Harding Elementary School
Dan Nielsen, Interim Executive Principal| 8:00am-2:30pm | (814) 874-6550
Your Voice Matters!
Every family brings a unique perspective on what school life is really like. The School Climate Survey is your chance to share how welcome, supported, and connected you feel as a partner in your child’s education. The survey is completely anonymous, so please share openly and honestly.
Your feedback directly shapes our work to strengthen school-family partnerships and advance Priority 3 of our District Strategic Plan: Well-Being & Safety, with a focus on well-being, safety, belonging, and learning.
Together, we can build school communities where every student and family feels welcomed, valued, and supported. Thank you for helping us grow!
Please complete the Families School Climate Survey through ParentSquare by Friday, October 23.
#buildingexcellencetogether2
Every family brings a unique perspective on what school life is really like. The School Climate Survey is your chance to share how welcome, supported, and connected you feel as a partner in your child’s education. The survey is completely anonymous, so please share openly and honestly.
Your feedback directly shapes our work to strengthen school-family partnerships and advance Priority 3 of our District Strategic Plan: Well-Being & Safety, with a focus on well-being, safety, belonging, and learning.
Together, we can build school communities where every student and family feels welcomed, valued, and supported. Thank you for helping us grow!
Please complete the Families School Climate Survey through ParentSquare by Friday, October 23.
#buildingexcellencetogether2
Join Erie's Public Schools for a fun-filled community celebration of connection, fun, and empowerment of the young girls in our district on Sunday, October 11, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Biletnikoff Field!🎉
This event is part of our district’s Building Excellence Together Weekend, held in partnership with the Jefferson Educational Society's Global Summit XVIII. While our students are busy with service projects on Saturday and a select group attends a conversation with Michelle Obama on Monday, Sunday is all about bringing our families together!
Event Details:
Date: Sunday, October 11
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Empowerment Walk begins at 3:15 PM)
Location: Biletnikoff Field (finishing at the EPS Admin Building, 1910 Sassafras St., via an accessible route)
Admission & Activities: 100% Free for all EPS families!
What’s in Store:
- Fun family photo booth & bounce house
- Balloon headbands and wristlets provided by The Brown Clowns
- Music, refreshments, and community resource tables
- Inspiring remarks from local female leaders
An Empowerment Walk celebrating girl power, health, and wellness at 3:15 PM
Bring the whole family out to show support for our girls and the bright future we are building together. We can't wait to see you there! 💜
Introducing our 2026–2027 Harding 5th Grade Student Ambassadors!
It is with great pride that we introduce this year’s Harding Student Ambassadors! With over 80 students applying (the most ever!) the selection process was not an easy one. We are so proud of every student who stepped up and applied for this leadership opportunity.
These outstanding 5th graders will spend the year leading, serving, and inspiring those around them. As Harding Student Ambassadors, they are role models who represent our school with pride, help make Harding an even better place to learn and grow, and find meaningful ways to serve our school and community.
We can’t wait to see all the ways this group of leaders will make a difference this year! Thank you to our neighbors at Avanti's for hosting our annual Ambassador Onboarding.
Congratulations, Harding Student Ambassadors! Let’s make it a great year!💜💚
#CommunitySchoolsInAction
All Harding parents and caregivers are welcome to be a part of our Harding PTO. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, October 8th at 5:15 PM in our Cafeteria. Enter at Door #13. Snacks, refreshments & child care are available.
On the agenda: Halloween Celebrations, Field Trips, & Holiday Gifts.
On the agenda: Halloween Celebrations, Field Trips, & Holiday Gifts.
GIVE IT YOUR ALL THIS FALL!
Our Fall Attendance Challenge is ON!
Students who attend every day in October and November will be invited to a special BINGO game at school on Friday, November 20th!
35 Days. One Goal. Give It Your All.
Our Fall Attendance Challenge is ON!
Students who attend every day in October and November will be invited to a special BINGO game at school on Friday, November 20th!
35 Days. One Goal. Give It Your All.
Get ready for our annual Harding Trunk or Treat!
👻 Friday, October 16th from 5:30-7:00 PM!
🎃 All Harding families are welcome! Remember, an adult must attend with children.
RSVP to let us know you are coming: https://bit.ly/hardingtrunkortreat
🍫 We are always in need of families or community members to decorate trunks to be part of the Trunk or Treat. You can use the RSVP form linked below to let us know if you will be participating in this way also! There are prizes for the Top 3 best trunks!
👻 Friday, October 16th from 5:30-7:00 PM!
🎃 All Harding families are welcome! Remember, an adult must attend with children.
RSVP to let us know you are coming: https://bit.ly/hardingtrunkortreat
🍫 We are always in need of families or community members to decorate trunks to be part of the Trunk or Treat. You can use the RSVP form linked below to let us know if you will be participating in this way also! There are prizes for the Top 3 best trunks!
Our Harding Book Fair is next week — September 28–October 2! We are excited to partner with Werner Books, a local Erie bookstore, for this year’s book fair.
📚 Book Fair Details
Used books will start at $2, with new books also available at higher prices.
Students will shop during their regularly scheduled library time next week. (See schedule below!)
Students should bring their money to school on their assigned shopping day An envelope to use was sent home with the flyer this week.
📖 Book Trade Option
Students may also bring ONE used book from home to trade for another used book at the book fair.
⏰ Make-Up Shopping Times
We will have two additional shopping opportunities for students who are absent on their scheduled day or forget to bring money:
Thursday: 8:30–9:00 AM
Friday: 8:30–9:00 AM
Students may come to the library during these times to shop.
💜 Our Parent Volunteers
We are grateful to the Harding PTO and our parent volunteers for helping make this opportunity possible for our students. If you are interested in being a part of this group, join us for the next PTO meeting on October 8th!
#StriveForFive is BACK at Harding! Every five day week, five students (and one staff member) who were present all five days are entered into a drawing to win one of our new Dragon Prize Packs! Families also receive a $10 Country Fair gift card to thank you for all you do to support school attendance. This initiative is made possible by United Way of Erie County and Bethesda Lutheran Services and is one of our favorite Friday traditions at Harding.
#YouBelongHere #OnTimeAllDayEveryDay #EveryDragonEveryDay #CommunitySchoolsInAction 💜💚
Thank you to our Harding PTO for hosting Popsicles on the Playground on a beautiful Friday afternoon.☀️
Save the Date for Popsicles on the Playground next Friday, September 18th after dismissal. Meet our Harding PTO and enjoy a treat with your Harding friends! (Students must be accompanied by an adult.)💜💚
You belong here - on time, all day, every day! Take a moment to check out our updated attendance incentives for this school year. As you know, school attendance is a top priority at Harding, but we are changing things up a little bit this year! New Strive for Five prizes and a fresh spin on some of our other motivational attendance strategies. Every Dragon Belongs! Every Day Matters!
You can make a difference.
This September, during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Erie's Public Schools is reminding our whole community: a mental health crisis deserves the same response as any other emergency. You don't need to be a therapist — you just need to notice, reach out, and get help.
A.C.T. if you're worried about someone:
Ask — Start the conversation. Be direct, and listen without judgment.
Care — Show you care. Stay close and keep them connected.
Tell — Bring in a trusted adult or trained professional.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is always available: 📞 Call or text 988 — free, confidential, 24/7 📱 Safe2Say Something: 1-844-SAF2SAY ☎️ Erie Crisis Line: 814-456-2014 🏫 Talk to a school counselor, mental health specialist, or any trusted staff member
In immediate danger? Call 911.
Every student, every day. We're in this together. #SuicidePreventionMonth #EriesPublicSchools
This September, during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Erie's Public Schools is reminding our whole community: a mental health crisis deserves the same response as any other emergency. You don't need to be a therapist — you just need to notice, reach out, and get help.
A.C.T. if you're worried about someone:
Ask — Start the conversation. Be direct, and listen without judgment.
Care — Show you care. Stay close and keep them connected.
Tell — Bring in a trusted adult or trained professional.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is always available: 📞 Call or text 988 — free, confidential, 24/7 📱 Safe2Say Something: 1-844-SAF2SAY ☎️ Erie Crisis Line: 814-456-2014 🏫 Talk to a school counselor, mental health specialist, or any trusted staff member
In immediate danger? Call 911.
Every student, every day. We're in this together. #SuicidePreventionMonth #EriesPublicSchools
The Werner Book Fair is coming to Harding the week of September 28th. All students will have time to shop during their scheduled library time. More details coming home soon!
Harding students, families and staff are invited to help in our school garden this Wednesday after dismissal at 2:30 PM.
Enjoy snacks and lend a hand for as long as you can stay. Many hands make light work, so it won't take long at all, with the right amount of people.
(This clean up is not related to the recent storms, as our garden luckily remained completely unharmed! This is just seasonal maintenance, such as weeding and clearing out items in preparation for the upcoming Fall Garden Club after-school program and fall harvest and winterization.)
Enjoy snacks and lend a hand for as long as you can stay. Many hands make light work, so it won't take long at all, with the right amount of people.
(This clean up is not related to the recent storms, as our garden luckily remained completely unharmed! This is just seasonal maintenance, such as weeding and clearing out items in preparation for the upcoming Fall Garden Club after-school program and fall harvest and winterization.)
EPS families,
Throughout the year, a number of school events, programs, and classroom lessons take place that are of interest to both school district media (cable channel, website, school newsletters, etc.) and regional print and broadcast media (newspapers, television, radio, etc.) During these activities, students and staff may be photographed or interviewed to increase public awareness of our school and/or individual student accomplishments. If you DO NOT want your children to be photographed, videotaped or interviewed, please complete and return the 2026-2027 Media Opt-Out Form available at your child’s school.
You can also find and print the form, available in English and other languages, at https://www.eriesd.org/page/optout
Than k you!
Throughout the year, a number of school events, programs, and classroom lessons take place that are of interest to both school district media (cable channel, website, school newsletters, etc.) and regional print and broadcast media (newspapers, television, radio, etc.) During these activities, students and staff may be photographed or interviewed to increase public awareness of our school and/or individual student accomplishments. If you DO NOT want your children to be photographed, videotaped or interviewed, please complete and return the 2026-2027 Media Opt-Out Form available at your child’s school.
You can also find and print the form, available in English and other languages, at https://www.eriesd.org/page/optout
Than k you!
HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Our Family Information Guide is now available at eriesd.org/familyguide. The guide includes helpful information about school bell times, transportation, health policies and more. Take a few minutes to read to help ensure that you and your children kick off the 2026-27 school year right!
Our littlest dragons are ready for Pre-K!💜💚
Our new Harding administrative team enjoyed meeting so many of you at Open House last week.
As we begin the 26-27 school year, Mr. Nielsen will serve as our interim principal and Mrs. Polakowski as our assistant principal.
Mr. Dan Nielsen attended Erie's Public Schools as a student and has served as an educator for 19 years, in a variety of roles from behavior specialist to guidance counselor, and most recently an Assistant Principal at Edison, Harding and Erie High. Yes, you may remember him from being at Harding before and we are happy to welcome him back!
Ms. Joanna Polakowski has been a teacher in the district for 18 years and since becoming an administrator, most recently supported JoAnna Connell Elementary as an apprentice assistant principal. She has taught at all grade levels over the years and is excited to bring her knowledge and expertise to Harding.
Welcome to the Harding family, Mr. Nielsen and Ms. Polakowski!💜💚
Bus routes & times for 26-27 are now available!
🚍BUS INFORMATION 26-27🚍
🚍To qualify for bus transportation, students must live 1.5 miles or more walking distance from the school.
🚍If you were registered for bus transportation last year and your child has not changed schools or addresses, you do not need to complete a new bus application for this school year.
🚍If your child has changed home address or school, please submit a new application at www.eriesd.org/transportation
🚍At Harding, we will check in students as they come in off the bus the first few weeks of school and if students come to school on the bus, we will send them home on the bus - unless you communicate a different plan to us directly. However, if your child does not come to school on the bus - but is to go home on the bus, we will not know that unless you contact us. Please email spotter@eriesd.org or call 814-874-6561 and leave a voicemail.
We have been sharing out many important updates lately and have created an online folder where you can access all of these documents whenever you need!
https://bit.ly/hardingwelcomefolder
These documents will also be in the welcome folder that your family will receive at Open House on Thursday, August 20th from 6:00-8:00 PM. Don't forget to join us to meet your child's teacher and learn about all of the new changes happening at Harding this year!
https://bit.ly/hardingwelcomefolder
These documents will also be in the welcome folder that your family will receive at Open House on Thursday, August 20th from 6:00-8:00 PM. Don't forget to join us to meet your child's teacher and learn about all of the new changes happening at Harding this year!
