Newsletter April 26
News on The Hill
Thank you and congratulations to all who participated in the IBOB Tournament on Saturday, April 20th.
The tournament was held at Owyhee High School and there were a total of 48 teams that competed from West Ada and surrounding districts. Our two teams did an outstanding job and worked so hard all year long to read 16 books and study details about the books and memorize the authors. Our fifth-grade team, The Rocking Readers 2.0, received 36th place and our fourth-grade team, The Chapter Chasers, received 18th place. Great job to our teams! And a big thank you to Mrs. Barker and Mrs. Kelly for volunteering to be judges at the event. Thank you to Mrs. Thornton and Mrs. Deatrick for working with our IBOB students this season!
Front Row (L-R): Libby Yorgason, Porter Keller, Kate Crowley
Back Row (L-R): Mrs. Barker, Mrs. Kelly, Cooper Munns, Ella Schuermann, Serena Gupta, Ellisyn Thornton, Hannah Cotton, Mrs. Thornton, and Mrs. Deatrick
CONTACT INFORMATION
Office Hours are 8:00-4:30pm weekdays. Please don't hesitate to call us at 208-350-4432 if you have any questions. You can also access our school website:
Hillsdale Elementary School / Homepage (westada.org)
https://www.facebook.com/hillsdaleherons1
Instagram:@hillsdalees
For our Hillsdale Staff Directory, please visit our Hillsdale webpage:
www.westada.org and choose school-elementary-Hillsdale from the district school dropdown menu
Once on the Hillsdale page, select the Menu icon from the upper right and choose Hillsdale Staff from the drop-down menu under Contact Us Hillsdale Staff | Hillsdale Elementary School (westada.org)
Just click the following link: https://www.westada.org/o/wasd/page/community-bulletin-board/
Current posts include information on community cheer tryouts, football camps, piano lessons, and more...
Office Staff and PTO
Jenn Connor, Head Secretary Connor.Jenn@westada.org
Sally Fitzgerald, Office Assistant/Registrar Fitzgerald.Sally@westada.org
Patty Smithley, Office Assistant/Registrar Smithley.Patty@westada.org
Rachel Bordewyk, Counselor Bordewyk.Rachel@westada.org
Ashley Tracy, Safe School Assistant tracy.ashley@westada.org
PTO BOARD CONTACTS:
President: Shelby Van Orsow
Vice President: Tiffany Alexander
Treasurer: Lisa Jarvis
Communications Secretary: Heather Galm
Fundraising and Event Coordinators: Rikki Watkins and Brittney Logsdon
Email: bair.khristie@westada.org
Website: https://www.westada.org/Domain/6243
Location: 5225 South Stockenham Way, Meridian, ID, USA
Phone: 208-350-4432
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hillsdaleherons1
Instagram:@hillsdalees
REMIND: Hillsdale Elementary School @a62337b
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DAY!
Thank you for attending our Volunteer Appreciation Day and letting us recognize you for all your hard work on behalf of Hillsdale students!
UPCOMING EVENTS
April
30-1st grade Music Program in the cafeteria and auditorium 9:15-10:15am
May
6-10-Staff Appreciation Week--more details to be announced
6-10-Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) assessment K-3rd grade students
16-SAVE the DATE-Spring Carnival: 5:30-8:00pm Hello, Parents! Our spring carnival is just around the corner, and the PTO is working on putting together our fantastic raffle prizes. If you would like to donate items on behalf of your family or a business, please reach out and let us know. Anything is appreciated! hillsdaleheronspto@gmail.com
17-All Kindergarten Concert in the auditorium/cafeteria 9:30-10:15am
20-Yearbooks distributed to students
20 & 22-Field Day
21-Preschool Graduation 10am (for am class) & 2 pm (for pm class)
23-5th grade dress rehearsal 2:50-3:45pm
24-5th grade promotion ceremony 9:30-11am
24-Last day of School-all school picnic outside at 12 noon.
30-Final PTO meeting to approve next year's budget in the library. Join using the link below.
SCHOOL CARNIVAL-MAY 16TH
The annual Hillsdale Carnival is coming up quick on Thursday, May 16 from 5:30-8:00 pm. This is the largest event of the school year, and it wouldn't be possible without your help! Hosting an event for 750 students and their families is no easy feat, and the Hillsdale PTO leans heavily on our amazing community. Please consider signing up for a one-hour shift (use the signup genius link below) during the carnival or assisting with setup or clean up.
New this year: every parent or guardian who volunteers for the 2024 Carnival will receive 20 free raffle tickets for our incredible raffle!
Thank you!
PTO Volunteers Needed 2024-2025
We need you! Volunteer opportunities with the Hillsdale PTO for the 2024-25 school year are now open! No matter your schedule or availability, there is something for everyone, and volunteering with the PTO is a great way to have a direct impact on your child and the entire Hillsdale community. Click the link to sign up now!
PTO Meeting Dates for 2023-2024
Thursday Night-7:00-8:00pm upstairs in the Hillsdale Library
The remaining PTO meeting dates for the 2023-24 school year are as follows:
May 23
PTO BOARD for 2023-2024
Vice President: Tiffany Alexander
Treasurer: Lisa Jarvis
Communications Secretary: Heather Galm
Fundraising and Event Coordinators: Rikki Watkins and Brittney Logsdon
Caught you Being a Heron!
Hillsdale staff are looking for students who exhibit HERON traits to give a Caught You Being a Heron ticket to each day. Students then put the ticket in their grade level jar by the main entryway. A student's name will be drawn each week and read over the announcements for prizes from our Treasure Chest.
We want to acknowledge all the great HERON traits we see in our students throughout the day!
Congratulations to our Herons being recognized from our weekly drawing:
Kindergarten: Kaleb Anderson & Shannon (Shay) Szalla
First Grade: Delaney Sullivan & Grady Gage
Second Grade: Aliyah Feder & Audrey Poulson
Third Grade: Zahraa Karimi & Edith Alder
Fourth Grade: Lexi Alexander & Daxton Mock
Fifth Grade: Landon Grace & Hadley Lloyd
Optional Device Protection
For any questions about Optional Device Protection or outstanding balances in our online payment system, Rycor, please send an email to onlinepayments@westada.org, or call our IT Service Desk at 208-350-5300, Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm.
"Always-On" Laptop Case Reminder
This year, to cut down on the frequency of device damage, and to further safeguard families from unplanned repair expenses, protective "always-on" cases were purchased for all Lenovo laptops. If your student has one of these devices, we hope you will join us in encouraging them to keep this device on at all times. This case should not be removed for any reason except by a trained staff member. Removing and installing this case can be difficult and may even damage the screen if not done correctly. If you see your child using their blue Lenovo 500W G3 or G4 laptop without its protective case, please have them bring the case and the laptop to their school's library or designated technical support location and have the case be properly, and safely reinstalled. We appreciate your partnership in protecting these devices!
How to Purchase Optional Device Protection (On or after March 1st):
- Login to PowerSchool (https://ps.westada.org/public/)
- Click on the Payment Portal in the left sidebar
- Click on the name of the child you would like to purchase protection for
- Add Early Enrollment Device Protection to your cart.
- Click the cart icon in the upper, right-hand corner.
- Enter payment information and click Submit to complete your purchase.
For more detailed information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit our website:
Spiritwear Available here!
Counselor Corner
Fill Someone's Bucket Today!
What is a "Bucket Filler"? We each have the opportunity to fill or dump out one another's bucket. (See "How Full Is Your Bucket" by Rath and Reckmeyer) A "Bucket Filler" is a positive written note of recognition for a Hillsdale Elementary staff member who deserves an acknowledgement, a thank you, an unsolicited special recognition that acknowledges a special effort, an outstanding job, a caring and sensitive attitude toward a student, or 'going the extra mile'. The recognition is provided to the staff member during our faculty trainings. Who can submit a 'bucket filler'?--students, parents, teachers, administrators, co-workers, and all community members. Thank you. If interested, please fill out the bucket filler form below.
Rachel Bordewyk
Counselor - Hillsdale Elementary School
208-350-4432
Idaho Crisis Hotline – Call or text 988
Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline — 988