East Pete will conduct a lockdown drill on Friday, January 10, 2025.  Just as we practice drills for weather and fire-related safety, we also practice how to respond in the event of other types of emergencies (ex: intruder). It is important for students and staff to be familiar with the process, procedures, and routines. With each drill, we learn ways to refine and improve our safety plans. Mr. Bill Gleason, Hempfield School District’s Safety and Security Supervisor and/or our local police department may observe drills and provide feedback to our staff to strengthen our plan.

Each classroom teacher will talk with his/her class about the lockdown drill, prior to it occurring.  The teacher will emphasize that this is just a drill and that there is no reason for concern at this time.  When I announce Friday's drill, I will also share the importance of practicing these drills to prepare in the event of an emergency.

As part of the drill, the intruder alarm will be activated, and an announcement will be made throughout the building.  Please consider talking with your child, at home, about this drill so they feel comfortable and secure.

There is no topic more important than the safety and security of our students and staff who work with our students in our schools.  We encourage you to visit the district website to familiarize yourself with Hempfield’s commitment to safety and security in our schools.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at (717) 569-1211.

Sincerely,
Kim Rauscher, Principal

PowerSchool, Hempfield’s Student Information System (SIS) provider, informed all customers on Tuesday of a data breach that occurred in a support system they manage in December. This breach allowed the attacker to gain access to some customers’ SIS data. PowerSchool has confirmed that Hempfield’s system was NOT one that was compromised. Our own review of our systems and a review by Carbon Lehigh IU (our PowerSchool hosting provider) both concur with this finding. We have no reason to believe that any student, staff, or parent data was accessed inappropriately. We take data security very seriously and look forward to reviewing PowerSchool’s final report on the incident to determine if any additional security measures need to be put into place.

We have key dates for registration closing. Do not delay, register today.

Softball - 1/10/2025 
Travel Baseball - 1/20/2025 
IM Baseball - 2/17/2025 

REGISTER at www.playhya.com

Baseball (NOW):

Travel Baseball (Register Now through 1/20/2025):

We offer travel baseball at 10U, 12U and 14U with multiple teams in each age group.

Tryouts for travel are on 1/24/25 (14U & 12U) and 1/26/25 (10U) at Keystone State Sports, with a second tryout on 2/2/25 at Spooky Nook.

Intramural Baseball (Register Now through 2/17/2025):

We offer intramural baseball at Pony (4-6 Year Olds), Minors (5-7 Year Olds) and Majors (6-9 Year Olds) – This is a great way to introduce kids to baseball as well as develop their skills over time to prepare for the travel levels noted above.

Softball (NOW):

Softball (Register Now through 1/10/2025):

We offer softball ages 8U through 14U.

ALL players EXCEPT 8U are required to attend a 1-day evaluation.

Practices are scheduled during the week and OPTIONAL practices on weekends, with days and locations provided once teams are determined.

REGISTER at www.playhya.com

Now is the time to register. Don't miss out on the fun next spring!

Go HEMPFIELD!

Dear EPES Families,

 

It is with mixed emotions that I share my intent to retire at the end of this school year. The decision to close this chapter is bittersweet, as serving as principal at EPES for 15 years has been one of the greatest honors of my career.

 

The sense of pride in the East Petersburg community is unmatched. I am incredibly proud to work alongside a remarkable team of educators and staff who are deeply committed to providing the best possible education and support for our students. I am equally grateful for the partnership of our amazing families and the unwavering support of our PTO. Together, we have created opportunities that extend far beyond traditional classroom instruction, enriching the lives of our students in countless ways.

 

As I look ahead to this next chapter, please know that I will cherish every moment I have remaining at EPES. I am committed to ensuring a smooth leadership transition and will work closely with the administration to support our school community during this time.

 

Thank you for making my journey at East Pete so meaningful and memorable.

 

With sincere gratitude,

Kim

The Hempfield administrative team is closely monitoring the weather forecast for Monday, January 6. We encourage you to review our procedures and communication details for closings, delays, unplanned early dismissals, and flexible instruction days (FIDs) due to inclement weather. You can find this information here: Inclement Weather Procedures.

To stay updated on possible schedule changes, please monitor the following communication channels:

• District Website
• Social Media Channels (Facebook, Instagram, and X)
• Automated Text Message and Call System – Sign up here!
• Local News Outlets

We recommend having a backup plan in place ahead of time for when inclement weather impacts our schedule.

The GIANT Company is once again partnering with Hempfield School District through the Feeding School Kids initiative, which helps school districts throughout their service area address childhood hunger.

The Feeding School Kids Round Up program will run from January 1 through March 31, 2025. Everyone who shops at GIANT will be invited to “round up” their grocery purchase and donate the round up amount to the program fund. The GIANT Company will directly support customers’ generosity by matching all donations up to $100,000.

The funds earned from this program will support programs and efforts to feed students. Thank you in advance for “rounding up” to support children in our district!

School and district offices will be closed on Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1. Offices will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2, when school resumes. We wish all our families a joyful and restful winter break!

Chipotle Night 12-18-24

Getting ready for the holidays? Too busy to cook? We got you covered...come to Chipotle-Rohrerstown on December 18th from 5pm-9pm and grab dinner for the family! A portion of the sales made that night will go to the Girls Basketball Booster Club! All you need to do is show them this flyer. You can also place an online order using the Promo Code J2KLWC4 on the Chipotle app or website during the 5-9pm timeframe. Hope to see you there! 

Hempfield Youth Night 12-19-24

All Hempfield youth in grades K-8 are invited to attend the Girls Basketball Game on December 19th against Penn Manor. JV plays at 6pm and Varsity plays at 7:30pm. The youth will receive free admission to the game if they are wearing their youth basketball jersey/t-shirt. We hope to fill the stands with Hempfield students and their families!