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Back to School 2026

Hershey ECC & Elementary Back to School Information

Dear Hershey Elementary School Family, 

Final preparations are underway in our elementary buildings as we anticipate the arrival of our students to kick off our 2026-2027 school year.  This electronic “Back to School” mailing shares all of the important information that will help you and your child to have a smooth and successful start to the school year. 

Student homeroom placement information- Over the next 24 hours student homeroom placement information can be accessed and viewed by logging into ParentVUE with this link -  ParentVUE and StudentVUE Access.  Please look under the “Student Information” tab along the left-hand side for teacher and room information and verify all student/contact information is correct.  If you are unable to view the teacher assignments in ParentVUE, please allow 24-hours for all updates to occur.    Kindergarten families will receive a separate letter in the mail with specific information regarding ‘Kindergarten Kick-off’ and the first day of school.

Important Upcoming Dates and Information:

  • Classes will begin for students on Monday, August 24, 2026.  Our doors will open at 8:25 a.m. so please plan your arrival no earlier than 8:20 a.m. daily.  Students should be in their homerooms for classes to begin at 8:40 a.m. Students arriving after this time will be considered tardy and will need to be signed in at the office. Parent pick up traffic flow will change due to construction of our new elementary building.  Please see additional information included with this electronic mailing.
  • For all students Kindergarten through 5th grade, our annual “Sneak-a-Peek” event will be held on Wednesday, August 19th from 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.  During this time, you and your child are invited to stop by his or her assigned homeroom where you can meet the teacher and see the classroom.  Parking will be available in the bus corral.
  • Medication Drop-off will be held on Thursday, August 20th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the ECC and HES Nurses’ Offices.  Completed, signed and dated medication orders and unexpired medications may be dropped off during those appointed times.  We encourage parents NOT to drop off medications during “Sneak-a-Peek”.
  • Please mark your calendars for our “Back to School Night" which will be held on Thursday, September 10th from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  Parking is available in the bus corral for both events. Parking is available in the bus corral.
  • PSSA Testing Dates for grades 3, 4, and 5 (no educational trip requests will be excused during the testing dates for students who take the assessment):
    • English Language Arts – April 26, 27, 28, 29
    • Math – May 3rd – 7th  
    • Science – May 3rd – 7th (5th grade students only)

 

Dismissal and Transportation Information:

We encourage you to have your child ride on our district provided transportation.  You can find your child’s bus number, bus stop and pickup/drop-off times using Infofinder at Infofinder - Bus Information. This site is designed to help find bus stop information upon a given address.  Information pertaining to a specific student is not available from this website.  Parents with students utilizing specialized transportation will be contacted directly by Sweger Bus for pickup and drop off times.  

You may also access your child’s bus information using Stopfinder at https://stopfinder.com/parents/.  Stopfinder is a parent APP that will give you the ability to see your child’s specific bussing information as well as receiving push notifications regarding any important information regarding your child’s bus, location, delays and ETA.  Please see Student/Parent Handbook for more information. If you need to speak with someone in the Transportation Department, dial 717-566-7422.

Regular dismissal begins at 3:35 p.m, however for the first 3 student days, students will be dismissed beginning at 3:20pm.  Students are dismissed from school in one of three ways. Students will either ride the bus, be considered a walker, or be considered a parent pick-up in the car line. **Please note, students who are walkers MUST live in the walking zone unless there is administrative approval. Please see the attached information regarding our dismissal procedures for the elementary and ECC buildings.  Each family will receive two pick-up/dismissal car tags in the mail prior to the start of the school year.  These should be displayed in the vehicle by the approved adult(s) picking up your child as stated in their dismissal note (attached). Thank you, in advance, for treating the safety of all children as if they were your own. 

For new students, please take time to set up a lunch account for your child.  You will need their student ID number which can be found in ParentVUE.  To contact Food Service, please call 717-531-2277 extension 3222. 

Attendance, dismissal procedures, Health Services, Food Services, Transportation, Staff directory, and all other school related information you can find in the Hershey Elementary School Student / Parent Handbook found on our district website at www.hershey.k12.pa.us.  To access the handbook, click the drop-down menu under ‘Parents’ near top right of the webpage, select “Handbooks” then click on “ECC & Elementary School Handbook” or by using this link -  Hershey Elementary Student/Parent Handbook 2026-2027.

Please see the additional documents attached to this email for your review; (1)  Arrival & Dismissal Guide, (2)  Attendance Information and Procedures, (3) DTSD cell phone policy, and (4) Title 1 Annual Parent Notice.

For any other questions, please contact your building office at 531-2211 extensions 6200/6201 (ECC - grades Kindergarten & 1st), 531-2277 extension 5200 (Primary - grades 2 &3), or extension 5300/5301 (Intermediate - grades 4 & 5).  

With you as our partners, we will work collaboratively to engage, elevate and ensure high levels of learning for ALL students. We are looking forward to a great year!  

Working for children and families,

Jena Funck, Hershey Elementary School Principal (K-5)     
Heidi Stine, Assistant Principal K & 1
Kelly Brennan, Assistant Principal 2 & 3
Dr. Anna Gawel, Assistant Principal 4 & 5

*REMINDER:  All families are required to complete the Annual Student Information Update through ParentVUE in our Student Information System, Synergy, before the start of the school year.  This process ensures that we have the most accurate and up-to-date information for your child, including emergency contacts, medical details, and important permissions.

ALL home address updates must be made through the Central Registration Office by emailing registrar@hershey.k12.pa.us.

Attachments: 
Food Service Flyer 2026-2027
CHIP School Flyer
School Supply List Grades K-5
School Closing Schedule
Student Dismissal Note
Student Excuse Form for Parents (ParentVUE)