Hillcrest STEAM Academy Newsletter
December 2017
A Note from the Office...
1.) Our families truly value education, and this is evident in our attendance rates at Hillcrest STEAM Academy. You truly realize each minute of each day is valuable, and we appreciate that! Our attendance continues to be outstanding, and we aim to continue that each year.
2.) Although the MAP test is just one data point, the 2017 results are a point of pride. All students in grades 3-6 take the MAP test in English Language Arts and Math. Additionally our 5th grade students take the MAP test in Science. We are very proud of the continuous improvement we have made through the first years of our STEAM program! This year, our students scored above the state average in all tested areas!
3.) Family involvement also continues to exceed expectations. We welcome hundreds of families throughout the year for a variety of events, including family nights, a highly involved PTA, WatchDOGS, and so much more! Thank you for supporting Hillcrest STEAM Academy.
We are fortunate to have a wonderful family here at STEAM, and are glad you are a part of it!
-Hillcrest STEAM Academy Staff
Engineering Design Process
The Engineering Design Process is utilized at Hillcrest STEAM Academy. 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, lightening, 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 8:45-4:30. You can call outside of those hours and leave a voicemail to notify us of your child’s absence.
Winter Concert Information
Upcoming Performances
1st - 3rd grade students - "The Snowy Day" 6:30 pm at The Forum at Belton Middle School/Freshmen Center5th and 6th grade band - Winter Band Concert 6 pm at the Belton Middle School Gym
Information
1st-3rd grade - please have your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students at The Forum at the Middle School at 6:15 pm, they will meet their classroom teachers and go to the band room until it is their turn to perform. At the end of the concert students will meet their parents in the lobby. Students are not required to dress up for the concert, but if they have a nice dress or button down shirt they are more than welcome to wear it! Holiday clothes are also allowed although this is not a holiday program.5th and 6th grade - students will need to be at the middle school with their instrument by 5:30. Students will be wearing their band polo (which they will be receiving early next week), jeans, khakis or other nice pants, and shoes, not sandals. They will be practicing at the middle school during the school day on the 7th and 11th and need to have their permission slip turned in no later than December 5th.
Conscious Discipline
MasteryConnect going live.... January 2018
PTA Meeting Dates and Times
Tuesday December 12 @ 6:30pm
Thursday January 18 @ 4:30pm
Monday February 12 @ 5:30pm
Wednesday March 14 @ 6:30pm
Tuesday April 17 @ 5:30pm
Tuesday May 15 @ 6:30pm
Tuesday June 5 @ 6:30pm
Important Dates in December
1 - Signs of Suicide (SOS) program for 6th grade students
1 - Wear a Hat for $.50
4 - 1st-3rd grade concerts @ BMSFC Forum
8 - Wear a Hat for $.50
11 - 5th/6th grade band concerts @ BMSFC
15 - Wear a Hat for $.50
21 - Winter Parties
22 - January 3 - No School - Winter Break
Past Newsletters
As always, you can locate old newsletters on our website at:
Our Mission
The mission of Hillcrest STEAM Academy, 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.
Hillcrest STEAM ACademy
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