I hope your family had a wonderful summer filled with special moments together! This year, we enjoyed a staycation-style summer, spending time boating on the river, visiting local parks, enjoying picnics, and making memories with friends and family. Sometimes the best adventures are the ones close to home! I can't wait to hear about your family's summer adventures.

We're excited to welcome approximately 320 students to Haskin this fall, with our Sandwich Early Learning Center preschool program continuing to grow over the coming months. We're also thrilled to welcome several new staff members who will help make this a great year for our students.

At Haskin, we know that great things happen when we work together. Students, families, staff, and our community each play an important role in helping every child grow. Our school garden is a wonderful reminder of that . . . just as every plant has unique needs, every child grows in their own way. Together, we cultivate a caring, supportive environment where every student can flourish.

Below you'll find important beginning-of-the-year information to help your family prepare. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, and be sure to follow the Haskin Facebook page for updates and celebrations throughout the year.

We can't wait to welcome everyone back!

Warm regards,

Bus drivers will be in contact with parents/guardians prior to the first day of school to go over transportation arrangements. This will include bus pick-up times, bus stop locations, and drop-off times.

When there is a change in your student's transportation, please email a notice to your student(s) teacher. In an emergency, please get in touch with the school office no later than 2:00 pm so we can notify our staff and ensure your child's safe dismissal. If the school does not have notice of a change in transportation, a student will be sent home in their typical fashion.

*When dropping students off in the parking lot, we ask that everyone stays in line to exit the parking lot for everyone’s safety. Please do NOT go around the vehicles in the line unless one of the building staff asks you to.

*School supervision of students begins at 7:45. They will be let in the building at 7:55.

*If your student arrives after the 8:05 bell, you must accompany your student to the front doors of the school and ring the bell.

*If your student needs to leave school before the end of the day, please call the office and email your child's teacher. When picking them up, please come to the front doors, and someone in the office will assist you in signing your student out for the day. Your child will be called to the office when you arrive.

The district worked closely with the Regional Office of Education to create an attendance policy that is more aligned with the rest of the county. Our goal is to reduce the number of Chronic Absentee students within the district.

To achieve this goal, we updated our attendance policy to create systems of support to monitor attendance and support families. The biggest changes are outlined below for families. Additional details can be found in the student handbook for each school.

Please help us achieve a positive school outcome through consistent student attendance. This is a significant predictor of student and school success. If someone in your family is unable to attend school for the day, it will be important that you report the absence by 10:00 AM.

Free and Reduced Breakfast/Lunch The carryover period for students who were receiving free/reduced lunch for the 2025-2026 school year will end on September 24, 2026. If a new 2026-2027 application has not been submitted by that date, your child will automatically be put on paid breakfast and lunch beginning September 25, 2026.

If you would like to fill out an application, please log in to your Infinite Campus parent portal account and click on “More”, then “Meal Benefits”. Once your application has been submitted and reviewed, you will receive an approval/denial letter in the mail via USPS.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, and Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Meal Rates for the 26-27 school year are as follows:

If you have any questions, please reach out to Jody Kruswicki, Administrative Assistant, 815-786-2187 or jkruswicki@sandwich430.org

Our district follows a security protocol for guests and volunteers entering the buildings. This system requires identification from visitors (i.e. state ID, driver’s license, etc.), and all visitors will be photographed. A quick background check will be performed by searching US sex offender databases (with the option to expand this to criminal databases.). The system also links with our student database to provide an extra layer of protection for students with no contact orders.

To help make the start of the school year as smooth as possible, families who plan to volunteer in classrooms, attend classroom celebrations, or chaperone field trips are encouraged to complete this visitor screening during Stop N' Drop or Curriculum Night. Completing the process early will help ensure quick and easy entry into the building for future school events throughout the year.