HILL HAPPENINGS
#HillHasHeart Edition - May 2023
A Note from the Principal
Hello Hill Families,
In true Hill fashion, we had an amazing turnout at our Earth Day celebration even with the rainy weather. Thank you to our many volunteers for helping to beautify our school grounds!
Our 3rd and 4th grade students have started their M-STEP testing! Teachers have communicated with parents regarding the schedules for their classrooms. This is one opportunity for our students to show off all they know!
This newsletter is jam-packed with important information and dates. Please take time to read about our district's School of Choice Window, how to nominate a teacher/support person of the year, Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week info, and more. Thank you for your continued partnership in helping your children learn and grow. We appreciate all you do to support your children and our school family!
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or our office! We are grateful for our Hill School families!
Most Sincerely,
Mrs. Burke, Ed.S.
Proud Hill Principal
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week May 8th - 12th!
At Hill School we are blessed with the best. We will be celebrating our teachers and staff in a special way next week in honor of teacher & staff appreciation.
Our amazing PTO is preparing for a wonderful and thoughtful week! Thank you as always, for your contributions to help make this happen.
Monday: Staff Breakfast
Tuesday: Gifts
Wednesday: Salad Bar
Thursday: Stocking the sunshine cart
Friday: Fun Lunch
2023 Davison Educational Foundation (DEF) Teachers and Support Person of the Year
If you would like to nominate a teacher or support staff member, please complete the form by clicking this link:
https://forms.gle/Hc7YFNyrrvnTpxJA6
Nominations with no or little explanation as to why the individual should be nominated will not be accepted. Winners of the Teacher of the Year and Support Person of the Year programs are not selected on the amount of votes an individual receives; if you are going to submit a nomination please provide a thoughtful explanation as to why you feel the person you are nominating is deserving of the recognition.
Schools of Choice Window now open
Davison Community Schools will be accepting limited applications for non-resident students under Sections 105 and 105c Schools of Choice for the 2023/2024 school year. Acceptance under either plan will be based on limited availability and elementary students will be placed in school buildings according to equalized space available in all classrooms.
The application period for each program will be:
- 105c Schools of Choice, May 1-15, 2023: The District will accept applications for pupils whose district of residency is outside of Genesee County in districts within the following bordering counties: Lapeer, Livingston, Oakland, Saginaw, Shiawassee and Tuscola.
- 105 Schools of Choice, May 1-15, 2023: The District will accept applications for pupils whose district of residency is in Genesee County.
Schools of Choice applications will be available on our website beginning at 7:30 a.m. Monday, May 1, until 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 15, 2023. Applications cannot be distributed or accepted outside the application period. Applicants will need to provide a copy of a valid driver’s license or some other proof of non-resident status.
In addition, a copy of the student’s behavior report for the past two years MUST be submitted with each application (for enrollment in grades 1 through 12).
IMPORTANT: The student’s Schools of Choice application will not be accepted without a copy of a behavior report for each of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years or a document from the school(s) attended in 2021-22 and 2022-23 on the school district’s letterhead, including dates of enrollment and signed by a school representative indicating there is no behavior record for the student.
Students who have been suspended, expelled or withdrawn in lieu of expulsion within the last two years may be denied enrollment in the district under the 105 and 105c Schools of Choice guidelines.
Parents of Schools of Choice students are responsible for transporting their children to and from school.
Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 15, 2023. Applications will not be accepted after that time.
For further information, please email Robin Ricica, Secretary to the Superintendent, at rricica@davisonschools.org.
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Attendance Line - Available 24/7
Counselor's Corner
Here are some Self-Care Healthy Habits for elementary students:
~ Get enough sleep: experts recommend that students get 9-11 hours of sleep every night
~ Turn off all screens 1-2 hours before bedtime
~ Be consistent with routines before bed
~ Go to sleep/wake up at the same time each day
~ 2 for 2: Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day
~ Drink 8 glasses of water every day
~ Exercise daily: a total of 60 minutes is recommended (could be 3 different 20 minute activities)
~ Wash your hands after playing, coughing, blowing your nose and before eating
Mrs. Thompson
Counselor
MTSS Interventionist/Coach - Mrs. Buzzell
We are gearing up for our end of the year assessment block. This will include state, district, and grade level assessments. This testing will give us the information that we need to make informed decisions about your child’s academic planning. Our spring testing window provides us with current data to plan individual reading improvement plans, inform placements and create learning plans for individual students, classrooms and our building. This will ensure your child gets the most out of their days at school.
As the testing dates approach, we would like to remind our students to "get ready for the test" by:
Getting a good night's sleep
Eating breakfast
Bringing a snack/water bottle
Remind them to take a minute, breathe, relax and remember they’ve got this!!!!
If you would like information about your child’s specific testing dates/times, please check the classroom newsletter or contact the classroom teacher.
Music Notes from Mrs. DuPrey
If you are a parent of a fourth grade student, things have been busy for you in the music world! Marshall Music came to Hill School and worked with the kids individually in choosing an instrument. The Marshall representatives are still available for individual appointments if you and your child would like to spend a bit more time making their decision.
To end our year in third grade students have been focused on recorders!!! We will work with the recorder until the end of the year. Recorders should come to music class (Richards: Monday, Tuesday, Halverson: Wednesday, Thursday) Students are encouraged to bring the recorder home to practice! Students have also received a recorder karate book that should come to music class as well. We use the Recorder Karate program which has students earn “belts” for individually passing songs during class. Students should work to pass through blue belt (When the saints go marching in) by the end of the school year, but are encouraged to go as far as they can!! I have had great success in working with recorders and it is always a fun time for the kids!!
In kindergarten, first, and second grade we have been focused on getting through the end of the year assessments. Students will also be taking their end of the year aptitude test by the end of the month. I am excited to see the student growth in this area!
Mrs. DuPrey
Fitness Fun with Mr. Whitman
During the month of April, students worked on two units. One day a week we did cardio drumming with Mrs. DuPrey. The other day students completed a broom hockey unit.
During the month of May, we hope to get outside if the weather ever cooperates. Looking ahead, it appears that will finally be the case next week. Please have students dress accordingly, we will be outside whenever possible. For students in the early classes (4th and 3rd grade), having an extra pair of shoes is a good idea because of the dew on the ground.
Later this month our field day newsletter will be sent home. Field day is scheduled for Thursday, June 8th. This is an exciting day for the students. To help make the day successful, we will need parent volunteers to help supervise the students as they rotate through the stations. A volunteer form will be included with the newsletter. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Go Cards!
jdwhitman@davisonschools.org
Library News
Goodbye, April! Hello, May! Where has the school year gone? This past month was a busy month in the library. We celebrated Earth Day, National Library Week, and National Poetry Month.
The students wrote acrostic poems and then had the opportunity to share them with their classmates.
Moving into May, we will focus on safety awareness, read a story about inspiration and following your dreams, and celebrate our teachers and staff during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week.
The week of May 29, will be our last week of book check-outs. All books will need to be returned the following week. Also, if students have lost their library book(s), they will be receiving a lost book notice.
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Crystal
PTO NEWS
Thank our Hill families for their donations for Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. We look forward to sharing updates and photos of appreciation week and our upcoming events.
Our final PTO meeting for the school year is this evening, Wednesday, May 3rd at 5:30 in our media center. We will vote for our PTO officers for the 2023-24 school year. We hope to see you at our meeting!
Upcoming Events:
May 8th-12th: School Staff Appreciation Week
May 12th: Hill's Spa (Kindergarten, Grade 2 & Grade 3)
June 1st: Family Picnic/Dance
June 8th: Field Day (inflatables)
June 15th: Kindergarten Celebration (donuts and water)
June 15th: 4th Grade Farewell (Cake and refreshments at the park)
You can also join our Hill Elementary PTO Facebook page for important updates/reminders!
As always, we appreciate your support to make our school year a special experience for your student(s)!
With gratitude,
PTO Officers:
President: Danielle Wenzel
Vice President: Lindsay Brandon
Treasurer: Autumn Spears
Secretary: Haily Willford
PTO email: Hillptogroup@gmail.com
Flint City Bucks School Game Day - May 31st!
Mark your calendar:
May 3: PTO Meeting @ 5:30
May 10: Early Release, dismissal @ 1:28 PM
May 12: Hill's Spa, Popcorn Friday
May 26: No School
May 29: Memorial Day
May 31: Flint City Bucks School Game Day Field trip (K-4)
June 1: Hill Family Picnic/Dance @ 5:00 - 7:00 P.M.
June 8: Field Day
June 9: No School
June 16: No School
June 20, 21, 22: 1/2 Days- Dismissal @ 11:35
2023-24
August 3: Back to School letters mailed out with teacher and welcome information
August 14: Kindergarten Parent Orientation 4:00-5:00 (Parents Only)
August 15: K-4 Open House (K-4 students & parents/guardians)
2023-2024 District Calendar
Positive Office Referrals-
Table of Honor
One student from each class is selected monthly by their teacher for being leaders of Cardinal Code and they are recognized at Table of Honor!
Congratulations to these amazing students!
April: Nora Rhein, Adalyn Babcock, Logan Miller, Mason Henning, Landon Morales, Kaden Batoha, Alli Pattee, Isla Hayes, Jon Eastridge, and Romina Pond!
April Table of Honor
Kindergarteners visit Thomson to participate in Farm Day!
Hill School Celebrates Earth Day!!!
Connect with Hill Elementary
Email: jburke@davisonschools.org
Website: https://www.davisonschools.org/
Location: 404 Aloha Street, Davison, MI, USA
Phone: 910-591-0839
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisonCardinals/
Twitter: @proud_principal