Originally delivered on 1/30/2024 5:02 am

SUBJECT: Dog Byte 1.30.24

Dog Byte Edition: 1.30.2024

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Please bookmark the PTO website and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Important Dates

1.31.2024 - Early Dismissal

2.02.2024 - Hopewell's Got Talent! 7pm CHS PAC

2.03.2024 - Strive PTO Summer Camp Expo 10am-2pm CHS

2.07.2024 - MTPA Meeting 7pm via Zoom LINK

2.19.2024 - No School

2.21.2024 - PTO Meeting 9am CHS Principal's Conference Room

2.21.2024 - Summer Job Fair 

2.22.2024 - Class of 2026 Bingo Planning Meeting 7-8.30pm SIGN UP

2.22.2024 - Class of 2027 Family Fun Night at Colonial Lanes 7-9pm

2.23.2024 - Spring Sports Registration Deadline LINK

Class Notes
Class of 2024 - Seniors

DEADLINE Tomorrow!

If you would like to recognize your Class of 2024 student in the yearbook, student recognition ads are available for purchase. A variety of size and price options are available. Text and photos can be included. 

Please visit the Jostens site to review details and create your submission TODAY. The deadline is January 31st. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kimberly Siris, yearbook advisor. 

The senior class parent representative is Sudi Southall & Roxanne Clarke.  Staff advisors are Gary Nucera & Lauren Ashman.

Please follow the Class of 2024 Facebook Page

Please bookmark the Class of 2024 website

Class of 2025 - Juniors

2nd Annual Hopewell Valley 5K: Saturday March 16th

The date and theme for this year’s Hopewell Valley 5K has just been announced. Get ready to lace up your running shoes and put on your greenest gear to try and catch the Leprechaun in this year’s “Lucky Bulldog Dash” on Saturday March 16th! 

This year’s race will kick off at the high school and run down Dublin Rd and back for an Irish adventure to find the ultimate Pot O’ Gold at the finish line in front of Timberlane. Winners in age group categories will walk away with a chocolate prize. Prizes will also be awarded for the best team and individual St. Patrick’s theme costumes. There will also be a special prize for anyone who can catch the Leprechaun.

This is a great course to kick off your running season or just to get outside with the community and beat those winter blues – maybe do a little Irish jig along the way. We can’t wait to see you there.

Click HERE to Register Now!

Please see the flyer below for details. Please encourage your kids, friends and neighbors to run or walk the course with us. For those of you in the running community, this event is USATF sanctioned and available for 500 Grand Prix points.

We are still looking for race sponsors. Please email Lynne Nau if you would like to be a sponsor or would like to connect the event organizers with potential sponsors.

Class of 2025 SWAG Shop is Open!

The Class of 2025 SWAG Shop - your spot for some new Hopewell gear - is OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND! All orders can be placed through the website and you can ship to home or choose warehouse pick up in Cranbury, NJ. The SHIP TO SCHOOL option will resume in September.

Many new items have been added! All items are available with three design choices: The general Hopewell design is available on ALL items. You name it, we have it! 

Check out the link: Hopewell 2025 Swag Shop

Hope to see you in the halls wearing some new threads!

The junior class parent representatives are Jacqui Mather & Lynne Nau.  Staff advisors are Selena Carrigan & Grace Taylor.

Please follow the Class of 2025 Facebook Page

Please bookmark the Class of 2025 Website

Class of 2026 - Sophomores

Class of 2026 will host Designer Handbag Bingo on April 26th

Join the Handbag Bingo Planning Team!

Want to meet other parents in the class? Want to stay informed about upcoming Class of 2026 events? Want to help make events for our students extra special and memorable? Join the Class of 2026 Handbag Bingo Planning Team! 

We will have periodic Zoom calls on Sunday evenings (not mandatory to attend) to answer questions and provide updates. And we will host some casual get-togethers throughout the spring. 

Our First Planning Get Together is 7-8.30pm on February 22nd.

Click HERE to RSVP and/or Join the TEAM!

If you would like to be part of our planning team or help gather donations for the silent auction and raffle, please sign up HERE or reach out to Nancy King

We are excited to partner with all of you on our first BIG class fundraiser! We hope to make planning the event as fun as the event itself! 

The sophomore class parent representatives are Jayna Brown, Lois Johann & Nancy King.  Staff advisors are Rebecca Mora & Julie Stanley.

Please follow the Class of 2026 Facebook Page

Please bookmark the Class of 2026 Website

Class of 2027 - Freshman

Family Fun Night at Colonial Bowling: February 22nd

Please come out for a fun evening with other Class of 2027 families! Join us at Colonial Bowling Lanes on Thursday February 22nd from 7-9pm. Parents, students, and siblings welcome! 

All students must be accompanied by an adult. Parents or guardians may NOT drop off children and must be present for the entire event. Parents and siblings are welcome to attend as spectators or may purchase a ticket to bowl. 

Please click HERE to pay by credit card using Zeffy. Please click HERE to pay with cash or check. Cash and checks should be sent to the CHS Main Office labeled "ATTN: Class of 2027 PTO Parent Reps."  Checks should be made out to HVCHS PTO with "Class of 2027 Bowling" in the memo line.

Please RSVP and submit payment by Friday Feb 9th. Please contact the Class of 2027 Reps with any questions!

The freshman class parent representatives are Jennifer DiDonato, Aileen Matticoli & Christine Ruhl. Staff advisors are Samantha Chen & Ryan Tobin.

Please follow the PTO Facebook Page

Please bookmark the Class of 2027 Website

News
Final Days of January Black & Gold Cup Food Drive!

As part of our Black & Gold Cup competition, we will be hosting a food drive during the month of January to support the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry. The Black Team (Grades 9 & 11) will be collecting boxes of granola bars and the Gold Team (Grades 10 & 12) will be collecting cereal. The winning team will receive 100 competition points! Donations can be brought to the HVCHS Main Lobby throughout the month of January. We appreciate your help as we support our neighbors!

Community Service Opportunities

New Ongoing Opportunity! The Chubby's Project is looking for volunteers to bake and deliver 40 individually wrapped treats on Thursdays and Fridays Sign Up HERE.

Further details and additional opportunities can be found on the Community Volunteer page.   

Please contact Meg O'Connor & Sue Dayner with questions or to suggest opportunities that can be shared on our page.

The CHS PTO is Seeking a Secretary (Attention 2026 & 2027 Parents)

If you are interested in supporting the CHS PTO, we are in need of a secretary. This executive board position requires attendance at monthly meetings which are scheduled at 9am on the third Wednesday of each month from September to May, in person at CHS. We do not meet in December. 

The secretary takes notes during the meeting, offers them for approval at the following meeting and stores the approved minutes on the CHS PTO Google drive. In addition to the monthly meetings, there are occasional executive board responsibilities which include attention to email matters or a board meeting (often held on zoom).

The ideal candidate will be able to step into the position in January 2024 and complete this school year with the intention of remaining through 2024-2025.  If you have availability, but can only commit to the remainder of this school year, please let us know.  Please email Kerry Nulman & Becky Golian to express your interest. Thanks for considering this important position.

HOPEWELL'S GOT TALENT! February 2nd

The annual talent show featuring the talented students of CHS will take place on Friday, February 2nd at 7pm in the PAC. This event is open to ALL CHS STUDENTS with any variety of talents (including but not limited to: musical talents, theater, dance, sports, comedy/impressions, magic, and more!).  

Please encourage your student to participate! Do you and your family have a band? Do you dance together? You are more than welcome to join them on stage to help celebrate the talent in our HV community! 

There have been unique cultural presentations as part of the talent show in years past - we're looking forward to seeing what the current students can do.  Auditions are January 24th, 25th, 26th in the choir room (during the day and after school). Email Randy White with any questions.

NEW Date: Strive PTO Summer Camp Expo February 3pm from 10am to 2pm
MTPA: Next Meeting February 7th at 7pm

Mark your calendars for upcoming MTPA meetings. All meetings are at 7pm. We meet at this Zoom LINK.

Remaining meeting dates for this year:

  • March 6th 
  • April 10th 
  • May 1st
  • June 5th
PTO: Meeting February 21st at 9am

Please join us for the next PTO General Meeting on Wednesday February 21st in the principal's conference room at 9am.  All parents and guardians are welcome to attend!  

Summer Job & Community Service Fair: February 21st

Each year Hopewell Valley Central High School students are invited to participate in the annual Summer Job and Community Service Fair. Over 25 employers and service organizations provide jobs and community service opportunities to our students. Any businesses or organizations offering summer or year round employment or community service opportunities, please click this Save the Date flyer or contact Heidi Kahme.

Spring Sports: Registration Deadline February 23rd

Spring Athletics Sports registration for 2024 is open to students who would like to participate in the spring season (Registration Link). Please take note, students can only sign up for one sport. Registration and medical forms for spring sports are due Friday, February 23rd. Any student who is not registered and does not have either a physical form or health history update on file with the school nurse will not be able to try out or practice till they do.

In-House Physicals will be offered on Thursday, February 8th from 9am to noon in the high school nurse's office. They are open to students in grades 9-12 by appointment only and are $25 a child. (Checks should be made out to HVRSD) Appointment Link.

Sports offered in High School: Baseball, Softball, Boys & Girls Lacrosse, Boys & Girls Track and Field, Boys Volleyball, Golf and Boys Tennis. If you have any questions, please reach out to Felicia Pan-Fea or call 609.737.4000 x3534.

Hopewell Valley's Night Off: March 7th!

One of the most anticipated evenings of the year has been scheduled! Designed in response to the increasing demands of work and school on personal and family time, this community-wide initiative was created for families to “take the night off” to spend time together. With the support of local school officials, sports leaders, parents, community and religious leaders, all sports practices, classes and homework will be canceled on this special evening. Make it a tech-free night! Don't know what to do with your night off? Visit this link for some great ideas! Click this flyer for details.

Teen Wellness Day: March 13th

Hopewell Valley Central High School students attend Teen Wellness Day during their wellness class. Over 20 community educators provide resources to our students on current health, wellness and safety issues. If you know any organization that can provide our students with resources on current health, wellness or safety issues, please share this flyer with them.

TREX Plastic Film Collection is Back!

The Trex plastic film collection at CHS is back! Plastic film will be collected in the bins of the CHS main foyer. Help us keep plastics out of oceans and landfills by contributing your clean plastic bags and other types of plastic film. 

Refer to this poster for specifics about what can and can't be recycled. (No wrappers or "crunchy" plastics, please).   Contact Carolyn McGrath if you have any questions or a large collection to drop off. Thank you!

Stay Informed and Connected
  1. Visit Bulldog TV Morning Buzz for the student production of morning announcements and other CHS news and videos.
  2. Read the HVCHS student newspaper.
  3. Stay connected to CHS athletic schedules by clicking this link. You can view by type, view schedules, or sign up with Notify Me to get email or text notifications for any sport practices or games. This helps parents keep current with changes in your athlete's schedule in real time.
  4. Bookmark the PTO website.
  5. Follow CHS on your preferred platform:
Fundraisers
CHS Gear to Support the Academic Essentials Team!

Shop the Flash Sale on select items! Click below for QR Codes: 

Any questions, please contact Michelle Brennan.

Community News
Attention: Ninth Grade Families!
HV Mobile Food Pantry: Donations Needed!

Please drop off your donations at the HVRSD Administrative Building at 425 South Main Street, Pennington. See below for the most up to date list of items needed!

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post, and thank you for your continued support. See how you can help by clicking this LINK and thank you! Check us out on Facebook and on Instagram.

Green Tip: Seventh Annual Watershed Conference February 23rd

The Watershed Conference is an annual educational and networking event on topics related to watershed health in New Jersey. The audience includes state, municipal, and county officials and staff, nonprofit organizations, environmental professionals, and the general public. This year's theme is the development of regional approaches to watershed challenges in New Jersey. Find out more HERE.

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