HILLTOP HAPPENINGS!
APRIL 2018
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Now that spring break is over, we are moving into the testing season; students in grades three, four, and five will be taking state assessments in reading and math. However, there is a bright side to the month of April this year. Encore, a group of teachers and parents who work to encourage the arts in Reading schools, is hosting an Arts Festival on April 13th. The festival will include a visual arts show, a talent show including students in grades four to twelve, and a caricature artist. There will be food and lots of fun, so we encourage you to come check out the Arts Festival on Friday, April 13th from 5:00 to 8:00 at Hilltop. In addition to the Arts Festival, the Hilltop PTO will be sponsoring the Spring Carnival on Saturday, April 21st from 11:00 to 2:00. The former Funfest has been transformed into a new and exciting carnival, complete with new games, prizes, and inflatables for children to play in. Of course there will be plenty of food and a whole lot of fun. So mark your calendars for April 21st and come to our Spring Carnival. April showers bring lots of fun at Hilltop!
APRIL EVENTS
APRIL 13 ARTS FESTIVAL, 5PM -8PM
APRIL 21 PTO SPRING CARNIVAL, 11-2
APRIL 27 INTERIMS SENT HOME
COUNSELOR NEWS
Technology can frighten many parents, but with knowledge and communication, it can be a useful tool. Students in the Reading school district will be assigned an email address in elementary. Due to CIPA law https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act students under 13 are not able to send emails outside. With this knowledge, please talk to your students about the benefits of these accounts, also the consequences that may occur.
Remind them that cyberbullying can involve: Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images or pretending to be someone else and what is written in an email/social media will be in “internet space” forever.
Here are a few tips that I think are important for “parenting” in the social media world:
No Underage Facebooking ( must be 13 or older)
Strict Privacy Settings
Software to monitor your child’s internet usage
Create rules for usage, Family Online Safety Institute is a great resource!
Limit cell phone use. At night they are put in a “safe” place
Teach kids about how the present social media, may impact the future
Make accounts PRIVATE!! Do not accept people that they do not know!!
Get to know the apps/social media that is on your child’s phone
Technology can be a great tool and like George Lucas said, “The technology keeps moving forward, which makes it easier for the artists to tell their stories and paint the pictures they want.”
Educator of the Month
We are very fortunate to have Mr. Patrick Clark as our music and band teacher! He works hard to provide our students with quality music and band programs. He also does an awesome job of directing our concerts and 5th grade musical. It was easy to choose him for Educator of the Month for April because he cares deeply about Hilltop boys and girls. In interviewing Mr. Clark, I recorded some of his answers below.
What made you want to become a music teacher? I was fortunate enough to have fantastic music teachers when I was a student. The appreciation for music they instilled in me caused my passion to grow over the years, eventually culminating in my decision to become a music teacher. Their teaching abilities taught me much of what I use today in my own classroom to be successful with my students. I hope that I can instill a lifelong passion for music in the kids at Reading Schools that was provided to me years ago.
What do you like about teaching band? I enjoy teaching band for a multitude of reasons. The first reason is because of the personal ownership it provides to the students. They are able to grow, learn, and know that when they succeed they have been the catalyst for that success. The responsibility and camaraderie band provides is nothing short of a large family that can celebrate in what they accomplish every day. In addition, the complexity of the subject matter allows me to grow as a band teacher.
Where did you go to college and what degree did you earn? I graduated from Xavier University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and Western Governors University in 2017 with a Master’s of Science in Curriculum and Instruction.
What do you like to do outside of school? Last year my wife Kelsey and I bought a house in Loveland, Ohio. In the past year I’ve become interested in doing home improvement projects and updating our home. While that doesn’t sound terribly interesting it is the opposite of what I normally do, so I find it exciting. I also like riding on the bike trail, running, and working for a company that times track and cross country meets. I also go to the zoo fairly often with my daughter, Charlotte, and we like to get Starbucks on our way home!
Preschool News
We can’t believe it’s April already! This month we’ll finish our study of the alphabet with letters V, W, X, Y, and Z! We’ll also read many nonfiction books this month and complete several shared research and writing projects. In math we’ll work on addition and subtraction problems and identifying 3D shapes. In social studies we’ll learn about how we can take care of our wonderful planet. Lastly, in science the boys and girls are sure to enjoy learning about plants, butterflies, life cycles and habitats! We’re excited to go on our field trip to the Children’s Theater on April 10th! We’re looking forward to a great month!
Picture below: We’re lucky to have these little leprechauns!
KINDERGARTEN NEWS
April will be a fun month in kindergarten! We will be learning about weather, animals, and our planet. We will be reading a variety of fiction and nonfiction books about these topics, and we will also write our own nonfiction books. In science, we will be learning about life cycles and plants. At the end of the month, we will begin to observe caterpillars as they change into butterflies. In math, we will continue to work hard on our addition and subtraction fact fluency. Please continue to practice the math facts at home. On April 10th, we will be going to The Children’s Theatre to see Mary Poppins Jr. We are looking forward to this field trip!
Picture below: Officer Magly read to Mrs. Edwards’ class for Read Across America week.
FIRST GRADE NEWS
April will be all about spring, insects and even pirates in first grade! We will read a non-fiction book about rabbits and identify nonfiction text features. We will read the story “Hey Little Ant” and learn about insects. We will also discuss point of view in the story and predict what happens at the end. Be sure to ask your child what they think happens! Our two week pirate unit will take us on fun adventures and teach us all about maps! In math, we will compare 2 digit numbers based on the meanings of the tens and ones digits and begin adding and subtracting 2 digit numbers. First grade is also getting ready to go on their first field trip to the children’s theatre! We are looking forward to the production of Mary Poppins, Jr. on April 12!
Second Grade News
April is a busy month for third graders. As we begin this final quarter of the year, we come into testing time. Our spring MAP for reading will be on April 10th, and the dates for reading AIR are April 16th and 17th. These are important tests that show the growth we have made this year. Please help at home by feeding your child a good breakfast and helping him/her get to sleep at a decent time the night before test days. Testing is not the only thing on our plate in April though. We get to start another fun unit of study in LA/SS! With warmer weather comes cool drinks! Yes, it’s time to open our lemonade businesses! Third graders will learn the important parts of opening a business and working as a team. We integrate economics and community involvement into our reading and writing. Keep an eye out for advertisements from these student-led businesses. In math the students will finish up their data unit and will start a short geometry unit before reviewing for the Math AIR test on May 1st and 2nd. In science, we will continue learning about force and motion.
THIRD GRADE NEWS
April is a busy month for third graders. As we begin this final quarter of the year, we come into testing time. Our spring MAP for reading will be on April 10th, and the dates for reading AIR are April 16th and 17th. These are important tests that show the growth we have made this year. Please help at home by feeding your child a good breakfast and helping him/her get to sleep at a decent time the night before test days. Testing is not the only thing on our plate in April though. We get to start another fun unit of study in LA/SS! With warmer weather comes cool drinks! Yes, it’s time to open our lemonade businesses! Third graders will learn the important parts of opening a business and working as a team. We integrate economics and community involvement into our reading and writing. Keep an eye out for advertisements from these student-led businesses. In math the students will finish up their data unit and will start a short geometry unit before reviewing for the Math AIR test on May 1st and 2nd. In science, we will continue learning about force and motion.
FOURTH GRADE NEWS
Students in Mrs. Riedmiller and Mrs. Bose’s ELA/Social Studies classes will be finishing up historical fiction book clubs and literary essays before spending the majority of April learning about The American Revolution. Both reading and writing workshop units will cover the time period, as well as chapter seven in our social studies resource. Students will also complete chapter eight in social studies covering The US Constitution, the Three Branches of the U.S. Government and The First Amendment. Language Arts AIR testing takes place on April 24th and 25th.
Fifth Grade News
Things get pretty busy for fifth graders in April!! First, the LA AIR test will be on April 18th and 19th. The Social Studies SLO will be the week of April 16th, and the AIR Math test will be on April 26th and 27th. The Science Test will be on May 7th and 8th. As always, students should be getting the appropriate rest and easy breakfast on these testing days. We will also begin reading a fantasy, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In Social Studies, we are finishing up Economics and a study of ancient cultures. We will begin an exploration of government this month as well.
MISS GILBY'S ROOM
We have desperately been awaiting the arrival of spring for many fun field trips coming up! We will being taking a trip to the Kenwood Theatre and each of our students will be inviting a friend that has been a great support for them in the general education environment this year! We also are grateful for so many grade levels inviting us along on their field trips. We have a trip to the zoo coming up this month with second grade as well! We have been administering Alternate Assessment Testing this much and are glad to be finished. We have been busy talking about all things spring and hope to see some of those things after spring break!
Reading Hilltop Elementary
Cincinnati, Ohio 45215
513-733-4322 Office
513-483-6771 Attendance Line