Shiloh Hills Newsletter

What's Happening on the "Hill"?

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! The beginning of the year is a time of true joy and optimism. At Shiloh Hills, we are committed to serving the district by working towards creating a school where..."students love to learn, staff love to work, and our community loves to live" each and every day. This year, Shiloh Hills families will receive a monthly electronic newsletter that will include upcoming monthly dates, important school information, as well as various celebrations of students and staff. Throughout the year, I will also highlight various staff members that will interact and/or support your child. This month I have highlighted various office staff that will be working hard this year to support your student.

This year we are continuing to teach and reinforce our Positive School Wide Behavior Systems of Always be Safe, Be Respectful and Care for everyone. Students will be taught each expectation in the various locations around the building -classroom, playground, bathroom, hallway and cafeteria. Students have the opportunity to earn golden tickets when they are caught doing what is expected. This year students will have the opportunity to save for tickets to celebrations 3x this year in September, January and May. The other months, we will have a Kindness Kart that rotates through with various items and experiences that students may trade their tickets in for on a bi-weekly (K-2) and monthly (3-5) basis. If you'd like to donate an item for our Kindness Kart we would greatly appreciate it! Here is our Amazon Wish List.

Dr. Kelly Byrne - Principal

I am starting my 23rd year of education and my 7th year as the principal of Shiloh Hills Elementary. I spent 13 years teaching middle school Reading and English. I then made the move into administration as the assistant principal at Wilson Southern Middle School for three years. Being an elementary school principal is has been the most enjoyable time in my entire career. I absolutely love coming to work each day. I finished my Educational Leadership doctorate with Immaculate University, and am looking forward to attending Albright University to earn a certificate in Total Experience Learning this year!

Personally, I am married and combined we have four children (2/3 of the Brady Bunch). Our children keep us very busy! Kaylin (20) is in her 3rd year of college at Penn State University as an elementary educator. Macy (17) is entering her senior year and is looking to play volleyball in college. Evan (16) is busy with water polo and basketball all year and will hopefully earn his drivers license this year to take himself to all those practices! Patrick (14) has become an avid runner and is starting high school this year! Parenting the four has not always been easy, but we are super proud of the humans they are becoming.

byrkel@wilsonsd.org 610-670-0180 wilsonsd.org/shiloh-hills-elementary/


Dr. Luckey - Dean of Students My name is Ed Luckey and I am extremely excited to serve our students and the community of Shiloh Hills Elementary School as Dean of Students. I have had the honor of making music with children at Wilson Southern since the Fall of 2003, and to put it simply, it has been beautiful. I love children and I love music and serving our children and our community through music education has been my life’s passion ever since; however, in recent years, I started serving in other capacities outside of music education at Shiloh Hills in 2022 as their Dean. My other jobs include being a husband, a father to my 13-year-old son, and a tamer of two wiley dogs. To keep up with all of them as well as the students, I enjoy going on jogs, hikes, and kayaking and you can usually see me at various swim meets throughout the winter and summer seasons cheering on my son to point his toes when he swims as well as his soccer games. As a parent of a student who is now in middle school, I know how imperative it is that the learning community that your child belongs to at Shiloh Hills is one that is responsive, compassionate, safe, and joyful. To this end, I commit to looking out for all of our students and all who comprise our learning community. Education is truly at its best when students, families, and educators are allied together. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to meeting you soon!	Mrs. Hoffmaster - Counselor K-2 Hello! My name is Erin Hoffmaster and I am the Shiloh Hills School Counselor for grades K-2. I graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and Masters Degree in School Counseling. I live in the Wilson Community with my husband, two kiddos and our goldendoodle Bruno. You can find us spending our time outside going for walks, swimming, and cheering on the Reading Fightin Phils! As an elementary counselor, I strive to build positive relationships with our kids. " A positive adult-child relationship built on trust, understanding, and caring will foster children’s cooperation and motivation and increase their positive outcomes at school." (Webster-Stratton, 1999) I look forward to working with you and your children this year!	Mr. Trout Counselor - 3rd-5th Hi! My name is David Trout and I am the Shiloh Hills School Counselor for grades 3-5. I graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I graduated from Wilkes University with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Strategies and Development. I graduated from Millersville University with a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. I live in Ephrata. I enjoy working around my house, taking long walks, reading books, and spending time with family and friends. I am looking forward to making connections with your child and the rest of your family, as we learn and grow together this school year.

Dr. Luckey - Dean of Students

My name is Ed Luckey and I am extremely excited to serve our students and the community of Shiloh Hills Elementary School as Dean of Students. I have had the honor of making music with children at Wilson Southern since the Fall of 2003, and to put it simply, it has been beautiful. I love children and I love music and serving our children and our community through music education has been my life’s passion ever since; however, in recent years, I started serving in other capacities outside of music education at Shiloh Hills in 2022 as their Dean.

My other jobs include being a husband, a father to my 13-year-old son, and a tamer of two wiley dogs. To keep up with all of them as well as the students, I enjoy going on jogs, hikes, and kayaking and you can usually see me at various swim meets throughout the winter and summer seasons cheering on my son to point his toes when he swims as well as his soccer games.

As a parent of a student who is now in middle school, I know how imperative it is that the learning community that your child belongs to at Shiloh Hills is one that is responsive, compassionate, safe, and joyful. To this end, I commit to looking out for all of our students and all who comprise our learning community. Education is truly at its best when students, families, and educators are allied together. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to meeting you soon!

Mrs. Hoffmaster - Counselor K-2

Hello! My name is Erin Hoffmaster and I am the Shiloh Hills School Counselor for grades K-2.

I graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and Masters Degree in School Counseling.

I live in the Wilson Community with my husband, two kiddos and our goldendoodle Bruno. You can find us spending our time outside going for walks, swimming, and cheering on the Reading Fightin Phils!

As an elementary counselor, I strive to build positive relationships with our kids. " A positive adult-child relationship built on trust, understanding, and caring will foster children’s cooperation and motivation and increase their positive outcomes at school." (Webster-Stratton, 1999) I look forward to working with you and your children this year!

Mr. Trout Counselor - 3rd-5th

Hi! My name is David Trout and I am the Shiloh Hills School Counselor for grades 3-5.

I graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I graduated from Wilkes University with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Strategies and Development. I graduated from Millersville University with a Master’s Degree in School Counseling.

I live in Ephrata. I enjoy working around my house, taking long walks, reading books, and spending time with family and friends.

I am looking forward to making connections with your child and the rest of your family, as we learn and grow together this school year.

Back to School Tips for Parents

Remember Meet the Teacher Night is Tuesday, August 29 from 6-7PM! This night will provide parents/guardians with an overview on your student's upcoming year. Students should not be attending this event. We will hold 2 thirty minute sessions for families to choose to attend. Teachers will also post a video of the session if families are unable to attend!

Back to school can be a time of excitement and anticipation for children, but it can also be a time of anxiety for parents. As a parent of four, I am very aware of the chaos that can occur trying to transition your children back into routines. Here are a few things that have worked for my family

Get organized. Each night, take some time to get organized. This includes making sure your child has everything they need for school the next day... such as packing your child's backpack with all necessary items, picking out tomorrow's clothes, and selecting a snack for the following day.
Take notes for yourself. Be sure to write down all the upcoming important dates for the month including early dismissals, days off, and school events. My monthly newsletters will include the upcoming cycle days for the month as well as important dates for you to note! Remember each cycle day your child will have a different special.
Establish a regular routine. Having a regular routine can help children feel more prepared and confident for school each day. This routine should include getting up at the same time each morning, eating breakfast, and getting dressed. You can also help your child create a homework routine. ROUTINES WORK!
Introduce yourself to your child's teacher. At the beginning of the school year, take some time to talk to your child's teacher either via phone, email or schedule a meeting. This is a great opportunity to get to know the teacher and learn about their expectations for the year. Our Meet the Teacher Night will be August 29th at 6:00pm.
Be supportive. Be there to support your child and help them feel confident. Offer them encouragement and praise, and be patient with them as they adjust to their new routine.