Hillcrest Staff ARTery
We are the heART of Hillcrest!
Welcome to our weekly staff newsletter!
The week of October 17th - 19th
Bus Duty:
AM - Amy G., Ally & Trista
PM - Janet, Anne & Holly
Treats: Feel free to bring a treat when ever you want, or not
Word of the Week: Obedience
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- 8:20 - Building Leadership Team (Media Center)
Tuesday, October 18th (Day 1)
- 8:20 - Staff Meeting (Media Center) - - MRC Info., MN SOE, & NTL (BRING YOUR LAPTOP)
Wednesday, October 19th -- PD DAY (no school)
- 8:00 - Coffee and Donuts in Media Center
- 8:30 - Children's Theater Company Workshop
- 10:30 - Break
- 11:00 - Pizza Lunch for All (Let Calvin know if you have dietary requests)
- 12:00 - ELA Cross Sites
- 2:00 - PLC Time
- 3:42 - End of Day
ELA Cross District Site Locations:
Kindergarten: VVE
Grade 1: OGE
Grade 2: RV
Grade 3: PB
Grade 4: IM
Grade 5: OLE
Science, Art, Music, P.E.: ESC
Thursday, October 20th -- MEA Break
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!!!
Friday, October 21st -- MEA Break
Staff Meeting Schedule (Topics)
11/1 - Progress Monitoring and Illuminate (Data System)
11/15 - Artful Learning - Journey Maps, Intro to EL
11/29 - Homework @ Hillcrest, EL Strategies
12/13 -
Upcoming Events
October 26 - Picture Retake Day
October 28th - Fall Fest
November 4th - Art Night (PTSA)
November 8th - ELECTION DAY (Vote, Vote, Vote!!)
November 15th - PTSA Meeting
November 17th - Kinder Share Night
November 18th - Rally in the Lunch room - 3:15
October Holidays and Cultural Celebrations (Courtesy of Jill & Hodan)
October 16 (sunset)- October 23 (sunset) is the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. It is a time of remembrance of the fragile tabernacles that Israelites lived in as they wandered the wilderness for 40 years. The first day of the holiday is celebrated with prayers and special meals.
October 30 beginning of Diwali (the festival of lights), celebrated by Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains. The holiday is observed with decorating homes with lights and candles, setting off fireworks, and distributing sweets and gifts.
General Business
No Students on October 19th and No School October 20th -21st
REGISTRATION FOR 2017 - 2018
Fall Fest - - Friday, October 28th
2:15 Doors Open for Families
2:30 Parade
3:00 Classroom Celebrations
Further details to come soon!
Fall Conferences
Artful Learning
A Little Jazz - John Coltrane "My Favorite Things"
Leonard Bernstein at 100
The Ordway Center for Performing Arts will be putting up a two week run of Westside Story in April. Hillcrest will be partnering with the Ordway to celebrate both Bernstein and the musical. More details will be shared in the coming months.
Learn more about what Bernstein created during his lifetime here:
Learning Supports
Sheridan Story - Launch
Postcards to help start the registration of families in need went out on Friday, 9/9 and Monday, 9/12. If you know of any families in need, you can refer them to me or Rachel our social worker and we'll make sure that they are contacted.
Quick Reminder of What It's All About:
The Sheridan Story facilitates a partnership between community organizations, such as churches, and schools. The church (in our case - Hillcrest United Methodist Church) sponsors a school, which encompasses investing in the relationship with the school and also paying for, packing, and distributing food directly to the children. The Sheridan Story provides the logistical, sourcing, and organizational expertise necessary to execute the process of providing a weekend food supply.
The goal of the partnerships is to feed hungry children while developing a lasting relationship between the community and the school.
It is very important to provide kids with as much food as they are able to carry home in order to provide them with the nutrition they need to grow and learn. We have determined that the best range is approximately 4.5-5 lbs of food per bag.
Attendance Information Update
The following information was shared out in the October HAWK Talk.
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We are very thankful that you choose to have your child attend Hillcrest! We take the responsibility of educating your child(ren) very seriously. Every minute of time during the day is critical for us to help your child develop academically and socially. It is because of this high value of time that we ask for your help regarding attendance and absence notification. Please review the following information.
If your child will be absent, will arrive late, or needs to leave early, please call the attendance line at 952-681-5302 before the absence occurs. Please do not call the main office line for absence reporting.
If your child will be absent for two or more days for a vacation or trip away from school, a written request (email or paper) needs to be made. They can be submitted to the attendance office or Mr. K. If a request is received, the absences will be excused. If a request is not received, the absences will be unexcused. Teachers are expected to provide your child with make-up work upon your child’s return to Hillcrest.
If your child will miss school due to a doctor and dentist visit, please bring a note from the clinic demonstrating that your child visited them. Our attendance office will use this note to make sure that your child receives an excused absence.
After School Classes
Other Information and News (HAWK TALK Information)
Principal’s Corner from the HAWK Talk
It has been a great start to the year here at Hillcrest! Fall equinox is here and the leaves are starting to change color. It is hard to believe that September is over. Our classrooms are alive with smiles, laughter, collaboration, and learning. I hope that you are asking your child(ren) what they are doing and learning every day. The teachers here at Hillcrest have been working hard to develop community, build and strengthen daily routines, and provide engaging and rigorous learning for their students.
We normally have Fall conferences in October, but this year our conferences will be on November 23rd and December 2nd. This change is due to the labor negotiations between the district and teachers union. If you have concerns or wish to speak with your child(ren)’s teacher before November, please don’t hesitate to reach out to them. We will certainly be in touch with you, if there are any concerns as well!
This year Bloomington Public Schools has the goal of 95% attendance by all students. This means that we will be monitoring attendance closely and notifying families when we are concerned. Please do your best to insure that your child(ren) is at school everyday and is present for the whole day. Every minute counts! In this newsletter you will find a reminder about our attendance practice here at Hillcrest.
Thank you for your partnership and support! Please don’t hesistate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
All my best,
Mr. K
Fall FundraiserPick-Up
Parents will pick-up their items at school on Monday, November 21st after school.
Art Night
Grand Friends Day
October is National Principal's Month
http://www.principalsmonth.org/
Join the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American Federation of School Administrators as we honor the hard work and dedication of America’s principals all month long.
National Principals Month is your opportunity to say “thank you” to principals everywhere and to share with the community all the great things that principals do. As you plan your National Principals Month activities, be sure to check out our resources for celebrating and share what you’re doing by posting to social media with #ThankAPrincipal.
The key to student success is a great school, and the key to a great school is a great principal.
News for HAWK Talk?
We are always looking for items for the newsletter. If you have an item to submit, please e-mail missy.krouth@yahoo.com or place your article in the Hawk Talk mailbox located in the office workroom by the monthly deadline.
We hope to hear from a variety of students and staff regarding activities, events, or points of interest for our students and staff!
Thanks!
Missy Krouth and Jasmine McNellis, Hawk Talk Editors
Building Reminders
- No gum in the hallways and cafeteria
- Please have students brush off bark chips before coming into the school (also have them help pick them up chips off the floor at clean up time)
- Please do not daisy chain or link your power chords to each other
- Please put trash and recycling cans by your classroom door at the end of the day
- Please put chairs up on tables at the end of the day
Personal Leave Requests
Contact Us
Email: ckeasling@isd271.org
Website: hc.bloomington.k12.mn.us
Location: 9301 Thomas Road, Bloomington, MN, United States
Phone: (952) 681-5300