Hopkins Principal’s Newsletter 11/16/2025

Dear Hopkins Families,

Quarter 2 progress grades have been updated on Aeries. Please check your Aeries Parent or Student Portal. All of us are collaborative partners in a student’s learning progress. Thank you for continuing to communicate and work with teachers to support students together. For students who continue to struggle despite strong efforts, they may need additional resources. Please reach out to our counseling team to discuss next steps that are available at our school.

• 6th Grade: Ms. Kim – [email protected] 
• 7th Grade: Ms. Moore – [email protected] 
• 8th Grade: Ms. Te – [email protected] 

Learning Environment @ Home: Almost 60% of our students shared in last year’s survey that they listened to music while doing homework at home. While music can reduce stress and boost your mood, music, especially music with lyrics, fast tempo, or loud volume, can hurt reading comprehension and lower your working memory capacity. Especially if you are having trouble with solving a complex problem or memorizing facts, you may concentrate better with the music turned off. 

Coffee with Administrator on 11/14/25: Thank you to the parents/guardians who were able to join our conversation on student behavior and our school’s intervention/prevention efforts. Please see our slides here for more information and reach out to our administration team if you have questions and/or suggestions.

• Assistant Principal for 8th grade (last names A-Lh) and all 6th grade: Ms. Joanna Jensen – [email protected] 
• Assistant Principal for 8th grade (last names Li-Z) and all 7th grade: Mrs. Jennifer Moore – [email protected] 

2026-2027 District Enrollment Timeline: Please see important dates below for enrollment and transfer requests. For details, please check out the district’s webpage for Student Support Services. 

• Current 8th Grade Mandarin and Spanish Immersion Program Families: You will be receiving a survey in this coming week to indicate your plan for the high school your student(s) will attend. This helps us plan with FUSD high schools to ensure you receive the correct course registration packets.

December 1, 2025	2026-2027 Enrollment Applications open
	2026-2027 Immersion Applications open
	2026-2027 Science Magnet Application opens
Nov 17-20 & Dec 2-4	In person enrollment information meetings
December 8, 2025	2026-2027 Enrollment appointments open for TK/K only
January 12, 2026	2026-2027 Enrollment appointments open for grades 1-12
April 17, 2026	2026-2027 TK/K/Sibling enrollment and program priority ends
February 2, 2026	Residency Verification forms sent out. Due 2/27/26
February 2, 2026	Continuing Intra District Transfers sent out. Due 2/27/26
March 1, 2026	Inter District Transfers Open within Alameda County
April 6, 2026	Open School Lottery applications open: Due 4/20/26
July 15, 2026	New Intra District Transfers open

Spelling Bee Signups: 

• Signups start on November 17 and end at 3:00 pm on November 20. Check Parent Square after 8:15 am on November 17 for a new post which will include the link to the Google Form for signups.

• The first 100 students to sign up will be invited to join a Google Classroom where you’ll find study materials.  You must join the Classroom within 48 hours of the email’s timestamp in your Gmail or you will lose your spot.

• Email Ms. Parke ([email protected]) or Ms. Woolbright ([email protected]) if you have questions. 

Girls Basketball Tryout Notice: 

• Tryout Dates: 
  • 1st Round on 12/1 & 12/3 (by assignment)
  • 2nd Round on 12/10
• Time: 5-7 PM
• Location: Hopkins MUR
• Required:
  1. Submit Online Application (due end of day on Thursday, 11/20).
  2. SIGNED Tryout Permission Slip . Turn in signed permission slip to our Main Office by 3:30 PM on Thursday, 11/20, to receive tryout date assignment, to be posted 11/21. 
• You MUST have a signed tryout permission slip AND submit application by deadline to try out!
• Please see the attached flyer for details. Email Coach Julia – [email protected] – if you have any questions. 
• Students selected for our school teams must submit a completed Participation Physical Evaluation Form in order to participate in practices and games.
• Students and families can pick up hard copies of the Tryout Permission Slip and Participation Physical Evaluation Form from our Main Office.

Black Parent Union Zoom Meeting – Join Us! Our next Black Parent Union meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00 pm via zoom. This is an affinity space for parents and caregivers of students who identify as Black to connect, share, and collaborate to support our students and community. If you’re interested in being part of this group, please fill out our Interest Form so we can keep you in the loop with upcoming meetings and opportunities. If you have any questions, reach out to Chasmin at [email protected] or Roderick at [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

Hopkins Parent Night on December 4: Our counseling department is hosting a parent workshop “Parenting Strategies: Finding Balance” from 6-7 PM @ MUR. Join Marriage & Family Therapist Shalini Dayal for an interactive session on ways to support academic and socio-emotional balance in middle school and beyond. We will also have Mission San Jose High School students to share their perspectives on how families can help support students’ growth journeys. Please see flyer for details.

Extracurricular Opportunities Outside of Hopkins: 

• Middle School Bike Skills Class – Sponsored by the City of Fremont, this special series is open to Hopkins and Horner students and families. Classes start on December 6 and will take place at our school parking lot. Please see the attached flyer for details.
• Youth Art Contest “Healthy Meals Feed Happy Families” – Hosted by Assemblymember Alex Lee, this is open to students in grades K-12 in Fremont Unified and surrounding districts. Deadline is February 27, 2026. See here for more info.

Save the Dates: 

• Black Parent Union Zoom Meeting: Wednesday, 11/19, 7 PM
• Boys Basketball @ Centerville: Thursday, 11/20, 3-5 PM — student spectators must attend with a guardian in away games.
• Minimum Day on Thursday, 11/20: School ends at 12:48 PM. AC Transit buses still run at their regular times — please make alternative pickup arrangements.
• No School; Thanksgiving Break: Our office is also closed from Friday, 11/21 – Sunday, 11/30.
• School resumes on Monday, 12/1
• Boys Basketball vs. Horner: Tuesday, 12/2, 3-5 PM @ Gym
• “Parenting Strategies: Finding Balance”: Thursday, 12/4, 6-7 PM @ MUR
• Boys Basketball @ Walters: Monday, 12/8, 3-5 PM — student spectators must attend with a guardian in away games.
• Boys Basketball @ Thornton: Tuesday, 12/9, 3-5 PM — student spectators must attend with a guardian in away games.
• Choir Concert: Monday, 12/15, 5:15-8:15 PM @ Ohlone College Smith Center
• Boys Basketball vs. Centerville: Tuesday, 12/16, 3-5 PM @ Gym
• Orchestra Concert: Tuesday, 12/16, 6:30-8 PM @ MUR
• Band Concert: Wednesday, 12/17, 6:30-8 PM @ MUR
• Boys Basketball @ Horner: Thursday, 12/18, 3-5 PM — student spectators must attend with a guardian in away games.
• End-of-Semester Finals Bell Schedule: Thursday, 12/18, and Friday, 12/19 — school ends@ 12:48 PM. AC Transit buses still run at their regular times; please make alternative pickup arrangements.
  
• Winter Break: December 22 – January 5, 2026
• Spring Semester Begins on Tuesday, January 6

HAWK ON~
Nancy Kuei
Principal
[email protected]