Hill 5th graders visit Troy Historical Village to learn about Native American cultures and traditions.
Hill Holiday Sing Along
Positive Discipline is Linked to Better Behavior at Home and School
A recent review of discipline research reaffirms that physical punishment is ineffective—and actually increases behavior problems. Effective discipline should be focused on teaching correct behavior, rather than punishment. And it’s most effective when it’s delivered in a positive, calm and loving way. When disciplining, consider your:
Words. Tell your child exactly what you expect. For example, “It’s time to work on your assignment” is better than, “Aren’t you supposed to be doing your assignment?”
Tone of voice. It’s important not to sound too stern or too unsure. Try to find a happy medium, a tone that says, “I’m confident you will do as I say.”
Body language. If possible, face your child and make eye contact. Avoid intimidating gestures such as shaking a finger or putting your hands on your hips.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2022 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2022 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: A. Heilmann, PhD and others, “Physical punishment and child outcomes: A narrative review of prospective studies,” The Lancet, Elsevier.
- 12/16 – Last Day before Winter Break
- 1/2 - NO SCHOOL
- 1/3 – First Day back to school from Winter Break
- 1/16-NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- 1/19-Hill PTO Meeting- 7pm
- 1/25- Festival of Choirs -Athens 7pm
- 1/30- NO SCHOOL - Teacher Professional Learning
- 2/1 - 5th Grade Band and Orchestra Winter Concert - Athens -7pm
- 2/10 - PTO Dance Luau - 6pm
- 2/20-2/21 NO SCHOOL -MID WINTER Vacation
- 3/2 - End of the Marking Period
- 3/3- No School - Teacher Work Day
- 3/7- First Grade Music Evening Informance- 6:30pm
- 3/9- PTO Meeting- 7pm
- 3/16- Half Day; Afternoon and Evening Conferences
- 3/24- NO SCHOOL - First Day of Spring Break
- 3/24-4/2 - Spring Break
- 4/3- Spring Break over -Return to School
Indoor/Outdoor Cold Weather Policy
As we enter winter weather, I would like to remind you of our Indoor Lineup / Indoor Recess Policy.
Hill Tip: We use the “Feels Like” temperature on the Weather Channel App to determine if we have indoor/outdoor lineup and/or recess. If it’s 10 degrees or higher, we go outside.
All students should enter the front doors for indoor lineup. After reading through this information, I might suggest that you have a conversation with your child about where he or she will line up during indoor lineup. Please send your child to school with the appropriate winter clothing (winter coat, hat, gloves, and boots) to participate in all activities. Please label all items.
Down Time is Vital to Your Child's Health and Academic Success
Some parents schedule every minute of their children’s time in an effort to prepare them for success in later life. But studies suggest that kids benefit from enjoying unscheduled free time.
When days are packed with lessons, sports and other structured activities, children can become overwhelmed and stressed out. As a result, they don’t do as well in school and are more likely to get sick. To determine if your child’s schedule is balanced, ask yourself:
- Does my child have time to play with friends? Practices that are planned and run by adults don’t count. Kids need time to relax and just “hang out” with other children.
- When does my child complete assignments? Working on them while traveling between activities isn’t effective. Schoolwork takes concentration, and that takes time.
- Why is my child in these activities? Sometimes, parents are the ones who want their child to take a class or participate in a sport.
- Does my child get enough sleep? Children between the ages of six and 12 need nine to 12 hours of sleep each day to function well.
- School is your child’s most important job. If too many activities are getting in the way, ask your student to make a choice: “Which two activities do you enjoy the most?” For safety, middle school students should still be supervised, but increasing unstructured free time will increase your child’s happiness and health.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2022 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2022 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: C. Hennig, “The Lost Art of Play: How Overscheduling Makes Children Anxious,” CBC News.