Hopewell Area School District

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Phone Blasts

Phone Blast February 10, 2023

Good afternoon,

This is Rob Kartychak, Assistant Principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for all High School families. This afternoon it was reported by two students that a classmate had shown them that a knife was in their possession. The students reported it to building administration who immediately investigated. The student was cooperative and turned over the small knife they had in their possession to building administration. The District’s School Resource Officer was also on site to assist. Building administration appreciates the students reporting their concern, and please remind your children that if they see something, say something.

Thank you.

Phone Blast August 5, 2022

Good afternoon, this is Rob Kartychak Acting Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District. This message is for all District families. All student schedules and elementary homeroom placements will be released on Monday, August 15th at 3:30 PM. This information will be available in the Parent Portal at that time. Should you need Parent Portal access, please contact your child’s school office.

The District is aware that some schedules have appeared in Schoology, however those schedules are only drafts and are not the finalized schedules.

Finally, just a reminder that Kindergarten and 9th grade Orientation are on Thursday, August 18th and the first day of school for all students is Thursday, August 25th.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the last few weeks before school starts.

Thank you.

Phone Blast July 12, 2022

Good afternoon. This is Rob Kartychak, Acting Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District. This message is for all members of our Viking community. On Wednesday, July 13th at 6:00 PM, there will be an emergency drill held at Hopewell High School. Members of local and county law enforcement as well as paramedics will be at Hopewell High School participating in the drill. Additionally, the High School campus will be closed to the public starting at 5:00 PM on July 13th. Once again, this is only a drill.

Thank you.

Phone Blast April 11, 2022

Good morning,

This is Rob Kartychak, Acting Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District. This message is for all district families. There is currently an internet outage at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School, Margaret Ross Elementary, and the Bus Garage. The internet outage is impacting our phone systems in those buildings as well. The District is hoping service is restored at some point today.

Should you need to contact anyone in those buildings, please email the building secretary as well the building principals. Their email addresses are as follows:

Hopewell Junior High School

Principals:

Mr. Katkich: katkiche@hopewellarea.org

Mr. Ceccarelli: ceccarellil@hopewellarea.org

Secretaries:

Mrs. LoVerde: loverded@hopewellarea.org

Ms. McDonald: mcdonalda@hopewellarea.org

Margaret Ross Elementary:

Principals:

Mrs. Kane: kanek@hopewellarea.org

Mr. Hutsler: hutslerg@hopewellarea.org

Secretary:

Mrs. McIlvain: mcilvainm@hopewellarea.org

Transportation

Director:

Mrs. Richards: richardss@hopewellarea.org

Secretary:

Mrs. Klette: klettek@hopewellarea.org

Phone Blast April 8, 2022

Good Afternoon,

This is Stephany Richards, Transportation Director for the Hopewell Area School District. Starting Monday, April 11, 2022 through Monday, May 2, 2022, Route 151 between Stone Quarry Rd and Bocktown Cork Rd will be closed. Please expect at least a 10 to 15-minute delay on some of our bus routes.

Phone Blast April 1, 2022

Good afternoon,

This is Rob Kartychak, Acting Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District. This message is for all District families. Thursday, April 14 is scheduled as a snow make-up day from February 4th. School will be in session that day, however it will be a Virtual Instruction Day. Students will follow their respective buildings' Virtual Instruction schedule. Should you have planned appointments or travel, assignments will be posted on your child's Seesaw, Google Classroom, or Schoology pages, however our teachers will still have synchronous lessons being delivered and your children are expected to attend virtually unless medically excused or with a pre-approved vacation request.

Thank you.

Virtual Instruction Day Bell Schedule

High School

Junior High School

Elementary

Pd 1 9:00-9:30

Pd 2 9:35-10:05

Pd 3 10:10-10:40

Pd 4 10:45-11:15

Pd 5 11:20-11:50

Pd 6 11:55-12:25

Pd 7 12:30-1:00

Pd 8 1:05-1:35

Pd 9 1:40-2:10

Office Hours: 2:15-2:55

Pd 1 9:15 - 9:45

Pd 2 9:50 - 10:20

Pd 3 10:25 - 10:55

Pd 4 11:00 - 11:30

Pd 5 11:35 - 12:05

Pd 6 12:10 - 12:40

Pd 7 12:45 - 1:15

Pd 8 1:20 - 1:50

Pd 9 1:55 - 2:25

Office Hours 2:30 - 3:10

Pd 1 10:00 - 10:30

Pd 2 10:35 - 11:05

Pd 3 11:10 - 11:40

Pd 4 11:45 - 12:15

Pd 5 12:20 - 12:50

Pd 6 12:55 - 1:25

Pd 7 1:30 - 2:00

Pd 8 2:05 - 2:35

Pd 9 2:40 - 3:10

Office Hours: 3:15-3:55

Phone Blast March 25, 2022

This is Michael Allison, Hopewell High School Principal, this afternoon we had an incident where some students had Splatrball ammunition and Splatrball guns in the student parking lot. The parking lot is supervised by school staff and the incident was quickly reported to administration by the teacher and a thoughtful parent.

The incident is currently being investigated by the High School administration and our School Resource officer from the Hopewell Township Police Department.

Students and parents must know that lookalike weapons and any other gun type implements are prohibited in the school or on school grounds at any time. Violators will be subject to investigation under the district weapons policy and subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Please reinforce with your children that these items are not appropriate for school and that in no situation should they be brought onto school grounds.

Additionally, we hope that parents will once again reinforce with your children that what you see on social media does not need to be replicated in real life and that these actions may lead to serious consequences.

Anyone with additional information regarding this incident can email Mr. Allison at allisonm@hopewellarea.org. Please include contact information if possible. Email information will be kept anonymous unless it is required to pursue prosecution of criminal activity. Thank you!

Phone Blast February 27, 2022

Good evening,

This is Rob Kartychak, Acting Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District. This message is for all Hopewell Area School District families. On Friday evening, the CDC released updated guidance regarding COVID-19 as well as revised transmission metrics. Based on the updated information, Beaver County is now considered to be in the low transmission rate thus making facial coverings optional while in district facilities for all staff, students, and visitors. Last week, the Hopewell School Board of Directors voted to make facial coverings optional but strongly recommended while Beaver County is in the high or substantial rate of transmission effective March 7th, however given Beaver County is now in the low transmission rate, masking is at the individual’s discretion effective tomorrow, February 28th. Furthermore, the CDC also shared that facial coverings are no longer required on school district buses or vans, also effective tomorrow February 28th.

Hopewell Area School District appreciates your patience and flexibility as the district continues to navigate through ever changing guidance.

Thank you.

Phone Blast November 22, 2021

Good morning, this is Rob Kartychak, Acting Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District. This message is for all families that use district transportation. Please be advised that the district is short a significant number of bus drivers today. Due to the driver shortage, bus runs had to be modified. Your child may be up to 30 minutes late at their bus stop this afternoon. Should you have any pressing after-school appointments today, we recommend you arrange pick-up at their respective school building. We truly apologize for the inconvenience.

Phone Blast November 15, 2021

Good morning, this is Rob Kartychak Acting Superintendent for the Hopewell Area School District. This message is for families with children at Margaret Ross Elementary. Over the last 14 days, there have been 18 positive COVID-19 cases in the building among students and staff. Approximately 7.8% of the building has tested positive with approximately 30 additional students in quarantine due to being identified as a close contact.

In accordance with the recommendation from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, all Margaret Ross students (only) will be transitioning to virtual instruction starting tomorrow, Tuesday November 16th through November 24th. Students will be dismissed at their regular dismissal time today.

Please review the Virtual Learning schedule that was released last week as your children will be expected to participate synchronously with their classes. Should you have any questions please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or Mrs. Kane. We look forward to seeing your children back in the building on November 30th.

Phone Blast for May 21, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Hopewell Elementary Schools Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of three (3) COVID cases today involving students at Independence Elementary School.

The case involve students in kindergarten, 3^rd, and 4^th grade. The students were last in the building on May 20, 2021. Close contacts are being notified. The students were considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, these positive cases will count to the school closure case count.

Per the guidance from the PA Department of Education, the recommendation for school closure for 2-4 positive COVID cases in a “small school” is to close for 1-2 days. The Department of Health recognizes school closure as Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, Independence Elementary will be disinfected over the weekend, and school will resume on Monday, May 24.

Phone Blast for May 20, 2021

Good Evening. This is Rob Kartychak, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) COVID case today involving an 11th grade student at Hopewell High School. The student was last in the building on May 17, 2021. Close contacts are being notified. The student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for May 14, 2021

Good Evening. This is Rob Kartychak, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) COVID cases today.

The first positive COVID case involves a staff member at Hopewell High School. The staff member was last in the building on May 13, 2021. Although this staff member was considered to be infectious while last in school, there are no close contacts. This positive case will count to the school closure case count.

The second positive COVID case involves a ninth grade student at Hopewell High School. The student was last in the building on May 12, 2021. Close contacts are being notified. The student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for May 12, 2021

Good Evening. This is Mike Allison, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) COVID cases.

The first case involves a twelfth grade student at Hopewell High School. The student was last at school on May 10. Close contacts are being identified and contacted. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

The second case involves a seventh grade student at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School. The student was last at school on April 30. There are no close contacts. This student was NOT considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this case will NOT count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for May 10, 2021

Good Evening. This is Dr. Rob Kartychak, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of four (4) positive COVID cases.

The cases that include close contacts involve a twelfth grade student at Hopewell High School and a sixth grade student at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School. Both students were last at school on May 6. Close contacts are being identified and contacted. These students were considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, these positive cases will count to the school closure case count.

The other cases both involve seventh grade students at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School. One student was last at school on April 30 and the other was last at school on May 5. There are no close contacts for either case. These students were NOT considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, these cases will NOT count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for May 7, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) COVID cases. Both cases involve eighth graders at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School.

One case is a positive COVID case. The other case is a probable COVID case, meaning that the student has been exposed to COVID and is having COVID symptoms. Both students were last in school on May 4. Close contacts have been identified and contacted. Both students were considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, these positive cases will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for May 6, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) positive COVID cases.

The first case involves a ninth grade student at Hopewell High School. The student was last at school on May 4. Close contacts have been identified and contacted. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for May 5, 2021

Good Evening. This is Dr. Rob Kartychak, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) positive COVID cases.

The first case is a probable case involving a kindergarten student at Hopewell Elementary School. The student was last at school on April 30. There are no close contacts. This student was NOT considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this probable case will NOT count to the school closure case count.

The second case involves a twelfth grade student at Hopewell High School. The student was last at school on May 4. Close contacts have been identified and contacted. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for May 3, 2021

Good Evening. This is Rob Kartychak, Hopewell High School Assistant Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of four (4) positive COVID cases.

Three of students were in school last week while infectious. Therefore, these three positive cases will count to the school closure case count for their respective buildings. The cases involve a 1^st grader at Independence and a 7^th grader at the Junior High, and a 9^th grader at the high school. Close contacts have been identified and are being contacted.

The additional case involves a 9^th grade student at the high school who was last in the building on April 27. There are no close contacts and the student was not infectious while in school.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 30, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case involving a junior high school student. The case involves a sixth grade student who was last at Hopewell Memorial High School on April 29. Close contacts have been identified and are being contacted. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

In consultation with the Department of Health this afternoon, the District was advised that no school closures are necessary at this time since the building was closed over the weekend.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 29, 2021

Good Evening. This is Dr. Rob Kartychak, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell High School. The case involves a student in tenth grade who was last in the building on April 22. There were no close contacts. This student was NOT considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will NOT count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast on April 23, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Hopewell Elementary Schools Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case involving an employee. The case involves an employee who was last at Independence Elementary School on Friday, April 16. There were no close contacts. This employee was not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will not count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 19, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) COVID cases connected to the Junior High School.

The first positive COVID case involves a fifth grader. The student was last in the building on April 16, 2021. Close contacts were notified. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

The second positive COVID case involves an employee who last worked with students on April 15, 2021. Close contacts were notified. This employee was considered to be infectious while working with students. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

In consultation with the Department of Health this afternoon, the District was advised that no school closures are necessary at this time since the building was closed over the weekend.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 16, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell Junior High School. The case involves a student in seventh grade who was last in the building on April 9. There were no close contacts. This student was not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will not count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 14, 2021

Good Evening. This is Dr. Rob Kartychak, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell High School. The case involves a student in ninth grade who was last in the building on April 12. Close contacts have been notified. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 9, 2021

Good Evening. This is Dr. Rob Kartychak, principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of three positive COVID cases today.

Two of the positive COVID cases involve a 3^rd grader at Margaret Ross Elementary School and a ninth grader at the High School. These students were last in their respective buildings on April 1, 2021. There are no close contacts involved and they were not considered to be infectious while last in school.

The Junior High has a probable positive COVID case involving an eighth grader who was last in the building on April 7, 2021. Close contacts are being notified. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 6, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) positive COVID cases at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School.

The first case involves a student in 7th grade who was last in the building on March 26. There are no close contacts involved. This student was not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will not count to the school closure case count.

The second case involves a student in 8th grade who was last in the building on April 1. Close contacts are being notified. This student was considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast at 5PM for March 30, 2021

Good Evening. This is Michael Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell High School. The case involves a student in tenth grade who was last in the building on March 19, and there are no close contacts involved. This student was not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will not count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast on March 26, 2021

Phone Blast for March 26, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) presumed positive COVID case at Hopewell Junior High School. The case involves a student in eighth grade who was last in school on March 16. This student was not considered to be infectious while in school. There are no close contacts in the school. This case will not count toward the junior high school’s case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast on March 24, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School.. The case involves a student in sixth grade who was last in school on March 23. This student WAS considered to be infectious while in school. Close contacts have been informed. This case will count toward the junior high school’s case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast on March 8, 2021

Phone Blast for March 8, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell Elementary School today. The case involves a student in fourth grade who was not in school last week, but did ride the bus in the morning of March 2. The student was greeted by the school nurse and did not enter the building. This student WAS considered to be infectious while on the school bus. All close contacts on the school bus have been notified. Per direction from the Department of Health, this case does count toward our school closure counts, but they have allowed the District to consider our school closure to include Saturday, Sunday, and today (March 6-8) to count as our school closure due to the unique circumstances of this case. Hopewell Elementary will be open for learners tomorrow morning.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for March 5, 2021

Good Evening. This is Michael Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell High School. The case involves a student in twelfth grade who was last in the building on February 24, 2021. This student was not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will not count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for March 1, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) probable positive COVID case at Hopewell Junior High School/Senior High and one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell Elementary School.

The probable COVID case involves a staff member who was at both the Junior and Senior High last week. This staff member was last in the building Friday, February 26, 2021. This staff member WAS considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case WILL count to the school closure case count for both the Junior and Senior High buildings.

The Hopewell Elementary case involves a student in second grade who was last in the building on February 25, 2021. This student WAS considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case WILL count to the school closure case count.

Close contacts for both cases have already been identified.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for February 23, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) probable positive COVID case at Hopewell Junior High School and one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell Elementary School.

The Junior High case involves a student in fifth grade who was last in the building on February 11, 2021. The Hopewell Elementary case involves a student in first grade who was last in the building on February 17, 2021. These students were not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, these positive cases will NOT count to the school closure case count. There are no close contacts identified.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart have been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast.

Phone Blast for February 18, 2021

Good Evening. This is Rob Kartychak, Assistant Principal for the Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) presumed positive COVID case at Hopewell High School. The case involves a student in eleventh grade who was last in the building on February 4, 2021. This student was not considered to be infectious while last in school, therefore, this positive case will NOT count to the school closure case count. There are no close contacts identified.

As a reminder, February 22 will be a full day for virtual instruction.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart have been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast.

Phone Blast for February 16, 2021 - positive COVID case

Phone Blast for February 16, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case today involving a third grader at Hopewell Elementary School. The student was last in the building on February 11, 2021 and was considered infectious at this time. Therefore, this positive case DOES count toward the school closure case count for the Hopewell Elementary. At this time, Hopewell Elementary will not be closed and will remain open for instruction. Close contacts in the student’s classroom and on the school bus are being contacted at this time.

As a reminder, February 22 will be a full day for virtual instruction.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart have been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast.

Phone Blast on February 16, 2021 - CHANGED

This phone blast was resent at 7:20 AM to reflect a change in status.

Phone Blast for February 16, 2021

Good morning. This is Jacie Maslyk, Assistant Superintendent, at Hopewell Area School District. Due to road condition reports from road crews in our community, the District will now operate today on a virtual learning schedule. We apologize for the change in today’s schedule.

Breakfast and Lunch distribution will continue to take place at the high school auditorium entrance from 11-1 today.

Thank you and stay safe.

From 5:00AM:

Good morning. This is Jacie Maslyk, Assistant Superintendent, at Hopewell Area School District.

Today, February 16, Hopewell Area School District will be operating on a two hour delay.

Parents and students can look at the district webpage for the delay schedule and additional delay information for learners.

Breakfast and Lunch distribution will take place at the high school auditorium entrance from 11-1 today.

Thank you and stay safe.

Phone Blast on February 9 - Remote Learning due to Weather

Good morning. This is Jacie Maslyk, Assistant Superintendent, at Hopewell.

Today, February 9, Hopewell will be fully virtual due to inclement weather. All students should engage in learning the same as they do on virtual Mondays.

Phone Blast on February 8, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) positive COVID case today involving a third grader and kindergartener at Hopewell Elementary School. The students were not in the building while infectious so these positive cases do not count toward the school closure case count for the Hopewell Elementary.

For any family considering traveling over the coming months, please be advised of the statewide travel requirements. These are posted on the blue banner on the website. Any student in the Junior High or Senior High are required to be tested or to quarantine if traveling outside of Pennsylvania.

As a reminder, students will not have school on Monday, February 15 in observance of Presidents’ Day.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart have been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast and a letter regarding travel requirements.

Phone Blast for January 29, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) positive COVID cases today at Independence Elementary School.

The first case is a student in second grader who was last in the building on Wednesday, January 27, 2021. The second case is a student in kindergarten who was last in the building on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.

Close contacts are currently being identified and contacted. These students were considered to be infectious while in school this week, therefore, these positive cases will count to the school closure case count.

As required by the PA Department of Health, the District is required to close Independence Elementary for at least three days in order to disinfect the building and to complete contact tracing. Therefore, Independence Elementary will be closed Saturday, January 30 through Monday, February 1. The District will contact the Department of Health on February 1 to confirm that the building is safe to open the rest of the week. All instructional staff will work from home on February 1. If an extended closure is necessary, the District will inform Independence students and staff and full virtual days will continue until DOH clears the building to reopen.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart has been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast.

Phone Blast for January 28, 2021

Good Evening. This is Dr. Rob Kartychak, Assistant Principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) probable COVID case today. A probable COVID case is an individual who has COVID symptoms and has been exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID.

The individual is a high school cyber student. This student has not been in the school building, so this probable case DOES NOT count toward building closure.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart has been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast.

Phone Blast on January 26, 2021

Phone Blast for January 26, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of two (2) probable COVID cases today. A probable COVID case is an individual who has COVID symptoms and has been exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID.

These students are in kindergarten and first grade at Hopewell Elementary School. They have not been in school since January 19, 2021. These students were not considered to be infectious when they were last in the school building, so these cases DO NOT count toward building closure.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart has been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast.

Additionally, this is a reminder that all of our students will be in the hybrid learning model as of the week of February 1. Monday will be a virtual day and then students will return to in-person learning on either Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday.

Phone Blast on January 25, 2021

Phone Blast for January 25, 2021

Good Evening. This is Jacie Maslyk, Assistant Superintendent at Hopewell Area School District. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was notified that a districtwide staff member tested positive for COVID. This employee has not been in the district since January 13, 2021.

A parent letter regarding this information is posted on the blue banner on our website and a copy of this phone blast is also located on our website.

Phone Blast on January 21, 2021

Phone Blast for January 21, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was notified that a staff member at Hopewell Elementary School and a first grade student at Independence Elementary tested positive for COVID this week.

The Hopewell Elementary employee who tested positive was last in the building on January 18, 2021, prior to students returning to hybrid instruction. All learning spaces associated with this employee have been disinfected. There are no close contacts.

The Independence Elementary student has not been in the building since elementary students returned to hybrid.

The District is working with the Department of Health to determine if the employee case at Hopewell Elementary counts toward the school closure guidelines.

A parent letter regarding this information is posted on the blue banner on our website and a copy of this phone blast is also located on our website.

Please remember that Monday, January 25 will be a full day of virtual instruction for all of our learners.

Phone Blast for December 1, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Ed Katkich, principal of Hopewell Memorial Junior High School. This is an important message for our Viking community.

Over the Thanksgiving break, we have been made aware of three COVID cases involving Junior High staff. Any close contacts in the school involving these staff members are adults, not students, and any close contact has already been notified.

While the District is in virtual learning, the District will continue to post updates on the website and update the COVID chart of positive employee cases located on the website. In moving forward, however, the District will not send phone blasts for positive cases while students are in virtual learning.

A letter will be posted on the website today. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we continue to keep our students, staff, and community as safe as possible.

Phone Blast on November 23, 2020 #2

Good afternoon. This is Dr. Jacie Maslyk, Hopewell Area School District’s Assistant Superintendent, with an important message regarding tonight’s board meeting.

Due to the safety of all community members, we would ask that any person wishing to attend tonight's Board meeting to do so virtually. The board meeting will begin at 7PM. We will accept visitor questions until 5PM today in order to accommodate any visitor who was planning to attend in person. Board members will be attending the meeting virtually.

Any person wanting to attend the meeting virtually should sign up before 5PM. To participate, please visit the District website under the “news” section. Click on the link for participation in November 23^rd board meeting. A link to the meeting will be forwarded to you prior to the meeting.

Thank you and have a great day.

Phone Blast on November 23, 2020 #1

Good morning. This is Dr. Jacie Maslyk, Assistant Superintendent for Hopewell Area School District. This is an important message regarding lunch and breakfast distribution beginning today, November 23, 2020.

Families with children at any age through 18, may pick up breakfasts and lunches any school day at any of our school building entrances between the hours of 11-1PM beginning today. Families will be given meals for the days that students would be in school for that week.

This service is provided by the Hopewell Food Service staff and it is for all of our Hopewell students and siblings, including our cyber students and all of our virtual learners.

Please stop by to pick up this week’s breakfasts and lunches at any of our school buildings between the hours of 11-1 today- Wednesday.

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving from the Hopewell administration, teachers and staff.

Phone Blast for November 20, 2020 #2

Beginning on Monday, November 23, the entire Hopewell Area School District will move to virtual learning based of guidance from DOH due to the number of positive COVID cases and the identification of Beaver County as “substantial rate of transmission”.

The Board of School Directors will still make a decision on Monday evening for the length of time for virtual learning, but our move to virtual learning due to positive COVID cases will continue at least through December 4. Because of the substantial transmission level, the Board may extend this longer.

Please be sure to read the Virtual Learning guidelines posted on the blue banner on the website.

Phone Blast for November 20, 2020

Good morning. This is Mike Allison, principal of Hopewell High School. This is a very important message for our Viking community.

This morning, we have been made aware of multiple probable COVID cases in our school district. At this time, we have been notified or have identified 4 probable COVID cases with students at the high school. Three are 9^th graders and one is an 11^th grader. We are identifying any close contacts of these students at this time. Probable cases are identified as a person with COVID symptoms who has been exposed to a person who has tested positive.

We have also identified two staff members as probable COVID cases. One staff member is at the Junior High and one is at Hopewell Elementary. Close contacts of these staff members are only adults, not students. These close contacts have already been notified.

Because Beaver County is identified as “substantial” rate of transmission and because of lack of staffing due to the probable cases and close contacts identified this morning, we will have our Junior and Senior High buildings released early today.

Junior High students will be released at 10:45 and Senior High will be released at 11:30. Transportation will be provided. Students will be able to use their personal cell phones to communicate with parents during the remainder of the school day. Additionally, students may use school phones to communicate with parents, if needed.

If a parent wishes to pick up their child, please come to the school prior to bus dismissal. A staff member will greet you at your car and will contact your child to meet you.

Students at the Junior High and Senior High will be virtual for the next for the next 14 days. Most likely, this will be extended due to our county “substantial” identification. More information will be sent next week.

At this time, we are seeing minor symptoms of headache, stuffy noses, or congestion as signs of COVID. Please take all minor symptoms seriously and reduce exposure to others by self-quarantining if you or a family member experience these symptoms.

A letter will be posted on the website shortly. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we continue to keep our students, staff, and community as safe as possible.

Phone Blast for November 19, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Rob Kartychak, Assistant Principal at Hopewell High School. This message is for our entire Viking community.

Today, the district was notified that a tenth grade student at Hopewell High School tested positive for COVID19. The student was last in the building on November 12. All learning spaces associated with this student will be disinfected. There are no close contacts in the school identified.

For questions about COVID and how the District handles positive cases, please review the Parent FAQ on the District website. Also, there are now new statewide requirements for travelling outside of Pennsylvania. We have updated this on the District website as well. The new travel requirements include that all Pennsylvanians visiting other states are required to have a negative COVID19 test within 72 hours prior to their return to the Commonwealth OR to quarantine for 14 days upon their return to Pennsylvania. With the holidays approaching, please be sure to know these requirements if learning is in-person.

On behalf of the administration, faculty and staff, I hope you and your families remain safe and healthy over the upcoming holidays.

Phone blast for November 18, 2020

Good morning. This is Jacie Maslyk, Assistant Superintendent at Hopewell Area School District. This message is for our entire Viking community regarding the potential to move to a virtual learning model.

On Friday, November 13, 2020, Beaver County was identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as being in “substantial” rate of transmission for COVID 19.

Because of the “substantial” designation, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has recommended that Beaver County school districts move to a virtual learning model if the county remains in the substantial transmission rate as of Friday, November 20, 2020. Virtual learning means that students would be receiving their instruction from home, with no in-person learning at the school buildings. PDE further recommends remaining in a virtual learning model until the county has been out of the “substantial” designation for two consecutive weeks.

At the Monday, November 23, 2020 Board of School Directors’ meeting, the Board will discuss PDE’s recommendation and determine next steps for the District in regards to virtual learning.

In anticipation of Hopewell Area School District moving to a virtual learning model, parents should begin to prepare for full virtual learning as early as Wednesday, November 25. This has not been decided, but for parents needing child care, the District wants to provide you ample notice, as we know child care will be a challenge for many families.

We will update families on the webpage and through a phone blast on Tuesday morning.

Phone blast for November 13, 2020

Good morning. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This is a message for our entire Hopewell community. Last night, the district was notified that a staff member at Hopewell High School tested positive for COVID19.

The High School employee who tested positive was last in the building on November 6. All learning spaces associated with this employee have been disinfected. There is one possible close contact identified. The District will work with the Department of Health today to determine if anything further needs addressed at the District.

A parent letter regarding this information is posted on the blue banner on our website and a copy of this phone blast is also located on our website.

Phone blast for November 12, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This is a message for our entire Hopewell community. Today, the district was notified that one of our 10th grade students at Hopewell High School and an employee at the Junior High tested positive for COVID19.

The high school student was last in school on Tuesday, November 10. The learning spaces and bus associated with this student will be disinfected this evening. We have been in contact with the Department of Health and we are in the process of communicating with all close contacts at this time. We believe that anyone who is a close contact should be notified by school personnel within the next few hours. Close contacts will be required to quarantine for 14 days, with the dates of the quarantine determined by exposure date.

The Junior High employee who tested positive was last in the building on November 4. There are no close contacts identified in the school with this employee.

With the rising cases of COVID in our schools and in the county, we ask that everyone take additional safety precautions so that we can keep our schools open for in-person learning and keep our staff and students safe. Remember to wear a mask, socially distance, and wash your hands.

A parent letter regarding this information is posted on the blue banner on our website and a copy of this phone blast is also located on our website.

Phone Blast on November 10, 2020 (Afternoon Follow-up)

Good afternoon. This is Ed Katkich, principal of Hopewell Memorial Junior High School. This is a message for our entire Viking community.

This phone blast is to share information about the JH moving to virtual instruction AND two additional presumed positive cases at Margaret Ross.

Under the guidance of the Department of Health, the Junior High will be virtual on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13. We will resume in-person learning on Monday, November 16. Junior High students should follow virtual learning expectations including the schedule provided. The link for these expectations is available on the District website on the blue banner.

This afternoon, the school district was notified that a 1st grader at Margaret Ross and a 4th grade student at Margaret Ross are presumed to be positive for COVID19. “Presumed positive” means that, even without a COVID test, an individual is showing COVID symptoms and has been exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID. Both students were last in the school on November 5. There are no close contacts with either student identified at the school. The classrooms associated with these students will be disinfected tomorrow.

A letter regarding this information is posted on the website in the blue banner. A copy of this phone blast is also posted on the District website.

Please remember to stay safe and take all necessary precautions to keep your family and our community safe.

Phone Blast on November 10, 2020

Good morning. This is Ed Katkich, principal of Hopewell Memorial Junior High School. This is a message for our entire Viking community.

This morning, the administration was notified that one of our 5th grade students at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School tested positive for COVID19. This student was last in school on Thursday, November 5, 2020. The District will have the student’s classroom and learning spaces at Junior High building disinfected.

While we wait for further guidance from the Department of Health, we are in the process of communicating with all close contacts at this time. We believe that anyone who is a close contact should be notified by school personnel by the end of the school day.

With this being a separate and second positive COVID case within the past week for the Junior High, we are awaiting further guidance if the Junior High is to move to “virtual learning” on Thursday and Friday of this week. As soon as we receive a recommendation from an epidemiologist at the Department of Health, we will communicate the decision with the parents of Junior High students as to whether to remain in hybrid or move to virtual learning for the remainder of the week.

A letter regarding this information is posted on the website in the blue banner. A copy of this phone blast is also posted on the District website.

Please remember to stay safe and take all necessary precautions to keep your family and our community safe.

Phone Blast on November 6, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Memorial Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking school community.

Last night, November 5, 2020, the administration was notified that one of our 8th grade students at tested positive for COVID19. This student was last in school on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 and participated in our girls’ basketball games this week. The District will have the entire Junior High building disinfected by the end of today and all school busses have already been disinfected before this morning’s bus runs.

We have been in contact with the Department of Health and we are in the process of contacting all close contacts at this time. We believe that everyone who is a close contact should be contacted by school personnel within the next few hours. Close contacts will be required to quarantine for 14 days, with the dates of the quarantine determined by exposure date.

Please remember that only close contacts are required to quarantine. Secondary contacts or “contacts of contacts” are not required to quarantine.

Please be diligent in assessing your child’s health each day, as even minor symptoms can be a sign of the COVID19 virus. We have placed information on the District website regarding questions parents may have about contact tracing by the Department of Health, sending sick students home from school, quarantine and isolation, holiday travel and many more parent questions. Please review this guidance and reach out if you have additional questions.

We are still awaiting further guidance from the Department of Health if the Junior High school should remain closed beyond today. We are planning to have school as scheduled on Monday, November 9, 2020, but will notify families if this changes. Should you have questions, please reach out to your building school nurse or principal.

Our priority remains focused on the safety of all students, families and staff. As a reminder, a letter outlining details of this phone blast is posted on the website as well as a copy of this phone blast.

Phone Blast for November 5, 2020

Good evening Hopewell families. This is Ed Katkich, junior high school assistant principal. This message is for all K-12 Hopewell families.

This evening, at approximately 8:00 PM, the administration was notified that an 8^th grade student tested positive for COVID19. This student was in school yesterday and is on the girls’ basketball team. Upon notification, the district immediately called the Department of Health. Tomorrow, the district will work with the DoH to support efforts in contact tracing. We will review all of the students/staff in this student’s classrooms. At this time, the Junior High will move to remote learning tomorrow, November 6, 2020. Any student on the girls’ middle school basketball team will be contacted tomorrow, but should proceed as if the student is quarantined until further notice. Tomorrow, the District will contact any student considered to be a close contact.

So, tomorrow, ONLY the junior high is on remote learning. All other buildings are open. Siblings of junior high students should and can attend school. We will work diligently to address all close contacts tomorrow when the District has more information.

A letter outlining details of this phone blast is posted on the website as well as a copy of this phone blast.

Phone Blast for October 27, 2020

Good afternoon Hopewell families. This is Rob Kartychak, high school assistant principal. This message is for all K-12 Hopewell families.

Today, administration was notified that a district employee tested positive for COVID19. This employee does not have direct contact with students and was last in the District on October 16, 2020. Since receiving this information, we have determined, using the 48 hour period before symptom onset, that no other employee would be identified as a close contact.

With other counties and schools dealing with closures, it is important for our entire Hopewell community to continue to stay vigilant so that we can keep our schools open and remain focused on student learning. We need everyone to assist in these efforts, while students and staff are in school, and as well as when staff and students are out of school.

As a reminder, a letter outlining details of this phone blast is posted on the website as well as a copy of this phone blast. Stay safe Hopewell!

Phone Blast on October 23, 2020

This is a message from Korri Kane, Elementary Principal at Hopewell. This message is for the entire Viking community.

Today, the school district was notified by a parent that one of our elementary students is presumed to be positive for COVID19 by the Department of Health. “Presumed positive” means that, even without a COVID test, an individual is showing COVID symptoms and has been exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID. The student is in Kindergarten at Independence Elementary School. The student was last in our building on Tuesday October 20, 2020. The classroom has already been cleaned and disinfected since the student was last in attendance.

There have been recent changes by the CDC regarding their definition of “close contact”. The guidance is now a cumulative 15 minutes in a 24 hour period within six feet of a positive or presumed positive COVID case. And, as a reminder, DOH considers close contact for contact tracing purposes to be within 48 hours of being tested (if positive) or the onset of COVID symptoms.

Also, the state has provided many medical facilities with rapid COVID test kits. Based on our current medical guidance regarding children, we are not accepting the rapid test to return to school if a student is ill. We will still require a “return to school” excuse by a medical provider or the student will have to be out for 10 days. Because of the uptick of cases in our school community, we will be continuing with our protocols with sending asymptomatic siblings home.

We are all in this together and we need everyone to help keep our schools and community safe. Stay safe Hopewell!

Phone blast on October 19, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking school community.

On behalf of the District, I would like to thank our students, parents, and staff for all efforts to engage in today’s virtual learning day. We are very proud of the way in which our students engaged in their virtual learning today.

Tomorrow, October 20, 2020, the District will resume with regular hybrid scheduling. We will welcome our Group A students tomorrow and Group B students on Wednesday.

Please remember to monitor your child’s health each day. Please do not send your child to school if you are aware of any Covid symptoms. If someone in your family has been tested or is showing symptoms of Covid, please consider keeping your family at home until you receive the test results. Also, this is a time to remind everyone to continue washing hands and wearing a facial covering.

As a reminder, the District will resume with regular hybrid scheduling tomorrow. A copy of this phone blast is posted on the website for your reference.

Phone Blast on October 18 , 2020 (Evening)

Good evening. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking school community.

This is a follow-up message to remind our families that all students who attend school at Hopewell High School, Junior High, or our three Elementary schools will be virtual tomorrow, October 19, 2020. By doing this, the District will have the opportunity to complete deep cleaning of our schools and to ensure the completion of the Department of Health’s investigation.

For our Hopewell students who attend alternative or private schools, please know that you will be picked up and dropped off at the normal stops and times as you are used to. These schools that will be operational tomorrow include, but are not limited to, Lincoln Park, Baden Academy, New Horizon, BCRC, and other alternative placement schools. Should you have any questions, please contact our transportation department in the morning for more information.

As a reminder, a copy of this phone blast is on website and additional information regarding tomorrow’s virtual instruction is on the District’s website on the blue banner. Thank you, to the entire Hopewell community, for your continued support as we all navigate these unprecedented times.

Phone blast on October 18, 2020

Good morning. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking school community.

In light of the positive COVID 19 cases over the past week, the District will utilize virtual learning for all students on Monday, October 19, 2020. During this time, the District will continue to disinfect schools and ensure that DOH has completed their investigation stemming from last week’s positive COVID case.

A letter with more details about this week’s virtual instruction expectations is posted on the website located in the blue banner at the top of the webpage.

At this time, the District would encourage families to monitor their children’s health each day. If your child has any symptoms that could potentially be COVID, please keep them home and contact your medical provider. If someone in your family has been tested or is showing symptoms of Covid, please consider keeping your family at home until you receive the test results. Also, this is a time to remind everyone to continue washing hands and wearing a facial covering.

This is a time for our families and community to continue to stay vigilant so that we can keep our schools open and remain focused on student learning. We need everyone to assist in these efforts, while students and staff are in school, and as well as when staff and students are out of school.

As a reminder, a letter outlining details of this phone blast is posted on the website as well as a copy of this phone blast.

October 16 Phone Blast

Good afternoon. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. Today, the district was notified that one of our 11th grade students at Hopewell High School tested positive for COVID19. This student was last in our building on October 9, 2020.

In investigating this matter, the district became aware of several families and students who may have been in contact with this student over the past weekend. The Department of Health has been notified and is in the process of contact tracing. We are awaiting the Department of Health's recommendations for moving to remote learning for a short time next week. The District will follow the Department of Health's recommendations and will inform families as soon as a recommendation has been provided.

Please know that we are making every effort to keep the Hopewell Area School District students safe and to mitigate the risk of contracting COVID19. A parent letter regarding this information is posted on the blue banner on our website and a copy of this phone blast is also located on our website.

Phone blast on October 12, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. Over the weekend, the district was notified that one of our 11th grade students at Hopewell High School tested positive for COVID19. This student was last in our building on October 6, 2020.

In investigating this matter, the district became aware of a family with four students who also tested positive for COVID19. The students are in grades 11, 8, 6, and 4 with the fourth grader attending Hopewell Elementary.

We have been in contact with the PA Department of Health over the weekend. All classrooms and busses used by these students last week have been disinfected.

Phone Blast on September 29, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Mike Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. Today, the district was notified that one of our 12^th grade students at Hopewell High School tested positive for COVID19. This student was last in our building on September 23, 2020.

We have been in contact with the PA Department of Health, which will be engaging in the contact tracing and communication with families. The District will follow the recommendations of the Department of Health and also provide additional disinfecting of the high school tonight and throughout the week.

September 25, 2020

This is Rob Kartychak, Hopewell High School assistant principal. Attendance notifications for full-time online education students in grades 7-12 will be sent out each week notifying parents and guardians of any discrepancies associated with their child’s online course work and the expectations set by the district. Please review the attendance policy for full-time online students in grades 7-12 by watching the online education orientation and reading through the attendance policy found on the districts website. A news article with links to this content is posted on the home page of the district website. Thank you.

Phone Blast on September 17, 2020

September 17, 2020 at 5:00PM

As part of our commitment to protecting student and staff health, the District tested all drinkable water sources in our buildings on August 27, 2020. The District received the results of the lead testing yesterday and has posted the results along with a letter on the district website. Through a grant, the testing and any remediation will be funded by Women for a Healthy Environment at no cost to the District.

At this time, the District has only received the data associated with the water samples and is awaiting a full report with recommendations on remediation steps from an independent resource for lead testing and remediation. The District has identified 9 water outlets with lead levels above 20 parts per billion. These are now isolated and removed from service or limited to dish washing and hand washing.

There are no drinking water outlets above 20 PPB at the High School, Hopewell Elementary School, or Margaret Ross. There are, however, seven water outlets at Independence Elementary, one at the District Office, and one at the Junior High School that have levels above 20 PPB. Prior to testing, we believe that these water outlets were not used, or minimally used, since the closure of school on March 13, 2020.

We are committed to the safety of all of our students and staff and will follow the recommendations to remediate any water outlet with elevated lead levels. A letter with specific information including the lead levels and locations is posted on the district website.

This message is also posted on the website for reference.

Phone Blast on September 9, 2020

Hello. This is a message from Dr. Jacie Maslyk, Hopewell’s Assistant Superintendent, regarding free breakfasts and lunches for all Hopewell students.

Beginning Monday, September 14th, Hopewell Area School District is able to implement a Federal program that was recently approved by the USDA that permits the District to serve breakfasts and lunches to all students, free of charge. The District will be providing free meals to students who are eating in our cafeterias, learning remotely at home, and attending Hopewell’s Cyber program. Students who are in school will receive a free meal from the cafeteria, if they desire. At the end of the in-person learning days, students will be able to take a bagged lunch and breakfast home for the following day of remote learning. Cyber students can pick up meals between 12-1 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays at the high school auditorium doors.

Please see the letter on the District website for additional details.

Phone Blast on September 4, 2020

Good evening Hopewell students and parents. We look forward to opening our school year next week. Our staff can’t wait to greet our students in person or virtually on Tuesday, September 8.

There are several important informational items posted on our website. They include:

Parent pickup and drop-off information for elementary students,
A letter from our nurses regarding when to keep your child home from school,
Information regarding student travel during the school year, and
A link to a tech help form for parents and students.

Under the NEWS section of the website, there is a sneak peek of some of our elementary classrooms.

As a reminder, unless you contacted the school to make other arrangements, students with the last name A-K will attend school in person on Tuesday, September 8. Students with the last name L-Z will join us in person on Wednesday, September 9. See you next week for a positive and safe start to the school year!

Archived News

Phone Blast from September 29, 2020

We have been in contact with the PA Department of Health, which will be engaging in contact tracing and communication with families.

The District will follow the recommendations of the Department of Health and also provide additional disinfecting of the high school tonight and throughout the week.

Phone Blast on September 24, 2020: Cyber Families Only

Please contact your child's K-6 cyber teacher or maslykj@hopewellarea.org for students in 7-8 in regards to NWEA testing.

Phone Blast on October 20, 2020

Good afternoon. This is Ed Katkich, principal at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School.

The administration was notified that one of our 8^th grade students is presumed to be positive for COVID19 by the Department of Health. “Presumed positive” means that, even without a COVID test, an individual is showing COVID symptoms and has been exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID. The student was last in our buildings on Friday, October 16, 2020. The Junior High school building, including all of the classrooms, as disinfected since the student was last in the building.

Please remember to assess your child’s health before each school day. Please don’t send them to school if they are exhibiting any of the COVID symptoms. Together, as a Viking community, we can keep our students and families safe.

Phone Blast for February 1, 2021

Good morning. This is Jacie Maslyk, Assistant Superintendent at Hopewell Area School District.

Today, February 1, the District will be providing remote instruction to all students. There will be no in-person learning and no transportation will be provided to any public or private school students today.

Today’s breakfast and lunch distribution will be rescheduled. Students in hybrid can get these meals during their next in-person learning day this week. All others, including our cyber students, can pick up meals for any child 18 and under at the high school between the hours of 11AM - 1PM, on Friday, February 5.

The District will be in contact with the Department of Health today to determine if further closure of Independence Elementary is necessary due to positive COVID cases.

Phone Blast on February 1, 2021

Phone Blast for February 1, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Principal for the Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case today involving a staff member at Hopewell Memorial Junior High School. The staff member was in the building last week, but no close contacts were identified. The individual, however, was infectious while in the building and therefore, this positive case does count toward the school closure case count for the Junior High School.

Additionally, the District and the PA Department of Health are finalizing the contact tracing at Independence Elementary School which we anticipate to be concluded tomorrow, February 2, 2021. Therefore, February 2 will be an additional virtual instruction day for Independence Elementary School. We anticipate in-person hybrid learning to continue at Independence on Wednesday, February 3.

A parent letter and updated COVID chart has been placed on the district website along with a copy of this phone blast and a letter regarding travel requirements.

Phone Blast for March 9, 2021

Good Evening. This is Michael Allison, Hopewell High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Hopewell High School. The case involves a student in ninth grade who was last in the building on March 2, and there are no close contacts involved. This student was not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will not count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for March 29, 2021

Good Evening. This is Ed Katkich, Hopewell Junior High School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case involving an employee serving Hopewell Junior High School, Independence Elementary School and other outside student educational placements. The individual was infectious when working in the District on both March 24 and 25. Close contacts have been notified. This case WILL count toward case counts for both Junior High School and Independence Elementary School.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 7, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, Elementary School Principal. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of one (1) positive COVID case at Independence Elementary School. The case involves a student in first grade who was last in the building on April 1, 2021. There are no close contacts involved. This student was not considered to be infectious while last in school. Therefore, this positive case will not count to the school closure case count.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.

Phone Blast for April 12, 2021

Good Evening. This is Korri Kane, principal for the Hopewell Elementary Schools. This message is for our entire Viking community.

The District was made aware of three COVID cases in our schools.

The first positive COVID case is at Hopewell Elementary School and involves a staff member who was last in the building on April 8, 2021. There are no close contacts involved.

The second positive COVID case is at the Independence Elementary School. The case involves a student in kindergarten who was last in the building on April 9, 2021. Close contacts were notified.

The third positive COVID case is also at the Independence Elementary School. The case involves a student in third grade who was last in the building on April 8, 2021. Close contacts were notified.

A parent letter and this phone blast are posted on the website.