STEAM Academy Newsletter
December 2021
A Note from the Office...
Take a few moments to read through the December Newsletter. We are fortunate to have a wonderful family here at STEAM, and are glad you are a part of it!
Dr. Pearson and Dr. Winkelmann
AMI Reminder
Reminder: Transfer Deadline Request
ABSENT - LATE - LEAVING EARLY
ABSENT or LATE - If your child will be absent from school, please email hillcrest@bsd124.org or call (816 -348-1130) by 9:30 am. (This is a security measure to ensure parents/guardians or school staff know the whereabouts of each student.) Please send all doctor/dentist/other professional notes to the office upon student's returning to school.
Changes in Transportation - Changes in transportation need to be done by 3:30. This allows us to communicate the transportation change to the teacher in a timely manner.
Leaving Early - If you are picking up early, we ask you do so by 3:45. This will ensure our dismissal process runs smoothy.
Engineering Design Process
The Engineering Design Process is utilized at STEAM. Students spend a lot of time planning, organizing, and researching various topics before they even begin constructing a project.
Check out this article, from TeachEngineering, which talks about the engineering design process.
https://www.teachengineering.org/k12engineering/designprocess
As you can see, students spend a lot of time identifying needs, researching problems, developing possible solutions, and selecting a promising solution. This all takes quite a bit of time. Oftentimes, the students go through “productive struggle” and have to go back to the drawing board. This helps to build resiliency amongst all students.
Contact your child’s teacher for more information about engineering projects specific to each grade level.
Changing Seasons
As the weather is changing quickly, please remember to send your child to school in a coat, hat, and gloves. Students will have outdoor recess as long as the wind chill is above 20 degrees. The students will not be allowed to stay in during colder temperatures unless there is a note from the doctor specifying that your child cannot go outside for recess due to medical reasons. We want to help every student stay healthy, and wearing a coat is an easy way to accomplish this. We will not take the students outside if there is thunder, lightning, or heavy precipitation.
Please remember that if your child is sick to notify the office. You can email us at hillcrest@bsd124.org or call the school at (816) 348-1130. Our office hours are from 8:40-4:40. You can call outside of those hours and leave a voicemail to notify us of your child’s absence.
Conscious Discipline
Important Dates in December
9 - PTA Meeting in library @ 4:30pm
15 - Transfer Requests due to STEAM office
22 - January 3 - No School - Winter Break
Our Mission
The mission of Wilckens STEAM Academy at Hillcrest, a leader of STEAM innovation, is to ensure that all students flourish as individuals of character and advocates of their for own learning through the school community distinguished by
a culture of independence and collaboration
a global outlook based on a foundation of character
a focus on problem solving and critical thinking
- real world experiences with integration throughout all subjects.
Wilckens STEAM Academy at Hillcrest
Email: hillcrest@bsd124.org
Website: http://www.beltonschools.org/Page/151
Location: 106 South Hillcrest Road, Belton, MO, United States
Phone: 816-348-1130
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HillcrestSTEAMAcademy/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @HillcrestSTEAM