Entrance (drop-off only)

Do NOT enter or stop in the bus drop-off lane.

Please do not block traffic, and remember there is no parking in drop-off lanes.

If using the Activity Center Entrance, please stay clear of the bus lane at all times.

📞 Reporting Absences

If your child will be absent for any reason, please contact the school office as soon as possible to notify us of your child(ren)’s absence. Communication helps us ensure student safety and maintain accurate attendance records.

🩺 Appointments & Instructional Time

Whenever possible, we encourage families to schedule appointments outside of school hours. Consistent instructional time is important, and avoiding missed class time helps students stay on track.

Thank you for helping us keep mornings safe, organized, and focused on learning!

Weather Preparedness: Spring in the Air!🌸☀️

As we step into the month of March, the days are growing longer, and signs of spring are beginning to emerge. While occasional cool mornings may still linger, warmer temperatures and sunnier afternoons are becoming more frequent. With this shift in weather, it’s important for your child to dress appropriately for outdoor play as we continue to enjoy fresh air and recess.

This is a great time to transition from heavy winter gear to lighter jackets, sweatshirts, and comfortable layers that can be adjusted throughout the day. As always, we will monitor the temperatures to ensure a safe and enjoyable outdoor experience for all students.

Here are our updated reminders and guidelines for outdoor play:

🌡️ Indoor Recess: If the "real feel" temperature drops below 0°, students will stay inside for recess to remain warm and comfortable.
🧥 Layer Up: When temperatures are below 50°, students should wear a jacket or sweatshirt to stay comfortable during outdoor activities.

Your support in following these guidelines helps all students make the most of the changing seasons while staying safe and comfortable. Let’s welcome spring with energy and excitement! 🌼🌞

📢 Snow Day Communication

In the event of a school cancellation or delay due to weather, families will be notified through:

Thrillshare/Apptegy (call/text/email), District Website, Social Media (Facebook, X), Local News/Weather Announcements

Please ensure your contact information is up-to-date so you receive alerts as quickly as possible.

🚗 Drop-Off / Pick-Up & Safety Reminders

As we return from winter break, we appreciate your help reinforcing safe arrival and dismissal routines. Consistent procedures help keep our students safe and keep traffic moving smoothly.

🚶 Walkers — Release Procedures

All elementary walkers are dismissed through the West Elementary Doors.
Please remind your child to exit the building safely and follow all adult directions at dismissal.

🚌 Bus Riders — Important Reminders

Bus riders should report to the Commons Area at the end of the day and:

Check in with their driver

Sit at their designated table until called to load

Follow all bus riding expectations (please refer to the Student Handbook)

No food or drinks on the bus unless otherwise allowed by the driver

If the bus is equipped with seatbelts, students must buckle up

Thank you for supporting safe and respectful bus behavior!

🚘 Parking Lot Safety & Traffic Flow

Our parking lots can become busy quickly, especially during winter weather. Please help us maintain safe traffic flow by:

Following all posted signs and staff directions

Staying in your lane and watching closely for students crossing

Avoiding blocking drive lanes or loading zones

Keeping drop-off/pick-up moving efficiently

Safety is our top priority—thank you for being patient and attentive during arrival and dismissal.

⏰ Morning Arrival Reminder

For student safety, building doors do not unlock until 7:50 AM and students are not supervised prior to that time.
Please do not allow your child to exit the vehicle or arrive at school before staff are present.

We appreciate your support in planning drop-off times accordingly—this helps ensure all students are supervised and safe.

As we approach the end-of-year assessments, we encourage all students to give their best effort. Stay tuned for more information about our MOJO Challenge for Spring Testing!

Spring Testing Pep Rally: April 2, 2026 (Time TBD)

Spring Assessment Schedule:

AIMSweb Plus Testing

📅 April 27-May 1, 2026

NWEA MAP & NSCAS Testing

📅 April 13 - April 17, 2026

💡 Students, get ready to show what you know!

It's time to connect! Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up soon, and we look forward to discussing your child’s progress with you.

📅 Conference Dates & Times:
🔹 Thursday, March 19 – 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Early Dismissal at 2:43 PM for PK-12)
🔹 Friday, March 20 – 8:00 AM - Noon

📌 How to Sign Up for a Conference:
✅ Use this link to schedule your 15-minute conference with your child’s teacher:
👉 Sign-Up Here
✅ Once you select a time slot, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
✅ If you need to reschedule, you can revisit the link and choose a different available time.

📌 What You Need to Know:

✔️ Resource teachers (Mrs. Ballentine & Mrs. Blessin) will be in touch with families they support and may stop by your conference to provide updates.

✔️ Specials teachers (Library, Guidance, PE, Music, Band, Art) will be available by request only—please reach out to your child’s teacher if you’d like to meet with them.

✔️ Conferences will take place in your child’s classroom unless otherwise noted.

✔️ If parents are separated, we encourage both parties to attend the same conference to ensure consistent communication about your child’s progress.

📌 Why Attend Parent-Teacher Conferences?
🔹 Get personalized updates on your child’s academic and social-emotional progress.
🔹 Discuss ways to support learning at home.
🔹 Strengthen the home-school connection to ensure your child’s success.

We encourage all families to attend and look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

Thank you for being a part of our school community! 🎓🎉

Hey Panther families! 🐾 Get ready to celebrate the joy of reading with Read Across America Week at Hershey Public Schools! We have a fun-filled week planned with community guest readers scheduled to come into the classrooms and read their favorite childhood story or Dr. Seuss book as well as exciting dress-up days to encourage a love for books. 📖✨

📅 Here’s the schedule:

🛏️ Monday 3/2 – Cozy Up With a Good Book
Wear your favorite pajamas or comfy clothes.
Bring a stuffed animal to read to! 🧸📖

🧦 Tuesday 3/3 – Silly Story Day
Wear mismatched clothes, crazy socks, or your outfit backward!
Let’s get wacky while we read! 🤪📚

🐾 Wednesday 3/4 – Animal Tales Day
Dress like an animal or wear animal prints.
Bring your favorite animal-themed book! 🦁🐵🐼📖

🏈 Thursday 3/5 – Reading All-Stars Day
Wear a sports jersey or school colors.
Team up with a friend for buddy reading! ⭐📚

🎩 Friday 3/6 – Uniquely You
Hats off to you! Wear your favorite hat today! 🧢🎉

Let’s make this a week to remember by celebrating our love for reading together! 📚🐾

#HPSPanthers #ReadAcrossAmerica #PanthersLoveReading

🐾 Behavior Expectations / ROAR Program Update

Panthers ROAR: Building a Positive School Culture!

At Hershey Elementary, we are proud to continue our Panthers ROAR Program, a school-wide positive behavior system designed to reinforce and celebrate the four pillars that shape our student culture:

R.O.A.R. = Respect • Ownership • Attitude • Responsibility

ROAR helps students understand expectations, encourages positive behavior in all settings, and gives every staff member the opportunity to recognize students when they see them meeting or exceeding expectations. Our goal is to create a consistent, positive environment where students feel supported, celebrated, and accountable every day.

✅ Our School-Wide Expectations

Students are expected to demonstrate ROAR behaviors in all areas of school, including the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, recess, and on the bus. We remind students that positive choices matter—and that accountability is also an important part of learning and growing.

🎟️ Panther ROAR Cards (How They Work)

Students can earn Panther ROAR Cards when staff recognize them for positive behavior connected to one of the ROAR pillars. These cards are a way to celebrate students in the moment while encouraging goal-setting and strong habits.

How students earn ROAR Cards:

✔ Showing respect to adults or peers
✔ Demonstrating responsibility and ownership
✔ Helping others or being kind
✔ Following directions and working hard
✔ Making positive choices during recess, lunch, or transitions

Rewards & Incentives:

Students may choose to:

Use ROAR cards for small rewards/privileges (more frequent incentives)
OR

Save cards toward larger incentives and special rewards (example: special seating, extra recess perks, joining the principal for lunch, etc.)

This system encourages students to build positive habits while working toward goals.

🏆 ROAR Card Prize Drawings

One week prior to the next ROAR Assembly, students will have the opportunity to place their ROAR cards into the prize drawing jar of their choice.

🎯 How it works:

Students choose a jar with the prize/incentive they want

They place as many ROAR cards as they wish into that jar

A winner is drawn for each jar/prize

✅ The more cards a student places into a jar, the better their chances of winning!

💙 Positive Behavior + Accountability

We believe every child can succeed when expectations are clear and adults consistently reinforce them. ROAR is designed to strengthen relationships, build positive momentum, and help students take pride in making good choices. At the same time, we continue to teach students that with privileges comes responsibility—and that accountability is part of learning.

Thank you for supporting ROAR at home by talking with your child about how they can show Respect, Ownership, Attitude, and Responsibility every day! 🐾

Class Baskets

We are trying something different this year!
Change is hard, but change can be good too! This
year we will be holding an online auction
starting March 23rd and ending March 26th.

IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS, WE NEED
THE HELP AND SUPPORT OF THE MANY AMAZING
PARENTS, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF OUR HERSHEY
STUDENTS. ITEMS NEED TO BE SENT BY MARCH 20TH.

WE ARE ASKING EACH ELEMENTARY CLASS TO PUT
TOGETHER A THEMED BASKET FOR OUR SILENT AUCTION

CLASSROOM
BASKET
THEMES

PK/TK- Backyard adventure/Summer Fun
Kinder- Gardening
1st- Country/Farmhouse
2nd- Sports/Huskers
3rd- Ultimate Mom's Night Off/Spa Day
4th- Backyard BBQ/Picnic
5th- Arts & Crafts
6th- Gift cards

Excited to partner with:

ISABELL Auction Service
Licensed & Bonded

WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR DONATIONS TO THE
CLASS BASKETS TO HELP MAKE THE ONLINE AUCTION A
SUCCESS!

Thank you!
-HELP Club

Encouraging a growth mindset in children helps them embrace challenges, persist through difficulties, and view effort as a path to mastery. Here are some strategies to nurture this mindset at home:

Praise the Process: Focus on your child's effort, strategies, and progress rather than innate abilities. For example, say, "I'm proud of how hard you worked on that puzzle," instead of, "You're so smart." This reinforces the value of effort and learning.
Mindset Works

Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Encourage your child to view mistakes as a natural part of the learning process. Discuss what can be learned from errors and how to approach the task differently next time. This helps them understand that failure is a stepping stone to success.
Mindset Works

Discuss the Brain's Ability to Grow: Explain that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use. Learning new things creates new connections in the brain, enhancing its capabilities.
School of Education Online

Model a Growth Mindset: Share your own challenges and how you've overcome them through effort and perseverance. This demonstrates that learning is a lifelong process and that persistence leads to improvement.

By implementing these practices, you can help your child develop resilience and a positive attitude toward learning, setting the foundation for lifelong success.

We’re excited to remind all Kindergarten through 6th-grade families about a great opportunity to help your child build strong financial habits! The Panther Branch is open every Thursday morning and welcomes student deposits of any amount.

📍 Where: Cafeteria / Commons Area
🕒 When: Thursdays • 7:50–8:05 AM

The Panther Branch is a fun and meaningful way for students to begin developing healthy saving habits early on. Whether it’s spare change from an allowance, birthday money, or a small weekly deposit, every contribution helps teach the value of saving for the future.

✅ Why Participate?

💡 Build Essential Skills: Students learn budgeting, goal-setting, and financial responsibility.
📈 Plan Ahead: Even small deposits add up quickly and teach the importance of preparing for future goals and unexpected needs.
🎉 Fun & Engaging: Saving becomes an exciting routine and something students look forward to each week!

It’s never too late to start. Encourage your child to join us and take the first steps toward building a strong financial foundation—one deposit at a time!

🐾 Go Panthers!

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the incredible individuals and groups who continue to make a difference in our school community:

ESU 16 Staff – We appreciate your efforts in leading a productive PLC Day on February 16. Your support and collaboration are invaluable!

Mrs. Margritz – Thank you for organizing the Donuts with Dad event for our Preschool Students

Maple Park Dental – Thank you for presenting to our TK-2 students on the importance of dental hygiene. Your time and knowledge are greatly appreciated!

Mrs. Sarah Ostmeyer (Pronouncer), Mrs. Lindsay Stier (Judge), & Mid Plains Community College – Thank you for assisting with the Lincoln County Spelling Bee. Your support helped make the event a great success!

Our Amazing Bus Drivers – Your dedication to ensuring students arrive safely to and from school every day is truly appreciated. Thank you for all you do!

Substitute Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Secretaries, and Support Staff – Your unwavering commitment ensures that learning never stops, no matter the challenges. Thank you for always stepping in when needed!

We appreciate each of you for the time, effort, and heart you pour into our school. Together, we make a difference! 👏

Hershey Public Schools was proud to participate in the 2026 Lincoln County Spelling Bee, hosted at Mid-Plains Community College (Theater) in North Platte on Friday, February 13, 2026.

This incredible event brought together students from five different school districts:

📍 McDaid

📍 Hershey

📍 Wallace

📍 Sutherland

📍 Our Redeemer

Our students represented Hershey with confidence, poise, and Panther pride as they competed against some of the best spellers in Lincoln County. Their preparation and dedication truly showed on stage today!

🐾 Hershey Representatives

5th Grade

Oakley Stabb

Jaxon Metzger

6th Grade

Jax Pierce

Eli Nickels

7th Grade

Nolan Steffes

Morgan Lorensen

Karlee Johanson (Alternate)

8th Grade

Danica Cleveland

Connor Nickels

🏆 Special Congratulations!

We are especially proud to recognize our students who placed in today’s grade-level divisions:

🥉 Oakley Stabb – 3rd Place (5th Grade Division)

🥇 Jax Pierce – 1st Place (6th Grade Division)

🥇 Nolan Steffes – 1st Place (7th Grade Division)

🥇 Danica Cleveland – 1st Place (8th Grade Division)

What an outstanding accomplishment—your hard work paid off in a big way!

Additionally, I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to two key individuals assisting with today’s spelling bee: Mrs. Sarah Ostmeyer, our pronouncer, and Mrs. Lindsay Stier, our judge. Thank you both for giving your time and expertise to help ensure a fair and well-organized competition.

We’d also like to express our appreciation to Mid Plains Community College for allowing us to use their facility today. Jeffrey Thurman, Eric Welch, and the entire MPCC staff—thank you for your hospitality and for making today possible!

Events like this highlight the importance of academic excellence, perseverance, and confidence under pressure. We could not be prouder of every student who represented Hershey today.

#HersheyPanthers #SpellingBee2026 #PantherPride #AcademicExcellence

As we move into the month of March, we are energized by the signs of spring and the continued growth we see in our students each day. This season represents renewal, progress, and fresh opportunities — all of which are reflected in the hard work happening inside our classrooms.

We are incredibly grateful for the strong partnership between our school and families. Your support, encouragement, and involvement help create a positive learning environment where students feel safe, valued, and motivated to do their very best. Together, we are building strong academic foundations while nurturing a community grounded in kindness, respect, responsibility, and Panther pride.

As we enter the final stretch of the school year, our focus remains on finishing strong. Spring brings excitement and energy, and we will continue to channel that enthusiasm into meaningful learning experiences that help every student grow and thrive.

Thank you for all you do to support Hershey Public Schools. We look forward to the many opportunities ahead this month and celebrating the continued progress of our students. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance. Wishing you and your family a wonderful and refreshing March.

Go Panthers!

Jared Thomsen
Elementary Principal

📞 (308) 368-5572
📧 jared.thomsen@hpspanthers.org

Empowering All Students to Reach Their Full Potential.

"Learn, Grow, Thrive - Hershey Public Schools"