Hillcrest Staff ARTery
We are the heART of Hillcrest!
The week of April 11th - 15th
Bus Duty:
AM - Ally, Amy G., Trista
PM - Anne, Holly & Janet
Treats: Jody & Amy W.
Word of the Week: Self-discipline
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Monday, April 11th (Day 3)
- 8:30 - 9:15 - VISION K-2 Team Meeting
Tuesday, April 12th (Day 1)
- 7:30 - 8:30 Calvin at District Meeting
- 8:20 - 9:00 - Artful Learning Meeting
Wednesday, April 13th (Day 2)
- 8:20 - 9:00 - SWIM team meeting/Caroline's room
- 2:45 - Tina leaves building for meeting
Thursday, April 14th (Day 3)
- 8:30 - 12:00 - Principal's Meeting
- 10:15 - 1:00 - Art DuJour/Creekside Cricket/Stage
- 1:45 - Tornado Drill - Severe weather awareness week
Friday, April 15th (Day 1)
- COLOR DAY!
- 8:20 - 9:00 - ISST Meeting/Caroline's Room
- 8:20 - 9:00 - BLT Meeting
- Hawk Talk deadline is April 17th for May
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON SUNDAY ANNIE R.!!!
Upcoming Events
APRIL 22nd - EARTH DAY
APRIL 23rd - PTSA CARNIVAL
APRIL 28th - GRADE 3 FESTIVAL
APRIL 28th - GRADE 4 FESTIVAL
MAY 5TH - ELA - CINCO DE MAYO PINATA/LUNCHROOM
MAY 12TH - KINDERGARTEN GRAND FRIEND'S DAY
Staff Meeting Schedule (Topics)
4/5 - Staffing and Schedule for SY17
4/19 - TBD
5/3 - Classroom Placement for SY17
5/17 - TBD
SPECIAL THIS MONTH
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
30 ways to celebrate . . .
- Order a free National Poetry Month poster and display it at work or school.
- Sign up for Poem-a-Day and read a poem each morning.
- Sign up for Teach This Poem, a weekly series for teachers.
- Memorize a poem.
- Create an anthology of your favorite poems on Poets.org.
- Encourage a young person to participate in the Dear Poet project.
- Buy a book of poetry from your local bookstore.
- Review these concrete examples of how poetry matters in the United States today.
- Learn more about poets and poetry events in your state.
- Ask your governor or mayor for a proclamation in support of National Poetry Month.
- Attend a poetry reading at a local university, bookstore, cafe, or library.
- Read a poem at an open mic. It’s a great way to meet other writers in your area and find out about your local poetry writing community.
- Start a poetry reading group.
- Write an exquisite corpse poem with friends.
- Chalk a poem on the sidewalk.
- Deepen your daily experience by reading Edward Hirsch’s essay “How to Read a Poem.”
- Ask the United States Post Office to issue more stamps celebrating poets.
- Recreate a poet’s favorite food or drink by following his or her recipe.
- Read about different poetic forms.
- Read about poems titled “poem.”
- Celebrate National Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 21, 2016. The idea is simple: select a poem you love, carry it with you, then share it with coworkers, family, and friends.
- Subscribe to American Poets magazine or a small press poetry journal.
- Watch Rachel Eliza Griffiths’s P.O.P (Poets on Poetry) videos.
- Watch or read Carolyn Forche’s talk “Not Persuasion, But Transport: The Poetry of Witness.”
- Read or listen to Mark Doty’s talk “Tide of Voices: Why Poetry Matters Now.”
- Read Allen Ginsberg’s classic essay about Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”
- Watch a poetry movie.
- Sign up for a poetry class or workshop.
- Get ready for Mother’s Day by making a card featuring a line of poetry.
- Read the first chapter of Muriel Rukeyer’s inspiring book The Life of Poetry.
ARTFUL LEARNING
Displays . . . fresh and new
COMPAS Artists Coming to HC
February 1 - 5: Gita Ghei w/ 2nd Grade
February 2 - 24: Joko Sutrisomo w/ Music
February 16 - 24: Tri Sutrismo w/ PE
February 22 - 26: Anne McFaul Reid w/ 5th Grade
March 14 - 18: Marie Olofsdotter w/ 3rd Grade
March 28 - April 1: Christopher Lutter-Gardella w/ 1st Grade
April 4 - 8: Mick la Briola w/ ELA and TBD
May 2 -6: Mica lee Anders w/ 5th Grade
May 2 - 20: Soli Hughes w/ 4th Grade
Instructional Update
Testing Starts on March 29th
Student Placement Considerations for 2016 - 17 School Year
Tech Team Update
From the tech team: More info for you to ponder over your break.
How we will prepare students: Media Directors are working on iPad and Chromebook Boot Camp Curriculum for you to deliver in your classrooms next fall. We decided to do this as a whole building the week before devices are handed out. All for one, and one for all style!
If your classroom is getting iPads, you can expect a set of devices set up to charge in your room. If your team would like to have 1:1 access, we're relying on your team's communication to schedule the iPads between your classrooms.
If your students are getting Chromebooks, fourth and fifth grades come with the expectation that the Chromebooks will be going home with your students on a daily basis and charging at home. They will receive cases and luggage tags with the device and it will be checked out to them personally. Third grade classrooms will have charging carts, but are asked to send the Chromebooks home for at least a week or one major project.
What happens if a device isn't charged or is forgotten at home?
Every 3-5 classroom will have at least two desktop machines on which these students can work, so that your classroom flow won't be disrupted by it. Management of this is yours to decide. These desktops will also serve as printing station for you, should you need them!
What happens if a student's device is damaged or not working properly? When they come to tell the Media Center that news, they will check out a loaner Chromebook until the device can be fixed.
How you can help now:
Grades 2-4...do you have any kids/families who you suspect or know might not have internet? We'd like to get their family connected for a reduced rate, if we can. Please let Belle or Calvin know who they are so we can contact them.
Think about how you will share work with students, will it be Seesaw, Google Classroom...something different? How will printing and handing work in look different?
Think about what electrical devices you might not need in your classroom anymore. For instance, is there a bank of white computers that could go because it will be replaced with iPads?
Up next month, behavior and expectations surrounding technology. Stay tuned...
Belle Nelson, Media Specialist
Hillcrest Community School
Learning Supports Update
The Sheridan Story and Hillcrest UMC Partnership
Elementary schools throughout Bloomington are building a partnership with The Sheridan Story. The Sheridan Story works with schools and districts to partner with local faith communities to sponsor a school in providing Friday food backpacks for students to fill the gap of not receiving school food over the weekend and extended breaks. The Sheridan Story handles the logistics. Hillcrest United Methodist Church (UMC) has partnered with us (as the faith based partner) and The Sheridan Story to provide funding and volunteer support to carry the program forward. You can read more about The Sheridan Story here.
The current plan is to have The Sheridan Story start providing food support for students starting next school year (Fall of 2016). Hillcrest UMC is currently working on raising funds to support food donations (we expect that 25-35 families will enroll in the program) and are hoping to provide support to our school in other ways as well (volunteering, mentoring, etc.).
More details will be coming later this spring.
Other UPDATES
HR Staffing Timeline
February 29th - Internal Transfer Process FORMS DUE!!
March 10th - 17th - Principal Staffing Meetings
April 4th - 11th - Elementary Postings on Web
April 15th - Top candidates picked and shared with HR
May 2nd - Elementary hiring
Note: If you have questions about any of this information, please contact Calvin.
Coaches Corner
We’ve talked this year about awareness of students’ states of mind using the question, “How do I Feel?”. We’ve talked about ways to encourage a positive state of mind in students’ to get them ready for learning by being intentional with:
_ _ _sical mo_ _ ment
int_ _si_ _ and en_ _usia_ _
h_m_r
b_ _ ld_ _ _ rel_ _ _ on _ _ _ _
Were you able to fill-in-the-blanks? I bet you were because you are a hard worker who tries multiple strategies and knows when to ask for help.
By now you might be asking, “What about MY state of mind,
Cristin? How about asking how I feel?” Well, now’s the time to talk about you!
happier teacher = happier students
Would you like to be a happier teacher?
Would you like to have happier students?
Are you up for the 30 day Happy Teacher Challenge?
Are you willing to try things like:
- Pull a student aside to tell them how much they have improved or how proud you are of them
- Don’t do ANY work during lunch and don’t feel guilty about it
- Use the last few minutes of class to take a photo of your students as a group - print the picture and post it in your classroom
Then, you could be a happier teacher in just 30 days! Simply download the attached 30 Day Happy Teacher Challenge and give it a go. I’ll be starting my challenge on Friday, April 8th. For me, I’m more apt to reach a goal when I have some support. Maybe you’d like to find a buddy in your building to join you on the challenge. If you’d like to be my Happy Teacher buddy, send me an email. We can share our successes with each other!
Thanks to Melanie Skelly from Oak Grove Elementary for providing this resource to the coaches!
You, too, could be a happier teacher in just 30 days. Join me on the 30 Day Happy Teacher Challenge. What do you have to lose?
Our weekly staff newsletter!
Contact Us
Email: ckeasling@isd271.org
Website: hc.bloomington.k12.mn.us
Location: 9301 Thomas Road, Bloomington, MN, United States
Phone: (952) 681-5300