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The Husky's Howl January 21, 2022

Mrs. Hartley, Mrs. Kaspari & Mrs. Garner LOVE their first graders as much as they LOVE teaching first grade!

  • January 31 - No School - Elementary Teacher Professional Development Day
  • February 7 - 5th Grade Band & Strings Concert
  • February 21-22 - Mid-Winter Break - No School
  • March 3 - End of Marking Period 2
  • March 4 - No School for Students / Teacher Work Day
  • March 25-April 1 - Spring Break

Drop Off & Pick Up Reminders

When the weather is cold, most parents drive their children to and from school. This means we have more vehicles to manage during arrival and dismissal. There are a few areas that I would like to bring to your attention to ensure safety for all students, parents, and staff.

  • Please remain in your car when you are in the drop-off line. If your child can’t get out of the vehicle on his/her own, please park in the parking lot and walk your child up to the sidewalk. Getting out of your vehicle slows down our drop-off process.
  • Do not use the parking lot as a drop-off area. This area is meant for parents that want to park and walk their child up to school. If this continues, I will likely have to use funds to purchase signage for this area. If you see someone dropping off their child, please “kindly” remind them of our policy.
  • Please pull all the way forward in the drop-off lane. We can fit up to 10 cars at one time if everyone pulls all the way forward. This also helps us get students into the building faster.
  • Cars should pull up so we can get as many cars as possible in the drop-off/pick up lane at a time. This will help children and parents dismiss faster and safer. Even if your child is right next to your vehicle, please pull forward and he/she will get into your vehicle when it comes to a stop at one of the designated spots. We will then instruct them to walk up and get inside the vehicle.
  • If you are in your vehicle waiting in a backed up line, please stay behind the car in front of you. We have had some impatient parents try to drive around the back-ups. This has created unsafe conditions, especially for those using the crosswalks.

Focus on Four Areas as You Help Your Child Develop Character

Your child may have been born with certain personality traits, but think of her character as a work in progress. In other words, the kind of person she’ll eventually become is still being shaped. Teach her to:

  1. Be flexible. Model compromise and negotiation by listening to the opinions of others. Encourage your child to do the same.
  2. Show empathy. Teach your child to imagine how others might feel and to treat them with kindness. Make caring for others a priority in your family.
  3. Have self-control. Tell your child that she can’t control others, but she can control her choices, actions and reactions. Encourage her to always think before she acts.
  4. Take responsibility. Let your child know that responsibilities are like promises. They are things she has to do—especially when others are counting on her.

Reprinted with permission from the January 2022 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2022 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

Online Student Directory

As in past years, the online student directory is available again in the PowerSchool parent portal. This is used most by parents to reach out to classmates for birthday parties or play dates. Information in the directory includes:

  • Student and parent names
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • E-Mail

Parents can only view information from the schools their children attend. For example, families with a student at Hill can only see information from other Hill families. Parents can hide portions of their data, such as address or phone number, by checking the matching box in the right column. Parents can also opt completely out of the directory by selecting the box at the bottom of the image below.

This is the parent view options in PowerSchool to adjust your settings and make your selections:

Hill's SUPER BOWL Spirit Week: Feb.7-11

Persistence is Key to Success in School and Life

It’s wonderful for students to be talented and smart, but educators know it’s just as important for them to be persistent. At one time or another everyone faces a challenging task or a heartbreaking setback. The key is to remind children to keep trying until they are successful. Pushing forward—even when it’s tough—is a key to success in school and in life. To promote persistence in your elementary schooler:

  • Talk about it. How has persistence already helped your child? Maybe she kept trying until she learned to ride a bike or play chess. What new challenge can she tackle now?
  • Break big goals into small parts. If your child is determined to raise her grade in English, support her by discussing steps and helping her develop a reasonable plan.
  • Offer encouragement. When your child is working on something challenging, say things like:
  • I know you can do this.
  • I bet you’ll figure it out.
  • You’re making great progress. Keep at it. You’ll get it.
  • It will get better. You’ll get the hang of it.
  • If it doesn’t work that way, try another way.
  • Focus on the process. Sure, it feels great to see an A on a report card, but it also feels great to do well on a test after studying hard. Even better, it feels great to learn! Talk with your child about her accomplishments and what makes each of them worthwhile.

Reprinted with permission from the January 2022 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2022 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

A.L.I.C.E. Drills Follow-Up

As communicated earlier this week we had TWO A.L.I.C.E. informative drills this week. The details are below along with the read aloud I'm NOT Scared...I'm Prepared! that was shared with students.

Minimum Security Drill (1/19): During this drill, teachers shared a short TSD created presentation that teaches students to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN to their teacher during an emergency. We spent time talking with students about the importance of “doing as their teacher does” during a drill or emergency. During this drill classrooms were locked and all students are kept inside their classroom.

Maximum Security Drill (1/21): We took another step in our implementation of A.L.I.C.E and taught students how to react in the event of a higher-level situation. Today, we taught our students about what to do during a maximum-security drill using a similar presentation and a read a loud entitled, I’m Not Scared…I’m Prepared by Julia Cook.

As a parent, my advice would be to talk with your students(s) about their understanding of the drills that occurred at school. It will help reinforce the concepts and it will give your child the opportunity to educate you about our plans.

I'm NOT Scared...I'm Prepared! Because I Know All About A.L.I.C.E.

Author Julia Cook collaborated with ALICE founders Greg and Lisa Crane to create an age-appropriate, instructional storybook that teachers and parents can use as a tool to teach the ALICE concepts to elementary aged school children. Greg Crane, founder of the ALICE training program stated, “Julia Cook has managed to create a child-friendly, non-threatening way to instruct young children in preparing for the unimaginable event of an active shooter.”

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Shari Pawlus - Principal

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