Hilltop News
March 2, 2023
News from Hilltop
Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week. The snow was wet, sticky and fun! Just a reminder to continue packing snow gear every day until you hear otherwise. We are at the stage of winter where we need a wet barrier, not as much of a warm barrier.
We had a fun week of finishing up book club for this school year. We had 70 students 1st-4th grade that participated in our annual book club. The students and staff had a great time celebrating.
We also were able to celebrate our most recent state champions: The MWHS Dance Team and Reagan Kelley, state champion gymnast. The teams walked through Hilltop while we celebrated their success. It truly is awesome to have a small community to be able to celebrate like this.
Please make sure you check out the STUFF THE BUS info below. It starts next week and we need your help to fill the shelves our local Westonka Food Shelf.
Finally, please make sure you view Mr. Borg's message below regarding the All Community Facilities Presentation.
Have a great weekend!
Mr. Moch and the Hilltop Staff
All-Community Facilities Presentation March 14
Please join Westonka Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Borg on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Westonka Performing Arts Center for a presentation and discussion of the Westonka School Board Facilities Committee’s prioritized list of facilities improvements
Hilltop SOARs!
THIS WEEK'S SHOUT OUTS:
Third Grade Black Boys Basketball: Third place in the Watertown-Mayer tournament on Sunday! Way to go boys.
Squirt A Hockey team for winning the Consolation Cup at the Fargo Squirt International Tournament this past weekend. Way to go Wills Beazley (only Hilltoper on team)!
The 3rd Grade Girls Basketball Team took 4th place at the State Tournament this weekend! They ended the season with a 27-5 record! We are SO proud of you! Way to go Carver Charlson, Claire Rank, Collins Zachow, Della Crowley, Emma Kohler, Lenna Syndergaard, Norah Olsem, Sadie Pederson, Vivian Diezi, and Claire Senn.
Just use this Hilltop SOARs Newsletter and Morning Announcement Form to send us good news to share!
PTA News and Volunteer Opportunities!
Mark your calendar for the upcoming PTA sponsored events:
- Monday, March 13: PTA Meeting @ 6:30 pm
- Friday, April 14: Spring Fun Night 7:00-11:00 pm (this is a date change from March)
THE BOOK FAIR IS HERE! We will hold our spring book fair March 13-17. If you would like to sign up to assist with the book fair, please see the BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEER SIGN UP. (4 spots remain to sign up)
Thaler Skate Night is free to all Hilltop families. Our event will take place on Monday, March 6 from 6:15-8:15 pm. If you need kid sized skates or transportation to the event, please complete the Skate Night Form. Also, there will be a hot dog and chips available for purchase for $2 the night of the event. Just a reminder please wear helmets and no hockey sticks are allowed.
Imagination Celebration: UPDATED INFO!
On Thursday, March 16th, 5-7pm, we will be celebrating IMAGINATION CELEBRATION!
Hello, Hilltop families!
This is your friendly neighborhood art teacher, Ms. Hans, letting you know that the deadline to register your child for the Independent Exhibit and Talent Show portions of Imagination Celebration has been EXTENDED to MARCH 9TH at midnight. The Imagination Celebration will be March 16th, 5-7pm.
Independent Exhibit, K – 4th grade:
Any Hilltop student is invited to submit one project they’ve made independently, at home or at school, to be displayed in the west side of the Hilltop gym during the Imagination Celebration. This can be any type of work- an artwork, science project, youtube video, handicraft, etc. which can be displayed on a table, pinned to the wall, or shown on an iPad. Students must register by midnight on March 9th, and will drop off their projects the morning of the event (you will receive more drop-off, pick-up, and labeling information once registration is closed). Email Ms. Hans with any questions!
Talent Show, 2nd- 4th grade:
Students in grades 2-4 are invited to perform onstage in the east side of the Hilltop gym during the Imagination Celebration. They can sing, dance, play piano, juggle, tell jokes, read a poem, etc. Students must register by midnight on March 9th, and will be assigned a time slot. Email Mrs. Schmidt with any questions!
Imagination Celebration details:
Come celebrate the creativity of Hilltop students on March 16th, from 5-7pm! There will be classroom projects, art displays, a giant, blacklight coral reef exhibit, book fair, spaghetti dinner, photo backdrops, craft stations, a talent show, and more!
**NEW: Bring a food item to donate to the WeCAN spring food drive! All food, personal care and cleaning products, and monetary donations will be proportionally matched by Minnesota FoodShare!
Thursday, Mar 16, 2023, 05:00 PM
Hilltop Primary School, Game Farm Road East, Minnetrista, MN, USA
Upcoming Dates @ Hilltop
March 13-March 17: Hilltop Book Fair
Thursday, March 16: Imagination Celebration 5-7 pm
March 24-April 2: Spring Break
Friday, April 14: Spring Fun Night/Longover 7-11 pm
Monday, April 17-Friday, April 28: Third and Fourth Grade MCA Assessments
Click the link below to subscribe to our school calendar.
Useful Links @ Hilltop Primary School
Hilltop Parent Resource Page: Find information on all things Hilltop
Volunteer Background Check Form: Background checks are required for all volunteers
Skyward Family Access: Check report cards, lunch balances and contact/health information
Family Choice Day Request Form: Complete the form to inform the school of an upcoming vacation or family choice day for your child
OLD NEWS, BUT WORTH TAKING A LOOK
PBIS @ Hilltop
Check out this months PBIS @ Hilltop News, resources and celebrations!
Book Vending Machine Donations:
We have had awesome support for our book vending machine. Students are reading up a storm and earning free books from the vending machine. If you would like to support the cause (and who doesn't love to help to buy books for kids), please feel free to check out the Book Vending Machine Scholastic Campaign.
Art Adventure Volunteers Needed:
Planning for Hilltop's spring Art Adventure program is underway. Art Adventure is a Minneapolis Institute of Art program brought to Hilltop by our generous PTA. Volunteering includes a youtube training session by MIA on how to facilitate a classroom session, a notebook with background info on the art pieces, a group prep session at Hilltop in April, and 1-3 classroom visits in April/May. If chatting with students in your child’s class about art and facilitating a prepped art project sound like something you are interested in please contact Michelle Ham at hamm@westonka.k12.mn.us
Calling All Kindergartners
Visit the Kindergarten Round-Up Presentation to learn more about Hilltop Primary School's Kindergarten program. Registration has begun for the 2022-2023 school year.
Lost and Found Process:
Our lost and found fills up quickly in the fall. With sweatshirt weather comes lost items! Please make sure you label all items so they can be easily returned. If it is labeled, we will work hard to get it to the original owner. Our lost and found items are donated every two weeks on Wednesdays. Here's how it works: if any item is lost it is placed in the lost and found by the lunchroom, after the first week it is moved the the front vestibule for one last opportunity to claim the item. Following that week, the items are donated to Penny Wise in Mound. So, if you can't find it at school in the two week period, you know where to check!
Background Check Forms:
If you are planning on volunteering or attending a field trip. Please complete the background check form. You can do so by visiting the Back to School Forms in Skyward Family Access. Or you can print a background check form and return it to the school office.
Breakfast and Lunch Information:
Just a reminder that our breakfast and lunch options and pricing are different this school year. All Kindergarten students are still eligible for free breakfast. Students 1-4th grade are charged for breakfast. Breakfast is served in the classroom each morning. Lunch for students in grades K-4 is now $3.00. Please complete the free and reduced lunch application or contact food service if you need assistance with meal costs.
Spiritwear Fridays:
We love Fridays and spiritwear! Each Friday, don't forget to wear your spiritwear (or anything red, black or white) and if your child's name is called over the announcements they will win a little prize for showing their spirit.
Drop Off Time:
We love that students want to get to school early and be ready to learn. A reminder that doors to the school don't open until 8:50 am and there is no supervision for students until that time. If you see the STOP sign, please stay in your car until it turns to GO. Also, if you are a walker or biker, please make sure you don't cross to come up to school until it is time.
End of Day Change Plans
If you have end of day changes for pick up, please inform Noelle Petersen (petersenn@westonka.k12.mn.us), your child's homeroom teacher and Adventure Club (if you attend). Please make sure these changes are made prior to 3 pm in order for the office to communicate a "purple change note." Also, families doing early pick up, we would encourage you to pick up by 3:15 pm to avoid the traffic in the parking lot.
Water Bottles to School:
Please send a water bottle with your child to school. It sure helps to have a water bottle in the classroom to keep them hydrated.